in
this case, an old beat-up trunk with two metal clasps.
“May I take a quick peek inside?”
The old woman nodded. “I go drink tea.”
Gray tried not to gape. Seriously? That
easy?
Before the woman left, she paused in the
doorframe to wag a finger at Gray. “Don’t take anything.”
“Of course not!” Gray said indignantly,
forgetting momentarily that that’s exactly what she intended to
do.
She waited till the woman left before getting
on her knees. The chest was a child’s trunk, faded navy and scuffed
on all sides. Gray clicked the metal latches open. A musty old
smell hit her nostrils. Gray reached inside and pulled out a plush
rabbit by the ears. Gray shook her head then set it aside. She saw
a set of juggling balls, deck of cards, and multi-colored
handkerchiefs. Everything she touched had history—long past ten
years. She should grab something and go, but her hand kept
exploring until it closed around something long and thin at the
bottom of the trunk.
Gray pulled it out and held it in front of
her face. A magic wand? A smile tugged on her lips. She probably
would have liked Adrian the boy a lot better than Adrian the man.
Pity he had grown up to be such a brute.
Gray stuffed the things she’d taken out of
the trunk back inside and snapped it shut before standing, wand in
hand. As soon as she lifted off the ground, she rocked unsteadily.
A feeling of dizziness flickered through her and a scream rose up
her throat, but she held it in. The wand slipped from her fingers
right before Gray fainted.
The smell of rotten cheese brought Gray back.
Her lips curled, and she sat up quickly. At first she had no idea
where she was. In that instant she wouldn’t have been able to name
what country she was in, let alone whose room she’d passed out
in.
“You faint.”
Gray looked up, blinking at the old woman.
Adrian’s grandmother held a small brown bottle between her fingers.
Gray looked around frantically. It hit her. She had collapsed on
the floor of Adrian’s bedroom. Thankfully there was no sign of
him.
“What time is it?” she said, jumping up. “I
have to go!”
“My grandson no return yet.”
Thank God!
Gray hurried out of the room, retracing her
steps to the kitchen. She snatched her purse off the floor and
headed for the door, calling out “good-bye” without looking
back.
* * *
“You’re in a foul mood,” Hannah grumbled when they
all went out for tapas that evening.
Gray tore at her paper cocktail napkin and
scowled at Hannah for pointing out the obvious. So she’d been a bit
snappy, small wonder considering she’d fainted in Adrian’s bedroom.
She didn’t want to even think about what would have happened had
his grandmother not revived her. Gray should have known she
couldn’t waltz in, grab something of Adrian’s, and go. His
belongings were as cursed as the man.
The moment her fingers wrapped around the toy
wand, Gray had been overcome with pain and grief. She’d felt life
slip away.
She didn’t want to know what had happened to
Adrian, she told herself for the zillionth time. She never wanted
to see the man again. But even that she’d botched up. Gray had
walked away from the apartment dazed and empty-handed.
The noise in the tapas bar brought her back
to the present. Like true Spaniards, they’d come out at the late
hour, and the restaurant was a flurry of activity.
“Sorry,” Gray said to Hannah, “you know how I
get when I’m hungry.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “We better order
then.”
“Where to tonight?” Marco asked.
“What about the Moog?” Will asked.
“The techno club?” Hannah asked in
disgust.
Will shrugged. “One of the Dutch retreaters
suggested it.”
“What do you think, Gray?” Marco asked.
Gray tore another piece off her napkin. She
felt like staying in tonight, but better to hold her tongue till
later and spare herself Hannah’s protests through dinner. The food
worked its charm and pacified Gray
this case, an old beat-up trunk with two metal clasps.
“May I take a quick peek inside?”
The old woman nodded. “I go drink tea.”
Gray tried not to gape. Seriously? That
easy?
Before the woman left, she paused in the
doorframe to wag a finger at Gray. “Don’t take anything.”
“Of course not!” Gray said indignantly,
forgetting momentarily that that’s exactly what she intended to
do.
She waited till the woman left before getting
on her knees. The chest was a child’s trunk, faded navy and scuffed
on all sides. Gray clicked the metal latches open. A musty old
smell hit her nostrils. Gray reached inside and pulled out a plush
rabbit by the ears. Gray shook her head then set it aside. She saw
a set of juggling balls, deck of cards, and multi-colored
handkerchiefs. Everything she touched had history—long past ten
years. She should grab something and go, but her hand kept
exploring until it closed around something long and thin at the
bottom of the trunk.
Gray pulled it out and held it in front of
her face. A magic wand? A smile tugged on her lips. She probably
would have liked Adrian the boy a lot better than Adrian the man.
Pity he had grown up to be such a brute.
Gray stuffed the things she’d taken out of
the trunk back inside and snapped it shut before standing, wand in
hand. As soon as she lifted off the ground, she rocked unsteadily.
A feeling of dizziness flickered through her and a scream rose up
her throat, but she held it in. The wand slipped from her fingers
right before Gray fainted.
The smell of rotten cheese brought Gray back.
Her lips curled, and she sat up quickly. At first she had no idea
where she was. In that instant she wouldn’t have been able to name
what country she was in, let alone whose room she’d passed out
in.
“You faint.”
Gray looked up, blinking at the old woman.
Adrian’s grandmother held a small brown bottle between her fingers.
Gray looked around frantically. It hit her. She had collapsed on
the floor of Adrian’s bedroom. Thankfully there was no sign of
him.
“What time is it?” she said, jumping up. “I
have to go!”
“My grandson no return yet.”
Thank God!
Gray hurried out of the room, retracing her
steps to the kitchen. She snatched her purse off the floor and
headed for the door, calling out “good-bye” without looking
back.
* * *
“You’re in a foul mood,” Hannah grumbled when they
all went out for tapas that evening.
Gray tore at her paper cocktail napkin and
scowled at Hannah for pointing out the obvious. So she’d been a bit
snappy, small wonder considering she’d fainted in Adrian’s bedroom.
She didn’t want to even think about what would have happened had
his grandmother not revived her. Gray should have known she
couldn’t waltz in, grab something of Adrian’s, and go. His
belongings were as cursed as the man.
The moment her fingers wrapped around the toy
wand, Gray had been overcome with pain and grief. She’d felt life
slip away.
She didn’t want to know what had happened to
Adrian, she told herself for the zillionth time. She never wanted
to see the man again. But even that she’d botched up. Gray had
walked away from the apartment dazed and empty-handed.
The noise in the tapas bar brought her back
to the present. Like true Spaniards, they’d come out at the late
hour, and the restaurant was a flurry of activity.
“Sorry,” Gray said to Hannah, “you know how I
get when I’m hungry.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “We better order
then.”
“Where to tonight?” Marco asked.
“What about the Moog?” Will asked.
“The techno club?” Hannah asked in
disgust.
Will shrugged. “One of the Dutch retreaters
suggested it.”
“What do you think, Gray?” Marco asked.
Gray tore another piece off her napkin. She
felt like staying in tonight, but better to hold her tongue till
later and spare herself Hannah’s protests through dinner. The food
worked its charm and pacified Gray
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