The Raven's Chronicles. Rage of the Wraith

Chapter 16. The Necklace

Chapter 15. The Necklace

Jules came back to the empty bedroom and lit a single candle. The little flame danced on the wick and its warm, golden light played with shadows in the dark room. The boy walked to his bed - the shadows moving along with him - and put the candle on his bedside table. He'd found Melissa's bag in the infirmary, and now he tossed it onto the mattress. Rubbing his eyes, he went to check the jug that still stood on the table.

He expected to find some cold coffee on its bottom, but the servants had already filled it with tea. It was still pleasantly warm and he emptied his mug in one gulp.

"Rosalie? Are you anywhere here?" He strained his Sixth Sense, searching for her. "We can see what's in the bag if you want."

She didn't respond to his summon and he couldn't sense her presence in the room. He left the mug on the tabletop and went back to his bed. Sitting down, he took Melissa's bag into his hands. As he focused on it, his eyes flashed with gold. He didn't feel anything - not a hint of the darkness that Rosalie had mentioned. Frowning, he spilt the bag's content onto his blankets.

Only one thing fell out. A necklace. A crystal, irregularly shaped, attached to a silver chain. Jules took it in his hand a gasped when a sharp point spiked his skin. Blood drained from the small wound on his finger.

"Damn it," he put the finger into his mouth and then wiped the few scarlet drops that had fallen onto the crystal.

Then he saw it - a little piece of paper sticking out of the bag. He unfolded it and read a short message written in black ink.

If you ever find it, please don't use it. You may hate me, but I did it because I love you.

Yours M. 

This 'M.' must stand for Melissa - it was the only explanation. But how such a piece of jewellery could be owned by a wandering healer? The crystal was not polished, but something so lucid couldn't be cheap. And the chain itself, it was made of silver.

Jules sat on the bed, kicked off his shoes and lay back. He raised the necklace; the candle's flame lit up the crystal up and golden glints danced on the boy's face. He smiled to himself and stretched lazily. Rosalie must have been wrong. How could something so beautiful be dangerous?

Jules yawned and rubbed his eyes. He lay the necklace on his bedside table and crawled under the blankets. If he had to wait for Ravin, he could as well take a nap.

He closed his eyes and rolled onto his side, but then he felt something prickly under his shoulder. He reached out with his other hand to smooth the sheet, but his fingers dug into something loose and warm. Sand?

He opened his eyes to see a crystal blue sky over his head and the endless sea stretching in front of him. He lay on sand under a withering pine; its needles irritated the skin on his shoulder.

"No way," he looked around frantically. He knew this place. Seagulls squawked, the flock of them circling above him. They built their nest in the holes in the cliff's wall.

"No, no, no.." he took a grip on the linen bag that hung over his shoulder. It was still empty; he would fill it with seagull's eggs.

"No!" he tossed the bag away. How could he be back here?! This very day... No, it must be another nightmare. They would never stop haunting him. He didn't deserve to be freed of them - it was his fault after all. If he had only taken Maya along that day...

"Wake up!" he ordered himself. He couldn't be deeply asleep - he tried to force himself to open his eyes, but found himself googling at the seascape, his eyelids twitching.