Free Labyrinth Society by Angie Kelly Page A

exactly where I was. I was in the gardens behind the palace of Versailles, in the maze, to be precise. As much as I wanted to take in my surroundings, and think about the kings, queens, and members of the royal court who'd walked through this very maze hundreds of years ago sharing secrets, intrigue, and — more than likely — swapping spit, I knew I didn't have time. I was here to work. It's always this way. Lots of research and legwork but little time to actually appreciate and enjoy the history behind the things we track down. And I'm all about the history. I could tell you the names of Marie Antoinette kids — Maria Therese, Louis Joseph, and Louis Charles — quicker than I could tell you the names of the latest reality stars clinging to their fifteen minutes for dear life.
    This was supposed to be a quick trip, taking only a day according to Alex's carefully laid out plans. But now there was a wrinkle in the game plan, a wrinkle by the name of Mia. She'd hitched a ride on the labyrinth express and who knew where she'd come out at, or just what traveling through the labyrinth without the protection of a ring had done to her. I for one was happy she was here. It was about time she found out the truth about us. All this secret keeping is so unhealthy for the soul. Lily probably wouldn't care much, either, and all Alex would be worried about was his precious schedule.
    It was Devon the Diva who was going to have a fit when she found out Mia was here. I swear she needs more fiber in her diet. Negative energy is so bad for the digestion. If Devon wasn't so busy embracing her inner problem child, and would give the chick half a chance, maybe she'd like Mia. Besides, I think Mia's cool. I like her a lot. And when she's not being moody, asking a million questions, and walking around looking like her dog just died, she can be a lot of fun. But I guess I couldn't blame her for not being the life of the party after everything she's been through. She and her grandma must have been close. I'd lost my only family too. But things were different for me. I didn't get to spend much time with my parents.
    Before I came to live with Mrs. T. when I was nine, I was in boarding school in Switzerland, because my parents were always half a world away digging in the dirt. But I know they loved me even though we weren't together a lot. They were always home for major holidays and never missed my birthdays. Dad would always bring me stuff from whatever countries they visited: figs and dates from Egypt, chocolates from Belgium — yum — handmade leather shoes from Italy, and a sari from India. And mom would always take funny pictures of the Raggedy Ann doll of mine I gave her when I was five and they left me for the first time. I've got pictures of the doll sitting on the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Parthenon in Greece, and the Great Wall of China. They were on their way home for my ninth birthday when their plane went down over the Pacific. But, I digress. No use in dwelling on sad things. It's so bad for your spirit. And besides, I needed to get to Mia 'cause I knew she had to be freaking out right about now.
    I popped a chocolate drop, and then dusted myself off paying special attention to my new high tops. Gold sequined tennis shoes were hard to find but no biggie for a collector like me. Next, I adjusted my watch. It was a little after eight in the morning. The sun was bright; I pulled my cat-eyed sunglasses from my backpack and took off my wind breaker, tying it around my waist. I came out of the maze near the Apollo fountain. It's a pretty famous fountain, showing the Greek god Apollo rising from the center of this huge circular pool of water on a chariot being pulled by stallions. It was surrounded by tourists snapping pictures from every angle. I started to take a quick picture with my camera phone, when someone caught my eye.
    A dazed and confused looking girl had come stumbling out of the maze on the other side of the