Illuminate: A Gilded Wings Novel, Book One

by Aimee Agresti

  I gasped and whipped my head to the doorway, a chill spreading across my skin.

  “Yes, hello, Aurelia.” I did my best not to seem rattled.

  “So sorry to startle you,” she said, with a mischievous smile. “There’s a Joan here for you?”

  “Here? Joan?” I couldn’t process this. Joan was here? Now? The chill turned instantly into a cold sweat, my stomach dropped. “What’s she doing here?” I didn’t mean to ask it aloud, but I had lost the ability to filter. She can’t be here, she can’t be around these people.

  “It appears she’s getting a spa treatment.”

  “She’s at the spa? Now?” Why wouldn’t she have told me? This is what I got for not calling home enough.

  “We’ll be sure to roll out the red carpet and take special care of your guest.” This, unfortunately, sounded entirely sincere.

  “I’ll, um, have to go say hello. I think I’ll just, yeah, I’ll just run down there now.” I was up on my feet now. Aurelia still stood in the doorway. “I’ll just be a minute, if you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all,” she said. “I’m so glad she’s getting to experience all that we have to offer here.” I waited for her to clear the doorway and then I bolted out of the gallery, walking to the spa as fast as I could without actually breaking into a jog.

  ***

  Joan?” The low hum of a soothing instrumental soundtrack filled the air, along with a sweet, clean scent.

  “Surprise, honey!” said the smiling, mummified figure lying on the table. A row of shower heads on a long arm were suspended above, still and dry for the time being but ready to act when called upon.

  “Did I miss an e-mail or something?” I was grateful for the cucumber slices over Joan’s eyes. If she had been able to see me she would’ve known something was wrong. But she just launched right in, a mile a minute.

  “I don’t like to spring things on you, but Michelle thought it would be so cute since I had the day off to come here. She got me this gift certificate. So sweet of her. We had the school bus accident come into the hospital the other day; did you hear about that on the news? It was just horrific, but everyone is okay. She was a superwoman, that Michelle, but I pulled practically a triple shift and so she said she wanted to thank me. I just thought it would be fun to pop by—I read such wonderful things about this spa in the Trib, you know. I hope it’s okay!”

  “Um, yeah, it’s great to see you.” My mind raced. How fast could I get her out of here?

  “I know you’re very busy. I asked for you at the front desk and those girls—and they really are all just absolutely gorgeous, and so poised and friendly too—said they would let you know right away, but they had to find you because you’re always in meetings and things and they were so sweet and told me to just go and get started here.” Joan’s demeanor reminded me of that time she got tipsy at the family Christmas party.

  “So, what is all of this anyway?” I asked. She looked like a burrito, cocooned in what seemed to be foil, and presumably slathered with some kind of lotion and potion underneath. I couldn’t keep my mind from running through all the worst-case scenarios of what could be in there. If only I could’ve somehow gotten here sooner.

  “Why, this would be the milk, honey, and sesame body buff with a seaweed wrap,” she said, pleased with herself.

  “Wow.” I tried to sound easygoing, like myself. “It, um, sounds like a lunch special.”

  “It is very special, I’ll tell you that much. If I got these every day I would be an entirely different person. Ahhh—” I shivered at that, involuntarily. She was blissed out. I was terrified. I wished I could turn the shower heads on, put a stop to this. “—but speaking of lunch, yes, can we have some? I’m almost done here and that restaurant looks just darling—”

  “No!” I blurted out, completely rude, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t have her eating here. I couldn’t imagine what damage had already been done. I had to get her out of Lexington, that’s all I could think. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Her lips moved into a frown. “No. I just mean,” I said, summoning all my strength to sound normal, “I have a crazy day and all this stuff I’ve gotta get done. I’m trying to do a good job and all and I feel like they shouldn’t see me taking a long break. But maybe another time soon? It’s just, you know, one of those days.”

  “Oh, someone is very busy, indeed, isn’t she? I’m so proud of my little worker bee!” She gushed. “This place is just so fancy and incredible, Hav. I suppose I can’t blame you for being a workaholic. I’m so proud of you.”

  A woman in a white version of the hotel uniform appeared, someone I didn’t recognize. I could only hope she wasn’t a fully inducted Outfit member. “Time to rinse off, Ms. Terra.”

  “That’s me!” said Joan. “I could just stay in this forever.”

  “I’ll wait for you, Joan. Walk you out and stuff.”

  I sat in the spa’s Japanese garden-like waiting area beside a trickling waterfall and could not have felt less at peace. My leg twitched nervously. I couldn’t imagine what might have been in that concoction they had covered Joan with. I was sure there was something to make her feel good, like all was right in this odd world of the hotel. I heard her voice, thanking someone profusely, and she stepped around from behind the waterfall wearing black pants and a sweater. I stood up, on reflex, like someone in a hospital anxious to hear updates about a loved one.

  The Outfit member at the spa reception desk, who hadn’t so much as looked my way, gave Joan the widest, toothiest grin and gushed, “You look so rejuvenated! Have a nice day and please come again soon!”

  “Why thank you, yes, I will certainly be back.”

  “All set?” I was already walking in the direction of the elevator. “Ready to go?”

  Joan stopped. “Hello, gorgeous!” she said, grabbing my hand to stop me and giving me a once-over. “Why, look at you!”

  I looked down at myself. “These are our uniforms.”

  “Lovely, you look just lovely. All grown up!”

  “Thanks, Joan.” I started walking again. “So, how do you feel?”

  “Fantastic. Really fantastic.” Her eyes had a mellow glaze. She couldn’t stop smiling. “Have you had one of those?”

  “Um, no.” I hit the elevator up button. Up, up, up, c’mon. “They don’t really let us. We’re mostly just working.” The elevator came and I put my hand on her back wanting to push her in, get her moving faster. I hit the button for the lobby and then the one to close the doors, shutting them right in someone else’s face, and I didn’t care.

  “Well you could use one, Haven. You’re working too hard, I can tell.” The doors opened again. We were back in the lobby. “But this place is just remarkable!” She looked up at the ceiling, taking everything in. “I cannot believe this is your home.”

  “This isn’t my home,” I snapped. She didn’t seem to detect the edge in my voice. She was probably still hopped up on unknown toxins from her spa trip.

  “You know what I mean, silly. You’re a part of this glamorous place. How many high school students could do what you’re doing? I’m so proud of you. Now would you just look at that skylight? Magnificent!”

  “Thanks, Joan.” It came out more defeated than I would’ve liked. She sat down on the ottoman holding my hand and pulling me to sit beside her. Around us, staffers fluttered by, guests flitted in and out. Two Outfit members watched us from the front desk. “I’m really sorry about lunch.”

  “Look at that, you’re wearing the necklace.” She took the pendant in her hand.

  “Yeah, I love it. I never take it off, actually.”

  “You’re quite the lady all of a sudden, aren’t you?”

  “Will you call me when you get home? Did you drive here?”

  “No, I took the L this time. I wanted to shop around a little and didn’t want to worry about traffic and parking and all. Besides, I wanted to time how fast it was to get to you—pretty fast. I’ll have to get back here more often.
” She winked. “But don’t worry, I’ll call first next time.”

  “Great. Yeah.” There’s no way I would ever let her back in here. Ever. “Call me later? Okay?” I stood up and, luckily, she followed suit. I led us outside. “Next time I’ll get an afternoon off and we can go somewhere in the city. I spend enough time here.” My voice almost sounded believable. But I could feel my brow furrowing.

  “Of course, dear, that would be wonderful!” She pulled me into a tight hug. And I hugged her back, wishing I could go with her and forget entirely about this world I had gotten sucked into. But I knew I couldn’t. “I’m so proud of you. You are just doing so well. I can’t wait to brag about you to all the ladies back at the hospital!” She let me go, but remembered: “And, oh my goodness, that Aurelia is just beautiful, and she thinks so highly of you!”

  “What?”

  “I just met her quickly. She said she feels like you two are cut from the same cloth and she’s so impressed with your work. Keep it up, honey!” I felt like I’d been stabbed.

  “That’s great. So you met her.” I felt so much like my world had been violated and tampered with. Please tell me Joan will be okay. I don’t care what happens to me, just let her be protected.

  “Okay, well, I have an afternoon of shopping ahead of me!”

  With one more hug and a kiss on the cheek, Joan strolled off in the direction of the L. I only noticed now that it was positively freezing outside, but I stood there until she was out of sight.

  On my way back into the hotel, my eyes shot to the girls at the front desk. Both seemed consumed with their respective computer screens, but I could feel them glancing back at me after I walked away.

  I found Neil Marlinson waiting in front of the gallery. He smiled, big and broad, when he saw me. I collected myself and waved back.

  “Hello, Mr. Marlinson.”

  “Neil, please,” he said warmly. “I just had to thank you, Haven, for the copy of that photo you left for me. You can’t possibly know how much it means. This . . .” He held up the printout—it was the version that had first been on the wall of the gallery, not as it looked now hidden in Aurelia’s office. “ . . . this has made my trip here worthwhile.” He held it against his chest.

  “I’m glad to help,” I said, not sure I really deserved such a fuss.

  “You must think I’m incredibly strange, to be so fixated on this.” He looked at the picture again. “But it looks so much like her, it’s uncanny. It’s just, well, you’ll understand this someday, but you never forget your first love. You just never do, no matter what happened to take that person out of your life.” He sounded wistful and then he caught himself. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m bothering you with this.” He shook his head. A lightning bolt struck his face, an idea dancing in his eyes now. “I’d like to buy something, anything, as a thank-you.”

  The gallery was still technically closed to the public, but Aurelia had encouraged me to sell him another piece, so I figured it would be okay to let him in.

  “C’mon in,” I said as I slashed us in and opened the door. “Have a look and let me know if I can help with anything.” I smiled and found a place off to the side, letting him wander through the space on his own.

  “Any recommendations?” he called back to me as he stepped farther in, his pace slowing at the wall of photos of the former Lexington Hotel.

  “I think those are nice,” I said. I walked over to the display where he was and leaned in to the description beside one of them. “These are from not long after the hotel opened, 1908—” I read on the placard. “Yeah, this place was just in its teens then: sixteen, I guess. It opened in 1892.” I was glad for the opportunity to spout some of these facts I’d been accumulating. “Now, it’s all redone and modern, but I like how it looked then. There’s something romantic about it.” I studied the suite of pictures. “That was before it was home to criminals.” I laughed. “Capone showed up in ’28. So this is how it started before it was infamous, but still really, I don’t know, magical, I think.”

  He just nodded, looking at these photos like they were imparting some kind of great wisdom to him. I decided not to get in the way by talking anymore and I let him just watch them for a while.

  “They remind me of her: innocent,” he said finally, and I couldn’t tell if he was talking to himself or if he meant for me to ask him to elaborate. He looked swept up and carried off to some other time. “Maybe this one?” he spoke to a modest, framed five-by-seven black-and-white of the hotel’s façade.

  “That’s a lovely choice,” I said. “I’ll just have to consult our owner, who’s still fine-tuning that price list, but I know she wants to make you a good—”

  “I’ll give her ten thousand dollars. How’s that?”

  “Wow, um, okay.” I wasn’t sure what these things might go for, but it sounded like an awful lot.

  “No, really, how is that? Is it enough, do you think, to get the attention of your owner?”

  “I think it probably is.”

  “Good. Then, here—” He pulled out his checkbook and a pen and scribbled the amount in, then ripped out the check along its perforated edge with a swoosh, handing it over. “Take this and let me know what she says.”

  “Sure,” I said, taking the check in firm hands, worried it might dissolve or I might somehow lose it.

  “Thank you, Haven. Thank you so much.”

  “Of course.”

  “You know where to find me.” He gave me a pat on the back and held my shoulder for a moment, as though he wanted to tell me something else, and then he just patted me once more and let himself out.

  I found Lance in the Parlor kitchen, drinking a glass of orange juice.

  “Hey I saw that guy again. Did he find you in the gallery?” he asked. The microwave was going. “Have you noticed there are a million new people working here? Where do they all come from?” I took the glass out of his hand, tossing it in the sink.

  “Hey!”

  “I have to tell you something—”

  He cut me off: “Well, then I’m definitely not sharing any of this with you.” He read from a piece of paper. “‘Hi Haven and Lance, Brie and crab omelettes with carrot muffins, and sausage and bacon. Just microwave for one minute, thirty seconds. Love, Dante.’” I pulled the note from his fingers, but he kept talking, gnawing on a fork now. “You know I didn’t think I’d ever get my appetite back, but—” The microwave buzzed. “Yum.”

  I swooped in front of him, yanking open the microwave door.

  “Can I help you?” he asked, taking the fork out of his mouth, like it was a pipe.

  “This is going to sound crazy—” In one swift motion, I took the plate out and dumped its contents—which, incidentally, did smell delicious—into the trash.

  “Hey!”

  “We’re going back to cereal. Because of yesterday.”

  “Seriously?”

  I took down a box of Lucky Charms and found two bowls.

  “You’re breaking my heart,” he said to me.

  “I know, but yum, look at the delectable cereal waiting for us. You’ll thank me later, trust me.” Looking pained, he threw himself onto the stool beside me as I poured him a generous bowlful, then one for me. “Here, I’ll even give you all of my hearts, since yours is broken over your omelette sacrifice.” I fished out a few of the marshmallow hearts from my bowl and plunked them into his.

  “That’s very thoughtful. I almost forgive you.”

  I ate three heaping bowls of cereal, matching Lance. I just scarfed them down, fast and furious, as if I hadn’t eaten in months. At one point, I even caught him, spoon in the air, just watching me. But the more I ate, the hungrier I felt. I had been running on adrenaline as my fuel last night and then I had crashed and now every cell felt an urgent need to recharge.

  “So, I think it’s gluttony night at the Vault tonight,” he joked.

  “Oh?” I wasn’t even paying attention, I was too busy polishing off my third bowl.

/>   “Geez, I’ve never seen a girl pack it away like that,” he said in awe. “I mean, except for my Aunt Linda and she outweighs you by about two hundred pounds.”

  I made no apologies. My mouth was full anyway, so I just tried to smile and then merely said, with a shrug, “I’m hungry.”

  “So I gather.”

  We finished up and went our separate ways, Lance disappearing down to the Vault to find Lucian, and me grabbing some of the clips I’d printed out for Aurelia and the Vault photos I’d already had Lance upload. As I walked to her office, I skimmed some of the articles. Dante was mentioned in the big review, lauded as “an able and up-and-coming sous-chef” and “one to watch.” And then several of the articles linking to this one and talking up the three-star rating also mentioned him. Overnight, he had become semi-famous. And not only in Chicago; the New York Times ran a blurb on the rating and dropped Dante’s name, dubbing him Etan’s protégé.

  My first thought was that I had been too hard on him; he must be exhausted and I ended up getting him more upset. He’d obviously been working even harder than I could fathom—all those late nights, all that prep, to ensure they were ready for a critic like this to come through. And apparently, it had all paid off.

  But after last night, my mind had been retrained. Now it went in a direction I never would have imagined. I flashed to all those “new recruits,” as they called them, and so many of them were the kitchen staff. Dante had not been among them, but had they gotten to him? He was too smart to fall for all of this, wasn’t he?

  Then again, I thought I was so smart and look how I had swooned for Lucian. And Lance wasn’t exactly entirely immune to Raphaella. Raphaella. So she was gone? It seemed unbelievable that a queen bee could be dismissed so easily. This was how these people, these creatures, operated. And I would be an idiot to think that they hadn’t been doing their best to sink their claws into Dante. Would he be at the next induction? It made me nauseous to even think about it. My only mild consolation was that little bit I’d heard last night in Aurelia’s office: that they’re on some sort of schedule with their recruiting, as they call it, and they’re not going to seize the others until they get me. It gave me chills.