CARRIED WITH THE MADNESS - PART 9

Kalandra's brow arched sharply in concern at first as she felt the cold metal of the black iron dagger in her hands, but then her expression changed, and she gave a lopsided grin, knowing what Faye had in mind.

She asked Faye, "How did this come to be in your possession?"

"Sterling gave it to me before we went to the Emerald Rim. At the time, I thought nothing of it. But now I understand why he gave it to me."

Faye took the dagger back from the mage's hands and unscrewed the pommel from the end of the dagger handle.

She opened the locket her mother had given her and removed the silvery white heart scale, placing it inside the handle just like Sterling had done before he gave it to her.

As she replaced the end, she saw Kalandra cocking her head to one side as if she could see. Her eyes were wide with astonishment, and her fingers were touching her parted lips.

"Is that a heart scale?"