Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Isla Rosa turns into a tiny dot on the ocean as the jet soars up. Nan’s happily watching the water streaking by below the plane. But I’d rather not watch the ocean. It only adds to my body’s unease.
However, turning to face Wolf makes a whole other set of problems arise. More immediate issues.
My body wants him and the sizzling hormones are nearly unbearable. Deep inside of my core there is an emptiness, a hunger, that’s all because of him.
And if I’m right, he’s no happier to be caught up in this chemistry whirlwind. All morning, he’s been nothing but stone-faced, snappy, and determined to keep his distance.
Welcome to the weird-day-after-sex club. It’s so much fun.
* * *
I busy myself by looking through the photos that I picked up from the house. Searching for anything that looks out of place. A rock, an indentation in the earth, any mark that might help me find a clue to the mysterious stones that have haunted my worry for months now.
What was once a trivial curiosity now holds a much graver importance.
Pulling the pendant from my purse, I look at the light green stone in the light from the window. It’s so pretty. And so strange. The size of a lemon, but flat, the stone and its gold bezel together are very heavy. Too heavy to be worn for any length of time.
Where are you from?
The light winks at me as if to say, ‘you’ll never know.’
Don’t bet on that. I’m determined.
Holding the pendant and the ring together, I observe the slight differences in the two. But the color and the way the light rises from each is exactly the same.
The only two pieces known to exist. And I have the worry of keeping them both safe now that Nan has handed them off. I didn’t expect to have the ring. But when she pulled her little wedding stunt, it landed on my finger. Nothing like hiding something in broad daylight.
Opening my laptop, I go back to my research. Which, again, after an hour, leads me to a dead end. There’s nothing on the internet about stones like this.
That’s why I need help from humans. Not Google. I so badly wanted to talk to the professor at the lecture in Utah. But the need to get to Nan off the island put a kink in that. And the Professor’s yet to return my emails.
Likely because my very carefully worded emails didn’t give away much about my request for a visit. Being careful is critical. If these stones are what I think they are, then it’s important that no one finds out.
Maybe if I email again, he’ll respond. Crossing my toes for good luck, I open my email account and write a quick note.
A few minutes after I hit send, my inbox sends a pop-up notice that there’s a new message.
Excitedly, I open the mail app again. Only my hope is replaced by frustration.
Ugh. “Damn it. Is this bad luck ever going to end?”