I pulled back the cloth and stilled. A white stone was set into a rounded piece of dark wood dangling from a leather band. Other colors swirled inside the stone that caught the light when turned from side to side, like a glass prism. “A necklace?”
“It’s a protection charm,” Briar said. “One we all put a part of ourselves into. My magic powers the stone.”
“I sculpted the wood,” Lake added softly.
“And the leather strap was taken from a piece of my armor,” Maddox said. He had moved closer too.
“Now, you’ll have a piece of all three of us protecting you wherever you go,” Briar said.
My vision blurred as I stared at the necklace. They had clearly put a lot of time and care into making it. Maddox knelt beside Briar, and Lake stood behind them. I shifted forward and pushed my face against Maddox’s shoulder before nuzzling Briar’s cheek. I then peered up at Lake. As if knowing what I wanted, he bent down and let me nuzzle his cheek too.
I wanted to speak, to thank them, but I couldn’t say a word. Emotion was tight in my throat. One word and I’d probably start crying.
“I suppose it silenced him after all,” Maddox said with his trademark smirk. “No gag required.”
A gruff sound left Lake, and when Maddox looked at him, Lake turned his face away. Trying to hide the fact he’d laughed. Maddox’s smirk then slipped into a genuine smile.
“Let’s see how it fits.” Briar grabbed the necklace. “The length can be adjusted if need be.”
I lowered my head and let him put it on me. As it settled into place, resting over my heart, I felt… something. Small vibrations in my chest, right beneath where the stone sat. Those vibrations then traveled through the rest of me, creating little pulses of warmth. Whether real or just in my head, I had no idea, but I felt as though the love they put into the gift seeped into me, intensifying the protective magic.
“Looks like an excellent fit to me.” Maddox touched the stone, and it faintly glowed beneath his fingertip. “You did well, physician.”
“A compliment? From you?” Briar asked. “I must be dreaming.”
“Yes, well, don’t get used to it.” Maddox placed his hand on my thigh. Rubbed it once. “You being so quiet is worrisome. I already miss your rambles.”
Lake’s ears twitched. “Is it not to your liking?”
“That’s not it.” My voice cracked. “I love it. A lot. Thank you all so much. I…” Words failed me as I dropped my gaze back to the necklace.
The wood had been carved to fit the stone perfectly. Engravings ran along the outside too that looked like writing, but the language was unfamiliar.
Lake neared my other side and crouched, placing his hand over mine as I smoothed the pad of my thumb across the inscription. “Words from my homeland,” he said. “Well, from the land demi-humans originated from. A place long since lost to time. My father taught me the language, though, just as his father taught it to him.”
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“Eternal sun,” Lake answered as he guided my finger across the words. “That’s how I see you, Evan. As the sun. You came into my lonely world and led me out of the dark. And as long as your heart beats, that sun will continue to burn bright.”
Fresh tears sprang to my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I looked at each of their faces, my affection for them deepening. “This is the best gift you could’ve ever given me, apart from yourselves.”
“Be sure to never take it off,” Maddox said.
“I won’t.” Me wearing the protection charm would hopefully give him some peace of mind. “You’re the one who really needs one though. You’re always running into dangerous situations.”
“I can take care of myself,” he said. “And I don’t need a charm to do it.”
“But it couldn’t hurt,” Briar whispered, looking at him. “Evan is precious to all of us. His safety comes before anything. But you’re precious too, Maddox.”
Softness touched Maddox’s eyes. A trace of shock did too. Had he not realized Briar loved him as well? “I suppose wearing one couldn’t hurt. However, I’m not fond of jewelry.” He slowly turned the silver band on his finger. “Apart from this ring, anyway.”
“It doesn’t have to be a ring or necklace,” Briar said, pushing his glasses farther up his nose. He went from bashful, lovesick cutie to sexy scholar eager to share his knowledge in the blink of an eye. “The charm can be a pendant that clips to your chest armor or cloak. It can also be placed into a wrist cuff or anything really, as long as it’s worn on your person. My goal is to eventually craft enough charms to hand out to all the knights, so they can wear them on patrols and missions in the dark wood. Maybe not as strong as that one, but even a basic protection charm will be beneficial.”
“The charms require a particular type of stone, yes?” Lake asked.
“Depending on your intention,” Briar answered. “A protection charm can be crafted to repel magical attacks, physical ones, and also to protect a person from psychological attacks, such as possession or mind control. The one used for Evan’s charm is a selenite crystal that I infused with the essence of other powerful gems.”
“I love when you talk smart,” I said. “Gets me all hot and bothered.”
