CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT: TOUCHING THE PAST

After my terrifying dream about Seraphina and her warning that the killer was someone I trusted, I spent the morning in the library looking for the planted evidence she had mentioned.

But despite hours of searching through pack records, I found nothing that seemed obviously out of place.

Frustrated and exhausted, I decided to take a break and went to Mrs. Chen's garden to clear my head.

The older woman was there, tending to her roses as usual.

"Hello, dear," she said warmly when she saw me.

"You look troubled today."

"I've been doing research about the pack's history," I said carefully.

"Learning about past events."

Mrs. Chen's emotions shifted slightly - I sensed knowledge and caution from her.

"History can be a heavy burden," she said.

"Sometimes the past is better left undisturbed."

"But what if the past holds answers to present dangers?"

I asked.Mrs. Chen stopped her gardening and looked at me seriously.

"What kind of dangers, child?"

I wanted to tell her about Seraphina's warning, about my suspicions, about everything I had discovered.

But I couldn't risk it if she might be the one I should fear.

"Just... general concerns about my safety," I said vaguely.

Mrs. Chen studied my face for a moment, then made a decision.

"Laila, come with me. There's something I want to show you."

She led me to a small shed behind her garden that I had never noticed before.

Inside, it was filled with gardening tools, pots, and various personal items.

"This is where I keep things that are too precious to throw away, but too painful to keep in the house,"

Mrs. Chen explained.

She walked to a wooden chest in the corner and opened it carefully.

Inside, I could see various personal items - jewelry, photographs, letters.

"These belonged to pack members who have passed on," Mrs. Chen said.

"I preserve them so their memories aren't lost."

She pulled out a small silver locket and held it up.

"This belonged to Seraphina. Kieran gave it to me after she died because he couldn't bear to look at it anymore."

My heart raced. This was exactly the kind of evidence I needed - something that had belonged to Seraphina that might hold clues about her death.

"May I see it?" I asked.

Mrs. Chen handed it to me carefully.

"She wore this every day. It was a gift from her mother."

The moment my fingers closed around the locket, the world exploded into visions.

Suddenly, I wasn't standing in the shed anymore.

I was in a moonlit forest, watching through Seraphina's eyes as she walked along a mountain path with her patrol.

WE SHOULDN'T BE OUT HERE SO LATE, one of her companions was saying.

THE REPORTS ABOUT ROGUES COULD BE FALSE.

I KNOW, Seraphina replied, her voice carrying through the vision.

BUT I HAVE TO CHECK. IF THERE REALLY ARE ROGUES THREATENING THE BORDER, PEOPLE COULD DIE.

YOU'VE BEEN JUMPY LATELY, another pack member observed.

EVER SINCE YOU STARTED INVESTIGATING THOSE OLD BLOODLINE RECORDS.

I HAVE GOOD REASON TO BE JUMPY, Seraphina said grimly.

WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED... SOMEONE DOESN'T WANT THIS INFORMATION TO COME TO LIGHT.

The vision shifted, and I saw Seraphina earlier that day, sitting in what looked like Kieran's study.

But the man across from her wasn't Kieran - it was someone else entirely.

YOU NEED TO STOP DIGGING INTO THE PAST, the man was saying.

His voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't see his face clearly in the memory.

I CAN'T STOP NOW,* Seraphina replied.

ELENA'S DAUGHTER IS STILL OUT THERE SOMEWHERE AND IF THE GUARDIANS FIND HER, THEY'LL KILL HER JUST LIKE THEY KILLED HER PARENTS.

ELENA'S DAUGHTER IS PROBABLY ALREADY DEAD, the man said coldly.

AND EVEN IF SHE'S NOT, THAT'S NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY! Seraphina said firmly.

ELENA WAS MY FRIEND. I PROMISED HER I WOULD PROTECT HER DAUGHTER IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO HER.

YOU'RE BEING FOOLISH, the man said, standing up.

THIS CRUSADE OF YOURS IS GOING TO GET YOU KILLED.

ARE YOU THREATENING ME? Seraphina asked, also standing.

I'M WARNING YOU, the man replied.

THERE ARE FORCES AT WORK HERE THAT ARE BIGGER THAN YOUR CONSCIENCE. WALK AWAY NOW, WHILE YOU STILL CAN.

The vision shifted again, showing me Seraphina's final moments.

I saw the attack from her perspective - the mercenaries emerging from the trees, the desperate fight, the moment when she realized she wasn't going to survive.

But most importantly, I saw something the pack records hadn't mentioned.

In her final moments, Seraphina had seen one of her attackers remove his mask.

The face underneath was someone she recognized.

Someone who made her gasp in shock and betrayal.

YOU, she whispered as darkness closed in.

IT WAS YOU ALL ALONG.

But just as the killer's identity was about to be revealed, the vision shattered like broken glass, and I found myself back in Mrs. Chen's shed, gasping and shaking.

"Laila!" Mrs. Chen was saying urgently, her hands on my shoulders.

"What happened? You went completely still for almost a minute, and your eyes... they glowed silver."

I looked down at the locket in my hands, still trembling from what I had experienced.

"I saw her memories," I whispered.

"Seraphina's memories from the day she died."

Mrs. Chen's eyes widened in amazement and fear.

"That's impossible. Only the most powerful Shadowmend witches were said to have the ability to read object memories."

"It's called psychometry,"

I said, the knowledge somehow appearing in my mind.

"The ability to see the past by touching objects that were important to someone."

"What did you see?" Mrs. Chen asked urgently."

Seraphina was investigating the elimination of the Blessed Bloodlines," I said.

"She was trying to find and protect me - Elena's daughter. But someone was warning her to stop."

"Who?"

"I couldn't see his face clearly in the memory, but his voice was familiar."

I paused, trying to remember more details.

"And Mrs. Chen, she knew her killer. In her final moments, she recognized the person who betrayed her."

Mrs. Chen went pale.

"Did you see who it was?"

"No, the vision ended just before the reveal. But it was definitely someone she knew and trusted."

I stood up, still clutching the locket.

"Mrs. Chen, I need to touch more objects that belonged to Seraphina. Maybe I can piece together more memories and figure out who killed her."

"Laila," Mrs. Chen said carefully,

"this ability you've discovered... it's incredibly dangerous. If the wrong person finds out you can see the past through objects..."

"They'll try to kill me to protect their secrets," I finished.

"I know. But Mrs. Chen, Seraphina's killer is still out there. They killed my parents too, and they'll kill me if I don't figure out who they are first."

Mrs. Chen was quiet for a moment, wrestling with her conscience. Finally, she nodded.

"There are more of Seraphina's belongings in Kieran's private study," she said.

"Things he kept but couldn't bear to look at. A hairbrush, some jewelry, letters she wrote."

"Can you get me access to them?"

"That would be very difficult without alerting Kieran to what you're doing."

"Mrs. Chen," I said, looking directly into her eyes,

"do you trust Kieran completely?"

The older woman's emotions flickered with uncertainty and something that might have been fear.

"I... I want to trust him," she said slowly.

"But there have been things over the years, decisions he's made, reactions he's had... sometimes I wonder if grief changed him in ways we don't fully understand."

"What kind of things?"

"His obsession with revenge against the Northern Mountain Pack. His refusal to consider other possibilities about who killed Seraphina. And lately, his behavior toward you..."

"What about his behavior toward me?"

Mrs. Chen looked uncomfortable.

"It's almost like he's been waiting for you specifically. Like he knew exactly who you were before you ever arrived here."

A chill ran down my spine.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that when Marcus told us about finding you at that pack gathering, Kieran's reaction wasn't surprise. It was... satisfaction. Like a plan had finally come together."

I felt sick to my stomach.

If Mrs. Chen was right, then Kieran hadn't just brought me here for revenge against Damien.

He had been specifically looking for me - the last Shadowmend.

"Mrs. Chen," I said urgently,

"I need to get into Kieran's study tonight when he's not there. Will you help me?"

The older woman looked conflicted, but finally nodded.

"Kieran has a pack council meeting tonight that will run late. I can distract anyone who might notice you going into his private quarters."

"Thank you," I said, slipping Seraphina's locket into my pocket.

"And Mrs. Chen? Please don't tell anyone about my new ability. If the killer finds out I can see memories through objects..."

"I understand, child. Your secret is safe with me."

As I left the shed, my mind was racing with implications.

The ability to see memories through touch was incredibly powerful - and incredibly dangerous.

If I could find more objects connected to Seraphina's death, I might be able to identify her killer.

But I also had to consider the terrifying possibility that the man I was falling in love with might be the very person I was hunting.

That evening, as I prepared to sneak into Kieran's private study, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was about to discover something that would change everything.

The question was: would I be strong enough to handle the truth when I found it?

Or would the revelation destroy what was left of my ability to trust anyone at all?

As night fell over the pack house, I steeled myself for what might be the most important and dangerous investigation of my life.

Because tomorrow, I would either know who had killed the people I loved, or I would be dead myself.

Either way, the lies and secrets would finally come to an end.