Of Royal Descent Read Online Free

she squealed before she disconnected.  I closed the phone and put it back in my pocket. 
    Chuck and I passed the next couple of hours by discussing a variety of topics, including, but not limited to:  who would win in a fight between Laura Croft from Tomb Raider and Alice from Resident Evil , who would win in a fight between Alice from Resident Evil and Selene from Underworld , why a cucumber is a fruit, what our list of self-imposed rules would be in a post-apocalyptic world, which show is better between Monsterquest and Destination Truth , who would win in a fight between a Sasquatch and a Yeti, the correct pronunciation of the product Nutella, and the differences between The Joker and The Riddler.
    Around eight o'clock, we came to the conclusion we were starving, having only had soup for lunch, and we chose to stop for the night.  We ran through a Taco Bell drive-thru and loaded up before we decided on a hotel.  There were a few to choose from but only one obvious choice.  The Barracuda Hotel proudly displayed "POOL AND LAZY RIVER OPEN ALL NIGHT" across its marquee. 
    Fifteen minutes later, we were hauling our small amount of luggage out of the El Camino and into the elevator across from check-in. 
    " By the way, thanks for picking up the tab for this trip.  I'll pay you back when we get home," I said to Chuck as we began our climb inside the elevator to the third floor.
    "Forget it.  It was my idea anyway."
    The doors opened, and we proceeded down the hall to room 307.  True to the hotel clerk's word, the room was spacious and boasted two queen-sized beds, a kitchenette, and a balcony overlooking the lazy river. 
    Chuck and I changed into shorts and returned downstairs and out the back entrance to the aquatic amenities.  We wasted no time in diving in, and soon afterward, I was floating adrift on my back, allowing the heated waters of the pool to lap away the tension that had been mounting the last couple of days.  The possibility of meeting my grandfather and my recent unsettling dreams had affected me more than I cared to admit.
    It was while I was positioned thus, lying supine in the water with my eyes clo sed, that a soft female voice floated over to me from the left. 
    "Where are you from?"
    I righted my body to a vertical position and glanced in the direction of the unfamiliar voice.  A young girl, I guessed to be 16 or 17, was staring at me from the other side of the pool.  She gazed at me openly, with no shame to make her avert her eyes.  She was pretty, with brilliant green eyes and blonde hair, which falsely appeared darker with the approaching night and pool water dripping from it. 
    "South Portland, Maine," I answered, putting a little distance between us.  Her assessing stare made me feel uncomfortable.  "You?"
    "Grand Rapids," she answered, slowly closing the gap as I moved to widen it.
    "You with your parents?"   I asked.
    "No, friends," she said, waving in the general direction of a couple girls on the opposite end of the pool, whom I also realized were staring at me with the same unabashed directness.
    "Yeah, me too.  I guess I should probably go find him." 
    I had been slowly, if not steadily, treading backwards toward the opposite wall of the pool and now found myself with an escape route of stairs leading up and out.  I turned quickly and ascended the few steps to poolside. 
    "Are you sure you have to go?" she asked, jutting her bottom lip out ever so slightly.
    "Yeah...," I stammered uncomfortably as I grabbed for my towel.  "But I hope you guys have a good night," I managed to get out before I turned my attention to the door of the hotel.
    Chuck, whom I had just then noticed, was standing near the door, toweling off and smiling like the cat that ate the canary.
    "Cram it," I said in passing, as I made my way inside the hotel. 
    Chuck was right behind me, with no attempt to conceal his obvious amusement.
    "They were just being friendly," he answered in reply.
    "They were too