Red Phoenix

bit of seniority on me. Being God of Martial Arts and all.’
    ‘Oh, yes, I am too.’ He glanced down at me andsqueezed me around the shoulders. ‘I keep forgetting, the way you boss me around all the time.’
    ‘You need bossing around, Daddy,’ Simone said. ‘You’re hopeless at everything except martial arts.’
    ‘You think so, Simone?’ he said.
    She nodded, her little face serious.
    ‘I think I must be the happiest old Turtle in the whole wide world,’ he said with a sigh and a huge grin. ‘But I’m afraid a couple of these students could use my hand, so I’ll have to let both of you wonderful ladies go.’
    ‘Let me move away first before you put Simone down,’ I said, and he released me.
    ‘Go and talk to Gold,’ he said. ‘I saw that look on your face.’
    ‘What look?’
    He gently lowered Simone. ‘The look that says you have to find something out right now or somebody will be in big trouble. Go and ask him.’
    He was right. I told the demon to stay at the back of the class, then went to Gold.
    ‘How can the stone in my ring be your father, Gold?’
    He smiled cheerfully and it made him seem very young. ‘Come with me, out of the room, and I’ll show you.’
    John moved through the class to give the students individual attention. Simone sat down cross-legged against the back wall and the demon stood next to her. The demon nodded and smiled, and I nodded back. Looked like she would be a good one.
    ‘This way, ma’am,’ Gold said, and led me out.
    He stopped in the lift lobby and grinned at me. ‘Don’t worry, this doesn’t hurt a bit.’
    He held his hand out and flicked his wrist like a magician. Then he plunged his hand straight into his chest. He pulled out a stone about the size of his fist and held it out to me.
    I took it gingerly, expecting it to be wet and disgusting, but it was warm and dry. It was a gorgeous piece of clear quartz shot through with shining veins of gold.
    ‘That’s me,’ he said, his eyes sparkling.
    I nearly dropped the stone. ‘You’re a rock ?’
    ‘Yes. Gold isn’t my name, it’s what I am.’
    ‘Pretentious,’ the stone in my ring said. ‘You are less than twenty per cent pure gold. Your correct name is Quartz.’
    ‘Give it a rest, Dad,’ Gold said, still smiling. ‘Go back to sleep, old rock.’
    ‘Humph,’ the stone said, and went silent.
    I studied the stone in my hand. ‘You are very beautiful, Gold.’ I turned it over and ran one finger over the veins of gold. It was smooth and warm, quite delightful to touch.
    Gold shivered and inhaled sharply. His eyes went wide and dark.
    I rubbed my palm over the stone, enjoying the smooth texture.
    Gold breathed heavily and became very flushed. ‘Uh, my Lady…’
    I stopped and felt my face redden. ‘Sorry,’ I mumbled, embarrassed. ‘I didn’t know.’
    He pulled himself together. ‘Not a problem. I should have told you. Better give me back, my Lady, I can’t hold human form well unless I am inside it.’
    ‘Oh, wonderful,’ the stone in my ring said. ‘You know she rubs me sometimes when she’s thinking. Now she knows, she won’t do it any more.’
    Gold’s grin didn’t shift. ‘You are a dirty old man.’
    ‘And I won’t be rubbing you any more,’ I said.
    ‘Damn,’ the stone said softly.
    ‘Your father said you were stuck, Gold.’ I handed the stone back to him. ‘What did he mean?’
    ‘Not my father, my parent .’ Gold shoved the stone back into his chest. ‘Like Jade, I displeased Heaven, and I am stuck in human form, serving, until I have atoned.’
    ‘What did you do?’
    He looked sheepish. ‘I would prefer not to say, my Lady. If you order me, I will tell you. But I would prefer not to.’
    I changed the subject to spare his feelings. ‘If the stone in my ring is your parent, I really don’t think it’s appropriate for me to be wearing it around. Do you want to take it?’
    ‘It is honoured to be an item of jewellery. It is the highest honour a stone can attain, to be treated as something truly precious. And the fact that it symbolises the bond you share with the Dark Lord gives my parent a great deal of distinction.’
    ‘Oh. I never thought of it that way. You are pretty enough…’ I stopped. ‘I mean your stone is pretty enough…’ I was lost for words. I didn’t know how to say it.
    ‘I think I understand what you mean, and I am sincerely flattered. When I am freed, I would be honoured to become an item of jewellery for you. I