The Book of Trials || ONC 2019

Chapter Sixteen

The little girl's eyes sparkled when they came upon the emerald green jewel. Even the chain glimmered, the pendant lying gracefully upon her mother's collarbone. "Your father gave it to me," her mother had explained when she'd asked. "It's how he asked me to marry him."

"Mama," the girl poked at the other side of the pendant as she read the letters carved into it. "What's Anya?"

Her mother laughed lightly. "That's me, silly girl. Just how you're Veia, I'm Anya and your daddy is Bell. Can you say that?" The little girl nodded, repeating the name. "You have to remember that for if you're ever in trouble. Can you promise me you'll try to remember?"

"Mm-hm."

"Good girl." She rustled her daughter's hair.

That same little girl ran into her house years later under the promise of one item to take with her to the orphanage. Her mother was gone, her father along with her, and even her little Juna had left her behind. She wiped her eyes, staying strong for her family, and grabbed the bright green necklace off her mother's bedside table. "I'll remember more than just your name." She pressed the jewel to her chest.

"I'll never forget."

+++

"That's such a pretty necklace!" Lefeli squealed, clasping her hands together and doting over the pendant. "Did you say it was your mother's? Why isn't it with her?"

"She's dead," I ground through my teeth, "and it was stolen from my house back in Esterwilde. Why was it in your bag?"

Lefeli's gaze slid down to the sack in my fist and she canted her head to the side. "That's Atlas' bag, not mine."

I furrowed my brows. That made no sense whatsoever—I had just seen Lefeli's belongings in it and I had never seen Atlas even touch it before. I held up the bag to see and my mouth dropped open.

It was Atlas' bag. It didn't even look similar to the bag I'd held farther up the mountain—leather instead of burlap, a satchel and not a sack—it was impossible for me to have accidentally grabbed the wrong bag. But then Lefeli hadn't seemed to recognize the necklace when I'd showed it to her, and now that I thought about it, the necklace was on the ground, not in Lefeli's bag, so it could have fallen out of another bag... and in order for me to accidentally switch Lefeli's bag with Atlas', they would've had to have been near each other, which could... mean...

I snapped my mouth shut, disbelief still pulsing through my mind. It couldn't be... but... I wound more scenarios through my head, connecting the dots as a panic formed in my throat. The more I thought, the more it made sense. It was likely he visited my house before Tremie's shop when he was searching for me, and travelers—cons—are always in need of money... I choked on my breath.

"Did Atlas steal my necklace?"

It came out so quiet I thought it was in my head, but Lefeli let out a small gasp. "Why would he want to steal something like that?" she whispered, shock in her features as she huddled closer like a secret was being held between us. "No offense, but it doesn't look like it would sell for much."

"No," I said, staring at the jewel cradled between my two hands, my mind still spinning frenetically. The bag hung like deadweight from my arm. "This necklace is actually an antique passed down from my father's family through several generations, which is why it meant so much to my mother. It's been taken care of so it looks only a little outdated, but if one has a good eye, they would realize this could probably be sold to buy a small estate."

Lefeli gawked at it, her eyes wide and twinkling. "I never would've thought..."

But, I thought, my chest aching at the thought, Atlas just might.