While I waited to find out about Jordan Greycloud’s past, I had something else I wanted to do. Which meant I needed to get rid of my sister again.

“Where are you going this time?” she asked, refusing to get out of the car. “I want to go with you.”

“You really don’t,” I said. “Cover for me?”

She sighed. “You know I’ll do it, but I really wish you would trust me enough to tell me what’s going on,” she said. “I don’t believe all those things they said about you doing drugs and partying all the time. But sneaking around after school to go on these covert missions and keeping secrets is not really going to make you look good to Mom and Dad if you get caught.”

“I know,” I said, cringing. “I promise I’ll fill you in on everything when I can. Right now, though, I just need you to trust me.”

“And lie for you.”

“Well, yeah, that too,” I said. “But I’ll try to be home before Mom. Which means I need to get going.”

She got out of the car but poked her head back through the open window before I could pull away. “So, you’re definitely not out buying drugs or anything stupid, right?”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “I thought you just said you didn’t believe all that stuff.”

“I don’t,” she said, laughing. “Just giving you a hard time.”

“That’s cute,” I said, giving her my best evil-eye.

Kimi backed away. “See you soon,” she shouted as I pulled out of the driveway.

I knew that Kimi wanted to pretend like she was the only one on my side these days and that she didn’t believe the lies, but at the same time, I also knew she’d been extremely worried about me when I was stuck in the hospital. She was probably just as confused as I was about what had happened. I couldn’t blame her for worrying that I was into something I shouldn’t be.

And maybe I was.

But it wasn’t what she thought, and the last thing I wanted to do was pull her into something that could be dangerous for her. The less my sister knew, the better.

I turned on Main Street and followed it all the way to the edge of town. The buildings that passed by grew slowly less modern and new and became more rundown. Burned out signs, abandoned buildings, trash littering the streets.

This was not a part of town I’d been to very often, but there was a particular shop I wanted to visit today. As soon as the faded green awning came into view, I slowed and pulled into the small strip of parking spaces.

A tiny bell jingled as I opened the door and walked inside.

Stepping into the store was like stepping into a cave. The dark coating on the windows blocked most of the sunlight, so the only light inside was from a few scattered old floor lamps. I squeezed through a maze of antique furniture, statues, and bookshelves full of old hardback books and trinkets.

There was no way this place was up to modern fire codes.

From the looks of it, I was the only customer, but it was so cramped and dense inside the store, there could have been twenty people lost somewhere in the mess, and I never would have known it.

The musty smell of old things became more pronounced the deeper I went.

I hadn’t been in Mr. Shaw’s store since I was a little girl, but I could have sworn most of the stuff in here was the same. How did he stay in business?

I ran my fingers across the wooden carving of an eagle, admiring the intricate details of it.

“May I help you?”

I jumped at the sound of the voice and pulled my hand away quickly, shoving it into the pocket of my black jeans.

Mr. Shaw’s eyes lit up as I turned toward him. “Marayah Freeman,” he said, reaching his hand out to me. He was an elderly man, probably in his early eighties. He was shorter than me and his brown skin was weathered and cracked. He wore a pair of plain brown pants and a Grateful Dead t-shirt that looked about as old as he was.

“It’s so wonderful to see you. How are you feeling these days?”

“I’m better,” I said. His hands were soft and leathery at the same time.

“Admiring the eagle, I see.” He raised a finger to his cheek, studying the carving and then looking at me curiously. “It suits you.”

I smiled. “I don’t think I really have a place for it,” I said.

“Sometimes we must make room in our hearts for the things that are meant for us,” he said. “But there is time. Come, come. Sit down with me for a while. It’s been a slow day, and I am grateful for the company.”

I followed him, toward the back of the store. I had a feeling every day around here was a slow day.

A cloudy glass jewelry counter ran along most of the back wall of the store. As we passed, I noticed it was filled with Native American jewelry and arrowheads. He had a huge collection, which gave me hope that he might know more about the medallion I wore around my neck.

He motioned toward a pair of old leather chairs that had seen better days.

“Thank you,” I said, sitting.

“Can I get you something to drink? Tea?”

“No, thank you,” I said. “I’m sorry I can’t stay too long today, but if you don’t mind, I wanted to ask you about something I found.”

He raised an eyebrow and sat down on the edge of his well-worn chair. “I don’t mind at all,” he said. “Found things are my business.”

I unhooked the silver clasp of the necklace. Anxiety raced through my veins, making me jumpy. I didn’t like taking it off, even for a minute.

Mr. Shaw slipped on an old pair of tortoise shell glasses and held his hand out expectantly. For some reason, I suddenly didn’t want to give it to him. Like I needed to hold onto it for dear life.

I felt physically ill as I passed it over to him and it left my hands.

He held the medallion up to the dim light from a nearby floor lamp. He squinted at the design for a moment before shaking his head.

I took a deep breath to still the crazy anxiety racing through me. I wanted the necklace back, but it would be rude to snatch it up and run. After all, I’d come to him for help. And if I left, I’d never know what the heck it was or where it had come from.

He flipped on another small lamp next to the recliner, and turned the medallion around, studying it.

His mouth went slack, and he nearly dropped the necklace. “It can’t be,” he whispered.

“What?” I asked, my heart pounding. He recognized it.

He shook his head and stood up, taking the necklace with him. I followed him back to his small office behind the counter. He flipped the light on—this time one of those blaringly bright fluorescent overhead lights—and sat down at his desk.

I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.

Mr. Shaw pulled a magnifying glass from the top drawer of his desk and held it just above the backside of the medallion. He gasped and looked from the necklace to me.

“Where did you say you found this?” he asked.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell him the answer to that question until he’d answered mine. “Do you know what it is?”

“I’ve only ever seen one in my lifetime, and that was a long time ago,” he said. He stared at the wall for a moment, as if he’d just gone on a mental trip. “A very long time ago, indeed.”

He seemed to come back to himself suddenly, shaking his head.

“I never thought I’d see one again,” he said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“This belongs to a Spiritwalker,” he said. “Very rare and extremely powerful.”

“Powerful?” I asked, my arms covered in goosebumps.

“Oh yes,” he said, turning his gaze on me. “Only the most deserving of warriors are given one of these medallions. You must tell me where you found this. Did someone give it to you?”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I had no idea how much I should tell this old man. “I don’t know, exactly,” I said. “Maybe.”

He leaned his elbows against the edge of his desk and held one hand up to his lips as he continued to study the necklace. “You see, it makes quite a difference whether you found this item or it was given to you,” he said. He narrowed his eyes and looked up at me. “Or if you stole it.”

My eyes widened. “I didn’t steal it,” I said.

I’d been called a lot of things since the accident, and now I could apparently add thief to the list. Unbelievable.

“If you were trying to come here to sell this, you came to the wrong place,” he said, standing. He practically threw the necklace at me.

I grabbed the medallion and followed him toward the front door. “I wasn’t trying to sell it,” I said. “I just wanted to know what it is. I need to know what it means.”

“If you don’t know, then you have no business with it in your possession,” he said sharply. “And if you stole it, then you have no place in my store. I don’t need that kind of energy in my presence.”

I stopped.

“I didn’t steal it,” I said again.

“Then why won’t you tell me where you got it?” He stopped just shy of the front door and turned to face me.

“Because I don’t know where I got it,” I said. I hadn’t wanted to explain this to him, but if he was going to accuse me of stealing it, I couldn’t risk him calling the cops and that getting back to my parents. “I had never seen it, or anything like it before in my life. But I’m sure you’re aware of what happened to me last year, right? The accident?”

“Of course,” he said, sadness darkening his features. “We don’t lose a young person in this town without it affecting us all in some way.”

“Well, apparently I was clutching this medallion in my hand when they found me in the river,” I said. “My doctor just gave it back to me a week ago before I came home. I had never seen it before in my life, but they said it was mine.”

Mr. Shaw made a strange face. “That’s very interesting.”

“Isn’t there anything else you can tell me about this medallion?” I asked. “You obviously recognize it from somewhere. Please, I need to understand what happened. What is a Spiritwalker?”

“I’m sorry, Marayah,” he said. He opened the door of the store and waited for me to leave. “I don’t have anything else to say to you. I wish you the best, but I want nothing to do with that kind of magic.”

“Magic?” I asked, but he practically kicked me out of the store and closed the door behind me. He flipped the sign on the door to closed, turned the lock, and walked away.

I couldn’t accept that. He obviously knew a lot more than he was saying. He couldn’t just leave me standing here like that without answers.

I banged on the glass door. “Please, Mr. Shaw,” I shouted. “I need your help.”

He turned and gave me one last lingering look before he shook his head and disappeared into the maze of antiques.