“What?”
She’s kneeling in front of the dresser, jewelry box open, hands hovering, afraid to touch what’s inside.
“It’s not here,” she says. “My locket. My grandmother’s. I always keep it right here. On the nightstand, or in the box.”
Her breathing starts to hitch.
“No. No, no… I didn’t move it. I would remember if I moved it. It’s Evie’s, it’s important to me.”
I drop to a knee beside her.
“Okay,” I say. “Slow down. We’ll find it.”
This isn’t supposed to happen here. This town is supposed to be quiet. Predictable. The kind of place where people leave doors unlocked and trust the wrong things.
I open the drawer wider. Check behind it. Under the dresser. My movements are controlled, methodical, but cold starts spreading through my chest.
“Aurora,” I say carefully. “Tell me about the locket.”
Her hands are shaking now. “It was Evie’s. She wore it every day. I… I keep it with me. Always. I didn’t take it to the Hollow last night. I swear. It’s a heart shape, with a photo inside it, and I can’t lose it, I just can’t…”
I stand slowly, scanning the room again, seeing it differently now. The window latch. The angle of the rug. The way the air feels disturbed.
My jaw goes tight.
This doesn’t feel misplaced.
This is a message.
She scrambles to her feet, panic flashing bright in her eyes. “What if someone took it?”
I step closer, hands light but firm on her shoulders, trying to calm her.
“Look at me,” I say.
She does.
“I’m here,” I tell her. “You’re safe right now. If they came in here, I’m sure it’s when you were at The Hollow, and I can assure you, you’re protected there.”
Her eyes search mine. I think she’s anchoring herself to something solid. My grip tightens just a fraction.
Inside, everything shifts.
Whatever this is, it just got real.
And Ryder is not going to want any of this at all.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aurora
By the timewe get back to The Hollow, my nerves have been skinned.
Everything looks normal, which feels offensive. The barstools are where they always are. The lights hum softly. Someone’s laughter drifts in from the back like the world didn’t just shift a few degrees to the left.
I don’t trust it.
Finn looks up the second we walk in.
