I shove the letter back into my pocket, its weight pressing against me like an anchor. My hands tremble, but I push through the fear bubbling up inside. I need to make sense of this. Ryan and his brother killed my parents. That thought alone feels like an insurmountable weight, like a boulder lodged deep in my chest.
I sit down at the desk, trying to steady myself. The study feels too quiet now, too still. The pendant in my pocket pulses again, its warmth a constant reminder of the path I'm on. I pull it out and trace the intricate patterns with my thumb, but it offers no answers. Nothing.
I try to focus, but the letter keeps replaying in my mind: the Court, the treason, my parents' murder. And Cassie—a sorceress? How long has she been hiding the truth from me?
I press my palm to my forehead, trying to push the thoughts away. But they come back, relentless, like waves crashing against me.
Why didn't she tell me?
I stand and pace the room, back and forth, back and forth, until I can no longer ignore the gnawing feeling that I'm missing something crucial. Every time I think I have a grasp on what's going on, the ground shifts beneath me. The Court, Justin's family, Ryan—they're all tangled up in this mess. And I have no idea who to trust.
I glance at the desk, at the journal and the papers scattered across it. I can't stay here, drowning in questions. What else am I missing?
The door creaks, and I freeze. My heart skips a beat. I turn toward it, expecting the worst. But it's just the wind, rattling the house.
I sigh and sit back down, running my hands through my hair. I need to think clearly. I need to get out of this room before it drives me crazy. But I can't ignore the feeling that something is just out of reach. Like there's a piece of the puzzle that's sitting right in front of me—but I don't know how to see it yet.
I glance at the pendant again, its heat still persistent. I can't shake the feeling that it's trying to tell me something. But what?
As I glance around the study, I feel the familiar pull of the space. The shadows seem deeper today, heavier with the weight of everything I've learned. I'm suffocating under all these unanswered questions. Ryan, Justin's family, the Court—it's all one big tangle of betrayal and secrets, and I'm standing right in the middle of it. The truth feels just beyond my grasp, slipping through my fingers like sand.
I can't let this go. Not when there are still so many things I don't understand.
I stand up and pace the room, my eyes scanning the bookshelves, as if something hidden there will give me the answers I need. But every book feels like it holds a piece of a puzzle I don't yet have the full picture of. The pendant in my pocket pulses again, a constant reminder that something is trying to reach me, to pull me toward something.
Why does it react when Justin and his family are near? What's the connection?
I take a deep breath and walk over to the desk. I need to focus. I can't let myself get lost in this sea of questions. I have to keep going, I have to make sense of all of it.
But my thoughts keep returning to Justin, to the strange tension between us, to the way he always seems to know when the pedant reacts around him, to the way I can't fully understand him. The pendant's warmth seems to draw me toward him, and I hate that I don't know why.
I push the thought away. This isn't about Justin right now. It's about the truth. I need answers. I need to know what's going on with Ryan, with the Court, with the pendants, where Cassie, my mom, is.
And I know I won't get those answers by just standing here.
I leave the study, feeling the weight of the letter in my pocket. As I walk through the quiet house, the pendant feels like it's burning a hole in my side. Its warmth presses against me, insistent, and I wonder if it's trying to tell me something. But what?
I stop in front of the front door. I need to get out of here. I need to go somewhere where I can think clearly.
The library.
I don't know why, but it's the first place that comes to mind. Maybe because it's where I've always gone when I needed answers. I grab my coat and head out the door, the pendant's pull growing stronger with every step.
The town feels still as I walk down the street. The early morning fog hangs in the air, blanketing everything in a heavy quiet. My footsteps echo in the empty streets, and I feel the weight of the pendant in my pocket, urging me forward.
When I arrive at the library, I push open the heavy oak door, the familiar creak of the hinges breaking the silence. The smell of old books welcomes me, and I step inside, the cool air of the library a small relief. The rows of bookshelves feel like the only place where I can make sense of all this.
I walk straight to the section labeled "Fae Lore," my fingers brushing against the spines of books that seem to date back centuries. I pull out an old volume, opening it to scan through the pages. The words blur before my eyes, the same myths and stories that don't help me make sense of my own life.
The Court, Ryan, the pendants, Justin's family—all tangled together in a way I don't understand, and it's driving me mad trying to fit the pieces together. I glance around the library, searching for something—anything—that might offer clarity. But the more I look, the more the answers slip further away.
The pendant in my pocket hums again, its warmth growing more insistent. I pull it out, feeling the steady thrum against my palm, like it's trying to tell me something. But I can't figure it out. Not yet.
I close my eyes for a moment, trying to feel its pull, trying to sense the connection. But nothing changes. The silence in the library is deafening, and the pendant feels like it's just a piece of jewelry in my hand, nothing more.
When I open my eyes again, I catch a glimpse of her.
Natalia.
She's standing behind me, as if she appeared out of thin air. My heart skips a beat, my pulse quickening. I stiffen, unsure of what to do. Her presence is unsettling, like a shadow I can't shake off. She watches me, her gaze sharp and calculating.
"I didn't expect to see you here," I say, my voice steady despite the nervousness coiling in my stomach.
She smiles faintly, but there's no warmth in it. It's almost a challenge, daring me to ask the wrong question.
"I'm always here," she says, stepping closer. Her eyes flicker to the pendant in my hand, and for a brief moment, I swear I see recognition in her eyes. It's gone too quickly for me to be sure, but it's enough to make my stomach twist with unease.
"I see you've been busy," she adds, her voice light, almost playful.
I force myself to look away, trying to avoid her probing gaze. I don't want to be caught off guard again. "Just trying to understand things," I say, though the words feel hollow. It's true, but it feels like I'm grasping at straws, trying to pull threads from a web I can't untangle.
Natalia tilts her head, studying me with an unreadable expression. "You think you'll find what you're looking for here?" she asks, almost like she's testing me.
I can't hide my uncertainty. "I don't know," I admit. "But I have to try."
She steps closer, lowering her voice. "I think you're looking in the wrong place. The answers you seek aren't here. They never were."
A chill runs down my spine. "What do you mean?" The words slip out before I can stop them, my curiosity outweighing my caution.
Her gaze flickers to mine, and there's something almost haunting in the way she looks at me. She seems lost in her thoughts for a moment before she answers, her voice soft. "I've been trying to figure it out, too. But everything I've learned just makes it more complicated. The pendants… my parents…" She trails off, her voice barely audible, as if speaking the words out loud is a burden.
I wait for her to continue, but she doesn't. Instead, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out something small and silver—a key.
She holds it out to me, her fingers trembling just slightly as she passes it to me.
"Take it," she says, her voice urgent. "It'll unlock something you need to see."
I hesitate, unsure of what to make of this sudden shift in her demeanor. What's she hiding? Why is she giving me this?
I reach out, my fingers brushing against the cold metal of the key. It sends a shiver up my spine. "What is this for?" I ask.
"Don't ask me," she replies quickly, her frustration evident. "Ask your parents. Or better yet, ask the Court. They're the ones with the answers you need."
Before I can ask anything more, she turns away, her footsteps echoing softly as she walks deeper into the library. I'm left standing there, the key cold in my hand, my thoughts racing. I don't understand what just happened. Why did she give me this? What does it mean?
I stare at the key, its weight heavy with unspoken meaning. What does it unlock? And why do I feel like it's the key to something much bigger than I understand?
I slip the key into my pocket, feeling a cold shiver crawl down my spine. As I turn to leave the library, I can't shake the feeling that everything is about to change. Whatever truth this key leads to, it's going to shift everything.
And then there's Justin.
I try not to think about him—about the way he looks at me, like there's more he wants to say but doesn't. I still don't understand why the pendant reacts when he's near, why it feels like it's pulling me in two directions when I'm around him. What does he know?
I shake my head, trying to clear it. I can't keep thinking about him. Not yet. Not when I don't have all the pieces. But a part of me wonders: if I confront him, will he give me the answers I need, or will he just make everything more complicated?
But as I turn to leave the library, a cold shiver runs down my spine. The weight of the key in my pocket now feels like a ticking clock, and I know that whatever it unlocks, whatever truth it reveals, is going to change everything.
********
I step out of the library, the door closing behind me with a soft thud. The streets are quieter now, the early morning mist still hanging in the air. As I walk, my thoughts drift back to Natalia. Her cryptic words echo in my mind: "The answers you seek aren't here. They never were." What did she mean by that? And why did she give me the key?
I want to understand. I need to understand.
The pendant hums again, its warmth more insistent now. It's like it's alive, like it's guiding me toward something. But what?
I walk back to my house, my footsteps slow and heavy, weighed down by everything I'm carrying. I can feel the key pressing against my side, a reminder of the truth I'm not ready for, but will have to face sooner or later.
When I get home, I immediately head to the study. I don't even bother going to my room first. My mind is too cluttered, too restless to think clearly. The study is still and quiet, just like it was the night before. The bookshelves stand in shadows, and I can almost feel the weight of all the secrets in this room.
I pull out the letter again, running my fingers over the edges. I read it once more, trying to make sense of it. The Court, Ryan, treason—it's too much to process. And Cassie's disappearance, her refusal to tell me the truth… I can't understand it. Why didn't she warn me?
My hands tremble as I fold the letter carefully and place it back into my pocket. I glance around the room. Everything feels wrong. It's like an unraveling thread that I can't seem to hold on to.
The walls feel like they're closing in on me, the weight of the letter, the pendant, and the key pressing on my chest. I want to make sense of it all, but there's just too much. Too many pieces scattered around me, too many questions I can't answer.
I place the letter down on the desk and reach for the pendant again. Its warmth is constant now, almost comforting, like it's trying to tell me something, urging me forward. I'm so close to the answers, but I don't know what they are yet. The pendant feels alive, thrumming against my palm, like it's trying to connect the dots I can't see.
The door creaks again, and I freeze. My mind flashes to Justin, to the cryptic ways he's been acting, to the way the pendant reacts when he's near. But this time, I don't turn around. I stay still, hoping it's just my mind playing tricks.
But then I hear the sound of footsteps. Footsteps that aren't mine.
I tense, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. Someone's here.
I stand up slowly, the pendant still clutched tightly in my hand. My thoughts are a whirlwind again, swirling between Justin and the mystery of the Court, of Ryan, and the secret that Cassie has been keeping from me. I don't want to confront anyone right now, especially not Justin. Not until I have more pieces of the puzzle.
I walk to the door, trying to steady my breath, trying to act like nothing's wrong. But the feeling that something's coming for me doesn't go away. I step outside, my gaze searching the house's dark corners, but no one's there. The silence around me is thick, the house standing still, as if it's holding its breath too.
I pull the pendant from my pocket again, feeling the warmth pulse through my fingers. It's as if the pendant's trying to give me direction. But what does it want me to do? Why is it drawing me to Justin? To the truth?
I sigh, feeling the weight of the uncertainty pressing down on me. I need answers. Answers that only seem to be slipping further and further from my reach.
Just as I decide to head back into the study, the sound of a knock on the door makes me freeze.
I hesitate. Then, reluctantly, I walk toward the door.
When I open it, I don't expect to see Justin standing there.
"Sarah," he says, his voice hesitant. "Can we talk?"
I should feel relieved, even curious, but instead, a knot tightens in my stomach. The pendant hums faintly again, as if it's reacting to him, to the unspoken tension that's been building between us.
I take a deep breath, my gaze darting between him and the pendant still in my hand. I don't know if I'm ready for this conversation, not yet, not when so much is still unclear. But at the same time, I know it's inevitable.
"Do we have to?" I ask, my voice softer than I intend, but my mind is so cluttered that it's hard to sound certain. "I'm not sure I'm ready for more questions right now."
Justin studies me for a moment, his expression unreadable. It's not the first time we've stood like this, on the verge of something important, but this time it feels heavier, like a weight we both can't shake. Finally, he nods.
"I get it," he says quietly. "But when you're ready, I'll be here."
I nod stiffly, unsure of what to say. As I close the door, I feel the weight of his words settle in my chest. There's so much I don't understand, and I don't know if I'm ready for the truth that's hiding just beyond my grasp.
I turn back to the study, the pendant in my hand now feeling like it's urging me to make a choice. As I walk back toward the desk, a thought occurs to me—why is the pendant so tied to Justin? Why does it react when he's near? What's the connection between him and the Court, between my parents' deaths, and what the pendant represents?
The room feels stifling, like I'm suffocating under the weight of unanswered questions. But then I hear the faintest whisper in my mind.
You're getting closer, Sarah. The answers are just ahead. You just have to be ready.
I don't know where the voice came from, but I feel it, deep in my bones.
Something's about to change.
And it's coming fast.