Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 398 Ava: Divine Artifacts

"Where did | put it?" | rummage through the dresser drawers, tossing clothes onto the floor. "I swear | had my

phone when we got here." | pause. "Didn't 1?"

The details are a little fuzzy, considering. Between months passing and the insanity of our escape from the Fae

Ward...

You've never been good at keeping track of your belongings.

"That's not true." But even as | say it, doubt creeps in. When was the last t| saw my phone? Is it still in the

Fae Ward? The idea that someone might have access to my texts leavesa little sick to my stomach.

Oh? Remember that tyou lost your house keys three times in about five minutes?

"That was different. | was distracted."

And your favorite shirt? The blue one?

"It probably got mixed up in the laundry." | move to the nightstand, rifling through the drawer. Nothing but a few

hair ties. A luxury item, and | try my best not to lose them.

What about your necklace and ring?

My hand flies to my throat, fingers searching for a weight | already know isn't there. It's been months.

"They must be in my luggage back at Westwood." But even as | say it, uncertainty gnaws at me. Did | put them

somewhere else for safety, instead? Well, it doesn't matter. Either way, they're in Westwood. Someone's

probably stolen them by now.

Those pieces of jewelry were more than accessories—they were protection, ways to hide what | am. Hopefully

they don't fall into the wrong hands. Not that I'm sure what anyone can do with them.

Shaking those thoughts off, | head back to my dresser. It has to be there, if it's anywhere at all.

"What are you two discussing?" Grimoire materializes beside me, his child form perched on the dresser.

Sometimes he's nosy.

"Just my old necklace and ring." | push aside a stack of sweaters, but there's still no phone. "The ones Selene

madewear to suppress my magic."

A strange sensation tickles my mind—like fingers rifling through my memories. The jewelry appears in crystal

clarity: the amethyst pendant and its matching ring.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" Grimoire's voice booms in my head and ears, makingstumble back. His eyes glisten

with excitement.

"God, Grim." | rub my temple. "No need to shout. And | thought we talked about these before?"

He scowls at me. "I would remember discussing the Goddess' blessings. This is the first I'm hearing of them." He

pauses. "Though, if I hadn't seen them, | suppose | might not have realized..."

"The... what?"

What is he talking about? Selene's voice holds an edge of wariness.

"The Goddess' blessings," Grimoire repeats, more insistent. "Those weren't mere trinkets to suppress magic.

They were divine artifacts."

Somehow, this feels right. Those things never seemed normal. "What do you mean by that?"

Grimoire's eyes shine with an otherworldly light. "The Goddess crafted three pieces of jewelry for a young Luna,

thousands of years past. A necklace, a ring, and a bracelet."

"A bracelet?" My heart skips. "I never had a bracelet."

"The Luna was much like you—a witch who mated with an alpha." Grimoire's voice takes on a rhythmic quality,

as if reciting from memory. "Her children were strong shifters, all except one. A daughter, blessed with magic but

unable to shift or control her power."

That sounds familiar. Selene's mental voice carries a note of unease as she looks right at me.

"The Goddess heard the Luna's prayers," Grimoire continues. "She crafted these artifacts to help the young witch

channel her magic safely."

"And you're saying the necklace and ring | wore were two of those pieces?"

"Without question. Divine magic leaves traces even tcannot erase."

| turn to Selene. "Where exactly did you get them?"

| didn't get them from anywhere. Her hackles rise. | found them.

But she'd already known about them when we met. The one was in my apartment, and the other—I still

remember that horrible run. And how she madedig for the box because she didn't want to get her paws

dirty. "You had to have known about it from somewhere, though."

Selene's ears flatten. I... | don't remember.

"Then how did you know what they were for? How did you know they'd help suppress my magic?"

She paces, agitated. | just... knew. But now that | think about it, | can't recall how | knew.

Grimoire leans forward with a frown. "That's impossible. Knowledge like that doesn't simply appear. Someone

must have told you."

Well, they didn't. Selene's mental voice snaps with irritation. Or if they did, it's lost with the rest of my memories.

"The rest?" he asks, pouncing on that information. Have they not talked about this before? Sometimes it's hard

to remember that Grimoire hasn't been with us forever. It feels like forever sometimes.

You know many of my memories have faded. Her tail droops. Perhaps the knowledge of the artifacts cfrom...

before.

"These aren't just any magical items," Grimoire says. "They're divine artifacts, created by the Goddess herself.

They were lost to tlong, long ago."

Then how do you know about them? Selene challenges.

"I've lived through such history," he says pompously.

For someone who's lived so long, you know precious little.

Grimoire deflates a little. "I have witnessed things," he mutters. And he has. He's been around for so much. But

we've long ago established that much of Grimoire's knowledge is theoretical, from what the witches have

recorded in his pages.

After all, he doesn't really exist outside of the book. If he isn't brought out, he can't see.

His knowledge is great and vast, but also limited in many frustrating ways.

"Don't make him feel bad, Selene."

He started it.

Grimoire sounds thoughtful. Perhaps | can delve into your mind, wolf. See why there are so many blocks in your

memory. You recall your past life, so there should be no holes in what you remember.

Selene sneezes. It's a sign of discomfort, not an itchy nose.

Perhaps, she agrees reluctantly, torn between finding out more about her lost memories and having to accept

her nemesis rummaging through her mind.

| can feel the struggle in our bond.

"Con, Selene. Isn't it worth trying?"

Didn't you have something important to do?