Tangled

190

190

190 Ava: Mom's Legacy (III)

"What the hell?" I mutter, turning the necklace over. There's some dried blood on the chain, and it's broken.

The blood, I'm sure, is mine.

Selene pads over, her ears perke h. This is...

"My necklace. Yeah. How the fuck did it end up in my suitcase? And even that was packed all the way in Westwood territory, yet I lost this during the fight with Todd."

Her nose flares as she sniffs at it. It's a message.

"A message? From who?"

That cagey feeling again, as Selene avoids a direct answer. One who can teach you.

"Selene-we're not doing this cryptic bullshit again. Who is this a message from, and how? In fact, how did it ever show up in my apartment the first time?"

Her huff irritates me like nothing else, and I snap, "Selene, this isn't funny. I'm sick of the secrets. You're always waiting until too late to tell me things, and it isn't fair."

It isn't always a choice to hide things from you, she mutters. I'm bound by too many things.

"I swear to the Moon Goddess, if this is one of those things you said about the natural order of the world..." My threatening tone has nothing behind it, but she flinches anyway. No. This is a vow given to the Moon Goddess, in exchange for your

10:26 C

1/5

100 Ava: Mom's Legacy (1)

security. In fact, you can consider the Moon Goddess the messenger in this instance. Her scent is all over that necklace.

I drop the necklace as though it's on fire. "What do you mean, her

scent?"

The thought of touching something with a divine scent on it is abhorrent. Like I'm defiling a precious artifact.

look around for a

by your touch. You can hold it. You can even put it in your

Why would I do something like

the ground. The magic within is gone. Depleted. Holding it won't do anything. You

Maybe it's less about defiling the divine after all, and more that it feels kind of gross to touch something that's been magicked

to say, but you can always ask your teacher when

teacher. Right. "What do

more of a wolfish grumble as she snaps at the air. I

Did she?

it, there's

conversation like that.

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Ava: Mom's

was supposed to find a teacher. But then again, how was I supposed to know she could do that, when she ca I can talk to anyone I wish to. I've been speaking with Jericho's wolf.

"What about Lucas' wolf?"

No.

too terse, ringing warning bells in my head. "Do you have a problem with him? Did you know him in your

but I reel in my curiosity for more important matters. "When will my teacher be

Probably soon. You should

stomach sinking to

What now?"

be upset with us, even when

her in waves. She won't even meet my eyes,

about it until

she slinks off the bed to crawl

1. it.

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Mom's Legacy

be angry with

mental whisper brings frustrated

be angry with you. Just come

me."

to coax her out from beneath the bed, when the

"Oka-ouch."