Page 150 of Axis of Fire

“Not yet.”

Then something moved in the reflection of the glass patio doors.

I froze.

Two tiny star-shaped figures were pressed against the glass.

Watching us.

Watching me.

For a second, neither of them moved.

Apparently, they didn't recognize me.

I hadn't been back here since I was eighteen.

Had I really changed that much?

I lifted my hand and waved, trying to call them closer.

Nothing.

Not even a twitch.

I raised a brow.

The two little stars continued staring at me from behind the glass as if I were the stranger here.

“I think they assume we're just more strangers breaking into the house,” I sighed.

Then both tiny stars suddenly darted away from the glass and vanished deeper into the darkness.

“They ran off,” I informed Gwen.

“To hell with them. There's some kind of clue here.”

Gwen crouched beside the pool.

The mere thought of looking into it again made my stomach twist.

“Either someone in your family suddenly developed a passion for dark aesthetics...”

She leaned closer.

“...or something very bad happened here.”

“How are you so calm around all this?” I asked, pinching my nose shut in a pointless attempt to block out the coppery smell of blood.

Moving closer, I crouched beside her.

“When I was little, I wanted to become an investigator.”

Gwen pointed toward something dark resting at the bottom of the pool.

At first glance, it looked like a medallion.

Or some kind of pendant.