Phoenix

The Return

"I trust you've heard about the forest fire."

Just as she was about to lose control, the voice cut through the space, low and piercing, buffing up against her eardrums and bringing her back to reality. Everything came back into focus—the dusty field, the Wanderers, the heat. She looked up to find Eli emerging from the cave. He was staring directly at her, with his piercing molten eyes that seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.

"You're back," Apple said. Her exclamation was lost amongst other surprised gasps and cries of delight.

Eli's expression, as usual, gave nothing away. "I arrived yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell us?" a woman in the front row said, moving the young boy in her arms from her right hip to her left.

Eli grimaced. "There were a few important things I needed to sort out with Oroton before I announced my return."

"So you're back for good?" Ollie said hopefully.

"Yes."

There were more gasps of delight and many approving nods. Only a few scattered individuals looked apprehensive. Gus being one of them. Jacob, another.

Eli turned to Gus. "Thank you for taking over training while I was away."

Gus shrugged. "I'm guessing you'll be wanting your students back." Ash didn't know if she'd imagined it or not, but she thought there might've been a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Eli shook his head. "Only if you'd like to relinquish your duties. I wouldn't want to step on your toes. I hear you're doing a very good job."

Gus narrowed his eyes, as though trying to gauge the intention behind Eli's words.The crowd looked from Gus to Eli, sensing a rising tension between the two men, who were both were seen as leaders within the house for very different reasons. Ash had discerned over the weeks that Eli was well-respected, if not admired for his abilities with fire. While Gus was well liked for his character. They were two very different men.

Sensing no animosity from the older man, Gus shrugged. "Okay, well, I've been enjoying teaching Ollie, Apple and Jacob. I wouldn't mind continuing that."

Eli nodded. "It's settled then."

The tension dissipated.

Jacob, who'd been relatively calm since sitting down on the fallen tree log, gave a loud, heaving wheeze, swinging everyone's attention back to him.

"Elevate his feet," Eli said. "It will help the blood back to his head and stop him from fainting."

Gus nodded and coaxed Jacob into a comfortable position on the ground.

Meanwhile, Eli turned back to the gathering. "I know I haven't been a very good leader. Not nearly as reliable as Shorty, Miki and Gunner. But I'm back for good now and I've decided to relinquish control of Antiques Trading Incorporated." There were worried murmurs, which Eli silenced with his hand. "You'll continue to get your medical supplies. I've put the company in Gigi's very capable hands."

There were nods of approval at this.

He paused for a moment and Ash noticed his hand move to touch the scars on his face, before dropping back to his side. "I also need to tell you that the fire in the forest was my doing." There was a collective intake of breath at this confession. Ash heard her own gasp amongst it.

Eli continued, "I was using my force to test how our forest would withstand the impact of a missile explosion."

More collective gasps. Ash felt her temperature fluctuate hot, then cold, then hot again. What was Eli saying? Why was he covering her back with a story about missiles?

Eli pushed on through the stunned silence. "During my trip back to Ace, I discovered there's a possibility we could be under missile threat should our location be discovered. I wanted to see how deep the damage would go and how long it would take for the forest to replenish."

There were an outright shouts of disapproval at this one. Eli held up his hand to silence them again, but to less effect this time. "There's no immediate cause for panic." His voice was strained, as though his vocal cords had been pulled tight over his voice box. "They do not yet know our location, but they have stepped up their search. I think it's a good idea for us to develop contingency plans."

More shouts of dismay and the meeting threatened to dissolve into disorder. Eli raised his voice over the rising commotion. "We will have a formal meeting about this tomorrow with the rest of the houses present. But for now, you will go about your afternoon duties as usual." He grimaced. "That concludes today's meeting."

It took a moment for everyone to clear out. Many lingered, speaking in low voices, shaking their heads. One-by-one, they began to disperse, but their gaits lagged, heavy with the burden of what they'd just heard. All of a sudden, their island sanctuary didn't seem so safe.

Ash watched Apple and Ollie help a pale, shaking Jacob back to the common room and sent out a silent plea for him not to tell anyone what she'd done. He hadn't yet. Surely that meant he wasn't going to now.

Once they were out of sight, she turned to disappear into the forest when Eli called out for her to wait. "Sprout. A word please."

Ash felt the blood drain from her face, nodded and stood still, waiting for him to approach. All the while, her mind turned over a dozen Slayer profanities.

Once they were alone, Eli said, "Gus says you've stopped training."

Ash swallowed. She didn't know what to say or how to act, especially knowing he'd just covered up her mishap in the forest.

"I'd like to train you myself, if you don't mind. I teach fire a little differently to Gus. I think I can help you."

"Why did you tell that story about the missile threat?" Ash blurted.

Eli tensed. "It's not a lie. The Establishment have weaponry that could easy destroy the island if they knew where we were."

"That's not what I meant," Ash said. "You know I caused the fire. Why did you cover for me?"

"It's not a good idea for the rest of the Wanderers to know how powerful you are. At least not until we've found a way to train your force."

"I can't be trained. I'm dangerous."

"You're not going to hurt anyone. I'll make sure of that."

"You don't know that." She was thinking of Heather. Heather was the same as Ash. Eli had tried to help her too. And look what had happened. "Why should I trust you to help me? Didn't work out for Heather, did it?"

Eli's face shut down in a way that made her stomach drop. Everything about him went hard, clamped up, from the set of his jaw, to the stiffness of his arms. The only moving part of him was the vein that throbbed against his temple.

Just when she thought he might turn to stone, he said through his teeth. "If I don't try to help you now, you'll most definitely end up like her."

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