Roses Manor, Chapter 27
There was a scream nearby as the freezing water drenched the group. The image of the princess flickered and went out abruptly, the ball of water dropping back into the pool. Seizing her chance as chaos erupted, Gabriella pulled the oil out of her bra, tore the packet open with her teeth, and crouched down as though protecting her hair from the freezing water pouring down from the ceiling. “Be free from here,” she whispered as she ran a line of oil along the edge of the pool, hurriedly tracing sigils in the line with her finger. This could keep the Princess out if the men tried again. Maybe not forever, but at least definitely tonight.
And then she looked up and saw Jackson looking directly at her from the edge of the room, where his victim was gone. Gabriella stood up, adjusting her soaked dress as she glared right back. “Keep going!” Daniel Ford was yelling as the people around her grumbled and covered their suits and dresses.
“Are you guys serious right now?” someone demanded.
“It’s part of the game, just keep going and you’ll win.”
“This suit cost me two grand.”
“Keep going, we’re almost there!”
“Just let us out, asshole.”
The sprinklers were still going, and the heavy spray stung Gabriella’s exposed skin, splashing in her eyes. “I’ll let you out as soon as we finish this, okay?” Ford said, desperation growing in his voice. “Come on, it’ll be fun. Don’t you want to solve the final mystery? Who is the princess? Can you save her?”
“Man, if you don’t open that door, I’m calling my fucking lawyer.”
At the mention of lawyers, the room erupted again, with others echoing the man who had spoken. Gabriella didn’t have a lawyer, but she lifted her chin and glared icily at the men. Not yelling, yelling would prove she had an emotional stake here. But disdain, that she knew they couldn’t handle.
“Fine,” Ford relented. “None of you are worthy of this. The party is fucking over, get out.”
He pushed the double doors open and bowed mockingly to everyone as they pushed their way out into the also soaking hallway. The sprinklers were going off on the entire second floor, which was empty aside from the champions flooding out of the summoning room.
Gabriella stayed where she was for a second. Whatever doorway they’d opened seemed closed now, with no sign of the princess, whatever she was. She didn’t have an energy reader, but the way the lightheadedness was fading seemed to do the trick. Now if her stomach would settle, she could focus on finding Graham and getting out of here.
“Who the hell are you?”
Daniel was standing there now as she turned. Gabriella shrugged. “No one important,” she said as she walked out into the bright hallway, where a few champions were still lingering as she passed by.
The entrance hall was filled with people grumbling and telling their dates about what had happened. The sprinklers technically weren’t going off on this level, but the spray still filled the open space with mist.
“Gabriella!” Graham called from close behind her on the stairs.
She jumped and turned to him, noticing the lighter in his hand. He tucked it in his pocket, but said nothing as he handed her her coat. “We’re done here,” she said haughtily as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “This company has no idea what they’re doing. I’ll update you in the car.”
Though she felt better away from the Princess’s energy, her stomach was still roiling, and she hurried toward the exit, pushing through the crowd and hoping Graham was behind her. She wasn’t afraid of the men, and she wasn’t afraid that the Princess was there. But she needed to get out of this building almost more than she needed to keep her cool persona going.
As she reached the door, she caught sight of someone watching her, a man a little older than she was. He stood with a gorgeous woman, both of them very elegant and completely soaked. She accidentally caught his eye as she hurried out and realized with relief that it was the man Jackson had kicked out. The only other person who tried to help the Princess.
She nodded at him, and he nodded back. Part of her wanted to stop and talk to him, but that would only draw more attention to both of them and she needed to be out of here right now.
The freezing weather hit her wet clothes and Gabriella moved even faster, hurrying down the stairs as her phone rang in her coat. Behind her, she could hear Graham on the phone with James, so she left hers to ring.
“I’m fine,” she said through chattering teeth, “We just need to get out of here.”
“Are you in danger?” James demanded. “The heart monitor and comms just stopped working when you went in. I-”
“No. This party just sucks.”
Graham moved quickly, sliding into the driver’s seat and cranking the heat up as high as it would go, which wasn’t that high in the van. Once she was in the car and he was pulling away, Gabriella let the act drop. “It’s done,” she said breathlessly, trading her wet coat for an old blanket from the backseat as Graham shrugged out of his. “I have no idea what that thing was, but they were using the entity’s energy in the game. They were testing people, finding the right ones for a summoning. But that thing isn’t being summoned here and those guys are done.”
“What do you mean?” James asked.
“Someone set off the sprinkler,” she said, looking deliberately at Graham as she passed him the other emergency blanket. “People’s clothes were ruined, and the owners threw a fit when they wanted to leave. I don’t imagine there’ll be a lot of people interested in playing whatever comes out next. I wonder how the sprinkler went off though.”
“No idea,” Graham said with a smile as he pulled onto the main road.
Gabriella laughed. She was warming up now, thank God. She’d get back, change, and then write up her report before she forgot any details. Hell, she should get it started now. She took out her phone and started typing into the notes app.
She almost made it to the Pike before having Graham pull over so she could puke in the bushes on the side of the road.
***
Gabriella’s car was at Headquarters, which was the only reason she didn’t let Graham drop her off at home. But as they arrived at Headquarters and she was feeling better, she realized she should go inside and check in before she left.
As they walked inside, she was aware that she and Graham were looking significantly less glamorous than they had when they left the house that evening. James was sitting on the couch with a stack of paperwork beside him that he immediately abandoned as they walked in. “You’re okay?” he said immediately.
“Fine,” Gabriella insisted. “I feel much better now that I’m away from the energy.”
“The comms cut out as soon as you went in that room,” James said. “I trust you both and know you’re excellent agents, but God, I wanted to drive out there.”
“We had it all under control,” Gabriella said.
“I know,” James said. “I never doubted you. You both did great. Graham, excellent arson.”
“No idea what you’re talking about.”
Gabriella yawned. “I’m just going to go home and go to sleep,” she said. “And shower. My report notes are ready to put together, but do you mind if I submit it tomorrow? I’m off, but I’ll send it in.”
“Send it Sunday,” James said. “Want to shower here before you leave? I kicked the other two out at eleven, so I know the shower is free.”
“Nah, I’ll put a towel down.”
There were no towels in her car, so it was a damp ride home. And she was definitely going to forget in the morning and sit on the wet seat. But at least she wasn’t at work anymore.
