Page 207 of The Devil's Thorn

I snorted and took the coffee, though the weight of her words hung heavier than they should have. “It’s a trip, Anna. I’m not disappearing.”

She nodded, but her fingers tapped against her cup too quickly. “Still. Italy is far.”

There it was again. That pause. That flicker in her gaze.

I tilted my head. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she said too fast. Then added with a softer smile, “I just worry about you. That’s all.”

I frowned. My gut twisted, not painfully, just… unsure. “You’re sure that’s it?”

Anna sat across from me, her hands wrapped around her mug. Her posture was casual, but her eyes didn’t match the smile on her lips. “I don’t like that look on your face, Isabella. You’re reading into things again.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t look like you’re about to tell me I’ve been adopted or something.” I laughed, but the sound fell flat.

Anna’s smile faltered for a second, almost too fast to catch, but not fast enough for someone who watched as closely as I did.

My chest pulled tight. “Anna…”

She leaned forward, her voice soft. “You’re overthinking again. You always do that when you’re nervous. You’ve got alot coming up—this trip, whatever’s going on between you and Rafael…”

I looked away at the mention of his name, heat rising in my chest. “That’s complicated.”

“Of course it is.” Anna exhaled, and her expression shifted into something knowing. “But just remember something, okay?”

I looked at her again.

“You’re stronger than you think. And not everyone who gets close to you is trying to hurt you.”

That… hit something. I didn’t answer right away. Just sipped the coffee, now slightly cooled, and tried to breathe through the sudden weight in the room.

After a moment, I forced a smirk. “You sound like you’re sending me off to war.”

Anna smiled back, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Just be careful, Bella.”

I nodded slowly, glancing out the window. The car was still there. Kellan was probably tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, counting down the seconds before storming up here to get me.

“I should go.”

Anna stood as I did, pulling me into a tight hug. I closed my eyes for a second, her warmth sinking into my skin like it had the first day I met her. Like safety. Like comfort I hadn’t known I needed until she offered it.

“You’ll come back, right?” she whispered.

I pulled back, smiling despite the unease curling in my stomach. “Of course.” But for some reason, I didn’t believe it.

I stood up, smoothing my palms down the sides of my black pants, the material sharp and tailored, matching the coat Rafael had left hanging for me that morning. He said nothing about it. Just laid it over the chair, tags still on, folded with a kind of quiet command that didn’t need words. Like everything he did.

Anna moved around her apartment slowly, her bare feet soundless on the floor, the hem of her silk robe trailing behind her like smoke. I watched her fuss with something on the kitchen counter—too long for it to be anything meaningful. Her hands were fidgety. Nervous. Strange.

“Anna,” I said gently, tilting my head. “Are you sure everything’s alright? You’ve been… off this morning.”

She turned, the corners of her mouth tugging into a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m fine, tesoro. Just a little tired. That’s all.”

Lie.

I opened my mouth to press, but she stepped forward instead, her fingers reaching into the pocket of her robe. “Before you go,” she said softly, “I wanted to give you something.”

I blinked as she held out a small object between her fingers. A pendant—silver, old, a little tarnished. Oval-shaped, with delicate engraving that caught the sunlight pouring through the window. There was something timeless about it. Like it had stories tucked inside it that no one remembered anymore.