Charade (Heven and Hell #2)(66)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I get the impression that she knows more than we think.”

“Like about the Map?” Sam asked.

“Yeah,” I said, slowly. But how could she know anything? Suddenly a sense of anger filled me. Why did everything have to be so confusing all the time? We were here in this beautiful place and I wasn’t able to enjoy it completely because I was so preoccupied with everything else. I probably wouldn’t get the chance to come here again and I wanted to look back with good memories. I reached into my bag and pulled out the travel diary Gran gave me. It was filling up with notes and drawings. I couldn’t wait to add the pictures that I had been able to take.

As we finished our bagged lunches, I pulled out my camera and began snapping pictures. I smiled to myself because I knew that my brain was now kind of like a camera and these sights wouldn’t be forgotten. Still, having a photograph for my book was special.

There were a lot of missing stones and marble from the structure creating holes and crumbling windows. It was in one of these crumbling spaces that something caught my eye. A movement. Someone was sitting in what I assumed was once a window. When he caught me looking, he leaped off the other side and disappeared from sight. I gasped and looked at Sam and Cole to see if they had seen him too.

“What is it?” Sam asked, his hand moving to my back.

I blinked and looked back up to where the person had been. He was gone.

“Heven?” Cole asked, worried.

I shook my head and forced a smile. “Sorry, guess my eyes are playing tricks on me.”

Sam frowned. “What did you see?”

I laughed lightly. “Thought I saw someone sitting up there.” I pointed to the empty space.

Cole laughed, but it was a little strained. “Maybe you’ve had too much sun.”

“You’re probably right.” Except now all three of us were wondering if something was actually there. We all knew that it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

I sighed. Isn’t this what I was trying to avoid? Now, instead of just me not enjoying the trip, it was all of us. “I’m sure it was nothing. Let’s try and have a good time.”

Students were moving around, exploring for the little bit of time we had left until we had to board the bus. By unspoken agreement, our conversation ended. I looked out over the Colosseum, entranced by its beauty.

In the center of the arena, the floor was missing and you could see down to the underground passages where the gladiators once awaited their fates. It looked like a complex stone maze with walls running in every direction. Across the center of the arena was a modern walkway.

“Let’s go get a closer look at those passages,” I said, tugging Sam along with me.

The walkway was long and went directly from one side to the other. We walked across, pointing out the hidden passages and tumbling travertine walls. I tried to imagine what it had been like for a gladiator, waiting down in the narrow stone rooms, hearing the roaring crowd and the clanking of armor and weapons. Had he been scared? Terrified that he wouldn’t live to see another day or had he been anxious to get above and show everyone what he could do?

I thought I heard a sound from the shadows below and peered down, but saw nothing.

“Hev, come on. We have to be back at the bus soon,” Sam called from a few feet away, pulling me away from whatever I thought I heard.

Most of the students were heading back toward the entrance already and I rushed to catch up with Sam and Cole, who were walking back toward the exit. I stumbled a bit as I moved forward because my pant leg had gotten caught on something. I looked down to see where I was caught and I saw that I wasn’t caught at all. Something was holding me.

“Sam,” I whispered fiercely. He spun and I pointed at the gnarled hand grabbing my ankle.

I did my best to yank my leg free, but the demon was strong and yanked back, causing me to pitch forward. I caught hold of the railing, trying to stop myself from falling, but it was no use. I tumbled right over, down into the dark stone passageways below.

*   *   *

It was darker down here than it seemed from above. It was also narrower and it was cold. The walls were rough and the floor was packed dirt. I didn’t hurt myself when I fell because the demon caught me. I screeched and jerked my elbow, connecting with its face. It dropped me with a hiss and I scrambled to my feet and took off running. When I came to the end of a passage, I slowed to turn, but another demon jumped out in front of me. I looked over my shoulder to see the other one advancing. I was caught between them with stone walls boxing me in.

Sam and Cole appeared behind the demon and Cole used the dagger that Gemma must have given him to take off its head. I didn’t even bat an eye at the head rolling across the floor. In fact, it was a welcome sight as it meant there was one less demon to fight. The demon in front of me grabbed my arms and I kicked out, connecting, but it wasn’t a strong enough kick to make it free me. So I kicked again, harder this time. The demon shrieked and released its hold and I took advantage of my freedom to kick it in the shoulder as it doubled over. It fell backward on its bottom and its hollow eyes flared with menace as it jumped to its feet and cracked its neck, no doubt considering how to make me pay.

“I’ve got what you want,” Sam taunted it. I turned to see him holding up the scroll.

The demon shoved me aside and ran at Sam, who threw the scroll behind him to Cole. The demon screeched and dove, but not before Sam caught it in the chest with his fist. It disintegrated before our eyes.

“Come on. Let’s get back,” Sam said, motioning for me to join him and Cole. We walked forward to where the walkway was, but we were stopped from climbing back up because two more demons jumped in front of us. Sam and Cole started fighting and Cole tossed me the scroll. Before I knew it, a large demon grabbed me from behind and began dragging me away.

I grunted, struggling against its grip, causing Sam to look my way and take a hard punch to the side of his head. He went down just as I was dragged around the corner and out of sight.

*   *   *

I was totally right when I thought that these passageways looked like a giant maze. It is exactly what they were, and I was lost. They all looked the same: dark, cold and winding.

Or maybe, I couldn’t find my way out because I was busy being chased by demons. Just another typical day for me. After that demon dragged me away, I managed to fight my way free and tried to find my way back to Sam, but I couldn’t. These passageways were filled with demons, and everywhere I went, there was another. So, I figured the safest thing for me to do was to take the scroll and run away from Sam and Cole to give them a chance to get out. I had no idea if Sam was hurt, if Cole was hurt.