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.

around for

won't be erased by your touch. You can hold

Why would I

could. She noses at it on the ground. The magic within is gone. Depleted. Holding

to me?" 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 into my

talents to say, but you can always ask your teacher

"What do you mean,

isn't aggressive, but more of a wolfish grumble as she snaps

Did she?

there's a vague memory of

conversation like that.

10:26

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Ava: Mom's

a teacher. But then again, how was I supposed to know she could do that, when she ca

"What about Lucas' wolf?"

No.

head. "Do you have a problem with him? Did

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

Probably soon.

stomach sinking to my toes.

What now?"

is as it seems, and you might be upset with

feel misery coming off her in waves. She won't even meet my eyes, even when I walk around her to force it.

about it

even as she slinks off the

1. it.

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Mom's

be angry with

soft mental whisper brings frustrated tears to my

won't be angry with you. Just come out here and

me."

knees, trying to coax her out from beneath the bed, when the guard knocks again and

"Oka-ouch."