What the hell was that?
I shake it off, flexing my fingers, but it still hums under my skin. Forcing myself to refocus, I glance back into the box, trying to make sense of everything inside.
There's a braided rope with three different colored ribbons. I don’t know what it is, but it’s beautiful. I reach in, lifting it carefully out of the box. The ribbons are impossibly soft, yet strong, somehow time itself couldn’t fray it. There's even little vines intertwined with the braid, growing through the ribbons like they grew between them.
One is a deep, earthy green. It’s rich and vibrant, and pulsing with life. I don't know how else to explain it. The second one is a soft ivory color, its edges are slightly aged, but still intact. But it’s the last one that steals my breath.
A gold ribbon. Not fabric, not silk, but something else entirely. It shimmers, shifting like captured sunlight and it's so fucking soft.
I swallow hard, running my fingers over the length of the braid, finding a crescent moon pendant at the end of it. The gold surface is smooth and cool between my fingers.
There's little carvings etched along the curve of it. Its stunning. They have to meansomething, I just don’t knowwhat.At the other end of the rope, I notice a jagged edge. It looks like maybe it was a star?
I wonder if it’s hidden somewhere at the bottom of the box.
I glance back into the box and freeze.
Umm, what?
At the bottom, is a dagger, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The blade catches the light, daring me to pick it up. But it’s the hilt that really pulls me in, the details are so precise, and so deliberate, that my fingers itch to trace them.
A beautiful moonstone is embedded into the handle, its iridescent shimmer shifts every time I tilt it. Soft blues, purples, and greens dance as if the stone holds the sky inside it. The contrast against the dark metal makes it stand out even more.
My fingers brush the cool hilt before wrapping around it completely. The dagger is solid and cold. But I swear I can feel something pulsing, almost like a heartbeat.
My breath slows, and I tighten my grip, turning it over, and run my fingers along the details. It’s deadly and beautiful, and something about it feels sofamiliar.
The blade itself is just as stunning. Ancient runes are etched into the steel, each delicate mark seamlessly blending into the next.
A slow exhale escapes my lips.This is mine.The realization sends a shiver down my spine, settling deep in my bones. I force myself to set the dagger down, but my pulse keeps thrumming in my ear as my mind races.
Oooh what's this? Tucked neatly into the corner of the box is a small velvet bag. I pick it up and find a necklace in there. I try to lift it out carefully, turning it over in my palm. The design is as striking as the dagger.
In the center, there's a crystal that's flickering like lightning, pulsing with an energy that hums against my skin. Twisting vines and intricate metal details weave around it. There’s a snake that coils through the design, the scales are gleaming like a silent warning. Like nature and something else have been fused together.
It’s exquisite.
And like everything else in this box, it hums with energy.
I swallow hard.Well. This is weird, but cool as hell.
I glance back inside and my stomach flips when I spot two more things. A white envelope and a second key.
It’s the envelope that has my breath stalling. Everything else fades away as I press my thumb along the seal, the edges are soft and worn, meaning this wasn't written recently.
“Seriously?” I mutter, rolling my eyes with a small, breathless laugh.More secrets. Of course.
With a flick of my fingers, I tear open the envelope. My pulse quickens as I unfold the letter, taking a slow breath, and begin to read.
Chapter 1
When in Rome… or in This Case, Scotland
Raven
1year later
When I discovered romance novels, everything about relationships and happily ever after changed for me.
