The Pendant
1667 Words
Nora’s POV
The words remained in the air.
A silver pendant.
I stared at Xavier.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
His eyes remained fixed on my face.
Then his gaze moved to my neck.
I followed it instinctively.
My fingers touched the small silver necklace I had been wearing since I was a child.
The pendant rested beneath my shirt.
My breath caught.
Xavier noticed.
“What is that?”
I pulled the necklace out.
The pendant was small and round, with a strange symbol carved into its surface. I had never known what the symbol meant. My mother had given it to me when I was young and had always told me never to take it off.
I had never questioned her.
Not until now.
Xavier stared at it.
His entire expression changed.
“Where did you get that?”
I immediately covered it with my hand.
“Why?”
“Nora.”
“Answer my question first.”
His jaw tightened.
“Where did you get it?”
“My mother.”
“How long have you had it?”
“Since I was a child.”
Xavier looked away.
Something about his reaction made my stomach tighten.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
I stared at him.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Say nothing when something is clearly wrong.”
His eyes returned to mine.
“Take it off.”
I laughed.
“No.”
“Nora.”
“I said no.”
“Take it off.”
“Why?”
He stepped closer.
The familiar pressure began in my chest.
I ignored it.
“Because I said so?”
His expression became darker.
“Because that pendant may be dangerous.”
I looked down at it.
“It belonged to my mother.”
“I didn’t say she was dangerous.”
“Then what are you saying?”
He didn’t answer.
Ava stepped between us.
“Maybe we should all calm down.”
I looked at her.
She looked as confused as I felt.
“Do you know what is happening?” I asked.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Her voice was immediate.
I believed her.
Ava had been in this school for less than two days, just like me. She had not grown up here. She did not know the secrets of the academy. She was just as confused by everything happening around us.
I turned back to Xavier.
“She doesn’t know anything.”
His gaze moved to Ava.
“I know.”
“Then stop treating her like she does.”
“I never said she did.”
“You act like everyone here knows something except me.”
His expression changed.
For a second, he looked almost guilty.
Then the sound of footsteps echoed beyond the stairwell.
All three of us became silent.
Xavier immediately turned toward the door.
His body became tense.
“Stay here.”
I folded my arms.
“Absolutely not.”
He looked at me.
“That was not a suggestion.”
“And I don’t care.”
“Nora.”
“Stop saying my name like you own me.”
The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
The stairwell became completely silent.
Xavier stared at me.
Something moved behind his eyes.
Not anger.
Something deeper.
Something I didn’t understand.
Then he looked away.
“Stay behind me.”
It was not an order this time.
It sounded almost like a request.
I hated that I noticed the difference.
The footsteps stopped outside the door.
Ava moved closer to me.
“Who is it?”
Xavier didn’t answer.
The door opened.
A man stepped into the stairwell.
He was wearing a dark academy uniform.
I recognized him from the Gold Division.
He was tall, with dark hair and a sharp face.
He looked at Xavier.
“The Headmaster wants you.”
Xavier’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“He said it was urgent.”
“Did he say why?”
“No.”
Xavier looked toward me.
The student followed his gaze.
His eyes moved over me.
Then stopped at the pendant in my hand.
His expression changed.
Only for a moment.
But I saw it.
Recognition.
He knew what it was.
I stepped closer.
“You know this?”
His eyes immediately moved away.
“No.”
“That was a very quick answer.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I looked at Xavier.
He was watching the boy.
“Who is he?”
“Lucas.”
Lucas looked at me.
“Lucas Vale.”
“Are you a first year?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
His expression hardened.
“Because I was asked to come.”
I stared at him.
“Everyone here is so friendly.”
Ava gave me a look.
I ignored her.
Xavier stepped toward Lucas.
“What did the Headmaster say?”
“That you should come immediately.”
Xavier glanced toward the door.
Then back at me.
“I have to go.”
I immediately shook my head.
“Good.”
His eyebrows lowered.
“Good?”
“Yes. Go.”
“Nora.”
“What?”
“Stay away from the forest.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You’re starting to sound like everyone else.”
“I mean it.”
“So do I.”
He stared at me for another second.
Then he walked past us.
I watched him leave.
The moment he disappeared, I looked at Lucas.
He was still staring at the pendant.
“Where have you seen this before?”
His eyes snapped to mine.
“I haven’t.”
“You’re lying.”
His face became cold.
“You should be careful.”
“That is not an answer.”
“Some questions are better left unanswered.”
I almost laughed.
“Does everyone at this school share the same script?”
Lucas walked away.
I watched him disappear through the door.
Ava stared at me.
“What?”
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
I sighed.
“At least you’re honest.”
She smiled weakly.
“That is the nicest thing you’ve said to me today.”
We left the stairwell together.
Neither of us spoke for several moments.
Then Ava said, “I have a question.”
“What?”
“Are we actually going back to the dormitory?”
I looked at her.
She looked back at me.
I smiled.
“No.”
Ava sighed.
“I knew you were going to say that.”
“We need answers.”
“We are first year students.”
“I know.”
“We have been here for less than two days.”
“I know.”
“We have no idea where anything is.”
“I know.”
“We don’t know anything about the school.”
“I know.”
She stopped walking.
“Then what exactly are we going to do?”
I looked toward the corridor where Xavier had disappeared.
“Find out what happened to Eleanor Bennett.”
Ava stared at me.
“How?”
“The library archives.”
“They are locked.”
“Then we find another way in.”
Ava looked horrified.
“Nora.”
“Relax.”
“That is not reassuring.”
“We are not breaking into the archives.”
“Good.”
“We are just finding someone who can help us.”
Ava slowly nodded.
“That sounds better.”
“It isn’t.”
“I know.”
We continued toward the main building.
I had no idea who could help us.
But I knew someone who might.
The school had hundreds of students.
Somebody had to know something.
As we passed through the central courtyard, I saw a group of students gathered near the fountain.
Among them was Victoria.
Her eyes immediately found me.
She stared at the pendant in my hand.
The colour drained from her face.
Then she turned away.
I stopped walking.
Ava nearly walked into me.
“What happened?”
I looked at Victoria.
“She knows.”
“Who?”
“Victoria.”
Ava followed my gaze.
“Knows what?”
“I don’t know.”
I walked toward the group.
Ava hurried after me.
Victoria saw us coming.
Her expression became guarded.
“What do you want?”
I held up the pendant.
“What is this?”
Her face changed.
I knew it.
She knew exactly what it was.
“Where did you get that?”
“My mother.”
Victoria stared at the pendant.
Then at me.
For a moment, she looked terrified.
“Take it off.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“Because you should not be wearing it.”
“Why?”
She looked around.
The other students were beginning to watch us.
Victoria stepped closer.
Her voice dropped.
“Because that symbol belongs to the Ashford family.”
My heart stopped.
I looked down at the pendant.
Then back at her.
“Why was it given to my mother?”
Victoria said nothing.
I stepped closer.
“Why does my family have an Ashford pendant?”
Her eyes moved toward the academy entrance.
Xavier had just appeared there.
He stopped when he saw us.
Victoria looked at him.
Then at me.
Her expression filled with fear.
“Because your mother was not the first Bennett to become connected to an Ashford.”
My heart began to pound.
“What does that mean?”
Victoria looked directly at me.
“It means you should never have come here.”
Then she walked away.
I stood frozen.
Behind me, Xavier was approaching.
His eyes were fixed on the pendant.
And for the first time since I had met him, I saw something I had never seen before.
Fear.
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