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"It's beautiful," Kyra breathed.

"And very old," Jasmine added.

"Five thousand years," Annani confirmed.

Fenella eyed the necklace with obvious apprehension. "And you want me to touch it and see if I can pick up anything about Khiann?"

"That is my hope, yes," Annani said. "But the truth is that I do not expect to miraculously find Khiann with its help."

"That's a relief," Fenella said dryly.

Annani smiled. "The necklace has been in my possession far longer than it was in Khiann's. I have worn it countless times throughout the millennia. I fear that any impressions you might receive will be of my memories, not his."

"That's kind of obvious," Fenella said.

"It still might provide some insight." Annani traced her finger over the delicate pattern. "Perhaps the necklace retains some impression of the moment Khiann presented it to me, or of him fastening it around my neck, and maybe that will give you the connection you need to where he is now."

Fenella's brow furrowed. "I don't know if I can control what I see. With Kyra's pendant, the visions just flooded in."

"I understand that, child. All I am asking you to do is try."

"Of course." Fenella straightened her shoulders. "I'm willing to try anything and everything to help you find Khiann."

That was said with so much conviction that Annani felt touched. Fenella was not motivated just by gratitude. It was about one woman feeling the pain of another and wanting to do everything in her power to alleviate it.

It was the essence of goodness.

Annani held out the box but hesitated before passing it to Fenella. This necklace was one of her most treasured possessions, a tangible connection to Khiann that had survived when so much else had been lost to time. Letting another handle it, even for such an important purpose, required an act of trust.

"Perhaps we should do this over the sofa," Jasmine suggested. "In case Fenella drops it like she did with the pendant."

"It's a valid concern," Fenella said. "My heart nearly shattered along with the pendant when I dropped it after the visions hit me."

"The sofa is a wise precaution," Annani agreed, moving to sit beside Fenella. She placed the velvet box between them.

Fenella took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's do this."

"Perhaps I should hold your hand?" Kyra asked. "When we work together, our abilities seem to strengthen each other."

"That is a good idea," Annani said. "The shared maternal lineage creates a resonance between you three. It is why the Fates brought you here together."

Kyra moved to sit on Fenella's other side, taking her free hand, while Jasmine positioned herself on the floor before them, her hand resting on Fenella's knee.

Fenella stared at the necklace for a long moment, then slowly extended her hand. Her fingers hovered over the gold, trembling slightly. "Here goes nothing," she murmured, and closed her hand around the delicate chain.

The effect was almost immediate. Fenella's eyes widened, her pupils dilating as her gaze turned inward. Her grip on Kyra's hand tightened, and her breathing became shallow and rapid.

Annani watched, heart pounding, as emotions flickered across Fenella's face—wonder, confusion, and something that looked unsettlingly like fear.

What was she seeing?

What memories did the necklace preserve?

After what seemed an eternity but could only have been seconds, Fenella gasped and released the necklace, letting it fall back into its velvet nest. She pulled her hand away as if burned, her face pale.

"Fenella?" Kyra sounded concerned. "Are you all right?"

"I—yes," Fenella managed, though she looked unsettled. "It was intense."