Peace Piper

by Allie Burton

  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?”

  “This.” Math 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 room was elaborate. Carved columns and statues. A large platform in the center, with tall candles lining the edge. A podium etched with hieroglyphics.

  “What is this room for?” I twirled around, trying to take in the magnificence of this secret room. A room more grand 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.

  “What is a Magic Convergence Ceremony?” It was similar to speaking a foreign language. I should know these things. I lived with the Order. I knew they believed in magic.

  “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.

  “Did Shakespeare say that?” I’d forced myself to read his writings so that when I had a normal life I could relate.

  “No, I did.” He acted like a builder or an architect preparing 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.

  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.

  “Hide.” Math 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. And Math held me.

  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?” 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.

  Except 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. “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?

  The trembling traveled from my legs through my midsection and up my arms. I thought about the ceremony Math had told me about. How there was a sacrifice involved. How Mom might be involved. The shaking intensified, and if Math hadn’t been supporting me I would’ve fallen. I didn’t seem to know much about the Order that practically raised me.

  And if I didn’t know them, how could I trust them?

  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 Math’s 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.

  “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 raised my head. 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.

  Aaron was counting on me to distract Math from finding the trumpet. I didn’t want to mislead Math. I wanted to help him find the trumpet. Or rather, I wanted him 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. He heard the buzzing, too.

  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.”

  Chapter Seven

  Math

  Math’s pulse throbbed rapidly, sounding similar to the vibrating cell phone. Getting caught wasn’t an option. If his Soul 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.

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

  The cloaked member stalked toward the curtained area.

  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.

  Math 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. She was terrified they were going to get caught. He had to protect her.

  “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 his possible embarrassment with his brothers.

  “What about you?” Her hoarse-whisper scraped with terror.

  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 Piper and to the other warriors he had brawn as well as brains. “I’ll distract them. Fight.”

  And if he got captured, the Soul Warriors would rescue him. His skin flared, thinking of the razzing they’d give him. For all eternity.

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

  For him?

  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 to his groin. She looked at him as a strong man and it made him feel that way. A true warrior.

  “Just go.”

  “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—”

  A dragging sound caught his attention. There’d been a six foot urn near the curtain. It sounded as if the member was moving it out of the way, getting closer to their hiding spot.

  Math placed his hand over her mouth. 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.

  Math raised an eyebrow in question at Piper. Again?

  She shook her head once. His hand followed along because it still lay against her moist mouth.

  “It must’ve been me.” The member near them called out. His feet shuffled away. “I got a text.”

  “You know cell phones aren’t allowed in the Convergence Ceremonial Room.” The other member reprimanded.

  Math’s shoulders sagged and air whooshed out of his mouth. Reluctantly, he pulled his hand off of Piper’s lips. That had been close.

  Too close.

  He would’ve enjoyed a test of his strength against the two Order members to show his brothers he had the ability to fight, but he didn’t want to put Piper at risk. She didn’t understand the complexities and the danger and the importance of their quest.

  His thoughts struck him, similar to one of the Soul Warriors’ fists. Pain radiated from his brain into his lungs, causing him to choke. He’d let his protective instincts override his fighting instincts. At the coffee shop he’d let a couple of secret facts slip.

  He was a brain and a trained fighter. He could examine an object and basically see in his mind how something was constructed. He had super strength and agility, although untested. He had healing powers in case a battle didn’t go his way. But being with Piper confused and messed up his thinking.

  Anger at himself stomped on his conscience. Fisting his hands, he wanted to charge into the room and take the two men on to prove he was a fighter. To prove he was tough. To prove to Piper he was a warrior.

  He stood on the balls of his feet and started to move forward.

  Chapter Eight

  Piper

  Where did Math think he was going?

  Confusion twisted in my mind. One second he held me protectively in his arms, and the next he acted like he wanted to rush into battle. I grabbed his arm and tugged him back.

  We’d been so close to getting caught until the member had assumed it was his cell phone. And yet, Math had positioned himself in attack mode. His posture had stiffened and the muscles in his arm had tightened.

  Squeezing his arm again, I snagged his attention. “This is not the time to be reckless.”

  The muscles on his face were tight, as if clenching his jaw. His narrow eyes flashed with determination. His chin jutted out.

  This tension held for a few more seconds and then released. His expression relaxed. “The Order doesn’t have the trumpet. Let’s get out of the museum.”

  Since pretending to break in to the museum, my nervous system finally uncoiled and loosened. I was tired of the pretense. I wanted out and I wanted to confront Aaron about his lies.

  I pivoted toward the passage, making sure Math stayed behind me. I didn’t know what had been going through his head a minute ago. He’d resembled an attack dog, ready to take on anything or anyone, no matter what the odds.

  After traveling through the passage, we came out at the exact same spot. I didn’t know what Math planned next. “Since you know the Order doesn’t have the trumpet, what will we do next?”

  “I’m still thinking.” He rubbed the dark spot on his neck. “In your video, the tattoos on the thieves’ necks must be fake or they’re former members who didn’t remove the tattoos.”

  “Could be.” I glanced down avoiding his gaze and finally read the text message, which was from Aaron. Where the hell are you?

  Satisfaction oozed through my bloodstream and a slight smile slipped on my face. Even with Aaron’s machinations, we’d managed to give him the slip. He expected me to obey every single command. Up until this point, I had.

  Not anymore.

  The big question was, would he allow me to continue to work with Math?

  Aaron manipulated me to get what he wanted. He treated me like a privileged slave. I’d been ordered to distract Math from the real task of finding the trumpet. Except Math had taught me a few tricks and truths.

  After what I’d learned about the Order, from this point forward, I was loyal only to myself and Mom. My mind clogged around the issue of whether Mom was truly sick or being poisoned. I had to find a way to stay with Math, find the trumpet and then decide what to do.

  “Anything important?” Math’s stare softened with concern.

  His sympathy for me mellowed my thinking toward him, but not enough to be honest. Who was I kidding? Everything mellowed and melted around Math. “No.”

  I’d learned to keep my own counsel. I wouldn’t tell him about Mom’s illness and the desperation driving me to do what Aaron asked.

  Math headed back the way we came. Without incident, we passed through the exhibits of the fishing boat and carriage, past jewelry and pottery, and through the large wooden doors. We skirted around the edge of the foyer and hit the back stairs at a jog.

  He seemed as much in a hurry as I to get out of the museum. He didn’t realize the risks were higher getting out than getting in. Aaron didn’t want us leaving, didn’t want us finding the trumpet. And he was pissed off because he didn’t know exactly where we were inside. If we got caught we’d both suffer.

  I’d almost sacrificed myself in the anteroom, willing to stay with Math so if we got caught I could help him. If caught, I might get punished, but Math would get dead.

  Which shouldn’t be my main concern. My main concern was Mom. Doing whatever I needed to save her. Being with Math, seeing his protectiveness and concern for me, was tinkering with my brain.

  Jogging down the hall in the opposite direction of the cafeteria, I slowed when we approached the security room. Lights were on, which meant a guard was present.

  I felt as if a spotlight shone on me, highlighting my latest deception. By now, Aaron probably had the guards searching for us. The chance of us getting out without getting caught became slim
mer. Alarm churned in my midsection.

  The security room was situated right next to the entrance to the museum storage area, which led to the loading dock and our way out. Or so I’d hoped. A long window lined the entire wall of the security room until it ended at the door. An open door. We couldn’t just run past.

  “Wait.” I tugged on Math’s sleeve and squatted down. “There’s a guard in there.”

  He got on his knees. Peeking over the waist-high window, his expression grew dark. “Pointed pyramids!”

  “What?”

  “Um, gosh darn?” He appeared so cute and unsure with a half-smile on his mouth and quirked chin. Maybe he truly was from another time period.

  “Security probably found the door you kicked open.” The worry choked and I wheezed. The most loyal knew about the door the second it was breached. Either Aaron hadn’t been able to hold the other security guards off any longer, or he now wanted us found.

  I’d bet on the latter. The alarm churning in my stomach started to swirl and twist and burn.

  “Why aren’t security alarms going off?” Math slid to the ground. His brow furrowed and his gaze darted around. “How are we going to get out?”

  I peeked over the window ledge again into the security room. I’d been in the room many times to help fix their equipment. A bank of screens showed images from around the museum. Computers and security equipment filled the rest of the space.

  A printout of a photo caught my eye. Grainy, black and white. The guards never put up personal pictures. The photo had been printed on cheap paper. The long, black case drew my attention. An odd shape for an instrument case.

  Too long. Too old. Too familiar.

  I gasped. “What’s that?”

  Math scrambled to his knees and peeked into the security room. “What?”

  “There’s a printout of a photo—”

  “We don’t have time to play researcher about the Order.” His put-down made me feel lower than low. He slid down to his butt with his back to the wall. “Our only way out is blocked.”

  “It’s the trumpet.” Following his action, I slid beside him, wanting to explain. “I can’t see the entire photo clearly, but I recognize the case from Uncle Louie’s office.”