The Curse of the Lion's Heart Page 16

  “Do your ghost cases normally end that way?” he asked.

  I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up and I shook my head. “No. No, that was a first.”

  “Well you did really good in there, you know. You’d make a great thief, if you ever wanted to.”

  I laughed again and shook my head. “Yeah um… I think I’ll pass. But thanks.”

  Reaching over, Jack ran the tip of his finger across my throat. “That looks ugly.”

  “Yeah well you’re no picnic yourself,” I retorted, poking at the bandage on his neck. We both looked at each other, silent for a moment, then shared a tense laugh. “That was crazy.”

  “Yeah,” Jack said, but his eyes were lit up with excitement and I had to wonder if Jack was afraid at all.

  A car pulled up after that, and a very tall, very dark-eyed man got out and looked directly at us. He was possibly the scariest man I’d ever seen in my life, save for Jack’s cousin, and I realized right then it was Jack’s uncle. He strode over, ignoring an officer trying to get his attention, and he immediately lifted Jack’s chin to inspect the cut there.

  “Alright?” His voice was impossibly deep and gravelly, and even in that one word I could hear his accent, thick and very formal, not like Jack’s at all.

  “Yes, sir,” Jack said, giving a nod. “I’ve had worse.”

  “I imagine so. I suppose we’ll discuss this later?”

  Jack went a little pale but nodded and said nothing as his uncle went to ensure his release. As we sat there, I felt Jack’s hand suddenly close over mine and he gave it a little squeeze. “So apocalyptic curse averted?”

  “Yeah,” I said, and I didn’t pull my hand away. The comfort was nice, and I realized Jack had saved my life back there. That was something you just didn’t forget, or get over. “I think we’re safe.”

  He squeezed my hand once more, very lightly, and then hopped down off the ambulance. “See you tomorrow?” he asked, his grin returning, and that mischievous look in his eye glinting brightly.

  I gave a nod, because I would see him tomorrow. Jack was one of a kind. Not just anyone would stand up to a crazy person with a knife. Not just any person would willingly sacrifice themselves so you could get away. Jack had done both of those things, and I wasn’t sure how I’d ever be able to repay him. But I’d do my best to try.

  My mom arrived shortly after that, with Jeff in the car, and she was half-crying and half-shouting as she demanded to know what was happening. She was hugging me tightly and yelling at my father, but I was so tired I just couldn’t take it. Grabbing my mom’s hand, I said very loudly and very firmly, “I’d like to go home now. Please.”

  It was all I needed to say, and before long I was back in my mom’s house, curled up on my bed, my phone in my hand and my music playing softly in the background. I took a second to appreciate that, for a few moments in the last twenty-four hours, I’d almost lost all of it. I’d put myself in a stupid situation and had almost paid the ultimate price.

  I was lucky. Lucky to have stayed calm and lucky that I’d had Jack with me. My mom told me in the car that it was actually Penelope’s information on where we’d been which allowed the police to find us, and it was Penelope’s quick thinking to call and alert my dad once she realized I hadn’t checked in. Penelope’s fast thinking had saved our lives, recovered the locket, and sent Milton to jail.

  Daniel was still out there, but for the moment, crisis averted.

  I really was a very, incredibly, lucky girl.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I am Alexandra Fry, Private Eye

  I slept almost the entire day, and when I woke around dinner time, I had six texts from Jack and seven missed calls from Penelope. I was still exhausted, the emotional side of things really taking a toll on me, but had a strong feeling I was going to be fine. Before I went out to see my mom, I called my dad and he picked up almost immediately.

  “Hey hon, how are you?” he asked, his voice very tense. “Did you get some rest? You know the EMT said you might start feeling a little under the weather from the shock and maybe even have some nightmares or—”

  “Dad, I’m okay,” I interrupted. My voice was still hoarse, but the pills my mom gave me when I got home had taken the edge off the pain. “And I know what I did was stupid, and I’m probably grounded for life, but I just wanted to call and say sorry. You know, for making you worry and stuff. And for um… for not letting the adults handle things. Again.”

  There was a long pause before he said, “Once I get over the trauma of almost losing you, I’ll be mad. For now, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  I let out a small breath and then asked, “Did you get the locket back okay?”

  “Yes I did. That’s almost worth not punishing you for. Almost.”

  “Yeah well, I’ll remind you of that when you start dishing out the months I’m restricted. Anyway I’m going to go talk to mom, but I just wanted to say sorry and… and I love you.”

  “I love you too, kiddo. You’ve gotta stop trying to give me a heart attack, okay?”

  “I promise,” I said, but that was probably a lie. Elizabeth was not the first ghost, and she wouldn’t be the last. It seemed like each job was getting more and more dangerous. Before it was just stuff, random stuff being stolen by professors and security guards. Now it was criminals, killers, and there were curses ready to take down entire cities. I gave a little shiver as I tried to contemplate it all, but it was just too much for my head right then.

  I paused in front of my mirror to examine the damage done to my skin. The red marks from earlier had now become a colorful sunset of bruising. It faded from red to a purple, and the skin was still tender and swollen. I was going to have a tough time not getting stares for this one. Then again, stares were probably the least of my worries once my parents got over the shock. I was a hundred percent sure I wasn’t going to see the light of day for a long, long time.

  I decided to brave my mom’s wrath and went out into the kitchen, finding my mom cooking. She gave me a small smile and offered me a plate of her quinoa pasta and vegan sauce. It wasn’t great, but it was filling, and easy on the throat, which was what I needed right then. She started to give me a lecture on being responsible, but when she looked at my eyes, she stopped.

  “Are you okay, Alexandra? Do I need to be worried about you?” For the first time in a long time, she sounded sincere, like she really wanted to know.

  I closed my eyes and thought about what that question really meant. Did she need to be worried about me? I realized that no, she didn’t. Things might be getting more dangerous, but like Jack had said, I held my own. I was terrified, but I’d done it. I’d almost died, and it was my best friend’s quick thinking that had saved me, but I had a feeling even if she hadn’t, that wouldn’t have been it for me. There were bigger things in this world than being choked to death by some crazy museum guy, and I was going to experience those things.

  I opened my eyes and smiled up at my mom. “Yeah mom, I’m going to be fine.”

  ~*~

  “So I’m grounded for two months,” I said the next morning as I met Penelope on the steps. She’d given me a huge hug first thing, then a punch to the arm for everything I’d put her through. I didn’t blame her and I knew I totally deserved it. “But I guess that’s getting off easy. Jack said he’s not going to see the light of day except school for six.”

  “I guess his uncle is pretty strict,” Penelope said.

  I had the urge to tell her everything I’d found out, but I figured I’d let Jack do the talking. It wasn’t my place to tell all of his secrets, and everything he’d actually done for me. And maybe, just for now, that could be between me and him. We walked into the school, and it took me a minute to realize that there were tons of people whispering and staring at us as we headed into the commons.

  I stared around and then looked over at Penelope who smiled a little shyly. “I uh… I guess it was on the news last night. Your little escapade. The news
said that you and Jack single-handedly solved the stolen museum piece, and almost died. I think everyone’s a little excited.”

  A little didn’t cover it. Eighth-graders who had never even looked my way suddenly knew my name and wanted to know how Jack and I had managed to escape, to hear all about being held captive, and the daring rescue. Jack, for his part, took it all in stride, but I hated it. He grinned over at us during lunch as a group of girls flocked around him, begging him to show them some of his moves he used to defeat the bad guys. He looked like he was loving it, but I didn’t blame him. He was definitely the type of guy who enjoyed the attention.

  The only ones not impressed were Misty and her gang, but that didn’t surprise or bother me in the least. She wasn’t someone I wanted as a friend, and when she walked by and said, “Oh look, the crazy girl is suddenly a hero,” I smiled at her.

  “You know I almost killed that man,” I said, just slightly loud enough for the people around us to hear. It was a total lie, of course, but it felt really good to see the blood drain from her face. “He had a knife at Jack’s throat, and I managed to wrestle it away. And just as he was choking the life out of me, I put it to his throat and held him there until the cops came. So maybe, Misty, you don’t want me as your enemy.”

  Penelope started choking on her drink at my last sentence, but my smile didn’t waver. Misty, who was staring at me with narrow eyes, crossed her arms. “Yeah right,” she said, but she didn’t sound so sure of herself now. “You’re lying.”

  “Ask Jack, I’m sure he’d be happy to tell you,” I said, and caught Jack’s eye and winked. He’d read my lips, I could tell, and I knew that he’d confirm my story just to get one over on the blonde Barbie.

  With a huff, Misty glanced back at Jack, and then called her groupies to follow her. A few of them, though, hesitated and glanced at me. I could tell they were slightly reluctant to follow her now that I wasn’t just some freak who talked to herself. Now I was the girl who saved the day, and they didn’t want to be on the other side of that line.

  Within a few weeks, though, things went back to normal. Misty still flirted with all the older boys, and people went back to ignoring me, Penelope, and Jack. Our teachers piled on the homework, and we were distracted by our classes, and I was just counting down the days until my punishment was lifted and I could see my friends on the weekends. I started to feel like a normal kid again, and that was great.

  Sometimes I still had nightmares. Nightmares of Daniel’s evil smirk, of the knife, of Milton’s laugh and his hands around my neck. Sometimes in the dreams I beat them down, crying and hitting them until they stopped moving. Sometimes in the nightmares they managed to get to me. It wasn’t an easy thing to get over, but after a while, I started to feel safe again.

  Jack assured me that he’d given the full story to his uncle, and his cousin was being looked for. Not just by authorities, but others. Jack’s people. I knew that if anyone could find him, they could, and that was a comforting thought.

  Nearly four weeks passed before I heard from Elizabeth, and I was starting to wonder if I ever would. I was in my room doing some research for a report in Kate’s class when she popped up next to my desk, making me jump. I let out a breath when I saw it was her and said, “Hopefully this is just a social call. Or has something else been stolen?”

  “I just came to say thank you. I’m at peace again, and the locket is safe.”

  “Well, you’re welcome,” I said with a nod. I looked at her, dressed up in her royal attire once more with the giant gown and her hair done up just so. She looked really pretty, and I thought maybe for my next report, I’d learn about her. I didn’t know much about her yet, but she seemed like an interesting person. Bold and brash, and definitely a strong woman. I could get behind that, a strong queen, ruler of a country all on her own.

  “I hope you are safer with your next case,” she finally said in the silence of my room. “But you’re a brave girl and I see you as a great leader someday. Walk tall and proud, Alexandra Fry. You’ve earned it.”

  My cheeks pinked with the compliment, but before I could express my thanks, she was gone. Standing up, I went to the mirror on my dresser and looked at myself for a long time.

  At first I saw just me. Skinny, glasses, boring hair, boring clothes. Then I looked again and I saw the girl who faced down criminals, who nearly died but came out on top and saved humanity. And humanity didn’t even know it. I was Alexandra Fry, Private Eye, and I had saved the day. I had two amazing friends, and I wasn’t just the skinny nerd girl anymore. I was a hero. I was, just like Elizabeth had said, going to be a great leader someday, and this was just the start.

  The End

  About the Author

  Angella Graff studied theology at the University of Arizona where she currently lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband Joshua, three children, two cats, six fish, and one frisky Marimo Moss Ball. Along with writing, Angella works as an editor, and spends her free time on her etsy crochet store StitchSprinkles.

  Check out Angella’s current and future work at http://angellagraff.com

  Check out Angella’s Crochet Store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/stitchsprinkles