Page 91 of A Promise of Peridot
Then, a single jaw-splitting scream.
The last of the bandit’s life. I cringed away from the squelching sounds of razor-sharp teeth digging into human flesh and sank to my knees by Mari’s side.
Kane was already there.
“Is she breathing?”
“I’m fine,” Mari croaked before he could respond. Her hands clutched at her chest. Nails caked with dirt.
Shock. She was inshock.
I moved her hands aside and searched her for the entry wound, the blood—but there was none. Just a dusting of ash above her heart, as if Mari had been struck by lightning.
She coughed violently, the wind knocked from her, before pressing her hand to mine atop her chest. “The amulet. It protected me.” She reached for the necklace at the base of her throat.
And then her light eyes widened as she felt her vacant neck.
“Mari,” I cautioned, releasing my hand from her heart. “You’re all right.” I wasn’t sure if I was comforting her or myself.
But she only searched frantically through the muck and leaves, her hands moving over the arrow that had been cleaved in two by the force of her power. “Where is it, where is it...”
“Mari...” But I couldn’t think of anything to say as she salvaged the shattered necklace from the ground and let out a sorrowful, horrified sob.
“It’s all right. You’re fine—”
“Fine?”
“Mari, can you look at me?”
But she only scrambled up, wobbling on her feet. “All of it, gone—”
Griffin, back in his human form, jogged past Kane and straight for us. “What’s wrong? Is she in pain?” I didn’t glance back at where he had massacred the bandit. The slain man’s blood clinging to the commander’s arms and chest told me enough.
Griffin reached one rust-colored hand toward Mari, but she swayed from his touch.
“I just need—” She fished for words. “There has to be a way to fix it.”
I swallowed against my lungs, nearly erupting from my throat. “You don’t... There was no power in the amulet.”
“What?” Mari’s voice was softer than I’d ever heard it.
“I should have told you. It was so wrong of me to keep the truth from you—”
“Should have told me what?”
I looked to Griffin and Kane for help. Nothing but pity welled in their eyes.
Pityfor strong, independent Mari. Reduced to tears over a necklace.
I steeled myself. “There isn’t any magic in the amulet. I’ve known for some time, and thought you would be better off unaware. It was wrong, and I’m genuinely, awfully sorry.”
She stared at me, her expression unreadable.
“Briar gave it to me years ago,” Kane added. “An exquisite gift. Very generous... but that’s all it was. A gift. Just... jewelry.”
“But you’ve seen the magic. The things I’ve done. It justsavedme.”
“No,” I said, my voice breaking on the word. “Yousaved you. You don’t need it, Mari.”
