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CHAPTER ONE
The Mystery

taly was shaped like a boot. No wonder it was kicking my butt.
IWell, to be fair, it wasn’t just Italy. It was the whole six-

months-on-the-road-as-a-family thing for my parents’ work. The
rest of Europe was mostly a blur at this point, but the fountain
in front of me now was crystal clear and hard to miss.

The Trevi Fountain hogged most of the street corner where
three narrow ancient roads met, with lots of white marble and
bright blue water. Some ancient sea god stood front and center.
He had a hipster beard and was missing half his clothes, but
there was no doubt that this dude was confident and in charge

of his fate. Must be nice.
I snapped a photo and reminded myself to jot down the time
and date in my school travel journal. The god was Neptune,

maybe? Or Oceanus? Most ancient gods looked the same to me.
Most big-deal fountains did, too.
Okay, none quite so impressive as this one, true. Rome won
the trophy for the best fountain. Still, I’d take the waters of Lake
Travis back in Austin anytime.

I wish I could be at home right now.
Just a few more days left of living out of my suitcase. I’d