Red Phoenix

and he grinned at me. ‘He is,’ he said, pointing at John, ‘the ugliest damn reptile I have ever seen in my life.’ His face changed and he looked horrified. He bobbed his head. ‘No offence intended, my Lord, forgive my forwardness.’
    ‘No offence taken, Michael,’ John said. ‘I happen to agree with you.’
    ‘I want to see, Daddy,’ Simone said.
    ‘It’s a little scary, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘You may not like it. It made you really scared before, remember?’
    She nodded, her face serious. ‘I want to see anyway.’
    ‘Go and sit next to Emma while you do it,’ John said. ‘She can hold onto you.’
    Simone nodded, came to me, and sat carefully in my lap. She reached down and took one of my hands, holding it tightly. I wrapped my other arm around her middle and she put her arm on top of mine. She nodded. ‘I want to try.’
    She went very still in my lap. Then her Eye opened onto her father. She held my hand even tighter. I sawhim as he usually appeared; I also saw the small Celestial Form at the same time, through her.
    ‘Open wider,’ John said. ‘Put more into it. Come on, Simone. Michael can do it, why can’t you?’
    I nearly laughed out loud at how much that stung her. She stiffened, and threw all of herself into it.
    John wavered. He shimmered. He grew and went black.
    Simone squeaked and shot to her feet. John snapped back to normal; I could no longer see him through her Eye.
    Simone was completely rigid. Her breathing accelerated. I reached to hold her hand again, but she pulled it away. She didn’t want to hold my hand. She was concentrating.
    ‘Control, Simone,’ John said, watching her intensely.
    Simone took some quick, deep breaths.
    ‘Are you okay?’ I said.
    She nodded, still rigid.
    ‘What does he look like?’ I said.
    ‘He’s not ugly, he’s beautiful. You’re mean, Michael.’ She stiffened even more. She gasped, then screamed very quietly, almost a squeak of despair. ‘ Why didn’t you tell me, Daddy ?’ she wailed, then dashed out the door of the training room. ‘Leo! Leo!’ she yelled, and Leo rushed to comfort her, his deep voice rumbling.
    ‘What?’ I said.
    ‘She knows,’ John said, his voice full of anguish. His eyes were dark and burning, his face was expressionless. ‘She saw. She saw it all.’
    ‘Oh dear God, no,’ I whispered. ‘No.’

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
    A nd there I was again, outside Simone’s room, listening to her sobbing in Leo’s arms. John and I shared a look, and I nodded. This time he needed to talk to her. He rapped on the door and went in. I gestured for Michael to leave, and I went to the kitchen. I sat at the table and put my head in my hands.
    Leo came into the kitchen and sat across from me. ‘This is getting monotonous,’ he said. ‘You people have to stop torturing that poor little girl.’
    Ah Yat presented Leo with coffee and me with tea without being asked, and we both nodded to her.
    ‘What happened?’ Leo said. ‘She wouldn’t tell me. Mr Chen just walked in, and she went to him, and they sent me out. Did he scare her again?’
    Michael came in and sat with us. ‘What was all that about? She didn’t seem scared of the Turtle this time, she said it was beautiful.’
    ‘She saw right through him,’ I said sadly, ‘and saw that he’s leaving.’
    Leo inhaled sharply. ‘No.’
    I explained for Michael. ‘She didn’t know that he has a limited time with us. She thought she’d be with himforever. She knew he’d leave eventually, but she thought that she’d be able to go with him and live on the Mountain with him. She didn’t really understand the situation.’ I ran my hands through my hair. ‘Now she does.’
    Michael threw himself backwards and flung one arm over the back of his chair. ‘That really sucks.’
    Emma and Leo, come into the dining room. We will tell all.
    Leo and I shared a look. We rose and went out without saying a word.
    Michael silently watched us go.
    Somebody pick up some tissues on the way.
    I went across to the living room and grabbed the box on the coffee table for when Simone spilt her drinks. She hadn’t fallen down or spilt anything in a while.
    Leo held the dining room door and I went in. John and Simone were already sitting at the table. Simone’s face was streaked with tears. I put the tissues on the table and sat next to her. She grabbed some tissues and wiped her eyes. She hopped off the chair and climbed into my lap facing the table. I held her close and