Chapter 4

When I moved back home from the recovery room, I pushed open the door to what used to be my bedroom.

It looked exactly as disgusting as I remembered.

The room used to smell like white lilies — clean, faint, mine.

Now it reeked of Lyra. Cloying, sweet — gardenias.

I tried to ignore the smell and started searching for my necklace.

The arrow I'd taken for Julian three years ago — something about it had never made sense.

I'd never figured out who actually wanted him dead.

Even if I was leaving, I'd at least give him that much.

The truth was hidden inside my necklace.

Show him who pulled the trigger. Then I could walk away clean.

While I was searching, I heard Lyra's voice.

"Rafaela, what are you looking for?"

I turned around. She was standing right behind me. I hadn't heard her come in.

"My moonstone necklace. Have you seen it?"

She paused, then her face brightened. "Oh — that. I've seen it."

She reached down the front of her dress and pulled out a chain. She was smiling. "This one?"

It was the necklace Julian had given me at our bonding ceremony.

That night he'd told me he was going to use this necklace to keep me with him forever.

Now he'd just handed it off to someone else.

Lyra was watching my face for the hurt.

She smiled. "Rafaela, do you know when he gave it to me?"

"The first night we slept together."

"You were running a high fever. We were sponging you down."

"He stroked your face for so long. You wouldn't even open your eyes for him."

"But I would."

I swayed for a fraction of a second. Then I steadied myself.

I made myself breathe.

Right now neither of them — nor that necklace — meant anything to me. The only thing I cared about was the image the moonstone had captured.

Show them. Warn them about the real killer.

Then I could leave.

I whispered the activation spell. The moonstone embedded in the pendant began to glow softly. An image surfaced.

It showed me, three years ago.

Smiling. Waiting in the cabin in the woods for Julian to arrive.

Then suddenly — a wolfsbane-tipped crossbow bolt. Through a blind angle in the window. Aimed to kill.

The moonstone caught the shooter's profile clear as day.

When I saw the face, my heart felt like it had been hit with a stone.