Red Phoenix

Time to lock the door of my room and enjoy the company of my man the only way we could.
    ‘ Is Aunty Zhu here yet ?’ Simone yelled as we went through the front door and kicked off our shoes.
    ‘We’re in the training room,’ Leo shouted back.
    Simone raced down the hallway and into the training room. She squealed with delight. Michael and I shared an amused look and followed her.
    Zhu Que must have materialised the table and chairs that were set up in one corner of the room, covered in tea things. She and John sat there together. Leo sat cross-legged on the floor with the chicks. Simone was on her knees, looking at them with round-eyed delight.
    Each chick was as big as a medium-sized dog. All three had little round furry bodies without visible wings, rust-coloured with darker horizontal stripes across their backs. One of them rose to approach Simone, but the other two hung back near Leo.
    ‘Hello,’ Simone said softly to the chick.
    ‘Hello,’ the chick said, its little head bobbing sideways on its long neck. ‘What’s your name?’
    ‘Simone. What’s yours?’
    The chick glanced at Zhu Que. She smiled warmly. It turned back to Simone. ‘I’m the Biggest.’
    ‘I’m the Littlest,’ one of the other chicks quickly piped up.
    ‘I’m Middle. We get proper names later,’ the third chick announced proudly. It turned its head on itsgraceful neck to face Leo. ‘Finish the story, Uncle Leo.’
    The Biggest chick that had been talking to Simone returned to sit next to its siblings, bending its long legs underneath it. Simone followed it and sat with them.
    ‘I don’t remember where I was,’ Leo said with a gentle smile.
    ‘The Big Bad Wolf had just come up to the two little pigs in the House of Sticks,’ the Middle chick said. ‘What happened next, Uncle Leo?’
    I went to the table and sat with John and Zhu Que. John poured some tea for me. Michael hesitated at the doorway, unsure.
    ‘Go and do your homework if you like, Michael. Or you can stay with us if you want,’ I said.
    Michael nodded without saying a word, saluted us carefully, and went out.
    Zhu Que nodded respectfully to me. ‘My Lady.’
    I waved her down. ‘No need for that, Zhu Que, we’re all family here,’ I said. ‘It was a good idea bringing them in here; they won’t be able to do much damage if one of them goes off.’
    Zhu Que smiled affectionately at the babies. ‘This is a particularly good clutch. Not a single one of them has burst into flames at any of the places we have visited.’ Her smile disappeared. ‘Lord Xuan tells me that apart from a single isolated attack at the school, things have been relatively peaceful in the last few weeks.’
    I sighed. ‘It’s been absolutely wonderful.’
    John nodded agreement. ‘I just wish I knew what was up.’
    Zhu Que nodded as well. ‘Why did they attack you twice so far from their centre, and then stop when you returned? Even the King going so far from the Eastern Centre is remarkable. Did you request the Lady?’
    John shook his head, his face grim. ‘I can handle it,’ he said, a very fine, fierce edge to his voice.
    ‘We don’t want to put Kwan Yin in any sort of danger unless we absolutely have to,’ I said with a similar edge. I changed the subject, gesturing towards Simone where she sat with the chicks, listening to Leo with rapt attention. ‘Simone has started weapons. Her energy skills are remarkable. She’s only been doing weapons for a few weeks, and she can already use her little training sword to throw chi.’
    ‘She can destroy level ten demons with her Inner Eye, and level twenty with her bare hands. She’ll be ready for a real sword very soon,’ John said with satisfaction.
    Zhu Que studied Simone. ‘She is your first human child, my Lord, is that correct?’
    John nodded silently.
    Zhu Que appeared to get the message even though she wasn’t looking at him. She turned back to us. ‘You should have done this a long time ago. Her skills at such a young age rival those of the Third Prince.’
    ‘They exceed his. I remember. She will be more powerful than Na Zha when she is mature,’ he said.
    Zhu Que smiled. ‘Don’t mention his name too much, my Lord. You know how vain he is—he’ll be knocking on your front door demanding a test of skills with her.’
    ‘I agree,’ I said. ‘You know how I feel about the Third Prince.’
    ‘I don’t know why everybody has such a problem with him,’ John said mildly, and both Zhu Que and I