“What’s it say?” he asks when I don’t immediately translate.
“Well, literally, it means ‘From shade to sunlight.’ But most of these expressions are more idiomatic than literal. My guess is that it figuratively refers to bringing things out in the open or revealing a secret.”
“I bet it opens, then,” he says, pushing on the wall.
I can’t help but laugh. “A secret door, like in the movies?”
He flattens his hands and shoves, the sound of stone scraping stone making him freeze and me take in a breath.
“Just like in the movies.” His smile is smug as I scramble to my feet to peek through the door.
Neither of us says a word.
This is no cave or grave. This is nothing anyone would ever dream would be underground in a forest.
“What is this place?” he says, but I still can’t answer as I take it all in.
The room is huge, the size of a basketball court, with a high ceiling and shadows in every corner cast by dim light from ornate wall sconces that are clearly running on electricity. The focal point is a large round table with elaborately carved highback chairs that give the place a medieval-castle feel. The table is freakishly shiny—good God, is it made of gold?
But it’s the walls that pull my attention. They are covered with tapestries and artwork and framed manuscripts and carved busts. Everything is museum quality—everything is real.
Roman swords, glass boxes of leather-bound manuscripts, weavings and paintings and something that looks like the wide leather belt of a gladiator.
My classics training kicks in when I see a carving I recognize from an art history video I had to study before Regionals. That’s Mithras, an ancient Roman god. All I remember is that they worshiped him in underground temples, which eventually became part of the catacombs.
“Mack, look.”
Levi’s behind me, staring at the center of the table. I join him to read the raised letters.
NIHIL RELINQUERE ET NIHIL VESTIGI
CHAPTER XXII
Hours later, long after Levi and I made our way out—like, hauled ass at warp speed because the place was creepy as hell—I am still thinking about all I saw and experienced.
We said goodbye, and now I’m lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling after dinner with Mom, working it all out. Or not, as the case may be. I’m fixated on one terrifying thought I don’t want to have: the guy in the truck, who was following me or Josh or that coin, has something to do with Olivia’s and Chloe’s accidents.
If they were accidents.
And if he has something to do with them, then that coin and that eerie place might, too. Maybe I should do that ropes course, if only to find out more about—
“Hey.”
I jump a foot at the voice, rolling over and blinking at Molly in my bedroom doorway. “Holy crap, you scared me.”
She doesn’t move, searching my face. “I texted you, like, seventeen times.”
Four, actually. And I just couldn’t deal with being normal around Molly since being normal around Mom had taken it out of me tonight. I dig for a smile and wave her in. “Sorry. I was out all day—”
“With Josh.”
I nod slowly, not sure how she knows that. “Yeah, for a while.”
“And Tyler Griffith.”
“He was there.” I sit up and frown, not sure why Molly sounds so weird. “Are you okay?” I ask.
She stops a few feet from my bed. “Are you?”
Not really, but I’m not ready to admit that to her. “Fine. What’s up with you?”
“What’s up with you?” she fires back.
“Molly.” My heart races as I take in the anger and uncertainty on her face. Could she know … anything? “Are you mad at me?”
She widens her eyes and gives me a “get real” look. Definitely mad.
“What did I do?”
“Kenzie, you skipped school with Josh Collier and Tyler Griffith, two of the hottest—and coolest—guys I may ever know. And you didn’t invite me.”
I almost laugh, but of course I don’t. If only she knew just how dangerous and not fun that little adventure turned out to be. “It was no big deal,” I lie. Because it was a big deal and I am not about to tell her that.
“No big deal?” Her voice rises. “I’ll tell you what is a big deal. The deal we had. You get cool and popular and start hanging out with kids who are at the top of the food chain and you bring me along. Remember? Coattails? Train? Best friends?”