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  The emotional vibrations jostled my intestines, making me sicker and sicker. “Why is being a vessel treacherous?”

  “Because the special concoction the vessel drinks is made with small amounts of strychnine, which is poison. The vessel is sacrificed.”

  Mom.

  Chapter Six

  Piper

  Mom sacrificed?

  Poisoned?

  A burning sensation poured down my throat as if I’d drank the poison. Not real poison—poison of my mind and my beliefs.

  The poison roiled in my stomach making me feel sick. The poison spread through my veins, scorching my skin. The poison dumped into my brain, causing my head to heat and muddling my thoughts. Could the medicine Aaron gave Mom truly be poison to prepare her for the sacrifice?

  An urgency seared through me along with the poisoned thoughts and emotions. Finding the trumpet was even more important now. Not for Aaron. I had to find the trumpet and find the truth.

  And save Mom. She hadn’t been a great mother, but she was all I had. The only family I knew besides Louie. Once she’d kicked her drug habit, she’d been kind and sort of motherly. Until she’d been influenced by Aaron. I just had to get her away from this crazy organization. Then, she’d be fine.

  Did I believe Math’s crazy story? He was currently knocking on a blank wall and expecting an answer. It was a wall, not a doorway. And, I’d thought he was smart. Maybe he and his Warrior brothers were insane. They believed they’d been stone. They thought the trumpet had powers. More reasons to find the trumpet for myself.

  If I found the trumpet, I could bargain with Aaron for my mom and get her to a real doctor so she could be cured. Whether it was an illness caused by poison or Mom’s own mind. First, I had to find the trumpet, and staying at the museum on the wrong trail, was a waste of my time. I had to use Math to help me find the trumpet. Not send him on a wild road trip.

  The thought shook my foundation. I’d dreamed of getting away, practiced and planned the best way to escape. I’d gone behind Aaron’s back to find a car and I’d researched places to go. Never had I been this bold. To take something he wanted and use it for my own gain.

  The shaking calmed and firmed. I slammed my heating hands on my hips, impatience making my voice hard. “What’re you doing?”

  Until now his map interpretation skills had been excellent.

  “There’s another passage here.” He put his ear to the wall and knocked again.

  I stopped walking even as urgent concern about Mom charged through my blood. I couldn’t waste time. Mom might not have much left. There wasn’t a passage here. He’d gotten this one wrong. I needed to suggest we search somewhere else besides the museum. “Come on. Let’s go. This is ridiculous.”

  Knock. Knock. Pause. Knock. Knock. Knock.

  He tapped a pattern on the wall, moving his fist up and down and around the marble block. “Give me a second.”

  Knock. Knock. Knock. Long pause. Knock. Knock.

  The pattern reminded me of one of the chants the Order members hummed. A scraping sound filled in the pauses in Math’s knocking pattern. The marble blocks shifted.

  Separated.

  Opened.

  My eyes rounded and my brain whirred resembling a truck’s tires. Air squeezed from my lungs and wheezed through my dropped open mouth. “Whaaaat?”

  He quirked a non-braggy smile as if he was embarrassed to be so smart. “After you.”

  His continued politeness had me dreaming we’d met under different circumstances. I’d never met anyone so nice, at least on the outside.

  I stared into the opening. A dark, narrow passage with no light, and no clue where it ended. I’d never been told about this passage. How many other things hadn’t Aaron mentioned? A shiver wracked my body. Like the poison and the sacrifice?

  “You found the opening. You go first.” I thought I’d be the one leading us around the museum I’d lived in for the past nine years. Stupidity laid claim to me. I didn’t know about the secret tunnel or the mind controlling. What did I know?

  Math took a flashlight from his bag, repositioned the bag on his shoulder, and bent low to enter the opening. He resembled an adventurer exploring the newly found pyramids. Determined, brave, and a little bit excited.

  Adorable.

  His excitement rubbed off on me. I normally wasn’t one for adventures because my life had been a series of mysteries.

  I followed Math, totally bewildered and confused by this change in direction. The more time I spent with him, the more I realized how little I knew about the Order. Their secrets and shenanigans. Their hidden tunnels and secret ceremonies. Their poisoning of prisoners.

  He pressed a concealed button and the opening shifted closed, leaving us in complete darkness. His fresh scent of eucalyptus enveloped me in a cocoon. Heat from his body pressed against me even though we didn’t touch. The intimate situation spread an unusual tingling sensation across my skin. I wanted to get closer and knew I shouldn’t.

  The flashlight clicked on dispelling my fantasies.

  To cool my thoughts, I glanced around. Constructed from the same marble used throughout the museum, the passage became narrower. There were no markings or etchings on the wall. No signs of wear on the ground. The passage wasn’t used frequently.

  Aaron’s evasiveness crept under my skin, causing my worried thoughts to pucker and pinch. “How did you know this tunnel was here?”

  Math headed deeper into the passage. “Studying architecture and mathematics.”

  I stayed close. Afraid of getting lost. Afraid of being left behind. Afraid I was already way behind the learning curve.

  The tunnel was only wide enough to fit one person and had that dusty construction smell. I kept my head bent, trailing behind him. Poor Math had to bend at the waist and neck because of his height.

  The passage went down, down, down. It went below the museum, below the Order’s headquarters and living areas, below the ceremonial rooms that I knew about. I felt like Alice in Wonderland, heading down the rabbit hole, hoping what we found wasn’t nearly as wild. The passage ended in a small anteroom about the size of an elevator. No decorations on the walls. Nothing ceremonial. This tiny room and the tunnel were made for a purpose, not for ceremonial use.

  And there wasn’t another exit.

  My head dropped. More wasted time. “Now what?”

  “There’s something else here.” He slid his palm along the smooth walls.

  I felt as I my brain had run into the marble wall. “How do you know?”

  “The architectural drawings…this is it.” He clicked on a concealed lever similar to the one inside at the top of the tunnel.

  A quieter, more subtle scraping noise filled the space. The wall in front of us slid open. A dark-blue curtain hung in front, blocking the view.

  A window below ground?

  He pushed aside the curtain and my mouth opened in awe.

  The large, hidden room was elaborate. Intricately carved columns and statues that had to have been made by a master sculptor. A large platform in the center, with tall, gold candles lining the edge. A podium etched with hieroglyphics and lace drapery hanging from golden rods.

  If the room was hidden and super-secret, how did this stuff get down here?

  “What is this room for?” I twirled around, trying to take in the magnificence. A room grander than any of the other ceremonial rooms I’d been allowed to enter.

  “They use this for their Magic Convergence Ceremony.” Math took out a measuring tape from his bag and started measuring the room’s dimensions.

  He must know this from his training. For me, it was like speaking a foreign language. I should know these things. I lived with the Order. “What is a Magic Convergence Ceremony?”

  “It’s when an ancient relic’s powers are converged with a person.” He continued to measure, not looking at me.

  “You believe that?”

  “Who’s to say what is truth?” He sounded wise and mystical e
mphasizing my noneducation.

  “Did Shakespeare say that?” I’d forced myself to read his writings so that when I had a normal life I could speak intelligently. It wasn’t working now.

  “No, I did.” Math’s measuring was similar to how a builder or an architect prepared to remodel.

  “What’re you doing?” The scent of candle wax tickled my nose.

  He continued his task. “Measuring.”

  “I can see.” I ran my fingers over a statue of Imhotep, the ancient Egyptian god I’d always felt an infinity for, the one guarding Mom’s bedroom. “Why?”

  “To see if there are any other hidden passages.” Math’s gaze focused on my hand. “By analyzing the dimensions, I can discover concealed compartments or cabinets.”

  I dropped my hand from the statue. “You can do those calculations in your head?”

  “Yes.” His face flushed, and he turned away.

  His modesty made him cuter. Why wouldn’t he show off his intellect? I wished I had a tenth of his knowledge. That’s how he must’ve known where the secret passage we’d crawled through was located. “Why?”

  “To find the trumpet.”

  Right. I’d been distracted by the surprise and the glory.

  A thudding noise echoed from the main doorway. The arched entrance appeared to be where people would normally enter the room.

  My heart pounded, matching the thud. “Someone’s coming.”

  He stilled. His gaze widened glancing toward the sound.

  Light seeped from the arched doorway.

  “Based on the distance of the noise we’ve got five seconds. Hide.” He grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the secret passage.

  We couldn’t close the door without the noise being noticed, so we hid behind the blue curtain inside the small room. The material didn’t provide much protection. Math wrapped his strong arms around me and held me close. I didn’t know if he did this so I wouldn’t run or didn’t panic, but I stiffened. My knees knocked, sending tremors down my legs.

  Aaron hadn’t shared this secret room. He wouldn’t want me here. He especially wouldn’t want Math here.

  “Won’t they look behind the curtain?” I whispered in his ear. My lips were so close I could kiss his skin. The shakiness of my voice conveyed my fear.

  “Not if they don’t know we’re here.” He sounded so confident. Like he knew more about the Order than I did.

  With all I’d learned tonight, maybe he did. My own stupidity charged my head. I’d been stupid, stupid, stupid. I should’ve learned more, more, more.

  I leaned into him enjoying his confidence and strength. I needed to be more like him, questioning everything and everyone if only in my head. Question why Aaron wanted me working with the Warrior when he must realize I’d learn things he didn’t want me to know.

  Aaron knew we were in the museum. Maybe he’d seen us enter the secret tunnel. Or did he have silent alarms in the secret ceremonial chamber? I hadn’t sensed anything. Why else would someone come into this room at this very moment?

  “It’s okay.” Math ran a finger down my arm and the tremors went from bad to good. “Most Order members won’t know this escape hatch exists. Only the main leader.”

  Escape hatch?

  Why would Aaron need to escape from his own secret chamber? What did he do here that he didn’t want anyone to know about?

  Sacrifices?

  I thought about the ceremony Math had told me about. How there was a sacrifice involved. How Mom might be involved. The shaking changed back to bad and intensified. If he hadn’t been supporting me, I would’ve fallen. I didn’t seem to know much about the Order that practically raised me.

  Math tucked me closer. He pressed my head into his chest, and I heard his heart beating. It wasn’t racing like mine, but it did pound faster. From fear or from our closeness? My own heart slowed its pace, matching his beat for beat. My skin sparked where we touched, toasting me from the inside out. We’d get out of this spot together.

  Feet shuffled into the room. Their heavy footsteps told me they were probably older men in the Order. At least two.

  “We must anoint the sacred candles and prepare the incense,” one of the men stated.

  Lifting my head, I tried to recognize his voice. If Aaron trusted him, I must’ve met the man.

  “I’ve got the sacred oils.” A second man set a heavy metal object on the altar.

  The sound rang in the room and echoed in my head, the metallic ringing going round and round. Were they preparing for my mother’s sacrifice? My muscles stiffened and I wanted to run over and punch these guys. To yell at them to leave my poor mom alone.

  Math’s arms held me tight. He held up a finger and pushed the curtain open slightly so we could watch.

  One man, wearing a cloak, started plucking candles from their holders around the edge of the platform. “Aaron will be here shortly. He had to send a message.”

  “Do you think Aaron will get the trumpet in time?” the other cloaked figure asked.

  Math’s body tensed beneath my touch. His lips tightened into a determined line. His eyes narrowed and the glare he shot into the distance could’ve slayed dragons. He now knew the Order didn’t have the trumpet.

  The wild pheasant chase was at an end. Yet, I needed to continue this charade with or without Aaron’s approval. I needed Math to help me find the trumpet so I could use the instrument to bargain for my mother’s life.

  Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzz.

  The loud vibration from my back pocket sent a screaming alarm to my brain. I was receiving a text message.

  Math’s emerald gaze widened. His arms slackened around me and his hands gripped my upper arms. The comforting was gone. He heard the buzzing, too.

  More importantly, had the two members heard?

  No more clanging or bumping or prep work sounded. Only silence.

  “Did you hear that?” one of the men asked. “Go investigate.”

  My heart thumped to the bottom of my chest. We were going to be caught and my identity would be exposed. No way would Math continue to work with me then. I’d be on my own again.

  Chapter Seven

  Math

  Math’s pulse throbbed rapidly, sounding like the vibrating cellphone. Getting caught wasn’t an option. If his Warrior brothers had to rescue him, he’d never get assigned another mission. He’d be stuck working the intelligence angles, feeling like a computer instead of a person.

  Piper’s expression froze. Her hand clutched her back pocket as if too afraid to move and click the phone off. The ceremonial annex was so deep underground he was surprised a cellphone got reception. He calculated the distance. The Order must’ve put a signal booster in the annex. Strange that they’d need a connection to technology in an ancient religious hall.

  Still peeking through the curtain, he saw a cloaked member stalk toward where they hid.

  Piper’s brown eyes were as wide as a ceremonial sun disc. Her pale face appeared ghostly. Her bow mouth pursed into a position of extreme fear and he wanted to tell her everything would be okay.

  Except he didn’t know that.

  He enjoyed holding her in his arms, comforting her. She smelled sweet, the opposite of her somewhat harsh personality. The unusual sensation of holding a girl made his heart pound a little faster. It wasn’t fear. He could handle two human men. Of course, then the Order would know about his mission.

  He let go of the curtain, letting the opening they’d been peeking through shut. The tendons in his legs and arms tightened, ready to fight. Ready to protect Piper.

  She’d been shocked when she’d heard the members talking about aspects of the ceremony. He could tell by her intense focus and unmoving body. She must not know everything about her uncle’s involvement with the Order.

  “Go.” He dropped his hold on her arms, already missing her touch. “Escape through the passage and close the exit behind you.” Getting her out was more important than his mission, more important than embarrassment from his br
others.

  “What about you?” her hoarse whisper scraped.

  The Order member was only a few yards away. If she didn’t leave now, they’d both get caught.

  His spine stiffened. It was time to prove to her and to the other Warriors he had brawn as well as brains. “I’ll distract them. Fight.”

  And if he got captured, the Warriors would rescue him. His skin flared, thinking of the razzing they’d give him. For all eternity. He couldn’t let that happen.

  “You’ll get caught.” Her voice softened.

  Did she not believe in his capabilities? He should’ve shown her how he kicked in the museum door. Or was it something else? The softness in her tone indicated worry.

  A new feeling strangled his chest. No one had ever worried about him in his past life as a slave. Yes, the Warriors worried about him as a brother. A little, nerdy brother. Piper’s concern warmed and thrilled and flashed sparks of desire. She saw him as strong and it made him feel that way. A true Warrior.

  A true Warrior who would save her. “Just go.”

  The Order member sounded closer by the louder pounding of the man’s feet. Math quickly calculated the distance in his mind.

  “No.” Her lips turned mulish.

  Did she not want to leave him because she cared, or because she didn’t believe he could fight and hold the members off for long? So much for feeling like a true Warrior.

  She stroked a finger across his cheek, causing thrills to chase her touch. “I won’t leave you to get caught on your own. If I’m with you—”

  Math placed his hand over her mouth because he’d heard the man’s footfalls stop. Her hot breath tickled his palm and the urge to cup his hand and capture her essence ran through him. Fanciful thoughts. Thoughts he didn’t have time for or the right to. He was an immortal Warrior and she was mortal. They could never be together.

  Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.

  Her hot breathing stopped as if she stopped exhaling.