The old woman had been gone for several minutes, but Elena still couldn't tear her eyes away from the door.
“Are you planning to stand there all day?”
Camille's voice made her jump. Elena turned around.
“Sorry.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
Camille raised an eyebrow.
“You're a terrible liar.”
Elena managed a smile.
“I’m fine.”
She had no desire to talk about the woman. She didn't understand what had just happened herself. She went back behind the counter and absently picked up a rag to clean a surface that was already perfectly spotless.
“She knew my mother.”
Camille stopped.
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
Elena lowered her eyes to the pendant.
“But she recognized it.”
“Did you ask her name?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Elena didn't answer right away, because the moment the woman had looked at the pendant, something had changed in her expression. It hadn't been surprise. It had been fear.
“She told me they’d eventually find me.”
Camille frowned.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“You should have asked her.”
“I tried.”
“And?”
“She left.”
Camille was silent for a few seconds, then sighed.
“You know what? Forget her.”
Elena wished she could. She went back to work, but her gaze kept returning to the pendant. At noon, she made an excuse about needing some fresh air and left the shop. She sat down on a bench in a small street behind the store. The traffic was quieter here. A few pigeons picked through the trash near a garbage can, and a light breeze stirred the leaves on the trees. Elena took out her phone, opened the notes app, and typed: Pendant, the old woman knew it, did she know Mom?
She stared at the screen. After a few seconds, she added: “They’ll eventually find you.” She reread the sentence. A strange feeling tightened in her chest. She deleted everything.
“Ridiculous.”
She put away her phone, then her fingers came to rest on the pendant. The metal was cold. She took it off and examined it closely. She had seen it thousands of times, yet she noticed something she had never seen before. A tiny line ran across the symbol. Elena brought the pendant closer to her face. The line wasn't engraved. It was a crack.
“How could I have never noticed this?”
She ran her fingernail over it. The crack seemed deeper than she would have expected. She turned the pendant over. The back was completely smooth, except for a small, nearly faded inscription. Elena narrowed her eyes, but she needed more light. She stood up and went back into the shop. Camille was busy with a customer. Elena went into the storeroom and switched on the small lamp above the shelf. She held the pendant beneath the light. The inscription finally appeared.
BLOOD. SHADOW. CROWN.
Elena felt her heart speed up. She had never seen those words, and her mother had never mentioned them to her. She took a picture with her phone, then turned the pendant over. The crack was still there. She gently placed her thumb on it, and a sharp pain shot through her finger. Elena immediately pulled her hand away. A small drop of blood appeared on her finger.
“Damn…”
She brought her finger to her mouth, and the pain disappeared almost immediately. She looked at the pendant. It had changed—the crack seemed slightly larger. Elena stood perfectly still. She held the pendant up to the light. For a second, she thought a red glow appeared at the heart of the symbol. She blinked, and the light was gone.
“I’m really going crazy.”
She quickly put the pendant back around her neck, but the moment the metal touched her skin, a violent shudder ran through her body. Something had just crossed her mind—a woman's voice, very faint, almost a whisper.
“Elena…”
She spun around. No one. The storeroom was empty. She could hear only the muffled sounds of the shop beyond the door. Elena stood motionless, and the voice returned. This time, it was clearer.
“Never trust them.”
She backed up until she hit a shelf, and an old book fell to the floor. Elena jumped.
“Who are you?”
There was no answer. She raised a hand to her pendant. It was burning hot. Elena tore it from her neck, and the heat vanished immediately. She looked at the medallion in her palm and remained motionless for several seconds.
“Elena?”
She took a deep breath.
“Coming!”
She put the pendant back around her neck. Before leaving the storeroom, she took one last look at the old book lying on the floor. It was open to a yellowed page, where an illustration depicted a woman dressed in a long black gown. Elena stopped. Time had almost completely erased the woman's face, but hanging around her neck was the exact same symbol—the same pendant. Elena felt her blood run cold. She slammed the book shut.