Page 122 of Crossed Fates
She held the ring up to the light, examining every crevice, then hummed happily. “Thanks for keeping this safe, Mak.”
“Keeping it safe?” I repeated.
She slipped a chain from her neck and threaded an end through the ring before reattaching the necklace at her nape. Then she thumbed the bright blue sapphire amulet situated at her breastbone. The ruby ring glistened beside it, the magic seeming to spark to life.
I half expected her to create a portal and jump through it, but instead her dazzling gaze lifted to mine, the blue irises displaying a clarity I rarely saw on her.
“Your new portal stone has some…” Her head bobbed back and forth as she considered how to continue. “Unique qualities,” she finally finished. “It still allows you to move between realms. But it also does some other things.”
“My new portal stone?” I asked, looking at her amulet.
Her fingers brushed the precious sapphire and smiled. “Oh, yes. It’s a ruby, too. Just like the ring. I thought it would be quite pleasant for you to match the family jewels.”
I stared at her. “You’re not making any sense.” Which was pretty par for the course with Sapphire.
“Earrings,” she murmured, her expression brightening. “Protection and all. But the earrings don’t portal. They just glimmer with love. So much love, Makayla.” She grabbed my hand. “Oh, I’m so pleased for you!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I admitted.
She sighed in response, low and dramatic. “Always have to spell it out.” Then her eyes widened, her lips curling into an excited grin. “Oh! Spell it out. Get it?”
I just continued to stare at her, aware that she would find her point eventually if I didn’t give in to her insanity antics.
She giggled.
Then sighed again before saying, “Fine, fine. The amulet is my real gift to you for saving me all those years ago. The ring was just temporary, and I need it back now. It’s a Romanov heirloom and the key to finding the famous Queen of Slayers.” She brushed her finger over her lips. “But, shh, that’s a secret for now. Maybe we’ll invite you out to play. Maybe we won’t.”
Her eyes took on her usual faraway gleam.
“The future is murky,” she whispered. “Depends on choices. So many choices.”
She shook her head as though to clear it, the witch rarely remaining in the present for long.
“Anyway, the new amulet—which I believe Nathan has just retrieved from Jude in the other room—is the one you seek.” She glanced down the hallway toward the main room. “It has all the same properties, and new ones. Did I mention the new ones?” Her blue eyes danced over me. “When did you find clothes?”
I huffed a laugh at her abrupt subject change. “Marc brought them for me.” A pair of jeans and a tank top, plus a pair of socks and sneakers.
“Jean-Marc,” Sapphire mused, her expression twisting into one of pure amusement. “Sexy man, that Jean-Marc. Bit of a dick, though.”
“You’re just as fucking charming as ever,” Marc returned as he stepped into the hallway. As a vampire—and a French royal one at that—he had excellent hearing. Something Sapphire obviously knew.
Their “relationship” seemed to span multiple decades, or maybe even centuries, something Marc had failed to mention when he’d recruited me to help retrieve her from this realm all those years ago. He’d just called her a nuisance of a witch with a penchant for fortune-telling. I’d later realized that she’d reached out to him for a reason—she trusted him. To an extent, anyway.
They weren’t dating.
Actually, it was rather clear that they didn’t even like each other at all.
But she helped him with cases, and he returned the favor by occasionally saving her ass when needed.
I didn’t know all the particulars because I didn’t ask.
“It looks like Savannah’s going to be okay,” Marc told me, ignoring Sapphire.
“Very okay,” the witch chirped. “So very, very okay. More than okay. Purrfect really.” She gave him a bedazzling smile as he turned to glare at her. “Wolves should learn to purr, don’t you think?” she asked him.
“Why are you even here?” he demanded.
“For this,” she said, gesturing to the ring at her chest. “Obviously.” She gave me a look like I should agree with her, then she shrugged. “I also wanted closure. This whole mess is finally coming to an end. Assuming you check the hard drive over…” She trailed off, considering the rooms. “Well, it’s around here somewhere. All the other locations. Research files. Everything to content your pretty little head.” She reached out to pat him on said head, and he growled at her.
