Alice was crying. When she realized who I was, she immediately clung to me, burying her face into my neck.
“Mommy… I almost lost my necklace…”
“It’s okay, honey. You still have it. It’s okay…”
I tried to calm her but I was panicked too.
Gods, I wished Julian was here. He would know what to do and say to make us both feel safe.
When we reached the safety of the estate, Alice had cried herself to sleep. After helping her settle into one of the spare rooms, I returned down to the living room where Mary was interrogating Rafael about what happened.
She quieted when I came into the room. Rafael did too, which I found stranger.
“Amber,” he said. “Alice reacted poorly when that necklace was nearly removed. It’s not just a keepsake, is it?”
“It’s not,” I explained. Since they were our
