Labyrinth Society (6 page)

"You liar," I whispered, barely able to get the words out. I couldn't breathe and had to sit down.

"Sorry," Devon said, looking anything but. "It's true. Mrs. T. seems to think you steal because you're bored. So they've all been keeping you busy and trying to give you constructive things to do, like cleaning out the basement with Alex and helping Tomi rearrange her room. Me," she said, putting a hand on her chest. "I could care less about trying to reform a thief. I've got better things to do, and it's not my problem anyway. I just keep my bedroom door locked."

I'd been verbally sucker punched in the stomach. Tears filled my eyes and I didn't try to stop them.

"As for our rings," Devon continued, looking at her own ring fondly and rubbing it on her T-shirt to shine it up. "Mrs. T. gave us these rings as a welcome-to-the-family gift. I got mine the first day I got here. And if you haven't gotten one yet… " she said, shrugging again and staring at my ringless finger. "Then I guess you're not quite as welcome here as you thought, huh?" She turned on her heel and left me sitting in the attic.

****

I stayed locked in my bedroom for the rest of the day, not even coming out for lunch or dinner. When one by one they all — with the exception of Devon — came knocking on my door wanting to know if I was okay or hungry, I told them I was sick and to please leave me alone. I wasn't falling for any more of their phony concern. I'd had enough. I was leaving. I had no idea exactly where I was going, but it was time to get away from these people, time to stop letting total strangers run my life. I had a few hundred dollars in a savings account I could use to buy me a bus ticket to someplace far away from Yellow Springs. I didn't know what I would do once I got where I was going. Probably get a job in a fast food restaurant and hide out until I was eighteen and old enough collect the money my grandma left me in her will. It sounded like a plan to me.

Mrs. T. finally unlocked my door from the outside and ventured in with a tray of food around six o'clock. I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be asleep. But, when her cool hand touched my forehead and I flinched, the gig was up.

"Mia, I know you're awake. Won't you please tell me what's wrong?"

"Go away."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," she insisted.

I sat up abruptly jostling the tray on her lap and almost sending the plate of barbequed chicken, baked beans, and slaw sliding onto the bedspread.

"What's wrong is you people won't give me any room to breathe. I'm suffocating here! You're always in my face! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Mia!" Mrs. T. was completely shocked and more than a little hurt. I almost felt bad until I remembered this was the woman who'd shared the details of my private case file with the entire household. They'd all just assumed I was a thief without even asking for my side of the story.

"You all follow me around and watch me constantly like I'm about to boost your precious valuables. Well, don't worry. None of you has anything I want or need!" I glared at her until she blushed. She knew exactly what I was talking about.

"I'm sorry if we've made you uncomfortable," she said quietly. She got up and set the tray on the roll top desk. "We just wanted to make you feel at home here. Maybe we went a little overboard. Tomorrow, when you're feeling better, we can talk about it, okay?"

"Yeah. Whatever." I rolled over, turning my back on her, and she left.

I had no intention of talking to her about anything tomorrow because I was leaving. Tonight. The sooner the better. And I'd need my strength. I eyed the tray of food on my desk. As much as I wanted to leave the food on the plate in protest, I was starved. As I ate, I plotted the best way to get out of the house, after they'd all gone to bed, without setting off the security alarm. By the time I was done eating, I had a plan.

****

At about quarter to twelve, I arranged pillows under my blankets to make it look like I was asleep in the bed. I'd packed a backpack with all the stuff I'd need and slung it over my shoulder as I crept out of my room. Thankfully, the house was quiet and I snuck down the steps and hid in the closet in the foyer. Mrs. T. always set the security system at midnight. However, I'd noticed on a few occasions there was at least a sixty-second window before the light actually came on indicating the alarm was set. I figured all I had to do was wait until she punched in the code and I'd have sixty seconds to get out the door. If by chance I didn't make it out in time and the alarm went off, it would look like I was asleep in bed when they came to check on me — the resident thief — giving me time to get far enough away from the house before they noticed I was actually gone, which hopefully wouldn't be until morning.

I was peeking out of the closet's keyhole waiting for Mrs. T., when Tomi, Lily, and Devon came out of the TV room. They were all dressed casually in jeans and windbreakers, except for Tomi, who wore plaid shorts over black leggings, and had a pair of gold sequined high-tops in her hand. They each had a black backpack on their back. It was obvious they were going someplace. Was this the trip they didn't want me knowing about? Where in the world were they going at midnight? Devon headed into the kitchen. Tomi and Lily stopped in the foyer and glanced up the steps and then at each other.

"I knew we should have told her." Tomi shook her head. "Now, she hates us. Keeping secrets sucks!"

"We had to. You know what happened with Morgan and we don't want it happening again. Mrs. T. said she'd explain everything to her when we get back. Come on." Lily headed into the kitchen.

Tomi glanced up the steps one last time before quickly pulling a tweed cap out of the front pocket of her backpack and moving it to the main compartment and disappearing through the swinging kitchen doors. What was she doing?

I started to come out from my hiding place to follow them when suddenly Alex, also with a backpack in his hand, came out of the small bathroom just off the foyer. He walked over to the panel by the front door and set the security system. Once he was through the kitchen door, I waited twenty seconds, and then flew out of the closet and peered through the swinging door. They were all gone.

"Hurry!" said the deep voice, only this time I saw the reflection of the staircase behind me in the mirror next to the kitchen door. The lips of the gold Egyptian death mask had moved.

I rubbed my eyes. Was I seeing things? Then the mask winked at me. Was it animatronic? Spooked, I ran into the kitchen and could see through the window they were all in the backyard heading into the labyrinth. I hurried out the back door closing it quietly behind me with only a second to spare.

I could hear them talking and laughing as I stood at the entrance of the labyrinth. This was the first time I'd been in here since I'd fainted a week ago and as desperate as I'd been to get back, I was now feeling kinda scared. Only the sound of Tomi's high-pitched laugher in the distance reassured me enough to take a deep breath and head inside. It was dark in the labyrinth, the only light was coming from the bright full moon overhead. I crept around corner after corner, trying my best to shake off a feeling of doom with a vise grip on my nerves. The white statues seemed to be glowing in the labyrinth's green gloom, and it was like they were watching me with their cold, hollow-eyed stares. I could have also sworn I heard them whispering my name and quickened my pace feeling a need to hurry.

When I finally reached the center, Tomi, Alex, Lily, and Devon were each standing on one of the symbol-covered copper disks around the pond in the center. They hadn't noticed me and as I continued to walk towards them, I could see why. Their eyes were closed, and their foreheads wrinkled, though I couldn't tell if it was in pain or concentration. Their right arms were extended outward with the hands curled into fists and their labyrinth rings facing outward. I walked closer, confused by what I was witnessing, when beams of bright, white light snaked out from the center of each of their rings, causing me to jump back.

The beams of light connected together in the center over the pond, which suddenly began to pulse and then glow just like it had the last time I'd been here. Electricity crackled in the air and the smell of sulfur was so thick and hot it was almost suffocating. I was rooted to the spot in horrified fascination as first Alex then Lily, followed by Devon, levitated and were sucked into the center of the pond and disappeared.

I started yelling, causing Tomi, the only one left, to open her eyes and turn in my direction. I ran towards her to pull her back and she screamed, "Mia! No!" I grabbed her arm and tried to pull her off the copper disk and — I thought — out of harm's way. But the pull of the pond was too great. Tomi tried frantically to wrench free of my grasp but I couldn't let go of her arm if I'd wanted to. It was like we were welded together. I lifted off the ground and flew forward. Seconds later, Tomi and I were both sucked into the center of the pond.

Tomi & The Royal Anagrammatists

It's me, Tomi. And I'll be taking over for now because Mia, well, I'm not quite sure where she is. And besides, this isn't just her story. Much as I like her, she can be a little paranoid and melodramatic, don't you think? But who could blame her? We were keeping a big secret from her and it's only natural her imagination got the best of her. We thought it was for her own good. But secrets and lies always have a way of coming back to bite you in the buns. Don't believe me? Just read on.

My heart was beating like a jackhammer. I took a bunch of deep breaths to slow down the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Coming through the labyrinth was the biggest rush in the world, at least it was once you got used to it. My first time through was like the world's worst case of carsickness, and I threw up all over Alex. Now, I knew better then to try and stand right away. I had to be still for a while to let my body adjust and to wait for my molecules to stop zipping around like fireflies on an espresso high. After a few minutes, I stood, and there was a little kid staring at me. He was about four and had dirty blond hair, a sticky face, and was clutching a big red sucker in his chubby, and equally sticky, fist.

"
Bonjour
!" I said to the kid, who ran off crying towards a couple standing about twenty feet away, who must have been his parents, and were looking at me like I was a ghost. They grabbed the kid's hand and hurried off.

I couldn't blame them. I must have scared the snot out of them suddenly materializing out of thin air. I was on a dirt pathway with high, fenced-in hedges on either side of me. I knew exactly where I was. I was in the gardens behind the palace of Versailles, in the maze, to be precise. As much as I wanted to take in my surroundings, and think about the kings, queens, and members of the royal court who'd walked through this very maze hundreds of years ago sharing secrets, intrigue, and — more than likely — swapping spit, I knew I didn't have time. I was here to work. It's always this way. Lots of research and legwork but little time to actually appreciate and enjoy the history behind the things we track down. And I'm all about the history. I could tell you the names of Marie Antoinette kids — Maria Therese, Louis Joseph, and Louis Charles — quicker than I could tell you the names of the latest reality stars clinging to their fifteen minutes for dear life.

This was supposed to be a quick trip, taking only a day according to Alex's carefully laid out plans. But now there was a wrinkle in the game plan, a wrinkle by the name of Mia. She'd hitched a ride on the labyrinth express and who knew where she'd come out at, or just what traveling through the labyrinth without the protection of a ring had done to her. I for one was happy she was here. It was about time she found out the truth about us. All this secret keeping is so unhealthy for the soul. Lily probably wouldn't care much, either, and all Alex would be worried about was his precious schedule.

It was Devon the Diva who was going to have a fit when she found out Mia was here. I swear she needs more fiber in her diet. Negative energy is so bad for the digestion. If Devon wasn't so busy embracing her inner problem child, and would give the chick half a chance, maybe she'd like Mia. Besides, I think Mia's cool. I like her a lot. And when she's not being moody, asking a million questions, and walking around looking like her dog just died, she can be a lot of fun. But I guess I couldn't blame her for not being the life of the party after everything she's been through. She and her grandma must have been close. I'd lost my only family too. But things were different for me. I didn't get to spend much time with my parents.

Before I came to live with Mrs. T. when I was nine, I was in boarding school in Switzerland, because my parents were always half a world away digging in the dirt. But I know they loved me even though we weren't together a lot. They were always home for major holidays and never missed my birthdays. Dad would always bring me stuff from whatever countries they visited: figs and dates from Egypt, chocolates from Belgium — yum — handmade leather shoes from Italy, and a sari from India. And mom would always take funny pictures of the Raggedy Ann doll of mine I gave her when I was five and they left me for the first time. I've got pictures of the doll sitting on the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Parthenon in Greece, and the Great Wall of China. They were on their way home for my ninth birthday when their plane went down over the Pacific. But, I digress. No use in dwelling on sad things. It's so bad for your spirit. And besides, I needed to get to Mia 'cause I knew she had to be freaking out right about now.

I popped a chocolate drop, and then dusted myself off paying special attention to my new high tops. Gold sequined tennis shoes were hard to find but no biggie for a collector like me. Next, I adjusted my watch. It was a little after eight in the morning. The sun was bright; I pulled my cat-eyed sunglasses from my backpack and took off my wind breaker, tying it around my waist. I came out of the maze near the Apollo fountain. It's a pretty famous fountain, showing the Greek god Apollo rising from the center of this huge circular pool of water on a chariot being pulled by stallions. It was surrounded by tourists snapping pictures from every angle. I started to take a quick picture with my camera phone, when someone caught my eye.

A dazed and confused looking girl had come stumbling out of the maze on the other side of the fountain. She leaned heavily against one of the large statues bordering both sides of the wide walkway leading down to the fountain. It was Mia. And she was a hot mess. Her hair had come loose from its thick ponytail and the backpack on her back was hanging half off one shoulder. I rushed over to her.

"Mia!" I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Are you okay?" She didn't answer me. I waved my hand and snapped my fingers in front her glazed, staring eyes and still got no response. Someone called my name. It was Lily, approaching from the direction I'd just come.

"Tomi!" she called again. I stepped aside and Lily stopped dead in her tracks and then squealed in delight when she spotted Mia.

"How did she get here?"

"She must have followed us into the labyrinth. She got pulled through with me when she grabbed my arm."

"Is she okay?" Lily nudged a still unresponsive Mia lightly on the shoulder.

"Does she look okay?"

Mia finally blinked and shook her head a couple of times like there was something loose inside, then pushing past us, she made a beeline straight for the fountain. We followed her.

"I know this," she said still looking fuzzyheaded. "I've seen this before." Mia gestured towards the fountain.

"Where?" I stood next to her and gave Lily a worried look. There wasn't going to be an easy way to break it to girlfriend about being in another country, let alone getting here through the labyrinth.

"In one of my art books," Mia replied, squinting at the fountain in concentration trying to place it. "Isn't this the Apollo fountain?"

"Yeah, it is! Isn't it cool?" I put my arm around her. Mia started laughing hysterically like some demented mental patient.

"But isn't the Apollo fountain in the gardens behind the—"

I turned Mia around slowly so she could see the huge building off in the distance and Lily and I finished her sentence in unison, "Palace of Versailles!"

Mia stiffened and pushed away from us. "No way! No way!" she shouted stumbling forward to get a closer look and then rubbing her eyes in disbelief.

"Way!" Lily and I responded again in unison. People were looking at us like we were crazy Americans. They had no idea how right they were.

Before Lily or I could stop her, Mia suddenly took off running towards the palace, and we had no choice but to take off after her. She ran and ran, almost taking out a couple of tourists in her path, and took the steps leading up to the palace two at a time. Unlike Lily and Devon, I'm not athletic or even remotely a fan of activities causing me to sweat. By the time we caught up to Mia, I had a stitch in my left side, could barely breathe, and had a big smudge on the toe of one of my new shoes.

"I'm dreaming, right? This can't be anything but a dream, right? It's a dream!"

She started up with the hysterical, demented laughing again, and I did something I'm not proud off, especially since I'm not an advocate of senseless violence. It's so bad for your karma. But I was a little ticked at the chick for making me run and messing up my pristine new kicks. My open hand swung out and cracked Mia hard across her cheek. Even Lily flinched like I'd hit her too.

"Ow!" Mia clutched her cheek in shock. "What's your problem?"

I got right in her face. "You felt my hand, didn't you? This is not a dream! This is for real! Now, snap out it!" We glared at each other without speaking, while I hoped I wasn't about to get my butt kicked.

"What's she doin' here?" came a voice from behind me.

Alex and Devon were coming up the steps. Predictably, Alex was a little surprised, and a lot amused, but hardly mad. Devon was highly annoyed by the sight of Mia but was silent and strangely subdued. Mia was still holding her cheek but finally seemed like she was lucid… and ticked off. She rounded on Alex.

"What am I doing here? What am
I
doing here? Don't you have anything else to say? For instance, how about telling me who you guys are and how is it even possible we're in France?"

None of us knew quite how to answer. Finally, Alex spoke up.

"Come on, luv." He grabbed Mia's hand "We'll need a bit of privacy for this."

Once we were back in the maze, in a secluded, tourist-free corner, the explanations came flying from all of us — except Devon — who was still too quiet for comfort.

"We're the Labyrinth Society, Mia," I told her.

"Founded by Mrs. T.'s husband Dr. Tarpley," continued Lily.

"We work for some of the most prestigious museums in the world huntin' down lost and stolen priceless art and artifacts. We travel all over the world through the labyrinth," said Alex, who was squeezing Mia's hand like he was afraid she might run away.

"The three of us girls all had family members in the Society. My grandfather, Tomi's parents, and Devon's mom were all original members, which makes us legacies," concluded Lily.

"Okay," said Mia slowly. So far, it seemed like she was taking what she'd been told pretty well. "You hunt down stuff for museums. Sounds reasonable enough. But how are you able to get around through the labyrinth?"

"All historical places like Versailles generate energy, which acts as a magnet. The energy, combined with the rings we all wear, and the design of the labyrinth itself, enable us to travel. All we have to do is concentrate on where we want to go. The energy connected to our destination pulls us through the labyrinth, and we're there," I explained.

"Yeah, no passports, no goin' through customs, no bad airline grub, and no sittin' in coach listenin' to colicky babies. It's brilliant!" exclaimed Alex. "It's kinda like—"

"Being in one of those square barcode things you scan with your smartphone. You know, a giant QR code?" said Mia slowly. "And you guys are like the URL embedded in the center? When you do your thing with the rings, it's like you're scanning yourselves to get to whatever location you need to get to."

"Wow," said Lily, looking impressed. "Someone's been doing their homework. How'd you know?"

"From one of Dr. Tarpley's books. You guys were being so weird I had to find out what was going on," she said defensively.

"It is a lot like a QR code," I admitted. "The only catch is we can only travel to and from other labyrinths," I said.

"Or a maze usually works in a pinch," added Lily.

"Was Morgan Lake a member of the Labyrinth Society?" asked Mia, looking directly at Devon. Devon rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"She's the reason Mrs. T. didn't want you to know about us yet," I explained. "We recruited Morgan too soon and she couldn't deal. She was never much of a team player, and she bailed on us during our last job. She left the Society right after she turned eighteen."

"Yeah, she was so desperate to get away from us she left most of her gear behind. Talk about an odd duck," said Alex, causing Devon to explode.

"Don't you dare talk about her! Not everyone is cut out to do what we do! You know how dangerous it can get!"

I caught Devon's eye behind Mia's back and put a finger to my lips and shook my head trying to get her to shut her big yap. Now wasn't the time to tell Mia about some of the more, well, unusual items we track down. There would be time enough to tell her about it later. Maybe after we break the news about the spirit of a murdered Egyptian prince inhabiting the Egyptian burial mask in the foyer. However, Mia didn't seem to notice the reference to danger. She was too busy staring daggers at Devon.

"You lying cow! I could just kill you!" Mia spat out at Devon. She lunged at her and Alex caught her just in time to prevent her from getting her hands around Devon's throat but not before she grabbed a big chunk of Devon's hair, almost ripping it out of her head.

"Get her off of me! She's crazy!" screamed Devon.

But Mia wasn't letting go and when Alex unwisely loosened his grip to get a better hold on her, Mia broke free, jumped on Devon's back, and grabbed another big handful of hair. Devon was lurching around trying to throw Mia off her back like a ticked-off bull trying to buck a cowboy. It took all three of us a good five minutes to pry them apart. Thankfully no one saw us and called security. We must have looked like idiots, which is never good.