Lost in the City of Flowers (The Histories of Idan Book 1)

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Book: Lost in the City of Flowers (The Histories of Idan Book 1) by Maria C. Trujillo Read Free Book Online
Authors: Maria C. Trujillo
the opulent sanctuary and gradually made our way through the tall front door. When we finally reached the outside and descended the final step, Zia looked at my hands and asked, “Where is the bag for Andrea?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

    Tick-Tock

    “Jesus!” I exclaimed.
    With that slip of tongue, I hiked up my dress and ran back into San Lorenzo to get the goat guts. When I reached the aisle where we had been sitting, the stinky sack was nowhere in sight. I had only been in charge of one thing and I had already lost it.
    “Why would her nephew hire me if I can’t even keep track of one rotting bag of organs,” I lamented as I scanned the aisles.
    There were still many stragglers lingering towards the grand altar. I peeked down at my converse and modest dress before taking careful strides towards the front of the church. As I approached the altar’s floral steps, the shimmer of the women’s dresses and the twinkle of the men’s jewels caught my eye. Zia’s warnings of social class rang in my ears as I crossed over to one of the side aisles to avoid their eyes. It suddenly felt like high school again. Normally I would take the long way around the school just to avoid being “igknowed”—like that awkward moment when someone who sat next to you in Geometry saw you in the hallway and recognized you but chose to ignore you.
    The sound of laughter pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up and saw two men, the one with the red hat that scowled at me and the one with the shaved head. My instinct urged me to run. I searched for somewhere to hide. To my right was a wooden confessional. Without hesitation I darted inside. Unsure whether they had seen me, I held my breath and listened hard while I waited for their footsteps to pass. For a brief moment, I realized just how ridiculous I was acting.
    Why am I hiding ? I thought as I peered through the honeycomb hexagons carved in the wooden door.
    While I waited for them to pass, a ticking sound began to fill the cramped confessional. I looked for the source of the “tick-tock … tick-tock … tick-tock.” The frequency doubled quickly, and soon I felt a thump against my navel. My eyes bulged when I realized the ticking sound was coming from Idan. The sound and pace continued to increase and Idan vibrated more violently in an effort to be heard. I slipped its chain from around my neck and tucked it under my bottom to deafen the sound. Even with my whole weight and heavy dress there was a still low tick. Thankfully, the chatter of lingering folk masked the ticking.

    “Has Simonetta Vespucci broken Giuliano’s heart yet?” asked the man with the shaved head.
    The regal gentleman chuckled. “I’m afraid not, Pietro. The good Lord knows it would be good for him but alas she has broken plenty of other hearts.” He stopped just short of the confessional. “Speaking of pretty ladies … did you notice that girl that remained standing whilst all others sat during the eulogy?” he asked. A silence followed. My legs turned to mush as I began to shake in my holy alcove. “She wore a blue dress … striking girl but odd nonetheless.”
    “I confess your grace, I barely recall her. Why?” asked Pietro.
    “Giuliano told me he found her in the most extraordinary circumstances.”
    “Is that so?”
    “Quite! Apparently, she had suffered from some sort of fainting fit during the execution. He said she wore the most peculiar clothes—”
    “What kind of clothing?” interjected Pietro. If his companion was surprised at the sudden tension in his friend’s voice, he did not show it.
    “Tights made of a hard fabric and strange slippers … Are you all right?” he asked as Pietro stiffly turned around. “I merely say this because I think Giuliano fancies her. He seems to believe she was kidnapped,” said the gentleman who seemed on the verge of another good laugh.
    “Why is that?” asked Pietro.
    “He said she spoke Tuscan with a heavy accent.” All I could see were both their

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