Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

I ascended the stairs from the vault, the dim light giving way to the familiar warmth of the house. The silver charm bracelet on my wrist clinked softly with each step, a constant reminder of the legacy I now carried. The strange illumination that had once set it apart was gone, and it looked like an ordinary trinket, something you might find in an antique store.

But I knew better. I felt the weight of its significance, the power embedded in each charm. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it, my fingers occasionally brushing against the cool metal, the etched skull on the shield a stark reminder of the responsibility I bore.

Reaching the kitchen, I was greeted by the soft morning light streaming through the windows, casting a golden hue over the room. I paused for a moment, taking in the normalcy, the contrast between this serene space and the dark vault below. The scent of coffee lingered in the air, a comforting familiarity amidst the chaos of my thoughts.

I grabbed my cell phone from the counter, my fingers quickly finding Faith's contact. I needed to talk to her, to share what had transpired, and to seek her guidance. As I punched her number, I felt a rush of urgency, the need to connect with someone who understood the gravity of the situation.

The phone rang, the sound breaking the stillness of the kitchen. Each ring felt like an eternity. The silence between them filled with the weight of everything I needed to say. My heart pounded in my chest, the charm bracelet clinking softly as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

"Come on, Faith," I whispered, willing her to pick up. The first ring seemed to stretch on forever, my anticipation building with each passing second.

Finally, the ringing stopped, and Faith's familiar voice came through the line. "Hey, Tegan. What's up?"

"Faith," I said, relief flooding my voice. "I need to talk to you. It's about the vault and what I found there."

"You found another artifact?"

"I found a ton of them, but I have no idea what most of them are. My mom has a secret room. She calls it the dark vault. It's for the dangerous stuff." I told her about my excursion and my need to find the Temporal Echo. I went into the discussion about a coven necromancer and Faith stopped me.

"Are you serious? There is actually a human necro in town?"

"According to my mom, yeah."

"How are you planning on finding him or her?" Faith asked.

"I have a detection device of sorts, but I think I need to be close to her. We may have to start going door to door in the community after hitting the council and any other likely locations."

"Could you imagine if one of the council members is a necro?" Faith said.

"They would keep it quiet if they were. Necros are persecuted when they use their powers. They go dark pretty easily, I'm told. This will be a big ask for someone we don't even know."

"It sure is." I could tell that Faith was distracted.

"You had plans before I called, didn't you?"

There was a brief pause on the other end, and I could almost hear her mind working, processing the urgency in my tone. "Actually, I was planning on popping over to meet the new healer," she replied, her voice steady and reassuring.

"Are you planning on asking her straight out why she came here?"

"I was hoping to show more tact than that, but let's be honest, it isn't my strong suit. Any chance you want to come? You are far less abrasive than I am."

I chuckled. It was true and refreshing that Faith was up-front about her faults. She wouldn't win any warm and fuzzy awards, but you would never meet anyone more loyal. "I should meet her, anyway. As the healer, we will have to work with her on occasion. Someone needs to keep you in line. If she is anything like Lucinda, you may kill her and start a war."

Faith laughed. "Excellent, after we can try to track down your necro. I have to admit I am curious. How about I pick you up?"

"Thank you," I said, hanging up and exhaling a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I looked down at the charm bracelet once more, the ordinary appearance belying its extraordinary significance. The path ahead was uncertain, but with Faith's help, I knew I stood a better chance of finding the elusive necro.

I took another sip of my coffee as I waited for Faith, but it had gone cold while I was in the vault, and I put the rest in the sink and poured myself a new cup.

I finished my breakfast, the last bite of bagel and sip of coffee doing little to settle the turmoil inside me. The charm bracelet felt heavier with each passing moment, its presence a constant reminder of the power and responsibility now resting on my shoulders. I touched the charms several times, with my fingers tracing the smooth silver, but there was no strange sensation, and no indication that it was anything other than polished metal.

With a sigh, I stood up and headed for the front hall. I slipped on my jacket, the fabric a comforting weight against my shoulders, and then pulled on my shoes, the familiar routine grounding me in the present. My mind kept drifting back to the vault, to the soulglass, and to the implications of what I had discovered.

The horn blared in the driveway, jolting me out of my reverie. My heart skipped a beat, and I hurried to the door, the charm bracelet clinking softly with my movements. I opened the door to see Faith's Jeep parked outside; her figure was barely visible behind the wheel.

Stepping outdoors I closed the door behind me and made my way to the vehicle. The crisp morning air was a sharp contrast to the warmth of the house. As I approached, Faith rolled down the window, her expression a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"Get in," she said, her tone brisk but caring.

I climbed into the passenger seat, the familiar scent of her car—an amalgamation of leather and faint traces of her perfume—wrapping around me like a comforting embrace. She glanced at the bracelet on my wrist, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Is that...?"

I nodded, words failing me for a moment. "Yes. It's the detection device. There's so much I need to tell you."

Faith's gaze softened, and she placed a reassuring hand on my arm. "We'll find your necro."

As she started the car and pulled out of the driveway, I glanced down at the bracelet once more. The charms glinted in the morning light, looking innocuous and ordinary. But I knew better.

"How did your discussion with Spencer go?"

"He was angry, but he wants to help me. He will do anything to put our family back together."

Faith sighed. "He is a good man. I wish there was something we could do to make him human again."

I realized that was for me. Spencer was acclimating to vampire life. Everyone else was used to vamps and most really liked Delia. I was the only one who still had an issue with Spencer being a vampire. "Yes, he is."

"What about Kacey? Did you talk to her and tell her you were drugged?"

I shook my head. "She is so in love with Clark, she would assume I was accusing him, and even if I said it was Marco, she would assume I was targeting Clark's family to split them up. I was that age, and I know you can't see the forest for the trees. Teenagers always think they are right."

"That's for sure. Liam was a know-it-all at sixteen. I was literally pulling hair out on the daily. He still has some growing up to do, but he has his head on straight now. Max was a big help after Luke's death."

She went quiet after her comment as she usually did when thinking of her late husband.

I stared out the window, watching the houses pass by in a blur of color and shape. The familiar streets of my neighborhood gave way to less familiar ones, and a nagging sense of unease settled in my chest. It took me a moment to realize we were heading in the opposite direction of the coven-owned property. My mind raced with questions, each one adding to the confusion.

"Faith," I said, turning to look at her, "why are we going this way? We're not heading to the coven."

She glanced at me, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Relax. The healer is staying in my old suite at Mrs. Harriet's. Figured we'd get some double mint chip cookies while we are there. Might as well get the lowdown over something sweet, right?"

I blinked, taken aback by her casual tone. "Cookies?" I repeated, half in disbelief. "You're concerned about your stomach?"

Faith grinned with her hands steady on the wheel. "Yep. You know they're your favorite. And besides, if we're going to get to the bottom of who this healer is and why she's here, we might as well do it comfortably. A little sugar never hurt anyone."

I couldn't help but smile at her logic, absurd as it seemed. There was a certain comfort in Faith's lighthearted approach, a reminder that not everything had to be dire and serious. The charm bracelet on my wrist clinked softly as I adjusted my position, the ordinary sound grounding me.

"Okay," I said, exhaling a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Cookies and a chat. I can handle that."

Faith nodded, her expression softening. "Good. Trust me, it'll be fine. We'll get the information we need, and you'll feel better with a cookie in your hand."

As we continued down the road, the landscape slowly transitioned from a more secluded area to a suburban sprawl. Trees lined the streets, their branches forming a canopy that dappled the sunlight. Despite my earlier apprehension, I felt a growing sense of anticipation. Faith always had a way of making even the most daunting tasks seem manageable, and I was grateful for her presence.

The healer, the legacy, the charm bracelet—all of it could wait a little longer. For now, I let myself enjoy the ride, the promise of cookies and answers just ahead.

Faith pulled into Mrs. Harriet's driveway and smiled when she noticed the elderly woman in the yard watering her roses. She had her back to us and her floral dress moved slightly as she moved from one colorful bush to the next.

Faith hopped out of the jeep and went over to her. Mrs. Harriet jumped slightly when Faith touched her shoulder.

"Damn it, Faith. You shouldn't sneak up on an old woman like that."

Faith glanced at the jeep. "Yeah, sorry about that. I came to meet your new tenant."

Mrs. Harriet smiled. "Sweet girl, just like you. Not sure how she managed all those tattoos, though. Needles scare me."

I smiled at Mrs. Harriet's comment that Faith was a sweet girl. The elderly woman was in her eighties and considered Faith and her friends to be young. "Faith also wanted to raid your pantry. She has been talking about your mint chocolate chip cookies the entire ride over."

Mrs. Harriet laughed and pointed to the porch. "I have a plate on the table I planned to take to Salima. You can grab those and share them with her."

Faith winked at Mrs. Harriet, "You are the best."

She grabbed the plate from the porch, and I followed her to the side door of the house, which led to the suite. I knocked as Faith stood with the cookies.

I blinked as the petite woman opened the door. She was about forty and pretty, though her eyes seemed overly large, like a rabbit about to run. I was expecting a few tattoos, but the healer's arms were covered in them.

Faith smiled at her and held out the plate of cookies. "Special delivery."

Salima stared at the cookies and stepped back cautiously.

"Mrs. Harriet is too kind. You can put them on the table."

Faith stepped inside, and I followed her. She sat at the table and placed the plate beside an open laptop before pulling back the Saran wrap and snatching one of the cookies. "These are my favorite. I lived here when I first returned to Ravenholde. You won't find a kinder landlord than Mrs. Harriet."

Salima pursed her lips as if she wasn't sure what to say. It was obvious she wasn't comfortable with us in her home. Not that there was much in the bachelor suite. Salima had fewer belongings than Faith, which seemed strange when her stay here was deemed permanent. She couldn't return to her coven until the apprentice here had been fully trained and Henriette's assistant was still in her teens.

I held my hand out to her. "I'm Tegan Carr. Welcome to Ravenholde."

Salima stared at my hand for a few seconds before shaking my hand quickly. "Thanks." After she released me, she glanced at her fingers. "You are the current guardian."

I nodded. "That's me. Faith and I wanted to introduce ourselves as we expect to be working with you on occasion."

Salima looked like she was about to politely ask us to leave when Faith motioned to a tattoo of a koi on Salima's forearm. "Madrick does some nice work. Are you originally from Cincinnati?"

The healer glanced at her tattoos. "No. I went there specifically for the tattoo. I'm surprised you recognized his work."

Faith nodded. "I have an office in Cincinnati still. My son and business partner run it. Many of Madrick's customers step on the wrong side of the law, but he is a straight shooter."

Salima was obviously interested in Faith's story. "Yes, Madrick is the best. I don't go to anyone else anymore."

Faith motioned to her exposed arms. "Are you going to do a full sleeve or just letting the tats fall as they may?"

Salima ran a finger over her arm with the koi. "I get them when I need them."

Faith nodded. "I am the same way with weapons. Everybody has their thing."

Salima stared at Faith for a few moments. "You are the tri-bred. I have heard about you."

Faith grunted. "I'm sure it was all bad, and to be honest, if you heard it from the coven, then it's likely true."

Salima's lip twitched. "Covens are a lot like families. You don't get to choose which one you are born into."

Faith swallowed a chunk of cookie in her mouth. "That's why we choose our friends. Because family can be a pain in the ass."

Salima glanced away. "Isn't your grandfather Carnell Moreau?"

Faith nodded. "That just proves my point. He is a royal pain. The emphasis is on royal, but he has a good heart. But if you sleep with him, you have to understand it's not a monogamous thing."

Salima choked. "I wasn't considering it."

Faith winked at her, and I had to clear my throat to avoid laughing. Salima didn't know it yet, but Faith only teased people she liked.

Salima's smile was slow in coming. "You are not what I was expecting."

Faith held up her half-eaten cookie. "Neither are you. A tatted-up healer who makes steam blow out of Lucinda's ears is as good as it gets. I think I am half in love with you."

Salima's eyes sparkled. "I have a knack for getting on a coven's nerves."

Faith sighed. "Don't we all, girl."

I was surprised to say it, but Salima was more at ease with Faith than me. She smiled politely, but she was more relaxed when speaking to Faith. I decided to let Faith continue to talk about Cincinnati and the various tattoos she had seen Madrick do.

I scratched my wrist several times, hoping I would get used to the weight of the silver charm bracelet soon. I wasn't accustomed to wearing much jewelry, and this was much heavier than I would choose for myself.

Faith gave me a quizzical look. "Tegan, why is the charm bracelet glowing?"

I raised my wrist and looked at the glowing charm. The silver shield charm with a skull etched into it was glowing a faint blue color. An eerie luminescence that sent a shiver down my spine. "It can't be."

My heart skipped a beat as I realized what it meant—I was in the presence of a necromancer.

Faith hadn't set it off when we were alone, so that left only one probability. But how could a healer be a necromancer, and nobody know? My mind raced through the possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last. Was it possible the charm was defective? Or worse, that the healer had somehow managed to conceal her true nature from everyone, including the council?

How could someone possess such opposing abilities? Healing was an act of creation, of life, while necromancy was tied to death, to the manipulation of the very essence of what made us human.

Could the healer have been using her necromantic abilities for good, in some twisted way that masked her true nature? Or was there a more sinister motive at play, something hidden beneath the surface that we had yet to uncover?

"Faith," I began, my voice shaky.

She glanced over, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at the eerie light. "What does that mean?" she asked, her tone serious.

"It means we're in the presence of a necromancer," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "And it's not you."

Faith turned to Salima. "Anything you want to share with us?"