Page 66 of Blood Moon
“Of course, because up until now, that gemstone had been hearsay. There are only three blessed stones in the world, and the witch believed to have blessed them died centuries ago. We were told the person who possessed it last was heir to a bloodline older than the wolves.”
Blessed by a witch that was older than the wolves? How on earth did Rena get this necklace?
Julian pulled out his phone, stood. “I didn’t realize the time.” I checked my phone, too. It was five in the evening, almost six. Had it really been two hours? “The dining hall closes early on Fridays,” he said, wiping his hands off on his jeans. “I don’t want you to miss dinner because of me.” My stomach growled on cue, and I remembered how I barely took a bite of my food earlier; this whole day had been a complete mind-fuck.
Julian helped me off the large rock, and when he let go of my hand, part of me wished he hadn’t. There, in the shimmer of his irises, was a murky, obscure magic. And suddenly, I wanted to be part of his every moment after this. What else could he do? What other information could I obtain about the Timber Plains legends? And what would my life look like after I left these woods?
It was dangerous, but oh, so enchanting.
CHAPTER32
Though we rise with the sun, we still find ourselves falling for the moon.
Article V, Lost Letters from Aadan the First
The smell of honey and clove swirled in the air as I sat in my dorm room alone, picking at my nail beds. I stared into the flickering light of the candle, not truly seeing, but hearing the quaking whispers of every cautionary tale ever told in this town.
Get inside before the streetlights come on.
Don’t wander too far into the darkness.
If you stare in the woods for long enough, you’ll see yellow eyes.
They had only ever said that as a means to scare us into obeying, to correct us into being good children—or so I believed—never because the lore wasreal.
And then there was Rena. Rena who had to have known the legends were true. Rena who was somehow involved in the werewolf attacks in town. Rena who’d given me a pendant that belonged to a bloodline older than the wolves, blessed by a witch who’d been dead for centuries. Rena who hadn’t existed in my life for years until she sent that letter. Why, after all these years, was this happening now?
I rolled off the floor, onto my feet, and opened the small drawer connected to my desk. With a steady hand, I pulled out the letter she had sent. It’d been sealed away, desperate for air, since the day I received it.
My dearest Mirabella,
I’m so proud of you and all your accomplishments. There’s never a day that passes where I’m not thinking of you.
You are my beginning and my ending, and as nature would have it, we’ll always be a part of each other. Always.
Though I want to see you, as things are currently, I’m unable to come to you right now, but I promise, I’m trying very hard to find a secure way to bring us together. There are many matters you and your father need to know … many of which I cannot detail in this letter.
You may already be well aware of this now, and if not, soon, but the world isn’t how it appears. Don’t be deceived by those who are close to you, even if they seem as though they may be on your side. Everything is a sign. Everything is a warning. Trust your instincts. And above all else, please, for the love of gods, be safe.
Enclosed is a family heirloom. It will act as a ward; it will protect you since I cannot. Wear it and don’t let it out of your sight. Undoubtedly, it has always been yours, Mirabella.
Remember:
More than the stars in the sky …
More than the air in the world …
More than the life I live …
that’s how much I love you.
Everything I’ve done has been for you, for your father. I swear it on my life.
Amor vincit omnia,
Mama
There, in the letter. She’d said, “It has always been yours.” Always. Was it possible this old thing could really be a family heirloom? Doubt consumed me, but then again, there was so much left unsaid about Rena’s family, where she’d come from. The information had always been sparse, lacking much detail. If this pendant was inherited, who in the family had needed to retain something as powerful as this, and what did they need protection from?
