Page 17 of Blue Embers
“It was something Valerio would have known, but he’s taken a lot of secrets to his grave.”
“How likely is it that a Red would part with a trinket like that?”
“Not likely at all. We hold them very close for a lot of reasons. Perhaps some might have passed it to their sons. Why?”
I rubbed my brow, standing to pace slowly around my office.
“I’m not sure why yet,” I said. “I’ve just found more questions, though. Could you put Saxon in contact with me? I’d like to run some things by him as well.”
“Does this have anything to do with the Falcons or our mysterious Zephyre?”
“I’m not certain if it’s related, but considering my lack of progress, I’m willing to try a few different paths to see if anything turns up. I have a way with hunches. You know that. This thing is definitely giving me strange vibes. I’ll keep you posted, brother. In the meantime, send me a photo of Valerio’s pendant.”
“Will do,” Draven sighed into the phone.
Once the call had ended, I slipped my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and walked up the stairs into the living room. Malisa was in the kitchen brewing a pot of coffee when I emerged. I startled her so badly it seemed as if she’d forgotten I lived there.
“Mr. Valentyne,” she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest like I’d given her a heart attack. “It’s so early. I thought you were still in bed.”
“I had some business to attend to,” I said, walking over to pour myself a steaming mug of dark coffee.
As soon as I lifted the mug to my lips for that first drink, my phone buzzed. I reached back, pulling it out to tap the screen awake. On it was a message from Draven. When I opened it I found myself staring at a pendant almost identical to the one in the museum. A teardrop shaped piece of green-tinted metal with small, shallow carvings in the center and one jagged edge that sat on the opposite side of the one Persephone had donated. Aware that Draven had a ring made of the same alloy, I began to wonder what Saxon possessed or even if the necklace in the display case could be his.
“Malisa, darling,” I said, setting my coffee down on the counter and heading calmly to the front door. “I’ve got to make another trip to the museum. Take the day off, love. Go and get your nails done or something.”
Malisa barely had a chance to ask any questions before I was out the door and in my car on the way to the city. When I arrived at the museum, the parking lot was partly populated with employee cars, but other than that, no one was really there. I pulled around the other side of the building, parking as I usually did by the loading dock, and walked inside.
I pulled out my phone as I strolled down the hallway toward the Draak exhibit, taking another look at the photo Draven had sent. As I studied it, I came to the chamber entrance, but before I reached out to open it, the handle turned and the door swung open. Looking up from my phone, I saw Persephone step out in a well-tailored, black suit and a satin, red undershirt. Once more, a pair of black heels lengthened her slender legs, giving her an air of charming confidence. I stopped, watching her as she took notice of my presence and halted.
At first, I could see the timid tension in her jaw when she saw me, memories of the previous night still raw in her mind and body, I was sure. She was a refined woman with an ability to harden herself in the face of discomfort. With a slight lift of her chin, she offered me a cordial smile.
“Mr. Valentyne,” she greeted. “Suddenly you’re here every day? I might have to put you to work.”
I grinned with amusement, once more finding reasons as to why I was starting to greatly enjoy her presence. I lowered my phone to my side, giving Persephone my full attention as we exchanged early greetings.
“Ms. Grant,” I inclined my head, tickled by the fact that we’d both reverted back to using formal titles. “Actually I’m less here on business and more here on a personal errand.”
“Here?” She narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious.
“Don’t worry,” I smirked, sliding past her close enough to smell the sweet, rose scent of her skin. “It’s about one of the items in the collection.”
Persephone, being a curious woman, turned to follow me back into the exhibit room, just as I predicted she’d do.
“Which item would that be?” she asked.
“Yours actually,” I said as I made my way through the room to the display case where the necklace hung.
“The necklace?”
I nodded, coming to the trinket. I stared at it through the glass barrier, studying everything about it. Something in me wanted to connect it to what was going on with the rebels and Valerio. It seemed too large a coincidence to find something so rare after such a blow had been dealt against the Draak and the people associated with us. Or...perhaps I was just restless and hopeful and that damn thing had nothing to do with anything. Either way, I wanted to know. Persephone stepped up beside me, looking at the pendant in search of my reasoning.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“We’ll see,” I said on an exhale.
Persephone hesitated for a moment and then reached into her blazer pocket, pulling out a small loop of keys. Sifting through them, she lifted a little copper one up to the display case’s lock and unlatched the glass door to grant me access to the necklace. I reached up, carefully lifting the piece off the display neck and further examining it for clues.
“What’s this about?” she asked after a moment of silence had amplified her interest.
