Labyrinth Society Read Online Free Page A

sandwich and chugged the soup in five minutes, washing it all down with a cold can of cherry soda.
    As I ate, I thought about what I just overheard. So Tomi's parents had known Mrs. Tarpley. I wondered about Lily and Devon's backgrounds and how they came to be with Mrs. Tarpley. What job had Lily been talking about? Why was she afraid I'd freak out? And where was the other foster kid, Alex? I turned around and almost jumped out of my skin. Leaning against the counter was a man wearing shorts and a white tank top. He must have been in his twenties. He had thick curly black hair and was almost six feet tall.
    "Hey, you must be Mia, right?" He had an English accent. His smile was warm and his nose was a little crooked, as though it had been broken. I was so flustered all I could do was nod and look at my feet. It felt like turkey sandwich was stuck in my throat.
    "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I'm Alex Duncan, Mrs. T.'s assistant, driver, handyman, and anything else needs doin' 'round here. I live in the cottage out back of the estate." He stuck out his hand and I shook it.
    So this was Alex?
    "Have you been out in the garden? I saw you looking." I noticed his w's sounded like r 's and his h 's were missing in action, making have sound like ' ave and here like 'ere . Too adorable.
    "Not yet," I said, finally finding my voice. "I've only been here a few hours."
    "Then a grand tour is in short order." He handed me a napkin. "You might want to wipe your mouth first."
    I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the stainless steel fridge and saw a thick tomato soup mustache. I could have just died. Fortunately, Alex was headed out the back door, and I didn't have time to be too embarrassed. I quickly wiped my mouth and followed him.
    With the exception of some stone benches doubling as planters and a separate vegetable garden, the rest of the backyard seemed to consist of the hedge maze. I suddenly felt anxious and didn't know why. I'd been in a maze before and managed to find my way out. This was different. I chalked it up to the sheer size of it. Alex made a beeline straight for the maze and didn't turn around until he got to the entrance. He saw my hesitation and was amused.
    "Mazes kind of creep me out." I laughed and tried to play off my nervousness.
    "Ah, well," he said, stepping aside so I could go in first. "You're in luck, cause this ain't a maze. It's a labyrinth."
    "What's the difference?"
    "The difference is mazes are designed to confuse. They're like a sort of puzzle you've got to figure out. Labyrinths, on the other hand, have a clear path to the center. You can't get lost. Might take you a while to get there. But there's nothing to figure out."
    I was so wrapped up in what he was saying I didn't even realize we were already inside. As we turned corner after corner, I noticed how cool it was inside the labyrinth, how neatly trimmed the high hedges were, and how precisely it was designed. Nothing was overgrown, and not a single weed dared show itself among the unrelenting greenery. There were also lots of small benches and statues of Greek gods and goddesses nestled into almost every corner.
    "Who takes care of this thing, you?"
    Alex laughed. "Don't be daft," he said, screwing up his face like he'd just smelled something bad. "Do I look like the type of bloke who gardens?"
    I laughed even though I had no idea what a bloke was.
    "Nah, we used to have a full-time horticulturalist, Dr. Hector Flores. But, he's outta commission. Alzheimer's." Alex shook his head and frowned.
    "Flores? Is he related to Lily?"
    "Yeah, her granddad. He created this labyrinth. He used to work at the university with Mrs. T.'s husband, Dr. Tarpley. He'd been around forever before he got ill. Mrs. T. don't trust anyone else to maintain it. Does it all by herself, now."
    "So Lily lives here because of her grandfather?"
    "Yep. Besides her granddad, she ain't got no one else but us. Same thing with Tomi. Her mum and dad were archaeology grad students