Map of Fates (The Conspiracy of Us 2)

Stellan looked up at the obelisk in the center of the square. “So we head down before the opening ceremony. Avery and Jack can’t come on our plane, so maybe we’ll take the overnight train tonight?”

We all nodded.

“Which means we have time to look around Paris today, then check on Lucien before we leave the city again,” said Elodie.

We pulled out our maps with renewed energy.

There was nothing at the Place de la Concorde. I’d started to get excited, since the obelisk at the center of the plaza was Egyptian, and so maybe had some connection to Alexander, but I felt like an idiot when we realized it hadn’t been put in until after Napoleon’s death. The surrounding buildings were old enough, but there was nothing to indicate an important inscription or anything to do with Napoleon.

I shielded my eyes from the sun and looked around. “Moving on?”

A person in a blue hat disappeared behind a crepe stand, and I stopped talking.

“What?” Jack said, looking over his shoulder.

“I could swear someone’s been following us,” I said quietly. “Did you see that?”

He shook his head.

I’m sure everyone thought I was crazy after my previous false accusations. I guess I was tired enough to hallucinate. I dropped it. “What’s next?”

We had all flagged landmarks to check, and we made our way to the next ones. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be right. It didn’t help that every monument in France wanted to tout their connection to Napoleon, so most of the connections were quite slim.

At the third small church on one of the map lines, I was looking at plaques on statues of saints at the entrance and Jack was crouched, inspecting the bases of another, when I realized he wasn’t looking at the statue at all. He was looking past me, chewing his lip. He noticed me watching him and turned his attention to the floor, but his shoulders were drawn up to his ears.

“What is it?” I glanced behind me, immediately on guard.

“Nothing.” He stood and moved down the line of statues.

All I could see where he’d been looking were Stellan and Elodie, searching the other side of the church. “Did you see something?”

“No.” Jack moved farther away. “It’s nothing.”

“Okay . . .” I took a photo on my phone of each plaque, just in case I thought of something later. Jack was standing halfway to the altar now, and my footsteps echoed on the worn hardwood as I caught up with him. “No, seriously, what’s going on?”

Jack had been tracing a raised metal plaque with one finger, but let his hand drop to his side. “I’m—this isn’t the right time for this conversation.” He glanced over his shoulder again, to where Stellan and Elodie were whispering in a pew. “It’s just that—I have to know—is there something going on between you and Stellan?”

My nerves, already frayed, started firing overtime. I had to sit on the edge of the pew behind me. “What?” I said stupidly.

Jack’s face dropped. He thought my reaction meant more than it did. But I was just surprised. And annoyed that he’d ask something like that. No, I didn’t hate Stellan anymore. Yes, things were a little different between us now. But that was all.

Jack turned back to the plaque and rubbed his neck. “I know you and I aren’t together, and I know this is bigger than that, but . . .”

I checked to make sure Elodie and Stellan weren’t listening and lowered my voice. “Then why ask? Because the answer is obviously no, besides the supposed-to-get-married thing. I think you know that.”

“I thought I did.”

The words hit like he’d slapped me. “And what could possibly make you think otherwise?”

Jack glanced toward the front of the church again, then headed out the doors and pulled out the map. “You’ve been closer lately.”

I followed him and leaned over the map without really seeing it. “We’ve all been closer lately.” I sounded so defensive. I took a deep breath and slowed down. “We’ve been living on a boat. And in small apartments. And seeing each other every day. You don’t see me asking if there’s anything going on between you and Elodie.”

“I saw him coming out of the room you were in on the boat last night,” Jack said quietly.

My finger paused on the map. “No, I can guarantee you didn’t.”

“I did. I was wide awake.”

“Then he was probably visiting one of the other two people sleeping in that same room.”

“Lettie and Elodie were out taking a walk,” Jack said. “I think . . . I saw him leave our room. Go to yours. Come back a couple minutes later. He was either hoping for something else, or checking on you.” Jack didn’t sound angry. He just sounded . . . resigned.

“He was probably getting a sleeping pill from Elodie’s bag,” I said. “I was asleep. Whatever you saw was nothing. Less than nothing.”

“You’re probably right,” Jack said.

“Yeah. I am.” I leaned against one of the metal poles lining the sidewalk and held my hand out for the map. Part of me wondered why I was quite so bothered, and all of me really didn’t want to think about it. I yanked the map out of Jack’s hand a little more forcefully than necessary.

“You’re considering it, though,” Jack said quietly. “Considering him, I mean.”

“If the bracelet doesn’t come through, I’ll have to do something. And yeah, Stellan’s a better option than whoever Alistair chooses.” I was running a finger up the map when I suddenly heard the words that had just come out of my mouth. Really? When had I decided that?

“But right now I’m doing my best to figure out this next clue,” I said quickly, “and this is a distraction I don’t need.”