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But now, we have a completely different task to accomplish. With my eyes closed, I went through all my memories of the museum ship and its hidden nooks and crannies again, hoping that I remembered everything important.
I may be able to embrace Charly again tomorrow. Time could not be turned back. That was clear to me. Charly was and would never again be the friend I had grown up with. She had experienced too much for that, and so had I. But we were connected by numerous years of friendship, and I could hardly imagine a life without her.
It had taken me a long time to fall asleep, and the rest was quickly over.
Aza woke me up shortly after sunrise. The way she carried out her tasks with relaxed composure on what was, for me, a very nerve-wracking day seemed almost grotesque. Of course, she knew nothing of our venture and the dangerous adventure that awaited me tonight, though I tried to push the aspect of danger far away from me. I succeeded in this only during thefirst half of the day. But the more I saw my father or Aza, the more worried I became.
What if we were caught? Would they be punished, too? After all, all my dad's kids were part of the rescue group. Who would believe that he didn't know about our plans?
And where was he supposed to flee if the Brotherhood showed up here? I could not justify that. The only way to leave here unseen would be through the tunnels.
I immediately slipped under my bed, pushed the loose plank aside, and rummaged in the alcove beneath it.
I quickly found the paper and pen inside and started writing two messages with trembling hands.
The first was a short letter to my father telling him how much I loved him and explaining that I was sorry, but I had to do it for Charly and the other women. He would understand. In case we were arrested, I also asked him to find my mother's favorite book and follow the instructions he would find in it.
We both knew where Mom’s favorite novel was. My dad had hidden it in a secret compartment in the library. Where her jewelry was.
The second paper contained instructions on how he could open the tunnel hidden behind the library wall. I also asked him to take Aza with him.
I quickly folded both letters and kissed the first as if I were kissing my father goodbye. Only with difficulty did I hold back the tears. Trembling, I pushed everything into the niche in the floor and put the loose plank back in its place.
Afterward, I tried to get some sleep, which failed utterly; I was now so excited that my thoughts resembled a roller coaster ride.
I sat with my head down as dinner was served, silently facing my dad. I couldn't look at him out of fear to burst into tears. My dad talked lightheartedly about the weather, my wedding, andan apartment he wanted to buy for Alex and me. It wasn't until he started raving about the Hamptons and telling me he'd found something nice near Mr. Baldur's estate that I lifted my eyes and noticed Stephan staring at me thoughtfully, apparently for some time.
We absolutely could not let him know about our plans. So I put on my best smile and started talking to Dad about the beach and the different towns in the Hamptons. Hopefully, that gave the butler the impression that everything was fine.
I hugged my father tightly before I went upstairs to my room, trembling inwardly. As soon as I had closed the door behind me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, I heard noises from the bathroom.
The next moment, Aza came towards me with my bathrobe.
“Myrina, there you are. I’ve prepared a relaxing bath for you. Maybe it will help you sleep.”
“What makes you think I’m a bad sleeper?” I asked, surprised.
“For one thing, your dark circles are impossible to miss, and for another, your hair was so knotty this morning. That can only come from too much tossing and turning.” She winked at me happily.
Hastily, I took her in my arms. Completely taken by surprise by this gesture, she stood as if petrified before embracing me.
“Thank you, Aza,” I whispered. “You’re the best. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”
"Ditto," the maid answered briefly, but I felt she wanted to say much more.
The bath did incredibly well. The lavender-vanilla bath salts were wonderfully relaxing. Before Aza returned, I was already in bed pretending to be asleep. I had never been good at saying goodbye, even when the other person didn't know it was a goodbye.
So, it was easier to let Aza go to her own bed with the feeling that I would have found excellent sleep through her bath.
My girlfriend only stuck her head in the door to close it quietly again immediately.
Afterward, I lay in my blankets with my eyes open and listened to how the house became quieter and quieter until, finally, the last sounds fell silent. At half past ten, I was sure that everyone was asleep. Hastily, I took the letters out of the hiding place. From a casket, I took the small ivory dagger of Aspasia, which I tied around my thigh with the silken bow of the box in which the necklace had lain. Then, I carefully closed the wooden floor again.
I hurriedly slipped into soft ballerinas, which lay firmly and securely on my feet thanks to a strap, and then, without looking back once more, sneaked out of the room on quiet soles. First, I ran to my father's bedroom and slipped the first letter under the door. When that was done, I made my nightly way to the library. My nervousness had vanished, and an eerie calm possessed me.
I settled down between two of the tall bookshelves and quietly tapped the planks that formed the closing edges of the cabinet. I operated the small hidden opening mechanism at the hollow plank, took out Mom's favorite book, and put the second letter before the first chapter. Sure enough, Dad would find it there.
I briefly let my gaze glide over my mother's beautiful jewelry and could not restrain myself from fleetingly touching the amulet she had worn since childhood with my fingertip. It was a golden amulet with a red stone in the center and four more circling it. One of the stones was missing. Mom had told me that this necklace came from another world, and the last stone must still be hidden somewhere there. My mother had been a great storyteller.
