Page 35 of The Redd Key (Bone Coven #1)

T he pendant’s face rested on the table and gleamed under the warm lamplight of my apartment. Its surface was in no way tarnished, nor did it show any hints of being concealed under oceanic grime for three centuries. I reached out gently to touch the engraved filigree adorning the front of the oval charm. The etchings were shade darker than the shining silver. Delicately, I lifted the necklace from the cloth and into my hand.

A warmth radiated, intensifying to near burning the moment the metal settled in my palm. Gritting my teeth, I fought the urge to drop it. After a few heartbeats, the sting from the heat subsided. What was that? I swept my thumb over the intricate design. Something about it felt oddly familiar, stirring up long forgotten memories. The curvature of the carved crescent moon, entwined with vines, was guarded by small symbols at its four points. The marking above the moon resembled a star mid-burst. The two symbols on either side of the moon were nearly identical, both triangular in shape. The left one spiraled inward while the right one was hollow. At the bottom, the symbol looked like an upside down cross, but the horizontal line was a subtle wave with two peaks and two valleys.

My breath shook as I whispered, “How is this in perfect condition?”

Heat lingered in my hand, warm but not burning. I flipped it over and the smooth, pristine abc revealed a shadowy reflection of myself. The hinges refused to budge as I attempted to open the locket. Carefully, I tried to wedge something between the hinges, even used some lubricant, but nothing worked. A sudden knock on my door jolted me, and I instinctively clasped the locket’s chain around my neck, letting the pendant settle in the valley of my chest. I went to open the door.

“Hey!” It was Griffin. He did that half smile thing that made the dimple in his cheek more prominent.

“Hi,” I said blankly, standing in my doorway. I liked Griffin; he was the first person here to see me, authentically, other than Bridget and Sarah. He was genuine, straightforward, and fearless without being cocky. The cold gust swept past him and into my apartment. During my digging, I had stripped down to just my tank top, leaving me little protection against the frigid air. “I didn’t expect you,” I remarked, my teeth chattering. He chuckled, the sound warming me inside, as he rested his arm against the door frame.

“I’m really sorry I didn’t check in on you earlier,” he said, his head just above mine. With him this close, I inhaled his scent of cedar and spice. The way my body began to crave him was immediate, and I felt my resolve melt away in a heartbeat.

My face flushed as fevered thoughts flooded my mind. “There’s no need to apologize.” A shiver ran through me.

“No?” Griffin’s other hand trailed down the exposed skin of my shoulder. “You’re freezing.” His voice was rough and filled with genuine concern.

“I’m fine,” I tried to say, but my teeth gave a violent chatter, making us both laugh.

“Is it alright if I come in? I saw you headed back home and hoped it would be alright to stop by,” he said slowly, like he was telling me a secret. I hadn’t noticed how close he was now, and all I needed to do was lift my chin just a little and we would…

“Oh, of course.” I jumped back, stepping aside for him to come inside. “Sorry,” I added. “It’s a bit of a mess in here. I was getting some work done.” Rushing over to close my laptop, I laid a cloth over the concretion and debris. I wasn’t sure why I hid the artifact, but I simply wasn’t ready to share it with anyone. “You really didn’t have to come by. A text would have been fine,” I said , turning back toward Griffin, but I realized he wasn’t looking at me. Not entirely. His gaze steadied on the locket which swung loosely from the neckline of my tank top.

“Where did you get that?” His voice was low and cold, intimidating me. I was afraid to look away from him, and by instinct, my hand slid to the locket. My mouth opened, but no words came out. “Who gave that to you?” His tone remained the same, taking a step forward as I stepped backward. Did he recognize it? What would invoke such a reaction? He couldn’t possibly recognize something that had been buried for three hundred years, something I had only just found. I shook the impossible thought from my head. A muscle in his jaw twitched. He was really waiting for me to give him an answer.

“I—I don’t know…I found it,” I mumbled. My heart stilled, and my body stiffened as he stood frozen; his gaze fixed on the jewelry.

“That isn’t yours.” His eyes snapped to mine, and I flinched. My hand squeezed the locket. Its unnatural warmth seeped into my palm and traveled up my wrist. My heart began to thump, compensating for the lost beats. He reached as if to take it, and I flinched again. As if suddenly realizing his abrupt reaction, Griffin lifted his chin and blinked rapidly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—.” He looked away, lost in some distant memory. “I got confused. That looks just like….” he paused, looking back at the locket with narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow. “Never mind.” After a moment, he smoothed his features before offering a reassuring smile.

Griffin’s reaction was eerily similar to Nathan’s upon seeing the locket. I continued to stand between the table and Griffin while Ferran emerged from under the bed and stretched, capturing both of our attention.

Catching a glimpse of Griffin from the corner of my eyes, I struggled to find a way past this situation. Luckily, I didn’t need to do much, as my phone rang the familiar chime, indicating a message from Nathan. I nearly laughed at the now absurd tones before grabbing the welcomed interruption from the table.

Nathan:

Sorry I jumped off so quickly. I had to check something. What you found is very old, and we both know how powerful history can be. Keep it hidden until we find out more. Be careful.

Well, that did nothing to ease the tension I was feeling about this whole situation. Hide it? I can’t. Griffin has seen it already. And I now had the feeling he wasn’t supposed to. Meanwhile, Griffin bent down and stroked Ferran between his ears, and the cat let out a low, rumbling purr. Strangely, the sight eased my nerves. Surely, if Ferran trusted Griffin, that meant something.

“Did you want to do something later? I can bring some food over, maybe watch a movie?” Griffin’s voice was soft and smooth like honey. The unease I felt seemed to slip away against my will, and my hand moved to touch the locket. But I stopped myself, trying to not draw his attention to it again.

There seemed to be so much conflict around me - my emotions, my relationships…it was hard to keep track of how I genuinely felt. How I wished I could pretend things were simpler, that Griffin and I could just curl up on the couch, munch on an absurd amount of loaded lobster fries, and share laughter over each other’s stupid jokes. More than anything, I longed for that kind of closeness with him. Every moment with Griffin made it effortless to ignore the heartbreaks that life had inflicted upon me or the bleakness of my failed future. By his side, everything felt so simple. I could push aside all the burdensome thoughts, the fears that slithered up my spine and invaded my head. I truly believed I deserved that brief escape from overthinking.

“Alright,” I said quietly, allowing myself to smile. “As long as Aggy doesn’t mind.” A small laugh escaped my throat.

Griffin raised an eyebrow, unsure if I was joking. I let him stew in his thoughts. His eyes glinted, and I felt a wave of giddiness wash over me. If he could stare at me that way every moment of every day, I would feel a lot better about, well, everything. He stepped closer, and I found myself pressed against the edge of the table. That sensation brought to mind how he pressed me against the edge of his office desk, and my gaze shifted to his lips. Suddenly, I was breathless.

“Uh…” My thoughts escaped me. His smile widened. “There’s just one problem.” I found myself unable to look away as his bottom lip caught between his teeth while he let out a deep laugh.

“Besides Aggy?” he teased, and his hand reached up to hold the side of my face, his fingers in my hair.

“Yes,” I breathed. “I don’t have a television.” Griffin hesitated for just a moment.

“Well, then I’ll just have to bring one of those over, too,” he suggested, leaning in and pressing his lips against mine without warning.

At first I didn’t move, not realizing what was happening. How did I allow myself to end up like this when I had felt threatened moments before? It was something I would have to add to my growing list of things to discuss with my therapist.

His mouth parted, and I melted into his kiss. His other hand gently grabbed the back of my neck, allowing him to deepen our kiss. We drank in each other’s breath, and my hands reached for his hair, tugging its cropped length at his collar. My heart was racing and my stomach flipped each time he glided his tongue across mine. I leaned forward into him, losing all thoughts or feelings, except for the feeling of him.

Griffin’s hands slid to my shoulders and down my arms, gently grasping my wrists as he gently pulled back. My chest heaved, while my core ablaze with sensation, reflecting the intensity in his eyes. “Maybe we should wait to do this later,” he said, smiling against my lips. With my eyes shut, I savored his delicate touch. A slight shift in the air prompted me to open my eyes. “If we don’t, then I won’t be going anywhere for a while,” he added, sending a pleasant shiver through me. “I came here only to check on you. But, I’ll be back after work.” He slowly walked backward toward the door as he spoke. “I’ll see you later, Raina.” He flashed one last smile before leaving the apartment.

The world spun around me as I came down from the fervor of that kiss. I perched on the edge of my bed and closed my eyes, steading my breath. I couldn’t quite function. My gaze locked with the bright yellow-green eyes across the room. Ferran was sitting by the door that Griffin just left through.

“You really need to stop judging me, Ferran. I judge myself enough for the both of us.” The image of how Griffin reacted to seeing the locket loomed large in my mind as I cringed internally. I was so conflicted. Why would I let a man who made me feel so threatened kiss me? I wasn’t ready to admit that there was something insanely hot about how intense he was at that moment. I shouldn’t feel like this. My logical brain screamed at me, but many other parts—part that Griffin extensively explored, were very much looking forward to seeing him again later.

A hum rose in my chest, the heat of the metal enveloping my fingers. Ferran leaped onto the bed next to me, stretched, yawned, and drowsily slid his slitted gaze to me. Without warning, his eyes widened, and he sprang up, like a frightened cartoon Halloween cat. He hissed and sputtered at me, and I leaped off the bed, still clutching the locket.

“What the hell, Ferran?” The cat swiped at the air in my direction, emitting a low growl. His arched back lowered, but his fur fluffed up. He looked like an angry stuffed animal. He hissed again before darting under the bed, where he kept growling and mewling. “What’s wrong, bud?”

I asked softly, crouching to peer beneath the bed frame. He swiped at me, nearly scratching my face and just grazing the locket that fell loose from my shirt. He yelped at the touch and scrambled back against the wall. “Are you ok?” I asked, knowing he can’t answer back. I stood up and walked to the window, lifting the chain over my head. Ferran clearly disapproved of this piece of jewelry.

This locket seemed to elicit a similar reaction among the men in my life. Nathan, Griffin, and now Ferran all acted so weird once they caught sight of it. I studied the oval charm in my hand. I gently traced my fingers over the markings, exploring every intricate detail. The curve of the vine around the moon felt like a caress through my hair, fingers gliding down the curve of my own neck. My brow furrowed as a wave of conflicting emotions washed over me.

I let my eyes flutter shut to the strange yet familiar touch. The way the moon arched beneath my thumb brought the dream of a crescent smile to life in my thoughts. The peak of the star bursting above the moon was like a kiss from a forgotten lover, and I felt their lips on mine. His hands caressed my throat while I cradled the locket. His chest pressed against my back as he held me close, reveling in the connection.

It felt incredibly real, like a dream I longed to stay in. Starlight fell like joyful tears as his lips brushed my cheek, his breath hot against my skin in the best possible way. My chest swelled with deep desire and the impulse to reach up to kiss him. Hard. I ached to turn my head, to see who stirred the universe within me like the crashing sea. I lifted one hand while clutching the locket in the other. While savoring the dream, I kept my eyes closed, but I noticed the shadow of movement illuminated by the window’s light. I reached out, and my long blonde hair slid down my wrist and arm.

My long what ? I opened my eyes.

The locket was open.