Page 102 of A Violet Obsession

“Yes, Finn’s here.”

I don’t move, but my heartrate accelerates.

“He makes you feel safe?”

“Always.”

The diffuser on the table puffs out something that smells herbal into the silence.

“I love him,” Lily says.

“That’s wonderful for you.”

I swallow hard against the sudden thickness in my throat.

Lily’s eyebrows bunch for a minute. “It’s okay. I promise. I can handle it.” She gives her head a little shake. “It’s not that kind of danger. I want to remember.”

Lorelei frowns and cocks her head. “Who are you talking to, Lily?”

“It’s just the whispers.” Her face eases.

Next to me, Tate leans farther forward watching intently. “Ask her⁠—”

Lorelei holds up her hand to silence him.

“These are the voices that warn you of impending trouble?”

“Yes.”

“Lily, you told us that the whispers had been quiet for years. When did they come back?”

“The night of the robbery.” Her breathing has picked up. I don’t like it.

“The amethyst’s power,” Tate exclaims keeping his voice low. “It has to be. Its proximity to her crown chakra must have cleared an energy blockage.”

“Possibly,” Lorelei frowns. “From what you told me about her background, it could be a few things. Maybe after years of living in fear, her mind shut out everything that wasn’t survival. The trauma sealed it off, but being near the stone’s high frequency brought her energy a serenity, and it allowed them to be heard again.”

“Yes.” Tate’s knuckles turn white around the arms of the chair. “Yes, it woke her up. The lore is consistent—the Ayurvedic, the Phoenician, the Celts—the crystal amplifies spiritual awareness and opens the door to a more free-energy flow.”

Tate continues to mutter next to me as Lorelei continues. “I want to stay back here a little longer, Lily. Before the auction house. I want to understand where you came from.” A pause. “I’ve been told you went to Atlanta when you were fourteen, to live with your uncle, and it wasn’t safe. Tell me about that.”

“What does this have to do with finding the necklace?” I growl. Was Tate behind the digital research Sera flagged?

“I’m not hurting her. I know she took part in hypnotherapy for over a year. She’s receptive. Don’t you want me to help her if I can?” Lorelei looks at me, and then her gaze goes to Tate. “And if we can understand the origin of her gift, it might help us understand the amethyst’s power better when we recover it.”

“His apartment was small.” Lily is apparently unaware of the disagreement swirling around her. “There wasn’t much food. He worked sometimes. He said I was old enough to take care of myself.”

“Did you?”

“I kept thinking someone would come.” A pause. “No one came.”

The pressure behind my sternum is getting worse.

“Except once. Mrs. Markham called DCFS because she was worried about me.” Lily shivers. “I told the lady what I had to, so she would leave us alone. Then they left again.”

“What happened after they left?”

The change in Lily’s face is small. The smallest tightening at the corners of her eyes, but her hands bunch into fists.