First, though, I had to find Mallory, the friend of Alison and my mother. She would help me locate my father.
How was I going to find her, though? Why hadn’t I asked Alison before I left?
I mentally slapped myself in the forehead. I didn’t even know her. Mother had never even told us about her. Was Alison correct that I could trust her? From what she had insinuated, they hadn’t seen each other in over twenty years, and a lot could happen and change in that time. Magic seemed corruptible.
But she was my only lead, so once again, I was following a breadcrumb trail, hoping to find my way to a new home. Hoping to find some help with our futures.
I took a few careful steps forward, trying not to stand out. The last thing I needed was to reveal how foreign I was to a place I was supposed to know like the back of my hand. I didn’t want people to realize what I actually was a stranger in a strange land. So, I focused on relaxing my shoulders, tilting my chin up, and moving as naturally as possible.
I belong here. I belong here. I belong here.
I kept repeating the phrase in my head over and over again, like some kind of chant.
I belong here.
I didn’t know if it was helping, but the few people I walked past on the sidewalk didn’t look my way. Maybe I was fitting in. I wasn’t a wolf walking down the street in broad daylight just yet, but it was a start.
I walked along the street, heading for a group of shops, when the locket around my neck began to buzz, heating against my skin.
I glanced down, frowning. “What the...?”
I grabbed the locket and
a shimmer of magic moved along my arm, through my body, and into my head.
Hello, my daughter.
I jumped. This time, someone across the street stared at me for a moment longer than necessary before he continued to sweep the front of his store. I glanced around to make sure no one was looking at me.
“Mother?” I whispered tentatively, forcing myself to walk so I wouldn’t look more suspicious than I already was.
Tears tingled in my eyes as my legs gave way. I staggered for a few feet, and then grabbed a nearby park bench. I lowered myself onto it.
So much for walking and trying to remain normal.
I clutched the locket, blinking away the tears. The last thing I needed was someone misinterpreting my tears as distress and coming over to me to ask if I needed assistance.
Yes, it’s me. Calm down before you cause I scene. I can hear your heartbeat from here. You need to be strong, Ava. How many times must I tell you?
Oh, yeah. That was Mother.
I let out a shaky breath, ignoring her familiar lecture.
I blinked, tears still smearing my vision. I wished I knew a spell to make them go away. “But... how?”
I glanced around but no one seemed to notice that I was talking to myself. Maybe talking to one’s self was totally normal here.
Yeah, right.
Just before I died, I instilled my essence into this locket. Why do you think I gave it to you in the first place? Why do you think I insisted you never take it off? I promised I would always be with you—and I am.
“But... I couldn’t hear you before.” It sounded silly when I said it. Pathetic, even. But I couldn’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth.
I was talking to my mother.
I shook my head. It was almost impossible for me to believe. And yet, it was happening. Like magic.
No...She paused. I knew my mother well enough to know that had she been alive, she would have cleared her throat in that moment. She always did when she was about to say something important. The magical realm activated the power in the locket. As I knew it would. Because I knew you wouldn’t listen to my warnings. You would come here despite that I told you not to. I had to make sure you were protected. What are you doing here, Ava?