Revelation: Trinity Part 1 Read online

  Revelation

  GEMMA HUMPHREY

  Published in 2017

  ISBN 978-1-9999491-0-5

  Copyright 2017 Gemma Humphrey

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Prologue

  Rose turned to Christian as she heard him sigh.

  “I don’t know what to do,” he admitted finally, meeting her gaze. “If he’s telling the truth and you get hurt…” He pulled her tighter.

  “He’s not,” she insisted, scowling in the direction Nate had departed. “He’s just being Nate.”

  Despite her words, Rose couldn’t help but feel uneasy. She glanced around, feeling the happy atmosphere darken. A pop of a champagne cork and the laughter that followed had her wheeling around in fright, and she searched the room with new eyes; what once seemed bright and happy turning sinister and garish.

  She felt Christian stiffen in her arms, but was too busy trying to drown out the steadily rising noise around her - a cacophony of music and laughter. It threatened to fill her head, leaving no room for softly spoken words, yet Rose heard every syllable that Christian uttered as if he’d spoken directly into her ear:

  “They’re here.”

  She registered the horror in his tone long before she understood the reason for it, seeing only brief, blurred movement in her periphery. She blinked to focus on the auras around her and gasped in shock as the room took on an ominous black glow, reflecting off the pressed white of the tablecloths.

  Christian reached out, grabbing her face in his hands and turning it towards his.

  “Don’t look,” he hissed. “Keep your eyes on me.”

  1

  Rose dropped her suitcase to the floor, where it landed against the age-worn wood with a dull thud. Sweeping her fringe out of her eyes with a practiced hand, she stepped over to the window and pushed it open, looking out across the sloping lawn to the River Cam. A cool breeze flowed in, bringing with it the heady scent of cut grass.

  She turned back to survey the dorm room.

  It was certainly big enough. The vaulted ceiling of the neo-gothic building made the room feel bright and airy. The walls, dotted with Blu-Tack from hastily removed posters, were painted pale green.

  Rose trailed fingers along the simple bed frame, the nightstand, the large wooden wardrobe that had seen better days. An empty fireplace, its iron mantle once the proud centrepiece of the room, was set into one wall, next to a small desk, pockmarked with dents and absent-minded doodles. A threadbare armchair, its olive green corduroy greying with age, basked beneath the large, paned window like an oversized cat. A sink had been squeezed unobtrusively into the corner.

  A few finishing touches, Rose mused, and she could easily call it home.

  She nodded to herself in satisfaction and crossed the floor, to where an enormous cardboard box propped open the heavy fire door. Ignoring the noise of the other freshers roaming the hallway, she dragged it into the middle of the room and, as the door swung shut, opened it up and got to work.

  ***

  “Knock, knock.” A resonant voice called through the door as Rose finished spreading a quilt across the bed. “I request an audience with Miss Davies. Newest – and no doubt brightest – student of Cambridge University. Following in the footsteps of the late greats Lord Byron, Alfred Tennyson and not to mention –”

  “It’s open Ben,” Rose called. It pushed open, revealing her oldest friend propped against the door frame. He scowled in mock annoyance at being interrupted before crossing the room to flop into the armchair, long legs tumbled over its wing-back arm.

  “I’ll get it –don’t trouble yourself.” Rose got up to shut the door behind him, grinning as he huffed. “You can’t have unpacked yet?” she asked, returning to her seat on the floor.

  Ben shrugged, his sharp, almond shaped eyes roaming the room. “Nice digs,” he commented, surveying her attempts at finishing touches.

  Rose had strung fairy lights across the mantle of the fireplace, and they trailed down to brush the faded oak floor, giving off a gentle glow that lit up the multitude of dog-eared books she’d stacked into the empty hollow. Her brand new laptop sat in pride of place on the desk, alongside a little pink and white orchid – the only plant she had managed to keep alive longer than a few weeks.

  “Bigger than mine,” Ben accused with a sniff.

  Rose reached into the box, drawing out a tangle of wires that she proceeded to sort through. “Which room are you in?” She reached over to tug on the arm lolling over the chair, indicating that he could help any time he wanted.

  He slithered to the floor, folding his long legs beneath him as he reached for the cables, pushing a stray wisp of dark brown hair from his face. Rose still caught the exasperated smile as he considered the quantity of fairy lights that still occupied the box.

  “Thirty-six. Upstairs.” He waved a couple of long fingers vaguely. “No high ceiling. Same view, though,” he added, glancing out the window.

  Rose reached behind the nightstand, having rescued her mobile charger from the tangle. “Show me later?” she asked, struggling to get the plug into the socket.

  “Naturally.” He reached over to push the plug into the wall, his gaze never wavering from the concentrated mess of cables in his hand.

  Rose sat on the bed, toying with the cable as she gazed at him fondly. She had known Ben for as long as she could remember, and had been worried they wouldn’t see much of each other in college. Luckily, his lectures were held in one of the buildings nearby, allowing him to rent a room in the same hall of residence.

  “Victory!” He held out a mercury glass lamp, now separated from her laptop cables. She smiled, accepting the lamp from him, and set it on her nightstand. Ben peered into the box again, a frown creasing his brow.

  “Right,” he declared. “Enough of all this.” He pushed the box away and got to his feet, far too gracefully given his height. “We’re going out.”

  “We are?” Rose asked, doubtfully, even as he pulled her to her feet.

  “The Freshers’ Fair is open – we should take a look.”

  Rose considered the noise, the crowds of people, and shook her head.

  “We’re going,” Ben was adamant. “This is University. We’re living the dream. Besides,” he threw her a cheeky grin, “I hear there’s free pizza.” The determined look in his eyes told Rose that there would be no getting out of it.

  “Well, I guess that settles it,” she said, with a defeated smile. “Heaven forbid I get between you and free food. Give me a second to get my bag.”

  Ben had already opened the door and stepped into the hallway as she turned to gather her things. She had just found her keys when his surprised voice rang out.

  “Oh, uh – hello.”

  Rose smiled. He sounded flustered, which meant it was a girl – and she was pretty. She crossed to join him, immediately understanding his alarm.

  A girl leaned against the frame of the door, her legs – far too long given her short frame – sheathed in impossibly tight jeans. Blonde hair curled and coiled in designer waves across her shoulders, which she adjusted with manicured fingers as she looked at Ben with interest.

  “Hi,” she greeted. “I’m Ana. I guess we’re neighbours,” she added, as Rose locked the door to her room.

  “I’m Rose,” Rose said in return, pocketing her keys. “And this is Ben.”

  “Benedict Eldon,” Ben held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

  Ana accepted it, her smaller hands dwarfed in
his grip as they shook. “I’m on my way to the Fresher’s Fair,” Ana said. “Do you know where it is?”

  “We were actually heading that way ourselves.” Ben threw a pointed look at Rose. “Perhaps we can find it together?”

  “That would be great,” Ana agreed, easily. She smiled at Ben. “Lead the way.”

  ***

  Rose and her friends took a short walk through the bustling streets of Cambridge, heading for Parkers Piece – a twenty-five acre common just outside the centre of town.

  Fair was the perfect description, Rose realised, as they rounded the corner and the park opened up in front of her.

  Tents and stalls filled the vast expanse of green, advertising everything from pencils to holidays in the sun. People jumped on bouncy castles, tested themselves against fairground attractions, or milled about listening to the live bands that were spread out across the park. Street vendors offered free food and drink to anyone that passed, filling the air with flavours. Rose spotted a group of people cheering for a pair dressed in giant sumo-wrestler pads, cries ringing out as they charged at each other, and people whizzed around on bicycles, penny-farthings, and tandems.

  Soon, they were strolling through the park, slices of pizza in hand.

  “So what courses are you taking?” Ben asked Ana, sidestepping a large group of people.

  “Philosophy,” said Ana. “Although I’ll probably switch to Theology next year.”

  “A philosopher,” Ben mused, impressed. “Did you know that Sir Francis Bacon went to Trinity College?”

  “I did, actually,” Ana confirmed, looking at the wares on the stalls they passed.

  “Ah,” Ben continued, “but did you know he was only twelve?”

  “Twelve?” Ana repeated. Ben nodded, looking smug.

  “No,” she said, after a moment. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Font of useless information, this one,” Rose said, absently passing him her pizza crust. “And I still have to remind him of my birthday.”

  “July seventh,” Ben muttered, managing to shove the entire crust into his mouth and stick out his tongue at the same time.

  Ana huffed out a laugh at his antics. “How about you?” she asked him. “What course are you taking?”

  “Natural Science,” he said. “Physics, Chemistry, and,” he shot her a wink, “History and Philosophy.”

  “Right,” Ana nodded. “Hence the Francis Bacon knowledge.”

  He grinned. “Rose is taking English Lit,” he offered as they passed the used bike tent, where rows upon rows of bicycles waited, glinting in the sunlight. “She wants to be the next Shakespeare.”

  Rose rolled her eyes, even as Ana looked over in interest.

  “I considered taking English too,” she said, “but the Philosophy course sounded more interesting.”

  “Not a huge amount of obvious career prospects though,” Ben mused. “Unless you want to teach?”

  “I want to be a photographer,” Ana said, grinning as Ben’s expression turned to surprise. “I wasn’t even planning on University – I want to backpack around the world.”

  “And you ended up taking Philosophy at Cambridge?” Ben raised an eyebrow. “That’s a pretty big jump.”

  Ana studied him, as if sizing him up. “My faith is important to me,” she said, a little defensively. “To my family. I thought this would be a good way of learning more about my beginnings before heading out to my future.”

  Ben was quiet for a moment, letting that sink in, before he nodded. “Awesome.”

  Ana let out her breath, relief crossing her features, and Rose hastened to step in. “There’s bound to be a Photography club here,” she said, nudging her new friend. “Let’s see if we can find it…”

  They turned back into the crowds of people, letting the fair swallow them up.

  ***

  Later that evening, the three returned to Rose’s room with Chinese food and bottles of pear cider picked up from a noodle bar on Market Street. Rose cracked the bottles open and handed them out as Ben opened the containers, arranging them on the closed lid of her suitcase. The three of them sat around it, tucking into the food in companionable silence.

  “So, Ben,” Rose began after a long swig from her bottle. “It’s your turn.”

  They’d been playing a game on the walk back to their rooms, each taking turns to tell things about themselves, as a way of getting to know each other.

  “Hmm,” Ben pondered, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Okay, how about this,” he paused for effect. “If I don’t get into UKSA, I want to be an actor.”

  Rose smiled – she’d known that for years, but Ana huffed impatiently.

  “I already knew that,” she said, with a sniff.

  “Impossible,” Ben countered, waving his chopsticks at her. “You couldn’t possibly –”

  “You signed up for the Drama Club while we got crepes,” Rose pointed out, amused.

  Ben stilled, chopsticks raised. “You saw that?”

  Ana nodded, and he frowned.

  “Okay, how about…” he considered as he shovelled noodles into his mouth.

  “He’s afraid of ladybugs,” Rose piped up. “Has been since we were kids.”

  “Really?” Ana tried to hide her smile as Ben shot Rose a dirty look. “But they’re so cute.”

  “That’s their secret,” Ben insisted. “They fool people into thinking they are cute, with pretty painted colours – and then they sink their teeth into you. They are just weird-looking beetles that bite.”

  “He was bitten as a child,” Rose solemnly informed Ana. “He never got over it.”

  “I can see that.” Ana laughed as Ben scratched his arm, no doubt imagining a ladybug invasion.

  “I’m really good at fixing things,” Ana offered, to distract him. “DIY sort of stuff. Plumbing, repairing things – I can change a car tyre in less than five minutes.”

  “How come?” Rose asked. She’d never changed a tyre in her life.

  “My mum taught me,” Ana explained, accepting the bag of crackers that Rose passed her. “She believes in teaching people to fend for themselves. Doesn’t like hiring tradespeople, won’t buy new if she can help it.” She dipped her hand into the bag of crackers and took a couple before passing it to Ben.

  “She sounds formidable,” Ben commented, tipping crackers into his noodles and crunching them up with his chopsticks.

  “She is,” Ana agreed. “With Dad gone, she had to be – and she brought me up to look after myself.”

  “What happened?” asked Rose. “To your dad?” Ben threw her a sharp look, but Ana just shrugged.

  “He… left when I was four,” Ana said, toying with a necklace around her neck. “I don’t remember him.”

  “I’m sorry,” Rose reached for her cider. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “It's fine,” Ana shrugged, releasing her necklace. “It was a long time ago.”

  Silence filled the space between them.

  “I’m claustrophobic,” Rose offered, softly. Ben looked up in surprise. “Small spaces make me sweat.”

  “Why?” Ana asked..

  Ben put down his noodles.

  “When I was six,” Rose began, “I was in a car accident.” Ana’s eyes widened in surprise, even as Rose shrugged. “It, I…” she took a deep breath. “I was trapped,” she said simply, “and I guess it stuck with me.” She nodded to the window, still flung wide open, the sun setting prettily in the distance. Ana followed her gaze, understanding in her eyes.

  “Noted,” she said, reaching for the empty pots of food. “Thanks for telling me.”

  Rose nodded, daring to look up at Ben, who smiled with pride, licking soy sauce from his fingers.

  Ana dumped the pots in the sink, before turning around to face them. “I’m in need of ice-cream,” she said. “I’ve got some next door – I’ll go get it.” She crossed the room and pulled the door open. “Back in a tick!”

  When she returned, Rose was pulling books
out of the box that she’d shoved to one side earlier, arranging them in the fireplace as Ben handed her another bottle of cider.

  She scooted closer as Ana popped the lid off the ice cream, handing her a spoon, and they started eating it straight from the tub.

  “How are you so organised?” Rose asked, digging into the tub again. “I’ve not even finished unpacking yet and you’ve had time to find ice cream?”

  “It was part of my emergency kit,” Ana admitted, tapping Ben’s knuckles with her spoon as he tried to steal the cookie dough piece she was mining for. “Ice cream is my go-to comfort food.”

  Ben groaned at the mention of unpacking and stood to leave, dropping his spoon beside Ana.

  “That reminds me,” he grimaced. “I better go and sort out my own bags – or I’ll have nothing to wear tomorrow.” He leaned over and kissed the top of Rose’s head. “Night, you,” he murmured, straightening his long limbs. He turned and paused at the door. “Good to meet you Ana, I’ll see you again no doubt.”

  He smiled shyly before saluting and marching from the room.

  Ana raised an eyebrow at Rose. “Perhaps theatre would have been the better choice,” she mused. Rose grinned.

  They chatted for a while, getting to know more about the other, before Ana stretched and yawned. “All that food has made me sleepy!” She pulled herself upright, and Rose followed suit to see her out.

  “Yeah, I’m about done,” she agreed. “Thanks for coming with us today.”

  “No problem,” Ana dug for her keys whilst Rose pulled the door open, “It was fun – and I’d have been bored on my own. Want to head down to Matriculation together in the morning?”

  “Sure,” Rose nodded. “That’d be good.”

  “Okay, I’ll knock for you on my way down,” Ana said, smiling the tentative smile of a new friend. “Night.”

  “Goodnight.” Rose locked the door and got changed sleepily, before she slid under the thick duvet on the bed, exhausted, but pleased with her first day.