Chapter 71
Lisa’s POV
There was darkness. It was heavy and endless.
Then, light. And warmth.
I blinked slowly, my eyes adjusting to the soft glow of the room. The first thing I saw was Rylan’s face hovering over mine, his brown eyes were filled with worry.
“Lisa? Lisa, can you hear me?”
I blinked again. My throat was dry. “Rylan…”
His shoulders relaxed and he let out a breath of relief. He gently touched my cheek. “Thank the Moon
Goddess. You scared me.”
My head throbbed. My body felt heavy and weak. “What… happened?”
He sat on the edge of the bed. His hand never left mine. “One of the guards found you unconscious at the top of the stairs. He called me immediately. I dropped everything and rushed here.”
“I fainted?” I asked, trying to sit up.
“Easy,” he said quickly and helped me lean against the pillows. “The doctor came. He said your blood pressure dropped really low. You fainted because of that.”
Low blood pressure? That didn’t make sense. I never had that problem before.
He reached over to the nightstand and held up a small bottle. “He gave you an injection earlier. You were
out for a while. And you need to take these pills for the next few days. They’ll help stabilize your pressure.”
I nodded slowly. Everything still felt a little foggy.
He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “I was so worried about you, Lisa. You have no idea. I kept thinking…
what if something worse had happened.”
I squeezed his hand. “I’m okay now. Just a bit dizzy.”
“That’s normal,” he said softly. “You need to rest. I won’t leave your side.”
He really didn’t. That evening, he stayed right next to me. He helped me sit up and even fed me dinner in bed. There was soft mashed potatoes, grilled chicken, and soup. He didn’t let me lift a finger.
“You’re spoiling me,” I whispered.
He smiled. “Good. You deserve it.”
Just then, the door creaked open.
Alexandra stepped in. “Hey,” she said gently. “I heard what happened. Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah… just a little tired.”
She walked in. “Must have been the stress. All that worry lately. It can take a toll.”
“Maybe,” I said while forcing a smile.
She sat on the edge of the bed and looked me over. “You need rest, Lisa. That’s all. Sleep well tonight. Tomorrow you’ll feel much better.”
I nodded again, and after another few moments of small talk, she left the room.
Rylan stood and began tidying up the plates. “I’ll just get these out. Then you should take a bath and rest.”
“Okay.”
He smiled and exited with the tray.
After a while, I pulled myself out of bed and walked into the bathroom. The hot water helped clear my
head. I stayed there for a while, soaking in the warmth.
After my bath, I wrapped myself in a soft towel and stepped in front of the mirror. My hand rose to my
neck automatically.
I froze.
My neck was bare.
The pendant. The amulet. It was gone.
Panic rushed through me like a wave. My fingers scraped over my skin, searching for the familiar cool
touch of the stone.
Nothing.
“No… no, no…”
Sierra?
Lisa, where is it? her voice sounded as shaken as I felt. You always wear it.
“I didn’t take it off,” I whispered.
I checked the sink. The cabinet. The floor. The towel.
Nothing.
I threw on some clothes quickly and rushed into the bedroom. My heart was racing now.
I began checking the drawers. The dressing table. The nightstand.
“Where is it?” I muttered. “Where is it?”
The door opened. Rylan walked in.
He stopped when he saw me. “Lisa? What are you doing?”
“It’s gone!” I said breathlessly. “The pendant. The one the seer gave me. It’s not around my neck. I didn’t take it off. It was there this morning.”
He walked toward me. He was frowning. “You’re sure? Maybe it fell in the bathroom?”
“No! I looked everywhere. It’s not there.”
“Maybe you took it off and forgot?”
“I never take it off,” I said firmly. “Never.”
He sat beside me. His face was serious now. “Okay. Then maybe… someone took it off when you fainted.”
My eyes widened. “The doctor? Or the nurse?”
Rylan shook his head. “I was with you the whole time. They never touched your jewelry.”
I ran a hand through my damp hair. “Then maybe… the guard who found me? Maybe he took it.”
He frowned. “James? I know him. He’s a good man. Honest. I don’t think he would do that.”
“Still… ask him? Please?”
“Of course. I’ll question him myself. And I’ll have the hallway searched. Maybe it just… fell. Maybe it’s still
somewhere around there.”
I nodded slowly. But inside, my heart was sinking.
Sierra whispered, Lisa… that pendant protected you. If it’s gone… something is coming.
I know, I whispered back. I can feel it too.
Rylan reached over and wrapped his arms around me. “We’ll find it. Don’t worry.”
But deep down, I knew.
Something was terribly wrong.
And this was just the beginning.
