Land of Smoke and Ashes

It's a Plan

"Absolutely not."

Natalie frowned at Sam across the breakfast table. He had nearly dropped the plate of eggs when she's suggested she be allowed to go into the market the afternoon. At the end of the table, Edward snickered, and Jewels shot him a silencing glare.

"I just want to ask around about the key. I swear, that's it. I'll wear the cloak again and be careful no one sees what my face looks like." Natalie tore a strip off the piece of toast she'd been picking at. She felt too anxious to really be hungry. Her stomach was curling, nerves eating at her insides. "I told you, I need to find my mother."

"Yes, you said that," Edward chimed in. "There was apparently a reason you showed up here, which you didn't tell us last night. Anything else you're hiding?"

She glowered at him, about to protest that she had shown up by accident, yes, but that she more than had a right to hunt for her own mother while she was here. Sam cut any further arguments off, thumping a fist on the table.

"Edward." He gritted the name out through his teeth, and Edward flinched and went quiet, his face sullen.

Sam was the leader here, that was obvious, and Natalie focused her attention on him. She had to somehow convince him to help her. "I need to find my mother. Just like you needed to go find Gwen and rescue her."

Gwen seemed to be hiding her smile behind the clay mug full of tea, but she raised her brows at Sam, as if to say, can you really argue with that?

"I took you through the market for ten seconds, and you nearly got yourself sucked into a pendant. And if I'm not mistaken, you're going to want to head straight back there to talk to that insane woman. Am I right?"

Natalie flushed and glanced down at the table. Had she been that obvious?

Jewels sat up straighter, her brow creased with worry. "Serena? You want to go see Serena? Oh, Natalie, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

She threw up her hands. "You can't tell me about the history of the pendant, so I have to find someone that can."

"Serena probably won't be able to help either," Jewels said. "The jewelry she deals in is dark. It's all imbibed with dark magic, and the keys have always been fully light."

"Then maybe she'll know someone." Natalie looked from Sam to Jewels. "And I don't have to go on my own if one of you comes with me, right? Or can't you handle Serena?" This last bit she directed at Sam and apparently it was just the right thing to say, because he sat up straighter, looking indignant.

"I can handle her. I just don't want you anywhere near her. If she realizes you're a human she'll turn you in so fast your head will spin. There's reward money out for humans. A lot of it. She won't be able to resist."

"She wouldn't even try," Gwen grumbled.

"This is all too dangerous." Edward set his mug on the tabletop with a thump. "You're going to jeopardize—"

"Edward shut up." Sam looked ready to reach across the table and shake him, and Edward seemed to realize he'd said too much, because he pressed his lips together so hard they went white, and darted a look at Natalie.

So there was definitely something they weren't telling her.

That was fine. It hardly concerned her any how. All she wanted to do was find out about her mother and then get home in one piece.