Page 27

I exchanged glances with my teammates—my parents, Tito, Mia, and Oscar. I wasn’t sure what challenges we would face outside, but I hoped it didn’t involve snakes, caves, or cliffs. I cast a glance at Slash, but he was in quiet conversation with his two brothers, their dark heads bent toward each other. I headed back to my room with my parents and the others on my team to gather our coats and hats.

When we finally reassembled in the dining room, Slash and Team B were gone, and we were alone.

The games were on.

Chapter Fourteen

Lexi Carmichael

“What do we do?” Mia asked, coming to stand next to me in front of the fireplace in the dining room. “Do we go outside or stay here twaddling our fingers waiting for the gamemaster?” She started wiggling her fingers.

“Um, Mia, I think the phrase you’re looking for is ‘twiddling your thumbs.’”

She looked at me confused. “You mean I can’t twaddle my fingers? Then how exactly do I move my thumbs to twiddle them correctly?”

Lorenzo saved me from answering when he walked into the room, smiling at us. “Good morning, Team A.” He quickly counted us. “Six. Excellent. Looks like everyone is here. Please follow me. The gamemaster will be with you as soon as he gets Team B set up with their challenge.”

I wondered what Slash was thinking this very moment as I pulled on my windbreaker, zipping it up and stuffing my hat in the pocket. Would their challenge be hard? Would he be able to mobilize everyone to success?

And what did that mean for me? Would I be the leader of the group? Should I? If I was the leader, did that mean success rested on my shoulders? If I failed, how disappointed would the pope and Slash be in me?

Ugh.

Somehow Dad must have sensed my anxiety because he placed a hand on my shoulder as we followed Lorenzo out of the dining room and down another corridor. “This should be fun,” he said. “I know you’re competitive, like me, but relax a bit. You look as if the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders.”

It wasn’t exactly the weight of the world riding on my shoulders, but the orphanage and the pope were counting on me. That was a heck of a lot in my opinion.

Eventually we arrived at a wide veranda with a few stairs that led down to a back patio.

“Please wait here until Mr. Porizio arrives to take you to your challenge,” Lorenzo instructed us. “He should return momentarily.”

Lorenzo disappeared into the house, so I walked to the patio railing and surveyed the backyard. The rest of the team followed me.

I had to give it to the gardener, Matteo, because the grounds were spectacular. Exquisitely manicured beds, stone walkways, pretty benches, and artfully arranged shrubbery led to a row of tall trees at the far end of the garden and what appeared to be a small hedge on the other side. Everything looked meticulous and beautiful. Combined with the sparkling ocean water and rugged cliffs, the view was magnificent.

“It’s lovely, is it not?”

We turned around to see the gamemaster standing there. He still had that sixties vibe going on with a tie-dye T-shirt and blue jeans, but he also wore an unbuttoned dark blazer, a black knitted cap, and sunglasses. It was an eclectic look, but I guess that only meant his fashion sense was as good as mine.

I should have expected that, gamer to gamer.

“The grounds are breathtaking,” my mom replied, pressing a hand to her heart. “If this is what the view looks like in the winter, it must be a stunning sight in the spring and summer when everything is in bloom.”

“It is, even for someone who sees this on a daily basis,” Brando said.

“Mr. Matteo has a green knuckle,” Mia exclaimed. “That’s what you say in America, right?”

“It’s a greenthumb,” I corrected.

She looked at me, flabbergasted. “Thumb, again?” She glanced down at her thumbs. “Why are Americans obsessed with their thumbs?”

My mom smiled, clearly amused by Mia. “Thumbs aside, Mr. Porizio, Matteo’s skills as a gardener are nothing short of magical. Please let him know I said that.”

“Matteo will be delighted to hear that,” Brando replied. “Now, Team A, if you’re ready, please follow me.”

Brando walked down the stairs and along the flagstone path to the left. We followed him, mostly single file. He headed for the grove of trees, and I noticed the ground rose gradually before sloping downward just before we reached the trees.

The elevation change masked a tall row of hedges that were invisible until we reached the tree line. From the veranda, I’d only seen the top of the hedge, and it looked like a single low hedge line. Close up, I could see the hedge stretched out quite far, and the height was roughly eight to ten feet, varying a bit, as if the top hadn’t been trimmed recently. As we got closer, I realized the hedge wasn’t straight, but curved and twisted into a huge, complex maze.