Chapter 234

Agnes

The sunrise came early, casting a golden glow over Richard’s territory as Elijah, James, and I set out for our second day of searching.

Despite the heavy thoughts that weighed on my mind after last night’s events with Elise, I felt oddly refreshed. Perhaps it was the comfort of falling asleep in Elijah’s protective embrace, or maybe it was simply the knowledge that today might bring us one step closer to finding the artifact.

Our destination this time was an abandoned village that James had identified from his research. According to his notes, it had been deserted for well over a century, left to crumble back into the earth. It was supposedly tucked away in a remote valley, hidden from the main trails that crisscrossed Richard’s territory.

“The records suggest that the village was abandoned rather abruptly,” James explained as we hiked through a dense section of forest. “There were rumors of a curse, but more likely it was some sort of illness that swept through the population.”

“Cheerful,” I muttered as I stepped over a fallen log.

The hike was more difficult than yesterday’s, with steeper inclines and rougher terrain. By mid-morning, my legs were beginning to burn from the exertion, and I was grateful when James announced that we were getting close.

We crested a final ridge, and there it was—the abandoned village, nestled in a small valley below us.

From our vantage point, I could see the skeletal remains of perhaps a dozen structures, their walls partially collapsed, their roofs long gone. Nature had reclaimed most of it; unless you knew what you were looking for, you might miss the ruins beneath all of the vines and trees.

We made our way down the slope into the valley, careful not to lose our footing on the loose rocks. As we approached the village, I couldn’t help but notice just how quiet the place was—not even the birds seemed to be singing.

The first structure we reached was little more than a pile of stones, but the next was more intact—four walls still standing, although the roof had long since collapsed inward. James pulled out a small notebook and flipped through it.

“According to my research, this might have been the village elder’s home,” he said, gesturing to the structure. “If the artifact was kept somewhere in the village, this would be a logical place to start looking.”

We split up to cover more ground, each taking a section of the village to search. I found myself wandering through what might have been a small garden once, now overgrown with wildflowers and weeds. The stone foundations of a tiny cottage remained, and I carefully picked my way through them, looking for any sign of our artifact.

Nothing. Just stones and rubble, and maybe the odd piece of half-broken-down furniture or a glass bottle. Anything else had been lost to time and the elements.

Hours passed as we searched, methodically going through each structure, checking beneath fallen stones and digging in places that seemed promising. The sun climbed high in the sky, and the day grew warm. By noon, we were all streaked with dirt and sweat, with nothing to show for our efforts.

“Let’s take a break,” Elijah suggested, wiping his brow. “We’ve been at this for hours.”

We gathered in a relatively clear area near the center of the village, where a large oak tree provided some welcome shade. James pulled out our water bottles and some sandwiches from his pack, and we settled in for lunch.

As we ate, James kept his nose buried in his notes, occasionally muttering to himself as he reconsidered his theories. Elijah and I sat close together, our shoulders touching. But Elijah’s gaze had grown distant, his sandwich forgotten in his hand.

“I can’t stop thinking about Richard and Elise,” he admitted softly. “It’s just… it’s so sad, Agnes.”

I reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I know.”

“I wish there was something we could do to help them. Richard looked so broken last night.” Elijah sighed. “And when I think about how quickly it all happened… one day, Elise is out hiking, happy and healthy, and the next, she’s… she’s…” He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

My heart ached for him. For all his strength and power, Elijah couldn’t bear to see suffering without wanting to fix it somehow. It was one of the things I loved most about him.

“I love you, Agnes,” he said suddenly, turning to look me in the eye. “So much. And I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you. Or Thea.” His jaw clenched. “So much has happened lately… I just want a quiet life with you and Thea. Is that too much to ask?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s not too much to ask.” I wanted it, too. Goddess, how badly I wanted that. It was all I’d ever craved—a quiet, peaceful life with my child.

“I keep thinking that if we can just find this artifact, if we can unmark Olivia and mark each other, maybe your wolf will come out. Maybe you’ll be able to control your fire abilities. Maybe everything will be okay.” His voice dropped even lower. “I’m tired, Agnes. Tired of fearing for my family.”

I leaned my head against his shoulder, taking a moment to imagine the life he described. A quiet life, just the three of us being a family. No fires, no curses, no long-lost friends returning from the dead, no stepmother with mysterious agendas. Just love and peace and the simple joy of watching Thea grow up.

It sounded like heaven.

“We’ll find it,” I promised, even though I had no way of knowing if we would. “We’ll find the artifact, and everything will work out.”

Elijah’s arm came around me and drew me closer. “I hope you’re right.”

We finished our lunch in comfortable silence, each lost in our own thoughts. I found myself studying the village around us, trying to imagine the lives of the people who had once called this place home. Had they been happy here? Had they lived quiet lives, or had they faced their own struggles and challenges?

Eventually, James closed his notebook with a sigh. “We should get back to it,” he said, stretching. “We still have most of the village to search.”

We packed up our things and continued our exploration, now focusing on the structures on the far side of the village. These seemed to be smaller homes, perhaps belonging to the less affluent members of the community. Many were in worse condition than the ones we’d searched earlier, with barely any walls left standing.

The afternoon wore on, and my hope began to wane. What if the artifact wasn’t here at all? What if James’s research had led us astray?

I was carefully checking the foundation of a particularly dilapidated cottage when I heard James’s voice call out.

“You should come look at this.”

Elijah and I exchanged a glance before hurrying in the direction of James’s voice. We found him in what might have been a small home once, but was now little more than a square outline of stone in the ground. He was on his knees, carefully brushing dirt away from… something.

“What is it?” I asked, kneeling beside him.

“Not sure yet,” James replied, continuing to dig with his hands. “But look at the shape. It’s too regular to be natural.”

As more dirt fell away, I could see what he meant. There was a distinct cylindrical object emerging from the earth, about the size of a large thermos.

“Is that…?”

“A capsule of some kind,” James confirmed, working faster now. “Someone buried it here, deliberately.”

My heart rate spiked. Could this be it? The artifact we’d been searching for?

Together, the three of us dug around the object, carefully freeing it from the soil. Finally, James was able to lift it out—a metal capsule, darkened and slightly rusted from decades left buried underground, but still completely intact. It was sealed with a simple lock.

James looked up and handed it to Elijah, who took it and set it down in front of him. With a deep breath, he picked up a nearby rock.

The lock broke open easily with just a few hits of the rock. We all held our breath as Elijah lifted the lid.