Page 40 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

MICAI

W e head into my dorm room, closing the door quickly behind us as I take the necklace from the box tightly gripped between my fingers. But before I can properly hold it, Ezra whips it from my hands, his eyes narrowed at the delicate gold necklace.

“Ezra—”

“Micai, it could be dangerous.” Ezra cuts me off, the flecks of lilac growing in his eyes as they glare toward the necklace. “You shouldn’t have accepted it. What if it’s like the bracelet, what if it tries to hurt?—”

“It’s my mother’s.”

As soon as the words leave my lips, Ezra freezes, his eyes slightly widening as they turn toward me.

I gently take the necklace from his hands and brush my fingers around the gold metal and the sapphire jewel encased in it. It’s as beautiful and bright as it was in the photo with her.

“It belonged to my mother and was an heirloom passed down to her by her family. I don’t know as much about her as I would like. All I had was one photo ... and even that was destroyed.”

I raise the necklace up, letting the gold chain wrap around my fingers before letting it cascade down my palm. “This is all I have left of her now.”

“And the bitch knew it,” Annex grits out, anger swirling in his blue eyes. “I’ll go back up there and—” He takes a step toward my dorm room door, but I place a hand out, stopping him.

“It’s fine. This is all I need.” I grasp the small treasure, rubbing my fingers along the intricate designs around its gem.

“Micai.” Ezra steps closer, a hesitation in his gaze as it flickers between me and the necklace.

“But it still might not be safe. She could have done something to it. There’s no way she would give you something like this out of the kindness of her shrivelled-up black heart.

” He gently reaches his hand out toward me. “Can I check it for you at least?”

I nod before placing it in his palm, his hold on the old heirloom more gentle this time as he examines it. His eyes glow lilac, the feel of his magic shifting in the air, slowly moving back and forth around the gold metal and blue gem sitting in his hands.

After another couple of minutes, his brows furrow, his eyes narrowing as his magic slowly dissipates.

“What’s wrong? What did she do?” My eyes flit between Ezra and the necklace, wondering what horrible curse or hex Seria had placed on my mother’s heirloom.

Ezra sighs, frustration etched across his features.

“There’s nothing. Not even a little of what I felt from the bracelet either.

No energy whatsoever. I can’t sense a thing.

” His brows pinch downward. “But even that’s suspicious, because something as old as this should have traces of some sort of energy .

.. especially if it was a beloved piece.

” His gaze turns toward me. “I don’t trust it or her.

Every fibre of my being and every instinct tells me she’s done something to it .

.. I just can’t quite figure out what.”

I go to take the necklace from his hands, but he sidesteps me.

“Micai, I don’t want you to get hurt. I understand that it’s your mother’s, but?—”

“I trust your judgement, Ezra.” I take a step closer, cutting his words short. “And I have no plans to wear it or play into her mind games.” I lift my hand, my palm open and waiting.

He looks at my face before slowly placing it in my hand.

“She knew what this would mean to me.” My fingers close over the necklace. “The importance it would hold ... she knew I wouldn’t turn it down.”

I glance down at the bright blue sapphire. “I’m not stupid. She’s given this to me for a reason, and she never means well. There’s a plot or some evil scheme behind it all ... I just hate that she’s using this against me.”

“Then I say we burn it.” Annex steps forward, glaring at the sapphire heirloom like it’s a personal insult to him. “If it’s a tool in your evil half-bitch’s plans then we shouldn’t be playing along. Let’s get rid of it.”

My eyes narrow toward a small fleck of brown dirt on the gem. I brush it away before turning toward Annex and answering him.

“But it’s all I have left of her.” My voice slightly cracks as I grasp the gold metal and gem tighter.

My words have both Annex and Ezra falling silent as I softly trace the small gold design around the jewel.

“I wasn’t allowed near any of her possessions. Only after pleading with a newer servant in the house did I manage to get my hands on one photo of her. It was my most precious possession and the only piece I had of her.”

That photo was the only thing I had that belonged to her. And in it she wore this.

Even touching it is making my emotions well up. She looked so happy wearing it in the photo too.

Many times, when I was younger, and when I was locked in The Facility I would think If she were alive, maybe things would have been different .

Maybe Greere wouldn’t have been with Seria’s mom if mine were still here. Maybe Seria wouldn’t have existed. Maybe I wouldn’t have lost everything ...

But if Mom was still alive ... maybe I wouldn’t have existed either.

I grip the necklace in my hands before placing it gently on top of my dresser.

My brows pinch together as I lean onto the dresser, steadying myself.

“And yet Greere Bane gave this— my mother’s heirloom —to Seria.

” Annoyance that quickly grows into rage pricks at my chest as my memories overflow.

I wasn’t allowed to have anything that belonged to my mother.

I couldn’t even ask . I was told they were too important, too delicate, and that they had to be kept safe.

And yet, he gave something so precious away so easily.

To the daughter he loved. To his daughter.

Not my mother’s. Not me .

The corner of the dresser cracks and splinters under my grip, a chunk of the corner falling away as I pull my hand back and brush the chips of wood away.

Annex kicks the broken bits that have fallen on the floor away before he and Ezra wrap their arms around me. Ezra stands flush against my back with Annex to my front.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that shit, Micai.” Ezra places a kiss on my shoulder.

“We’ll happily rob the Greg bastard blind and take back all your mom’s stuff. Then we’ll burn the bastard’s shit to ashes, Red.” I think he means Greere.

A smile tilts my lips as some of my anger begins to seep from me. I take a deep breath, inhaling their soft and sweet scents that surround me and instantly lean in closer.

“I may take you up on that one day.” The idea of destroying the house that held so many painful and lonely memories makes me feel a small sliver of joy.

And everything that Greere Bane tries to uphold and has built ... I would love nothing more than to watch it fade to ash and then walk away from it all for good.

I understand more now from losing Ezra in my past life, and Annex in this one, that losing your Mate or the one you love .

.. is a fate worse than death. Your world crumbles around you, each breath is an effort and a struggle to survive when you only want to be with them, to see them again . .. even in death.

But if I had a child ... if I had Ezra’s child beside me ... I would have lived for them. The thought has me choking back tears and a knot tightening in my throat and chest.

I would have lived for that child. I would have fought through that pain and loss each and every day for the love of them. They would have been a living piece of the Mate I adored more than anything else in this world ... and a fragment of the love we had for each other.

How could I have ever felt anything else?

What I’ve learned from all this is that Greere Bane was no father to me. He had a choice to be one, and he chose to not be.

He chose Seria. He gave her all the love and attention a daughter should have from her father. But couldn’t spare me a drop.

And I will never love a father who never wanted me to exist.

To him, I wasn’t worth even seeing, let alone raising.

So, to me, he isn’t worth shit.

I wrap one arm around Annex and use my other to pull Ezra closer.

This is family. These men that love me wholly and unconditionally.

They’ve had my back even before we truly knew what we were to one another. They make me a stronger woman by simply being with them.

I reach up and place a gentle kiss against Annex’s lips before turning back toward Ezra and doing the same. We have each other now.

I glance toward the necklace still sitting on the broken dresser.

“I know she’s up to something. She couldn’t not be. She knows this belonged to my mother and how I have nothing of hers. That’s why she’s using it.” A heavy sigh falls from my lips as I lean my head against Annex’s chest.

“I just don’t know what to do. I’d prefer if it wasn’t destroyed while we find out what she’s done, but ... I don’t know if that’s possible.”

To do a more thorough search we would have to use more forceful magic, and that could ruin the necklace.

I clench my fists. The bitch knew exactly what she was doing.

Either I keep it and wear it and fall into her trap. Or I destroy it, and in the process, ruin a piece of my mother that I can never get back.

The thought instantly has an ache slicing through my chest.

Annex wraps his hand around my fist. “I could bring it to Isaiah.”

My brows pinch together. “Who’s Isaiah?”

A knowing smile coats Annex’s lips.

“The blacksmith from Ellie’s.” He places a kiss on my head before pulling back and looking between me and Ezra.

“I know you have some kind of beef with him, but he’s also a magical engineer.

He could be able to check if it’s been spelled or shit.

And he should be able to take it apart and put it back together without damaging it .

.. you’ve seen his skills with metal work and jewellery.

He’s detailed and careful even on the tiny shit.

” His blue eyes watch me, a small smile tipping his lips upward. “But it’s up to you.”

A heavy sigh escapes my lips as I nod and straighten myself.

As much as I didn’t like the big gruff asshole, his work seemed to speak for itself. If he could help me and keep my mother’s heirloom intact, then I’ll entrust it to Annex and him.

Annex takes the necklace, grabbing one of my socks from my drawer before placing it inside and putting it in his pocket.

He glances my way as I quirk a brow.

“For safekeeping, Red.” His hand dives back into the drawer, pulling out a white lacey bra before grinning and bundling it up to add as well.

Before he can add it to his pocket, Ezra smacks him, grabbing the bra and placing it back in the drawer. “Behave, you horny asshole.”

“Don’t pretend like you wouldn’t take it.” Annex grins, rubbing his head.

Ezra rolls his eyes, a small smile stretching his cheeks.

I chuckle as they both begin to bicker playfully, lifting the sombre mood of moments ago.

My eyes glances toward Annex’s pocket.

Hopefully, he’ll be able to get an answer about what Seria was up to.

And keep my mother’s treasure intact.