by Allie Burton
Guess the conversation about Falcon was over. Interesting how Olivia was protective of the guys she lived and worked with.
Glancing around the dirty room, I remembered the rickety stairs and broken windows. I tried to sound neutral. “The warehouse must be useful.”
She chuckled. “Hopefully, it’s only temporary. We’re squatting here. We could be kicked out at any minute. We need to find a more permanent home.”
“Where?”
“That’s the problem. All of us are only sixteen and the shabtis don’t have any legal documentation. Even with money, it’s hard to get a lease.”
They were living in the warehouse illegally. Squatting. “Where do you get your money from?” My cheeks heated. Talking about money was vulgar, but I had to look out for my own interests.
How could I trust any of them to keep me and the trumpet safe? I rubbed my palm over the case, feeling the power and the anger build. I let the feeling burn inside me. The distrust. The insecurity. The feeling I could be doing more, conquering more.
“Xander had a few valuables that we sold.” Olivia watched me with an expectant expression.
“Oh?”
“With our lack of legal identity, we couldn’t even prosecute the Society members, or X, the man who took me prisoner.” The strong current in Olivia’s voice told me she wasn’t happy about the decision. “Not if we didn’t want to end up in custody or in the foster-care system.”
“What is the Society? What do they want?” Even with my distrust, I wanted truth. Or at least their version of the truth.
“The Society of Aten is an ancient secretive society that believes they should rule the world. They conscripted a Chosen One, one of the Xanders, in every generation so they’d control the person who would ultimately host Tut’s soul and his powers.”
“They almost succeeded this year.”
“Almost. Except they didn’t count on me messing up their plans. Xander, my Xander, was the Society’s Chosen One, but X tricked me into touching the amulet at the precise time of the lunar eclipse on night of the summer solstice after the powerful chant was read.”
“Together, you and Xander foiled the plot.” Pieces of things Falcon had told me came together.
“Yes. Now, we are tasked with hunting the remaining powerful artifacts.” Her steely tone showed she’d do anything possible to get her hands on the objects.
“Like Tut’s trumpets. War and peace.”
“Exactly.” She stepped toward the table where I sat. The move appeared threatening. “Are you sure you don’t want me to keep the trumpet of war in the safe?”
Spreading my palm wide over the top, I wanted to clutch the case tighter in my hand. Olivia had offered the use of their safe before. Weird they had a safe, but not a permanent home. “Where is the safe?”
Falcon had wanted to put the trumpet away, too. He didn’t trust me not to play. How could I possibly play in the warehouse without being discovered?
“The safe is in one of the smaller rooms.”
“No, thanks. I feel better keeping the trumpet with me.” Patting the aged-leather case, I soaked in the power, making me feel confident and in control. “I’m going to go back out…” I jerked my head in the direction of the door.
Picking up the case, I headed toward the door. I didn’t trust how she stared at the trumpet’s case. She wanted to take possession. She wanted to play. The thoughts thrummed through my mind.
“Well, talk to you later.” The words weren’t an invitation.
I couldn’t trust Olivia. I couldn’t trust anyone.
Except Falcon. The one thought niggled at the negative feelings bombarding me. Negative feelings driving my need to play the trumpet, because playing the trumpet made me feel exultant.
Stopping on the edge of the main room with the mats, I watched a few of the other Soul Warriors work out. The only guy I recognized was Antony. They kicked and punched and threw each other to the floor. Except this was not normal fighting. When one kicked, the other flew across the room, breaking furniture or whatever was in their path.
They were super strong. Which I’d been told, and yet didn’t fully comprehend.
I was the only normal person here. Well, normal with new powers of some sort. The only one I could rely on.
The trumpet believed in me and gave me strength. The essence of the instrument soaked out of the case and into my body. The trumpet was telling me I had to do something. Now. Urging me forward and making my nerves twitch.
Clutching the case tighter, I walked past the other warriors and locked myself in the bathroom. I had to get my thoughts under control. Make a plan.
I paced the small bathroom, trying to figure out what to do. The constant tug of the trumpet had me pulling my hair. The trumpet wanted me to play right this second and not worry about Olivia or one of the other warriors hearing. My mind screamed, telling me to be patient. Wait for Falcon to come back. It had only been an hour since he’d left. He might have information about Grandfather.
Taking off the shorts and T-shirt the backstabbing Olivia had given me, I put my jeans, top, and sweater back on. Now, I didn’t smell of sweat and…Falcon.
Glowering in the mirror, I noted my wild eyes, my messy hair, my flushed cheeks. I looked like I’d run a marathon and not just learned a few martial-arts techniques from Falcon.
And that had been before my history lesson.
I’d wanted to read more about Horus in the book. Possibly ask Falcon about his name. The best course of action would be to wait until Falcon got back to learn if he found my grandfather. While I waited, I’d learn more about his past.
I headed back toward what the warriors called the library, where I’d left Olivia. Getting closer, I heard voices.
Olivia. And Falcon.
A bolt of green anger shot from my hand holding the case. The bolt electrified into fury, stiffening everything inside me to an unbendable disposition. Falcon was back and he hadn’t come to see me first to tell me about Grandfather. Not that I was lonely. Or needy. I could do things on my own. Lots of things. Powerful things.
I wasn’t normally a clingy or jealous person. I had no hold over Falcon. Yet I couldn’t stop this furious feeling of betrayal.
“The lead on the trumpet of peace was a dead end.” Falcon’s disappointment carried out the door. “We tracked it to a pawn shop. The owner claims he’d never seen the trumpet. I left Math behind to see if he can learn anything else.”
My brows twitched, confusion lining my forehead. Falcon had told me he was following a lead on my grandfather, not the other trumpet. Falcon lied. My trust in him evaporated like the Nile River in the summer. The heat of anger shimmered like a mirage in the desert. The image was of me alone.
“At least we’ve got the more destructive instrument.” Olivia’s voice was softer so I moved closer. “I wish Aria would let us hold on to the trumpet of war.”
My hand fisted tighter around the case handle, signaling the need to keep hold of the trumpet. Anger thumped in my chest. A war cry. They wanted to steal the trumpet. My trumpet. They’d only been pretending to worry about me.
“Once you’ve blown the trumpet it marks on your soul. You become possessive.” Falcon tried to reassure Olivia.
As if he had me under control. Had the trumpet under control.
The anger surged like a tidal wave, not cooling the fury but building it to an unruly state. No one controlled me. If I wanted to play the trumpet, I would.
“You’ve blown the trumpet. And now both Professor York and Aria have played. How are you holding up?” The concern in Olivia’s tone sent an arrow of jealousy into my heart.
How close were Olivia and Falcon? I’d thought she had a relationship with Xander. Maybe she wanted Falcon, too. Maybe he wanted to be with her. Maybe I didn’t belong with him at all. Maybe there’d been no connection.
And yes, I was being totally unreasonable and I didn’t care. The only thing I cared about was keeping the trumpet.
“Fine.” Falcon’s voice filtered through gritted teeth. “I hope Aria can resist the temptation to play. The playing makes it worse.”
I didn’t understand what Falcon meant. Playing the trumpet made it worse for me or for him? And why should I care about him? After he’d almost kissed me, he’d lied to me. The fury blew into a maelstrom inside me, overturning and abandoning my common sense. He didn’t come back and give me a report. He gave it to Olivia.
“We could’ve taken the trumpet from her. There are nine of us against one.” She sounded so reasonable. Take the girl’s most important possession.
“Then Aria would never trust us.” Falcon’s explanation ripped into my heart, leaving it open and vulnerable.
I’d been so stupid. All they wanted was my trumpet. Wanted to take it away from me when the trumpet could mean saving my grandfather.
My nerve endings flared and fired into a furious flame. Falcon was supposed to be following a lead to find my grandfather, instead he’d searched for the silver trumpet. He’d come back and reported to Olivia, not me. He’d used my attraction to him to confuse me, make me go along with his plans, and then he’d lied to my face.
The flame exploded into an inferno, erupting and pivoting me from the room where Falcon spoke to Olivia.
I couldn’t trust Falcon or Olivia, or any of these warriors. I couldn’t trust them with the trumpet and I couldn’t trust them with my grandfather’s life.
If I wanted Grandfather found I’d have to find him myself.
Chapter Twelve
Aria
Could Grandfather be hidden in one of these mansions in the Sunset District?
Even in the daylight, I couldn’t see the houses over the tall walls protecting them from street view. Palm trees leaned toward the Pacific Ocean that could be heard in the distance. Most of the driveways were gated.
Falcon had said the Society owned a mansion in this area. I thought it would be easy to pick out, maybe a building shaped like a pyramid or a statue of King Tut in the front yard. These houses appeared normal. Well, as normal as mansions could appear.
My shoulders slumped. The case with the trumpet inside seemed heavier. The urge to play grew stronger.
If I played, the Society people would run out of their gated mansion. They’d want to find me, giving away any hope of rescuing Grandfather. I didn’t want to attract attention to myself.
“Hey!” A guy peered from behind a bush.
With his dark hair and strong build, for a second I thought Falcon had followed me. But it wasn’t Falcon. Adrenaline raced through my veins, jump-starting my heart. He must be with the Society. Must know I had the trumpet.
Gripping the case tighter, I took off in a run down the sidewalk. I couldn’t let him catch me. I couldn’t hand myself and the trumpet over to the Society. My breath heaved, scraping sharp air into my lungs. The case banged against my knees. I ran faster than normal, zooming past the walled homes.
Adrenaline or magical power?
My step stuttered and I tripped. I picked up my speed again. I didn’t have time to contemplate what propelled me at a speed faster than I’d ever run before. I had to get away from the guy.
I looked back. My chest clenched.
The guy was gaining on me, wearing sweats that didn’t hinder his speed. His determined expression told me I was his target.
Pouring on the adrenaline, or the power, or whatever it was, I ran faster. Raced as if I’d never raced in my life. Because it was for my life.
Up ahead, a car pulled into a gated driveway. The gates began to close.
I glanced at the guy chasing me. He was only twenty feet away.
The black gates swung closed at a slow speed. If I could get inside, the guy couldn’t follow me. I could ask the owner for help. Timing myself, I slowed. I didn’t want to gain entrance to the gates too soon. Who knew if this bad guy would follow me inside? The timing had to be perfect.
I glanced back again. The guy slowed. His determined expression fell from his face. He opened his mouth, but didn’t yell.
It must be a trick. Pretend he wasn’t interested in the chase, in me, in the trumpet.
The clanging iron bars signaled the gate was almost closed. Only a foot separated the two sides. Just in time, I slipped through and the gate closed.
Bending at the waist, I blew out heavy breaths. My racing heart slowed, chugging to a normal beat. I’d escaped my pursuer. I was safe behind these mansion walls.
Lifting my head, I peered at the guy through the metal bars of the gate. He walked backward while shaking his head. Like he, or I, had made the biggest mistake.
A second of doubt clicked in my brain.
He did look a lot like Falcon. So did Antony and Math and Xander, too. Could the guy be one of the Soul Warriors, or one of the Society’s people? Or some random guy on the street who chased teenage girls?
“Can I help you?” A precise tone asked from the open car window.
I wheeled around at the question.
An older man with long, grey hair flowing to his shoulders got out of the car. His plain, grey business suit didn’t hint at his profession.
“I’m sorry. Someone was chasing…”
The man studied my face, memorizing the details. His intensity crawled down my spine and gave me shivers. He leered at the case. Did he know what was inside?
My stomach flipped. I wiggled my body, anxious to get away from this man and his strange stare. I pointed to the closed gate. “I should go.”
“Nonsense.” He grasped my arm and I tried to jerk away. His grip was too tight. The fingers of his iron grip dug into my skin. “That person might still be out there. I’d hate for you or your possessions to get hurt.”
The flipping in my stomach intensified, cramping and swirling as if I’d hit a wrong note during a concert and couldn’t regain my equilibrium. I yanked my arm, trying to get out of his clutch. “I’m sure he’s gone. I was probably imagining it. I’m fine. I need to go.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” The man’s voice changed to a dark force, causing my shivers to run colder. “Aria.”
I gasped and stopped struggling. The gasp sucked into my lungs and I coughed. How did he know my name? More importantly, why did he know my name? I didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out.
“Let me go!” Pulling away, I stomped down trying to get his foot.
And missed.
I whipped the trumpet case around and flung it at the man. He grabbed the case, ripping it out of my hand. I felt like my arm had been torn away. Blackness swarmed my soul, holding me back. I tried to grab the case. An image of flipping Falcon came to mind. He’d said I had magical powers. If I did, I needed them to assist me now. To get the trumpet back and to escape.
I spread my feet shoulder-width apart for balance. Not having learned attack moves, I’d have to do my best to remember Falcon’s kicks.
The man signaled, and two men appeared around the corner. Big and brawny men. Scary men dressed in black. Men a teenage girl didn’t have a chance against. Even with supposed-magical powers.
The two men dashed toward me.
I sucked in a wheezing breath. My bones hurt at the thought of what these two men could do to me. I needed to run.
What about the trumpet?
My panicked gaze swung back and forth like a pendulum, taking in the two goons and the case cradled in the older man’s arms. He hugged the case as if it was gold. I’d never be able to get the case and fight off these men.
The trumpet or my freedom?
I ran to the gate. Grabbing the slippery iron bars, I tried to climb.
The goons grabbed my arms. Their hands firmer than the older man’s. The two men sandwiched me between them, lifting me off the ground. Weightlessness scooped in my belly, hollowing with fear.
The older man, the one caressing the trumpet case, stepped over to me. “Thank you for this.” His smug tone slapped me.
Struggling, I kicked the two guys.
Anger and fear and desperation burned my flesh. “Who are you? How do you know my name? What do you want with my…case?”
His thin lips twisted into a cruel smile. “I’m Jeb and I’ll be your conductor on this ancient musical journey.”
Dread drummed inside me like a kettledrum. “What do you want?”
“I want to help you reach your full musical potential.” Jeb limped toward the house.
Jeb knew nothing about my flute playing history. He had to mean the trumpet of war. Was he part of the Society? I glanced at the mansion in front of me. Was this the Society’s mansion?
I hung my head.
The two goons dragged me behind Jeb into the house. Struggling would be pointless. I needed to conserve my energy. My muscles went limp, hopelessness swamping me. Who was Jeb? What did he want with me and my trumpet? “What are you going to do to me?”
“The Society of Aten—”
The hopelessness inside doubled when Jeb confirmed my suspicions. Any inner strength collapsed. This was the organization Olivia had mentioned and Falcon had warned me against. And now not only did they have the trumpet, they had me.
Jeb continued, “—is tired of having its artifacts stolen.”
“I didn’t steal anything.” I still had strength to argue. And to think. “Do you have my grandfather?”
Not answering, he continued to lead the way down a grand marble hallway.
I barely noticed the elegant surroundings. I was too busy berating myself. I’d walked right into the Society’s mansion with the trumpet. No, I hadn’t walked. I’d run.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
And if Grandfather was here, I didn’t know how I was going to get either of us free. At least I’d get to see him again. Get to tell him goodbye.
The goons shoved me into a large bedroom and locked the door behind them.
I was alone. Jeb had kept the trumpet.
My eyes burned. I wouldn’t give in to my tears. Banging on the door, I screamed, “Let me out! You have no right to keep me here!”
No one responded.
