“What happened?” he asked. “Why did you come outside?”
“I … I was looking for you,” I said, trying to quickly come up with a story to explain how I’d gotten the spear.
“But you were just sitting here.”
“Yeah. I thought I heard Massimo … I didn’t want him to spot me.”
Even in the darkness, I could tell that Asher didn’t believe me. “Then how did you expect me to find you?”
“Doesn’t matter, you found me, right?” I needed to change the subject. “We need to grab Simone and get out of here.” I tapped my messenger bag. “I got the spear. My grandmother gave it to me, but we have to leave before anyone finds out.”
Asher froze. Instead of smiling, his face contorted and I could see the rage building in his eyes. “You didn’t. Ugh!” He grabbed the top of his hair and pulled on it. “You promised you wouldn’t touch it. Now … now everything is messed up!”
“No, Dame Elisabeth knew I couldn’t touch it.” I was talking as fast I was thinking. “She slipped it into the bag. I haven’t done anything.”
“Give me the bag,” he demanded. “You shouldn’t even be close to it.” He paused while I slipped off the strap and handed it to him. His eyes narrowed. “I know you’re lying.”
“I’m not,” I said, but he wasn’t listening.
He stared at his own hands. “And now you’ve dragged me down with you,” he muttered. “Not that I could’ve done it anyway.”
“Done what?”
“My duty, Cassie!” he said through clenched teeth. “The one thing I was supposed to do and …” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I failed. I can’t do it!”
“Asher, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if it has to do with the spear”—I crossed my fingers—“I promise I didn’t touch it.”
He turned his back on me and took a couple of steps.
I knew it was stupid to cross my fingers, like a little kid, but it somehow made me feel better. This was a necessary lie.
“I want to believe you. I really do,” he said without turning around. “It would make everything so much easier.”
“Then believe me.”
“What you don’t understand is that—”
“Cassie!” Simone was running at full speed over to us. “I was so worried when I couldn’t find you inside.” She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. “What are you two doing out here? Why didn’t you come get me?”
“I have the spear,” I whispered. “But we have to get out of here.”
“You do? Where was it?” Simone didn’t sound as excited as I thought she would.
“Her grandmother gave it to her,” Asher said with an edge to his voice.
“She had it all along?” Simone asked. “The Knights were letting people get killed even though they had it?”
“Yes, well … no. It’s complicated. She had to keep it a secret from everyone.” I didn’t like lying—I wasn’t good at it. “We can talk about this later, after we get out of here.”
Asher stared at me, not saying a word.
“But why keep it a secret if innocent people were being killed? It doesn’t make sense.” Simone sounded skeptical. “Maybe she’s been lying to us … about everything. The spear might even be a fake. Something to get rid of us.”
I couldn’t tell her that I knew it was the real one because I had just used it to save my father and change destiny. My story and lies were starting to unravel.
“It’s not a fake,” I said. “She’s been waiting to give it to me for years.” I glanced around, nervous that someone might have seen me dig up the spear. “But can we just get out of here before we get caught?”
“Well, first let me see it.” Simone held out her hand.
“Why? You wouldn’t know if it’s real even if you saw it,” Asher answered.
“No, but I assume you would,” Simone retorted. “Have you checked it out?”
Asher squirmed at the realization that he hadn’t even confirmed if I’d been given the real spear. He opened my bag and looked inside. “It looks authentic, but only Zio would know for sure.” He still had his jaw clenched, but his shoulders had relaxed a little. “And you’re sure you never touched it?”
“I already told you that I didn’t,” I said, glancing at Simone. “I don’t want to be bound.”
“Okay.” Asher seemed to finally buy my story. “But I’m keeping the bag from now on,” he said, shoving it into his backpack. “I don’t want you even close to it.”
“Fine. Let’s just get back to the monastery. The sooner we get there, the sooner everything can go back to how it was before.”
“Yeah, just like before,” Simone muttered, but her voice had a hint of sadness in it.
I crossed the garden into another small courtyard. We had to go before anyone tried to stop us.
“So we just walk out with it?” Simone asked, following close behind.
“Why not? We’re not prisoners.” The main gate was up ahead.
In the quiet of the night, we heard a door closing. We all turned around to see Massimo walking out of the building. He spotted us and broke into a run. I could hear his heavy footsteps pounding the ground. “Stop! Where are you going?” he shouted. “You need to stay here!”
“Don’t stop,” Asher said under his breath. “Keep going.”
We picked up the pace, but Massimo intercepted us as I reached the locked gate.
“You can’t leave,” Massimo said, blocking the door. “Dame Elisabeth did not approve of this.”
“We’ll come back another day,” I said. “But we need to go. It’s getting very late.”
Massimo hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Asher took a step forward, getting between Massimo and me.
“Open the gate,” Asher ordered, his voice deep and strong.
Massimo glared at him.
“Open it,” Asher repeated.
This time Massimo turned and unlocked the door.
Asher, Simone, and I exchanged quick glances. This hadn’t been as difficult as we’d thought. Soon all this would be over.
We had only taken a few steps out of the compound when Massimo suddenly grabbed me by the arm and yanked me back next to him. The tip of his gun jabbed me in the ribs.
Asher and Simone both spun around to face us.
“Neither of you moves,” Massimo sneered, “or she dies.”
You’d think I would have been more afraid of having a gun pressed against my side, but the events of the last two days had substantially increased my tolerance for fear. I didn’t go weak in the knees nor did my heart race. In fact, it seemed that my breathing slowed down as I tried to think of a way to escape.
Asher and Simone, however, were another story. They weren’t moving, but I could see the shock and panic in their eyes.
“Why are you doing this?” I tried to buy some time while I glanced around the empty courtyard. The area was enclosed by the large cement wall, and the only way out was the street we had come in by. “Aren’t you a Knight?”
Massimo scoffed. “You’d think after working security for them for over ten years they’d make me one, but no.” His breath hit the side of my ear as he talked. “Dame Elisabeth kept promising, but it was all a lie to string me along. It’s time I took care of myself.” He pushed me forward, holding me in front of him like a shield. “Now walk to that first alleyway.”
“I can pay you a lot of money if you let her go,” Simone blurted out while we walked past her.
“Ha!” Massimo kept walking with me. “As if you could match what the Hastati will give me for a marked one. Now you two better not come any closer.”
I looked at Asher. He was standing still, his fists clenched. Maybe my chance at escape was farther down the street.
“You don’t understand. I can give you as much as you want!” Simone shouted. “My mother is Sarah Bimington!”
Massimo paused, apparently considering Simone’s offer.
/> “You know they’ll kill me if you turn me in,” I said, trying to make him feel guilty for what he was doing.
“That isn’t my problem.” He shook his head. “No, I’m taking you to the Hastati. You can bargain for your life with them.” He tightened his grip on my arm, pushed the gun harder into my ribs, and led me to the first alleyway. “Try anything funny and I will shoot you. My understanding is that there is still money to be made even if you are dead.”
“Massimo! Massimo!” I could hear Dame Elisabeth calling him in the distance.
“Walk faster,” he ordered as we stepped into the alley. “To that green car.”
There were no doors or open windows along the buildings that framed either side of the dimly lit alley. The only escape route seemed to be about a block down, where the alley opened up at a busy street.
I was out of time.
If I got into the dusty old car, my chances of escape would go from slim to none. I had to make my move.
As we approached the green car, Massimo loosened his grip on my arm for a second to fish out his keys. It was a split-second decision, but I made it. This was my last chance.
I spun away, hoping to catch him by surprise. Darting between two parked cars, I started running toward the street. I was about halfway there when I heard a bang and felt a bullet whizz by my head.
I froze.
“Next one won’t miss,” Massimo shouted.
This time I was scared. Wet-my-pants, cold-shiver-down-my-spine, nothing-can-really-prepare-you scared. I raised my hands and slowly turned to face him.
He had a smirk on his face, but only for an instant. Something behind me caught his attention, and as if in slow motion, I saw him pull the trigger.
I held my breath, expecting the bullet to hit.
Only it didn’t. I wasn’t his target.
And in that moment the sound of gunfire came from both in front and behind.
Massimo staggered and fell to the ground.
I spun around to see Dame Elisabeth walking up the alley, a gun in her hand.
“Get out of here, Cassandra!” She kept her gun aimed at Massimo. “Now!”
I took off, not waiting to see what else was going to happen between Dame Elisabeth and Massimo.
“Come on!” Simone yelled. She and Asher were by the street corner.
“Go!” I said, already sprinting at full speed. “GO!”
We didn’t stop running until we were back at the metro station.
“How … how …” I bent over to catch my breath. “How did she know to save me?” I asked, trying to piece together everything that had happened.
Simone was in no condition to talk. She was leaning against the ticket machine and her breathing was coming in and out in short, quick spurts.
Asher was the only one who didn’t look wiped out. He bought our metro passes from the machine and took one deep breath to regain his composure. “It was Simone,” he said. “She ran back into the compound and found your grandmother, running out. The security camera by the front gate had captured Massimo grabbing you. Simone told her what happened.”
I put a hand on Simone’s back. “Thanks. You saved my butt.”
Simone gave me a small nod and sat down. She was still having trouble breathing.
“We should head to the monastery,” Asher said, checking the time on his phone. “We can be there in about thirty minutes.”
I nodded. I’d nearly been shot, but now it was all almost over. I had the spear, my dad was awake, and he’d be leaving whatever hospital he was in by tomorrow morning. All that was left was to give Brother Gregorio the spear and everything would fall into place—just like I’d seen in my vision.
What could go wrong?
Streetlights cast long shadows around every corner as we neared the monastery. None of us said anything, but I knew we were all on edge.
“I don’t think this is a good idea. What if the Hastati have someone waiting for us outside the building?” Simone slowed down. “We could be heading into a trap. Maybe we should go to my house.”
I wasn’t going to quit when I was so close to getting my dad and my life back. “We’ll be careful, but we have to get the spear to Brother Gregorio. It’s the only way.”
“No, Simone’s right,” Asher said. “They probably are watching all the doors to the monastery. That’s why we’re not going in that way.” Asher stopped walking and pointed to a dimly lit curio shop. “Follow me.”
Inside, we made our way past a middle-aged bearded man sitting behind a cash register. He gave us a slight nod as Asher placed a twenty-euro bill on the counter and we continued toward the rear of the store.
“Where are we going?” I asked. We weaved our way around stacks of books, a table full of brass knickknacks, and a glass cabinet with more ceramic cat figurines than I’d ever seen.
Asher pointed to a room, partially hidden by a faded green curtain.
He pushed open the curtain and motioned for us to enter. “There’s a secret passage … here.” He peeled away a small rug to reveal a trapdoor. “Rome is full of them. It’s like the city was built on top of an old maze. You’d be surprised at how many—”
“We know all about it.” Simone cut him off. “I have one at my place, too.”
“Oh … well, yeah. It’s just I don’t think many people know about this one. Not even Zio.”
We followed Asher into a pit under the curio shop. There were a few storage boxes, but not much else. No tunnels or passageways.
“Now what?” I asked, looking around.
“Now we crawl.” Asher smiled and removed a small metal grille that covered an opening near the base of the far wall.
The space was definitely not made for anyone claustrophobic, but it was a safe way to get into the monastery and that was all that mattered.
“Are we there yet?” Simone called out from behind.
“Almost.” Asher reached another metal grille and unscrewed two knobs at the top. He pushed it aside and crawled out. Reaching above his head, he pulled on a cord and turned on a single lightbulb that hung in the middle of the room. “Ta-da! I present Zio’s wine cellar.”
The rock walls around us were lined with dark wooden racks. A few of them had bottles, but most were empty and full of dust.
“We’re in the monastery?” Simone slapped off the dirt from her pants and hands.
“Yep.” Asher smiled and walked over to a rickety old staircase. “Zio can’t make it down these stairs, so I’m the one who has to get the bottles of wine for him. One day I started moving some of these shelves and found the crawl space. Decided to see where it would lead. It’s been my secret way out for a while now.”
“Hmpf.” Simone shrugged. “I guess you’re not as lame as I thought you were.”
I should’ve felt relief at being inside the monastery, but for some reason I didn’t. I knew we were supposed to be safe once inside, but I couldn’t relax. “And the guy at the shop doesn’t ask any questions? Just lets you come and go?”
“I usually bring him something,” Asher explained. “A bottle of wine or some cash. I think of it as a toll.”
“Okay, whatever.” Simone walked to the stairs. “Can we just take the spear to your uncle and be finished with all of this?”
Simone was right. It was almost over.
A small, secretive grin swept across my face. I’d done it. I had actually found the spear, changed destiny, and saved my dad. It wasn’t something I could ever share with anyone, but it made me feel powerful, like I could do anything. The best thing was that by tomorrow morning, at 11:58 a.m., during a huge thunderstorm, I’d be with my father. All I had to do was get Brother Gregorio to tell me where he was being kept.
Asher bounded up the stairs, taking the steps three at a time. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a key to unlock the door at the top. “After you,” he said, holding it open for Simone and me.
The moment I stepped into the kitchen, I knew something was wrong. Through
the French doors I could see that all the lights in the monastery were off, and it seemed eerily quiet.
“Zio, are you here?” Asher called out, flicking the kitchen light on.
Silence.
We wandered out of the kitchen into the dining room, and then into the dark courtyard.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “Is he here?” I asked in a whisper.
“Maybe he went out,” Simone suggested. The three of us walked together as one huddled mass.
Asher opened his switchblade. He lifted his hand and motioned for us to stay put. Like a ninja slipping in and out of the shadows, he made his way to the old monk’s office.
Simone and I stayed near the front door. A trickle of sweat ran down my side as we saw the light in the monk’s office turn on.
“Zio!” Asher yelled, and I could hear the shock and fear in his voice.
Simone and I looked at each other, but instead of running away we raced toward Asher. We froze once we got to the room. There, in his leather chair, was Brother Gregorio. His head was thrown back, his skin was pale, and his eyes, although wide open, weren’t seeing anything. Asher was kneeling next to him holding his uncle’s limp hand.
“Is he … ?” Simone couldn’t finish the sentence.
Asher’s eyes met mine, and he gave a slight shake of his head. Brother Gregorio was dead.
The key to finding my dad, to stopping the Hastati, was gone.
“We have to get out of here!” Simone exclaimed. “Whoever did this could still be here!”
“No one did this.” Asher stood and closed his uncle’s eyelids. “Zio told me weeks ago that he only had a short time to live. Even last night he warned me that I might be on my own very soon.”
I scanned the room. There was no sign of a struggle; everything looked like the organized mess I’d seen the day before. But what if Asher was wrong and there was something more sinister at work?
“I can call my mother. She’ll help us,” Simone offered.
“No!” Asher barked. “It’s bad enough that you’re involved. We’re not telling more people!”
I realized that as upset as I was at losing the key to finding my dad, Asher had just lost his only family. “Asher.” I reached over and touched his shoulder. “Simone is only trying to help. She didn’t mean anything bad by it.”
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