Page 32 of Blue Embers
“It got Persephone and her sister almost immediate acceptance into the sectors just by showing it to Fenris Bloodborn,” I added. “My thought was that it could have been his father’s.”
“Diar,” Saxon nodded. “But he’s been dead a long time. He couldn’t have been the one to give it away.”
Saxon reached out, taking the pendant in his hand. Across the table, Persephone kept her gaze rooted on it, watching everything that happened to it like a hawk. As Saxon examined it, Malice began drumming his fingers on the tabletop as if he was bored.
Turning the pendant over, Saxon took in every detail of the craftsmanship. I could see him reading the object and the energy and memories attached to it. I envied Reds and their ability to find answers where others could not, but even he seemed unable to crack the mystery of the pendant. He placed it back down on the table, silent and thinking.
“Anything?” I asked.
Saxon shook his head. “It’s too old. The memories are too quiet. All I see is a woman with hair like yours,” he gestured toward Persephone.
“My sister,” she nodded. “It was given to her.”
“Whoever the Draak was that touched it before her, he’s in shadows. He was likely a Red and he knew how to shroud himself where he didn’t want to be seen, so that rules out Blues or Sands.” He looked to Persephone again. “Where’s your sister? I should speak with her.”
I could hear Persephone’s heart sink in her chest. She froze for a moment, weaving her fingers together in her lap.
“She’s sick,” she said, swallowing her pain in front of strangers. “She can’t talk to anyone right now.”
“She’s just fallen into a coma,” I explained, using as gentle a tone as I could manage for Persephone’s sake.
“Not a problem,” Saxon said. “I can still ask her some questions.”
“Ash Bringers,” Malice said, presenting Saxon with his raised hands like he was some kind of show horse. “They never cease to amaze me.”
I looked to Persephone for confirmation that Saxon’s offer was alright. She seemed a bit taken aback by the idea, but once it sunk in, she gave Saxon a polite nod. Now, perhaps we were getting somewhere.
13
Killian
. . .
After the four of us had eaten breakfast, Saxon seemed eager to leave already. He stood outside on the front porch, leaning against a pillar with the pendant in hand. I wasn’t quite the same as he was, even if we were both Draak. He could see more in that pendant than any of my tests could.
Saxon was meant for the outdoors. His rugged appearance didn’t fit well inside the white confines of my home, but that was true of most Ash Bringers. Wild animals in the bodies of men, unsuited for the luxuries of modern society. Malice, on the other hand, seemed like, if given the choice, he would find a soft bed and kick off his boots for a long nap or a beer. Like a cat, the man seemed adaptable to any situation. He sat at the table, snacking on leftovers and sifting through messages on his phone. Eventually, I’d find a moment to do my research on him and find out exactly what he could contribute to the situation, but for the moment, Saxon’s trust in him was enough.
“Hey,” Persephone’s quiet voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned from where I was standing in the sitting room to see her holding up her phone. “Phone’s dead,” she said. “I have a charger in my car. Wondering if I might not be getting messages from the hospital is kind of killing me.”
“We should head that way anyways,” I said. “I’ll drop you at your car on the way.”
Grabbing the car keys, I made my way to the door, waving Malice over as we left. He got up, grabbing a couple pieces of toast for the road, and followed us through the door. Saxon looked up as we stepped out, eager to move as if staying in one place was making him restless. As Persephone walked by him, he held out a hand to offer the necklace back to her. She paused, questioning the gesture at first before she opened her palm to receive it.
“It’s yours,” Saxon said in a deep voice. “I can’t do anything else but stare at it. It’s been apart from its owner too long.”
Persephone closed her fingers over the trinket and continued toward the car while Saxon made his way to a rust-brown truck parked on the curb. Next to it was a black Harley Davidson with worn, leather saddlebags. While Saxon stepped up into the truck, Malice straddled the bike, tying his blonde hair into a tight ponytail before bringing the engine to a roar. I gave the two men a nod before walking to my car where Persephone was already in the passenger seat, ready to go.
It took only minutes to get to Persephone’s car. I pulled up behind it and as I did, Saxon and Malice pulled off the road to wait for us. Persephone hadn’t spoken much. I expected she had a lot on her mind. In her hand, she was staring at the metal pendant. When she realized where she was, she snapped her hand closed over the necklace and opened her door.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” she said.
“Persephone,” I said. She turned to look at me, one foot on the ground outside. “You’re sure you can drive?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ll see you there.”
She stood, closing the door behind her. As she walked to her car, I began to feel a tug in my chest that I recognized all too well and it wasn’t a welcome feeling. It was frightening to think this woman was having even the slightest effect on me. To think that I might be getting attached to her, despite that she would ultimately die. She was fragile, even when she tried not to be. She was someone that could easily be ripped away. It was unhealthy having those feelings, yet there they were.
As soon as Persephone was in her car and I saw the rear lights turn on, I snapped out of it. There was real business to be taken care of. Real questions to be answered. I waited for Persephone to pull forward and the three of us followed her into the city. The whole way, I kept the radio off and stewed in my own thoughts, trying to separate what was needed from what I wanted. By the time we arrived at the hospital, I was able to get my mind in order and stepped out of my car with a stronger resolve. I was confident that I could stay on track...until Persephone looked at me again.
