Page 71 of Phoenix Rising

If only he could find them again, they could become a dynamic trio. There was nothing he couldn’t do with them at his side. He might’ve promoted them to demigod status, but they deserved it. Henry had saved his life, and Tina had rescued Tilly. So yes, they were heroes in his book.

Elijah liked to wait until dusk was falling to start the introductory course. An event focused on spirituality needed to convene in nature. Listening to the babbling river, the crickets, katydids, owls, and the occasional howl from a coyote soothed the soul. Unfortunately, it did nothing for him tonight. A beep sounded on his watch, letting him know it was time to go. He left his office and locked the door. Even though it was in his private wing, he didn’t want any of the housekeepers or cleaning staff going inside.

A check out the window told him that there were less than the thirty they were expecting. Word of his meltdown yesterday must’ve gotten out, scaring people away. Well, too bad. He’d overcome obstacles before and landed on his feet. He would do so again. The next retreat would be at full capacity.

Attendees were relaxing on the benches scattered around, while some stood and others sat on the bark-covered ground. He didn’t have the effect of turning out the lights, but this wasn’t bad. He entered the tunnel directly beneath the garden and exited from the fake rock. While everyone was focused on the door to the building, he came up behind them.

Holding up his arms, he called out, “Welcome to Spiritual Beginnings.”

A collective gasp sounded as people spun toward him. One woman even fell off her bench. Ah, he loved theatrics. Maybe he’d figure out how to include his capturing lightning schtick . . . nah, that’d draw too much attention and bring the Feds down on him.

Strands of party lights around the area twinkled among the trees, and windchimes sang a merry tune. Landscaping lights highlighted plants, cacti, and flowers. It was a peaceful, tranquil setting, and he often came out at night to talk to God.

“As you can see, the beauty of nature is the perfect place to begin your spiritual journey. Inhale deeply and let the clean air fill your lungs.” From the corner of his eye, Elijah noticed a couple exiting the building to join them. “Good. Now we are going to focus—”

His gasp was audible through the speakers positioned high in the trees. “Henry, Tina,” he whispered reverently. They’d come back! Elijah felt as if someone had pumped helium into his veins and he was floating on a cloud of euphoria.

Tina said something to another couple, and they moved over to allow the McKays to share their bench. They still hadn’t recognized him. Elijah wasn’t about to let them get away again. Instead of reciting the rest of his prepared speech, he said, “Find a place out here that brings you peace and meditate. Let spirituality fill you. We will reconvene tomorrow morning in the chapel at eight.”

Elijah made a beeline for the McKays, but a woman stepped into his path, blocking his progress. He almost slugged her.

“Are you sure it’s safe to be out here, Guru Phoenix? I mean, aren’t there, like, mountain lions and black bears and rattlesnakes?”

He scurried around her. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Henry and Tina were gone! He spun around and let out a sigh of relief to see them walking with the other couple toward the river. He jogged over and tapped Henry on the shoulder. “Excuse me.” He cringed when his voice was broadcast over the area and quickly ripped off the wireless mic.

Henry turned, and since Tina was latched onto his arm, she faced him too. Elijah’s heart pounded. He’d thought of them so often when they’d been apart, and now here they were, up close and personal.

“Henry, Tina, it’s me!”

Henry cocked his head. “Yeah, Guru Phoenix. Nice to officially meet you.”

“No!” He cringed again and lowered his voice, pulling them further away from the others and into the shadows. “It’s me, Elijah.” He’d almost said Richie Caraway, but they didn’t know that was his real name. He ripped off the glasses and pushed the hood down.

Tina frowned. “Elijah?” She shook her beautiful head. “No, he has thick hair.”

He ran a hand over his smooth pate. “I shaved it off.”

Henry squinted at him. “Is that really you, Elijah?”

“Yes!” He wanted to hug them, but they were still leery.

“If you are Elijah, as you say, what happened? Where have you been?” Tina wanted to know.

Elijah glanced around the gardens. Most people were doing as instructed and communing with nature, but he couldn’t afford to be overheard. “Let’s go to my suite, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Elijah had taken the bait like a ginormous blue marlin chomping on a fat red crawler dangling from a hook. In other words, he’d been well and truly caught like a fish. Audria had made the right call by having them arrive late. Elijah had been totally gobsmacked when he’d spotted Talia and Hunter again.

Before the McGraths appearance, Elijah had settled into his evangelist role, outlining what would happen in the retreat. He’d been back to normal, authoritative even. Then Talia and Hunter had walked in, and he couldn’t end the session fast enough. It was almost cartoon comical.

Christian walked up to them. “I saw where he came out of the woods. Want to check it out?”

“Sure.” They followed him to a rock that looked real from a distance but was obviously fake up close. Reese inspected the boulder, looking for a hidden mechanism that activated it to open. “He built a secret tunnel.”

“Talia said he loved his theatrics,” Audria remembered.

---