Charade (30 page)

Too soon, it seemed we were back on the bus, heading once more for Florence and the hotel that we would be spending our first two nights in. It was like a whole other world existed outside of mine. You’d think that the events of the past year would lessen the shock I felt when presented with new and exciting places and people, but I guess it hadn’t. It relaxed me. Beginning the trip this way gave me hope that maybe we would have more fun than we thought.

*   *   *

My original good nature faded when we arrived at the hotel. Because we were a school group, traveling with teachers, we did not have to check in at the front desk. Instead, we were to go directly to our assigned rooms. The keycards were passed out on the bus—one for each student—and no more. Sam and Cole were roommates and were staying on the first floor. My room was on the second floor with Kimber. I managed to avoid her on the plane, in the vineyard and on the bus, but I knew our moment was coming, and I knew it probably wouldn’t be very pretty.

I dawdled on the bus, allowing everyone to go before me, trying to stall for time before Sam and I would have to part ways. Eventually, we were the last ones to file from the bus. Ms. Merriweather stood at the bottom of the steps with a checklist in hand, making sure all the students were accounted for. She smiled at us as we disembarked and I had to force myself to smile back.

Inside the hotel was nice. It looked a lot like the chain hotels back home with a large lobby, a reception area, and a mini kitchen to the right where they served coffee and tea all day long. A small sign by the coffee service advertised free cookies every evening at seven o’clock. At the bank of elevators, Sam and I were finally forced to say good-bye.

“I’ll see you at dinner,” Sam said, giving my fingers a light squeeze.

“Okay.” The elevator doors chimed open and students began filing in. I noticed they were all girls. Girls must be bunking on the second floor while the boys were on the first.

Unable to kiss me under the watchful eye of our chaperones, Sam settled for tapping my forehead with his fingers, reminding me that we could always talk. Then he turned on his heel and met up with Cole, who was waiting just yards away. I gave them a little wave and got on the elevator; no doubt my roomie was waiting.

She took over the room and decided on the rules before I even got there. From the minute I opened the door, she made it clear she thought she was in charge. She chose the bed closest to the windows and a small wingback chair and table (which all her stuff was draped across), her stuff took up more than half of the closet and her shower bag cluttered the only available space on the counter in the bathroom. Kimber even went as far as to turn the TV in her direction and put the remote on her bed.

I would have laughed at her incredible childishness, but if I had, she would have found ways to make me even more miserable.

I chose not to comment on her actions and, instead, placed my suitcase on the floor between the wall and my bed, leaving it unzipped (I could live out of a suitcase, I didn’t
need
a closet) and left my shower bag beside it. I took more care with my bag containing the scroll, placing it on the shelf underneath my bedside table. When Kimber went into the bathroom, I hurried to stuff the Treasure Map between the mattresses on my bed. When Kimber came back in the room, I made myself look busy by digging out a
Seventeen
magazine from my suitcase and pretending to read.

How’s your room?
I asked Sam.

Not bad. How about yours?

So far so good.
I wasn’t about to outline all of the little ways that Kimber planned on making me uncomfortable. Besides, it didn’t matter anyway. We wouldn’t be spending that much time in here.

“I hope you don’t plan on leaving your stuff all over the place,” Kimber sniffed, sitting down on her bed.

“No,” I said, not glancing up from the magazine. “If I do anything to bother you,
please
let me know. I wouldn’t want to annoy you.” I resisted the urge to laugh.

I was saved from her smart comeback because Mrs. Britt knocked on the door. “Attendance, ladies!”

I tossed the magazine down and got up. “I’ll tell her you’re here.”

I went out into the hall, pulling the door behind me. “We’re both here, Mrs. Britt.”

“Good, Heven. Did you enjoy the flight?”

“Yes.”

“Wonderful. Now, we are meeting downstairs in the conference room in an hour for a meal; then we will do some light sightseeing on the bus before calling it an early night.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“See you girls downstairs,” she called, but stopped and turned back around. “Oh, Heven, I don’t think I need to remind you that this is the girl’s floor
only
. There are to be no boys in your room.”

“Yes, ma’am. I understand.”

“Good. See you at dinner.”

I sighed and pushed the door open. It hadn’t latched all the way, so I didn’t have to use my keycard to get back in. When I walked in, I saw Kimber scurry away from my side of the room. Saying nothing, I glanced at my suitcase, the clothes were askew and the lid was open. I gaped.

Kimber had been going through my things.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You were going through my stuff!”

“Why would I want to do that?” she asked, sounding bored and trying to play it off.

But I could see her aura. She was lying through her teeth.

I sighed. “Look, I don’t like this situation any more than you do, but we are stuck with each other until this trip is over. Do us both a favor and you stay on your side of the room and I’ll stay on mine.”

“Whatever.”

I went to my suitcase and began straightening the clothes. What had she been looking for anyway? I couldn’t possibly have anything that she would want. My stomach sank when I thought of the scroll. Since I was already on the floor beside the bed, I carefully slid my hand between the mattresses in search of the bronze tube. It was there. I breathed a sigh of relief. Kimber didn’t even know about the scroll, so I wasn’t sure why I was even worrying.

I watched her gather up a clean change of clothes and storm into the bathroom, angry at me for reasons I really didn’t understand. Kimber could go through my things all she wanted, she wouldn’t find anything. Even if she did happen to see the scroll, she wouldn’t have the first clue as to what it was.

*   *   *

Sleeping without Sam was not something that came easily. Sleeping right next to your best-friend-turned-enemy was even worse. Kimber insisted on sleeping with the bathroom light and TV on. It was beyond frustrating. I was enjoying the time here in Italy so far, but our days were full of people, places and noise. It would be nice to have a break at the end of the day. For my head and eyes to have a break. Even though I hadn’t told Sam yet, I was pretty sure what my new ‘supernatural’ ability was. If you could call it that. I closed my eyes and called up an image from the Sistine Chapel’s famous ceiling. It came easily, quietly. The images took perfect shape in mind with the slightest of clicks. I had been practicing this since I caught on to my brain’s newest ability. Every time it became easier and clearer.

I had a photographic memory.

Why this would be considered a ‘supernatural’ ability was beyond me. It seemed kind of lame and was one of the reasons that I had yet to tell Sam. I mean, gheesh, he turns into a super-powered animal with super hearing and strength. Fire doesn’t harm him, water cannot drown him, even ice cannot freeze him.

Those are superpowers.

Using my brain as a camera just seemed lame.

It didn’t stop me from practicing and seeing how much my mind could hold. Airis seemed to think that this ‘power’ would be useful, and considering that we are being hunted by demons for the Treasure Map, I figured that it couldn’t hurt to use everything available to me. Who knows when this little ability might come in handy.

From the bed next to mine, Kimber snored lightly. Moving slowly, I got up and tiptoed to the TV and shut it off. The room plunged into darkness except for the light shining from the bathroom. I went to the door and pushed it closed so that only a slim ray of light shone into the room. Relaxing already, I slipped back beneath the covers and thought about Sam. I reached out to him with our Mindbond, which had seemed to grow stronger since he broke the Dream Walkers thread, to know that he was already sleeping.

I closed my eyes and willed myself to relax. A while later, a sound roused me from my half-sleep and I lay there, unmoving with my eyes closed, trying to figure out what I was hearing. It sounded like someone was ruffling through a bag or a box.

And whomever it was… was right next to me.

My suitcase! Someone or
something
was searching my things. On impulse I threw out my fist, while yelling, “Kimber, wake up!” My fist connected with something solid. I turned my head and gasped at the large figure looming over me.

I heard Kimber moving. “Turn on the light!” I ordered as the intruder began to scramble backward.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Kimber demanded, but she switched on the lamp beside her bed.

We both gasped.

There was a demon at the foot of my bed.

It seemed familiar somehow with its long, black hair, full of twigs and leaves. He was naked and I wanted to gag. His hands were deformed and twisted… I strained my memory for this demon and what he could do… and suddenly I cursed the fact that I hadn’t always had a photographic memory.

The demon jumped on the foot of the bed, causing the mattress to dip. When it opened its mouth, I remembered exactly what this thing could do.

“What the hell is
that
?” Kimber cried, clutching the blanket around her.

Sam!
I shouted.
Hurry, Sam!

A strange mist began floating out of the demon’s mouth, a heavy curtain of fog. I bounded off the bed, trying to stay out of its reach, knowing that if I got lost in it we would be in trouble.

“Run, Kimber! Get out of here!” I said, reaching between the mattresses and pulling out the scroll.

The demon made a sound, the screech of an angry bird and more mist began filling the room, reaching toward us.

Kimber gasped, but made no move to flee. I looked at her to try to reassure her that this thing wasn’t going to hurt us. She must be scared out of her mind at seeing something like this.

Only she wasn’t looking at the demon.

She was staring at the scroll in my hands.

“Kimber, we have to get out of here,” I insisted, stumbling toward her, grabbing her arm to make her understand. The mist was getting closer, beginning to curl around us. I coughed.

Then something strange started to happen. The mist continued to fill the room, reaching for us, but it couldn’t get close. It wrapped completely around us, but it was like we were standing in an impenetrable bubble.

I looked at Kimber for some sort of an explanation, but she was focused on the demon advancing toward us, angry that his mist wasn’t working.

The door slammed open, smacking the wall with a bang and Sam stormed in the room. Cole followed behind and began coughing at the stuff that filled the room. Before I could say anything, Sam was driving his fist through the demon’s back, his hand coming out of its chest. Instantly, the demon disintegrated and vanished, taking the weird, choking mist with it.

Sam reached for me, pulling me close. I breathed a sigh of relief. I guess giving him my room keycard every night before bedtime was a good idea, because without it, he would have had to break down the door. He was wearing a hoodie sweatshirt with a kangaroo pocket in the front. Without second thought, I slid the scroll into the pocket.

“What the hell was that?” Kimber asked.

“I have no idea,” I lied, hoping I sounded convinced.

Kimber’s aura flared with disbelief, but there was curiosity there too, which seemed a little strange to me. She glanced back down at my hands and frowned. “Where did it go?”

“I guess Sam scared it off.” I knew full well that she was talking about the scroll, but I played dumb.

“Yeah, sure,” she agreed.

“Are you okay, Kimber?” Cole asked, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged him off, angry. “I’m fine.”

Why wasn’t she more scared and surprised? Why did she seem interested in the scroll?

Cole flipped on the lamp between the two beds. He whistled between his teeth. “You girls are messy.”

The room was trashed. Both our suitcases had been overturned, our clothes scattered everywhere. My shower bag had been dumped, its contents littered the floor. Kimber’s shower bag was also emptied all over the bathroom. My eyes collided with Sam’s and he nodded.

Guess they’ve figured out we’re here.

Take the scroll with you tonight. As soon as we get to Rome, we have got to get it to the catacombs.

He nodded and turned to meet Cole’s stare. Something seemed to pass between them. When had they started working together? Did they actually
like
one another? Cole looked at me and smiled. “Want some help picking up?”

He knew that we didn’t do all this; he was just playing along for Kimber’s benefit.

Kimber huffed beside me.

“No, thanks. You guys better go back to your room before you get caught in here,” I said.

“Wouldn’t want you to get in trouble for breaking the rules,” Kimber snapped.

I wouldn’t put it past her to call our chaperones herself.

If you need me…
Sam said, pulling me close once more.

I’ll be fine. They won’t come back tonight.
At least I hoped they wouldn’t.

When the boys were gone, I looked at Kimber. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Stop that mist from surrounding us.”

Her arm froze, just briefly as she bent to pick up her clothes, but then she said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”