Phoenix

Discovery

Jacob skipped dinner and went to bed early that evening. Ash cowered in a corner, expecting to be ostracised for what she'd done. But nobody so much as glanced in her direction. Even Apple and Ollie went about their own business, having become so used to her anti-social behaviour. It seemed as though Jacob hadn't told anyone... yet.

Then, Gus announced that there was to be a meeting on the training field the next morning to 'discuss something very concerning'. He announced it in the common room after everyone had finished their dinner. All Phoenix House members were to attend. No exceptions. Ash felt her stomach drop. So Jacob had told Gus. But then why did there need to be a big meeting about it? Surely, if they knew what she'd done, the solution was simple. Kick her off the island.

Ash didn't sleep all night. The only think keeping her from attempting a runner like Freia was the small kernel of hope that no one except Jacob knew what she'd done.

The next morning, Gus was furious. His signature grin was gone, replaced by a frown that extended just as far from his face and subdued the mood of the already overcast morning. Ash stuck to the fringes of the gathering, behind two of the tallest Phoenix House members so she couldn't be seen. There was about twenty of them in total. Everyone waited with apprehension for the 'very concerning news'.

"It has been brought to my attention that someone from our house has been setting fire to the forest," Gus said, his voice becoming deeper as he projected it over the gathered crowd. "Now, I'm not pointing any fingers. I've just been told to bring it up. This is a very serious situation, and we'd like to make sure it doesn't happen again. Now, does anyone want to fess up, or tell me any information about who could've been involved?"

This was followed by a lot of turning heads and accusatory glances.

"You're not in trouble. We just want to know what happened."

Apple raised her hand tentatively.

"Yes, Apple?"

"Where was the damage?" she asked.

"On the far side of the island," Gus said. "In Silver Fox Clearing. Gunner noticed smoke coming from that area late yesterday and went to investigate. When he got there, he found... " Gus shakes his head. "Let's just say, there wasn't much left of the clearing. Someone with a very powerful force burned those trees."

"Could it have been lightning?" another young Wanderer asked. Ash didn't know his name, but he'd helped her pulley large buckets of water into the Phoenix cave for the cooking one time.

"Definitely not," Gus replied.

"Perhaps someone from another house wants to make it look like it was one of us?" Yolanda, one of the girls who'd been playing cards with them on the first night, said.

Gus frowned. "Can't see why they'd do that."

"How bad is it?" Ollie asked, eyes wide.

Gus said nothing, just shook his head slowly, the grave line of his mouth telling them all they needed to know.

There came a choking sound to Ash's right. She looked over to see Jacob, arms wrapped around his body, breathing heavily. The whites of his eyes threatened to engulf his pupils.

"Are you okay, Jacob?" Gus said, moving towards the hooked nosed boy.

This only made Jacob wheeze harder.

"He's having an asthma attack," someone called out.

Another person said, "Someone get him some water. He's gonna faint."

Ash watched as Gus took hold of Jacob's arm and lead him towards the nearest fallen tree to sit down. While the rest of Phoenix House watched on, concern etching their faces, the two spoke in low tones. At one stage Jacob even looked up and met Ash's eye before quickly looking away again. Ash was sure if he hadn't already spilled the beans, it wouldn't be long before he did.

As her tension rose, the itchy feeling in her fingers returned and her protective walls, which still hadn't been resurrected properly since the day before, gave way.

With nothing to stop her force from flowing out, the temperature in the air rose and the people around her began peering at the sky and fanning their faces, wondering why it had suddenly become so hot. She felt a drip of sweat pool on her upper lip and the world wane out of focus.

Oh no, she thought.

________________________________________________________________________________

*~*

Enjoying the book? Please consider supporting an independent writer by buying PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES for $1.99 USD (or the equivalent in your territory's denomination) at the link below. If you do, you get the BONUS EPILOGUE as a thank you :)

https://books2read.com/PhoenixFromTheAshes

________________________________________________________________________________

*~*

Individual links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094691Y28

https://books.apple.com/au/book/phoenix-from-the-ashes/id1566013656

https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/phoenix-from-the-ashes

https://www.scribd.com/book/506289899/Phoenix-from-the-Ashes

https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9798201713911_9798201713911_10020

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phoenix-from-the-ashes-lk-skripjack/1139405381;jsessionid=C85A66F5346F67905D72F073A499EE11.prodny_store02-atgap03?ean=2940165268571