Chapter 3: Come True
1109 Words
Everly
My flight to Spain is uneventful, and my hotel room is gorgeous. As soon as I unpack, I head to the Basilica de Montserrat to meet one of the researchers, Dr. Filipa Serrano.
My professor, Dr. Cranston, was adamant about researching any information I could find on the seal we discovered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Finding a hidden cavern beneath Christ’s tomb was one of the greatest finds of the twenty-first century, and I’m excited to be part of it.
Dr. Serrano is an austere woman in charge of the Basilica’s extensive archives. She’s not cold or rude but not warm as she shows me around the library.
Her small frame is stiff, and her lips are pressed tightly as she leads me through the Basilica’s ancient library.
The Basilica’s interior is beautiful with its ornate façade, polished pews, artfully painted ceilings, and stained-glass windows. Though it’s a spectacular sight, the large mountain behind the Abbey makes it even more beautiful.
Dr. Serrano pushes her long gray hair behind her, glares at me through veiled brown eyes, and gestures to a small table in the back of the library, “This will be your workspace. You only have permission to look through the books in this section, but you must be careful with them. As an archeologist, I’m sure you understand the need to preserve the integrity of our documents. If you wish to review any of the other times, you’ll have to put in a request and wait for me to approve it.”
I nod, “Of course, I will be very careful with them.”
Dr. Serrano scowls with annoyance, “Well, if there is anything you need, you can ask one of the interns or specialists to help you.”
I try not to let her surly veneer deter me, so I give her a polite smile, “Thank you, Dr. Serrano. I appreciate your generosity and graciousness in letting me use your library.”
Dr. Serrano folds her hands and gruffly mutters, “Dr. Cranston requested we help, so we will.”
Once she has gone, I search the library and gather several books. I spend most of the week working. Though the information I gather is good, I need a lot more.
Thankfully, Dr. Serrano’s assistant introduces me to some interns, making me feel less lonely. They’re also kind enough to help me gather information faster.
One of the interns, Franco, approaches me on the seventh day, “Hola, bella,” hi beautiful, he mutters in his sexy, Spanish accent.
There’s no doubt that Franco is handsome. He’s a couple of inches taller than me with tan skin, long brown hair that falls to his shoulders, cobalt blue eyes, and high cheekbones. He’s also very gay and has the same taste in men as I do. We knew we were meant to be besties when we realized we loved the actor, Rege-Jean Page.
“Hola, Franco. What’s up?” I switch to English, knowing that he understands.
Franco’s bow lips quirk, “An important visitor will visit the Basilica today. Dr. Serrano is making all the interns prepare for his arrival. Apparently, this visitor is a big deal.
I glance at my cluttered desk and frown, “Who’s the visitor?”
Franco sidles up to me, sitting on the chair beside mine, “She didn’t tell me his name. But there’s speculation that it’s a very prominent research scientist from the Vatican.”
I arch an impressed brow, “Wow, I better keep my section clean.”
He helps me stack some books around my desk, “What exactly are you studying?’
I gesture to my laptop, “My archeology professor, Dr. Cranston, has been researching the recently discovered caverns beneath Christ’s tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. While digging through the caverns, we discovered a seal.”
“What’s in the seal?” he asks.
I shrug, “We don’t know. But we did discover other similar seals in different parts of the world.”
Franco gazes down at the pictures I have on my laptop, “Wow, that’s amazing. Have you guys opened them?”
I shake my head, “No, that’s why I’m here. After researching documents we discovered at the seal, we learned that the keys to open the seals might have been preserved. We just need to find where the keys are. Most of the documents indicate that the clues we need to find the keys are hidden in ancient temples,” I wave my hands around the room, “like the Basilica.”
Franco’s eyes widen with excitement, “Oh my goodness, querida, have you found anything yet?”
I nudge my chin toward a map on my desk, “I found documents indicating that Pope Leo XIII might have written about the seal. However, I need access to the Pope’s journals in a reserved Basilica area.”
“Did you ask Dr. Serrano to access the Pope’s scriptures?” Franco asks.
“Yeah, I made a request, but Dr. Serrano has not approved it.”
His shoulders droop, “If she hasn’t given you access yet, she probably won’t. Dr. Serrano is very protective of the monastery.”
I puff out a breath, red tendrils of hair fluttering around me, and slump back in my seat, defeated, “Then my research is dead in the water. This sucks.”
He nods, “Okay, maybe we don’t need permission.”
My eyes widen, “What do you mean?”
Franco shrugs his slim shoulders, gives me a sly smile, and leans close to whisper, “Maybe we can come in after hours and see what we can find.”
I glance around to ensure no one is listening and murmur, “But how will we get past the security system?”
“Don’t tell anyone, but I know Dr. Serrano’s code. Sometimes, she needs important documents and asks me to pick them up after work hours. We can be in and out, and no one will know,” he mutters.
My heart pounds excitedly inside my chest as I nod and mutter, “Let’s do it.”
Franco claps his hands, his dark eyes twinkling with delight, “Oh, how exciting. Okay, then meet me back here tonight. I’ll text you when I’m here, and we can go from there.”
Giving him a big hug, I whisper, “Thank you,” before returning to my desk.
As time passes, I cannot help but feel excitement and trepidation at what I might find. If only I had heeded the trepidation.
- Writer
