The Fountain of Youth (A Phoenix Quest Adventure Book 4) Read online

  THE

  FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

  A Phoenix Quest Adventure

  #4

  by

  K.T. TOMB

  Acclaim for K.T. Tomb:

  “Epic and awesome!”

  —J.T. Cross, bestselling author of Beneath the Deep

  “Now this is what I call adventure. The Lost Garden will leave you breathless!”

  —Summer Lee, bestselling author of Angel Heart

  “The best adventure novel I’ve read in a long time. K.T. Tomb. I can’t wait to read the sequel. Count me a fan. A big fan.”

  —P.J. Day, bestselling author of The Sunset Prophecy

  “K.T. Tomb is a wonderful new voice in adventure fiction. I was enthralled by The Lost Garden...and you will be, too.”

  —Aiden James, bestselling author of Plague of Coins

  OTHER BOOKS BY K.T. TOMB

  STANDALONE ADVENTURES

  The Last Crusade

  The Kraken

  The Adventurers

  The Swashbucklers

  The Tempest

  Ghosts of the Titanic

  The Honeymooners

  Curse of the Coins

  Drums Along the Hudson

  THE CHYNA STONE ADVENTURES

  The Minoan Mask

  The Mummy Codex

  The Phoenician Falcon

  The Babylonian Basilisk

  The Aquitaine Armor

  THE EVAN KNIGHT ADVENTURES

  The Lost Garden

  Keepers of the Lost Garden

  Destroyers of the Lost Garden

  THE PHOENIX QUEST ADVENTURES

  The Hammer of Thor

  The Spear of Destiny

  The Lair of Beowulf

  The Fountain of Youth

  THE CASH CASSIDY ADVENTURES

  The Holy Grail

  The Lost Continent

  The Lost City of Gold

  THE ALPHA ADVENTURES

  “A” is for Amethyst

  “B” is for Bullion

  “C” is for Crystal

  SASQUATCH SERIES

  Sasquatch

  Sasquatch Found

  The Fountain of Youth

  Published by K.T. Tomb

  Copyright © 2014 by K.T. Tomb

  All rights reserved.

  Ebook Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedication

  The author wishes to dedicate this book to the late

  Robert Asprin.

  The Fountain of Youth

  by K.T. Tomb

  The Fountain of Youth is a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus (5th century BC), the Alexander romance (3rd century CE), and the stories of Prester John (early Crusades, 11th/12th centuries CE). Stories of similar waters were also evidently prominent among the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean during the Age of Exploration (early 16th century), who spoke of the restorative powers of the water in the mythical land of Bimini.

  The legend became particularly prominent in the 16th century, when it became attached to the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, first Governor of Puerto Rico. According to an apocryphal combination of New World and Eurasian elements, Ponce de León was searching for the Fountain of Youth when he traveled to what is now Florida in 1513.

  — Wikipedia

  Prologue

  Reuters World News Service

  HEADLINE: Vatican Explorer Phoenix Quest Recovers Battle Armor of Genghis Khan

  It has been announced today by the Vatican news office and the governments of Russia and Mongolia that the battle armor of Temüjin, also known as Genghis Khan, has been discovered in a series of caverns in the Altai Mountains in Siberia.

  Following a series of legends and clues, the explorer and a team of Buryat historians ascended the mountains in search of what is locally known as the Temüjin Temple, a place thought to be a spiritual home to Genghis Khan throughout his reign. Believed to be only a myth, the temple was said to be a series of natural caves which was occupied by a group of very powerful and mystical Buddhist monks. It was said that Genghis Khan visited these monks before and after every battle, spending weeks on end with them in the mountains where they prepared his body and mind for the rigors of battle.

  “The more we asked about the legend of Temüjin,” explorer Thalia Phoenix explained, “the more we realized that not only was there wide spread knowledge of the story among all the tribes people of the northern Mongolian region, but also among the Buryat from all around the Lake Baikal area.”

  Her counterpart, Friar Angelo Batista added, “Once we realized that the people in the area put such deep seated honor to the story of the temple, we just knew that it must exist in some shape or form. The leap that the armor might be there wasn’t a far one, considering how much time he was fabled to have spent there and how much he loved and cherished the monks who were said to have lived there. We thought that at the very least, we would find a few interesting artifacts relating to the great warrior and his time, but we hit pay dirt.”

  Phoenix and Batista are sponsored by the Vatican Museum, which has arrangements with the Russian and Mongolian governments to send the armor on tour for three years before relinquishing ownership to both governments jointly.

  Thalia Phoenix looked at the computer screen onboard her Beechjet 400A aircraft as Jennifer, the stewardess, placed a tall frosty glass of chocolate milk down beside her.

  “Anything for supper, Ms. Phoenix?” she asked.

  “I had asked for some sushi from Asanebo to be delivered. Did it make it?” she asked, wrinkling her nose in worry. It would be a shame if it missed the flight and went to waste, although the food from that restaurant was so epic that Thalia would actually wait for it to arrive.

  “Indeed it did, Ms. Phoenix,” Jennifer confirmed. “I just assumed since you asked for milk, you were planning on having the sushi later.” The waitress smiled, gesturing at the glass beside Phoe’s elbow.

  “Oh!” She laughed. “So right. I’ll have a small cheese plate, Jen. Save that delicious food for later. We have such a long flight to Venice and it looks like I need us to make a quick detour as well.”

  Jennifer nodded approvingly and went back into the galley to prepare fruit, pickles and four types of cheeses with jellies and jams to go with the toast points and various crackers for her boss’ snack.

  Phoe stood and approached the cockpit. She would have to have a quick word with Captain Sanchez before he set any flight plans with air traffic control. From the details revealed in the Reuters article, she knew that her two year absence from her real life had come to a halting, abrupt and unexpected end. The jig was up. Simon Kessler would be the first to see it and then it would only be a matter of time before her mother, brother and Charlotte knew. It wouldn’t take Simon long to single Peter out and then he would ceremoniously spill the beans.

  “Captain,” she said as she slid into the co-pilot’s seat.

  “Yes, Ms. Phoenix,” he replied, smiling and setting aside a clipboard he had been using. “How can I help you?”

  “We have a slight change of plans. How much notice do you need to give our friends in the tower if we were to head over to Taos, New Mexico, for a quick stop?”

  “If I cancel the Venice request now, we should be able to take off in about a half an hour,” he replied.

  “Awesome. Cancel them an
d change our destination. Then come join me and Jennifer in the cabin for a snack while we wait.”

  She stood and headed for the cockpit door.

  “Sounds great, Ms. Phoenix. I’ll be right there.”

  Back in the cabin, Thalia could see that, as usual, Jennifer had not disappointed her with the spread of food laid out on the central table. The platter was large and heavy, laden with green and red seedless grapes, slices of apple and cantaloupe and pegs of Valencia oranges. The center of the tray boasted a small wheel of Brie, a wedge of Danish blue, slices of sharp white cheddar and Phoe’s favorite, Havarti cheese. Toast points of rye, pumpernickel and white bread sat neatly beside water crackers and tiny rolls of smoked salmon, pastrami and prosciutto.

  Yummy, and as I knew it would be; too much.

  Thalia was convinced that Jennifer must have previously worked for a very gluttonous or perhaps wasteful person. She envisioned a pork-faced, potbellied billionaire who scarfed down prime rib and whole bottles of French brandy. She laughed.

  “Something funny, Ms. Phoenix?” Jennifer asked as she placed a condiment plate on the table beside the platter.

  “Not really, Jen. Would you mind joining me and the captain for a preflight snack?”

  Jennifer blushed and looked down at her beautiful black Louboutin stilettos.

  “I prepared too much food again, didn’t I?” she asked sheepishly.

  “No, Jen. You prepared just the right amount for the three of us. Come on and sit down. I need to fill you in.”

  ***

  In New Mexico, the hard part for Phoe was about to begin. She had spent the last couple of years avoiding doing just this, but time seemed to have finally caught up with her and it was time to face the damn music. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom. Her guests were all seated and waiting for her. Collectively, they all gasped.

  Peter stood and walked over to her with his arms extended and Phoe rushed into his embrace.

  “Is so good to see you, Peter,” she whispered into his ear as the tears began to flow.

  “I know, Phoe. It’s so good to finally see you as well.”

  He held her tightly until her sobbing subsided, then Phoe let go of him and faced the others. They wouldn’t be so easy.

  “Well?” her mother started. “You owe us an explanation, Thalia Phoenix, and I think we’ve waited long enough to hear what you have to say for yourself.”

  Phoe sat down across from the people gathered on her aircraft and looked at each of their faces for a moment; taking in the varied expressions. Her mother was angry, her brother Eric was amused, Simon Kessler was intrigued and Charlotte was betrayed.

  Oh dear! What have I done?

  She cleared her throat and began.

  “I’m so sorry, everyone. I really am. I know I’ve put you through a lot these past couple of years, but I had to do what I did.”

  “Why Thalia?” asked Simon.

  Charlotte hung her head and was slowly shaking it from side to side. Phoe groaned softly at the painful sight.

  “Firstly, the way that the Lair of Beowulf turned out, I had no way of knowing if the Armette connection was really taken care of. I mean, look at it, you were all convinced that I didn’t make it out alive; suppose one of them did or Kalan’s allegiance had been compromised?” She sighed before she continued. “I just couldn’t be sure. They firebombed my house. Who could tell how much further they were willing to go?”

  Charlotte lost it at the mention of the fire, breaking down in uninhibited sobbing. She still remembered what it had been like; she had gotten shot in the shoulder during that whole Beowulf affair. Phoe rushed over to put her arm around the woman’s shoulder in comfort.

  “After what they did to Charlotte and tried to do to Kalan, I couldn’t take the risk.”

  “So you just disappeared?” Eric asked.

  “No, I sent Jeremy on a world tour disguised as Symone Armette. I wanted to keep the authorities busy so no attention would be drawn to my disappearance and also see if the ruse would flush out either of the real Armettes. It took a while, but neither of them surfaced and then I heard that Simon had taken Kalan Alexander under his wing at Kessler Industries after his release. So I knew he was trustworthy.”

  “So why didn’t you just come home, Phoe?” Charlotte wailed. “We had a funeral for you and everything. There’s an empty grave at Los Cruces cemetery with your name on the stone. That was just wrong. You shouldn’t have put us through that.”

  “She had the best reason, Charlotte,” Peter interjected. “You, of all of us, should be most cognizant of that fact.”

  “I suppose. But it still hurts.”

  “I know, Char. It wasn’t malicious.” She turned to them all and said, “I want you all to know that I wasn’t acting selfishly or maliciously. I just couldn’t have lived with myself if my own carelessness had gotten any of you hurt or killed.”

  They were all silent for a few moments as the revelations sank in. Her premise was plausible enough; her reasoning sound and selfless. Perhaps forgiveness was not an elusive response in this case. Thalia breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to get these things off her chest. It felt even better to be among her family and friends again.

  “I wanted to come home as soon as I was satisfied that the Armettes were no longer a threat to you, but that’s when I got the first call from the Holy See. Apparently, the shaft of the Spear of Longinuswas quite coveted by the Roman Catholic Church and they wanted to know how open Simon Kessler would be to donating it to the Vatican Museum. They also wanted to know what happened to the spear’s head.”

  She smiled at Simon. Thalia knew that he had agreed to lend it to them for as long as it took for the relic to tour every Catholic church in the world; a generous offer. They both knew he might never see the artifact again.

  “Then they sent me to recover the Image of Edessa, which was quite an escapade, then immediately after that to locate the Temple of Solomon. After that, I decided to join a priest I had journeyed with on both adventures on a trip to Siberia, where he sought to locate the fabled battle armor of Genghis Khan. It’s been a very busy time for me and liberating, to say the least.”

  “We have read of your success, my dear, although we didn’t know they were yours,” Angelica Phoenix said. “You have certainly done well for yourself.”

  Is that pride I see in her eyes?

  “So now what?” asked Peter and Eric simultaneously.

  Simon Kessler raised an eyebrow as if he had been inexplicably beaten to the punch.

  Ha! Look at his face! Priceless!

  “Well, it’s funny that the two of you would ask me that!” Thalia said with a strange smile playing on her lips.

  ***

  An hour and a half later, Phoenix waved goodbye to her departing guests. They had shared a delicious dinner of sushi, barbecued brisket, pulled pork and had destroyed several bottles of the Italian wine Thalia had acquired from her admirers in the Vatican. As she stepped away from the door, allowing Jennifer to swing it shut and secure it, she sighed heavily.

  It had been nice to see everyone again. It had been even nicer to finally make her return to the real world, her world; the one that held her dearest friends and family. She had asked them not to disturb her ‘grave’ in Taos. She wanted it to remain as it was for several reasons. When her mother asked her why, she had replied, “I’ll explain it one day, Mom.”

  “I have to admit that it says ‘Thalia Phoenix’ on it.”

  “That is exactly what it should say, Mom. That’s me.”

  With her reverie coming to an end, Phoe turned to Peter and Eric and smiled a big smile.

  “I’m so glad you guys agreed to come along with me. It’s been very lonely and I have a feeling I’m going to need some help with the next few jobs. I’m not ready to stop my jet setting yet.”

  The three laughed heartily as the jet backed out of the hangar and taxied to the runway.

  “All clear for takeoff, Ms
. Phoenix. Would all passengers please buckle your seatbelts? Flight attendant, please cross check in preparation for takeoff.”

  Jennifer checked the door and opened the window shades from the front to the rear of the jet where she took her seat and buckled her seatbelt. She pressed a button on the wall beside her and said, “Cross check is complete and all passengers are secure and ready for takeoff.”

  “Roger that!”

  “So, where to, Phoe?” Eric asked as the nose of the Beechjet lifted into the air.

  Chapter One

  During his twilight years, American author Mark Twain noted that "life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18."

  Twain's quip was only one of many complaints about aging that have been recorded for as long as humans have dreaded the downside of a long life. The ancient Greek poet Homer called old age "loathsome," and William Shakespeare termed it "hideous winter."

  ‘Fountain of Youth—Just Wishful Thinking?’ by Willie Drye

  ***

  Phoe woke up from a restless slumber to the sounds of the city below. Her new house had creaked and groaned in odd ways all through the night, waking her up several times. It gave her the strange feeling that someone was trying to climb in through her bedroom window. This new house would take some getting used to. She missed her old apartment and her store much more than she wanted to admit.

  Two years ago, a fire had burnt her store, Simple Treasures, and the apartment behind it to the ground. She and her best friend Charlotte had lived and worked there. The fire had destroyed not only the amazing and rare artifacts and antiques she had traveled all over the world to find, it had destroyed the way of life she so passionately loved. Her business selling beautiful replicas of her artifacts was gone. She had left the insurance money and the deed to the property to Charlotte and had heard that she had rebuilt the place entirely; as if it had never been destroyed at all.