The Society of the Ethereal Medallion

Suspects and Secrets Revealed

I sat in the darkness; my one source of light was burning dim. I watched the flame flicker and quiver back and forth. 

With every beat of its red wings, a trace of our conversation replayed in my mind.

"You think you're the only one that has to suspect everyone. I will admit I've had to do many things that I'm not proud of, but they ensure the safety of my loved ones and me."

The flame writhed back and forth violently.

"This isn't the first time that we've been on an expedition of this sort."

I scraped the tops of my chewed nails.

"This isn't our first scavenger hunt for Atlantis."

I remembered the feel of his hands roaming the sides of my body. 

He was warm, his body strong. Ares meant ruin. 

What was he destined to ruin? Was he to shatter my heart or my life? 

He had more to say. There was something he was hiding. With Rita and Elena's father, he didn't go into too much detail about how they passed away. 

Was it too difficult to talk about?

Does Elena hate him for loving her sister? Everyone we've come into contact with has some part to play in Atlantis. In the Brotherhood. Ciri, Angelo, Anas, Elena, Leo, Ares, Ruth, John, My birth parents, William's father. They've been on expeditions before.

"Damn it," I hissed, reaching for a pack of cigarettes in one of the drawers of the vanity.

Elena had shown me where they were, I didn't think I would need them, but I turned to bad habits when I was stressed.

I hate smoking. I hate the bloody act. That doesn't mean I've never smoked before. I grabbed one of the cigarettes from the box and held it over the candle. I liked watching the flame scorch the end of the cigarette, its red flame eating it up like a child in a candy store. I held the cigarette between my fingers putting it to my lips and inhaling. The invasion of its toxic entities calmed me. At least I knew their true intentions.

"We had a rocky relationship when William and I got romantically involved with his daughters. He convinced them that we were trying to get to the secret. I tried, we tried to convince him otherwise, but he wouldn't have it."

I took one long drag, blowing out a ring of smoke into the air.

Trust. You can trust him. Can't you?

My lungs recalled the sweet sensation of nicotine and welcomed it back with open arms.

"I would never use a woman for personal gain. I was raised better than that."

Yes, yes, you can. 

I gripped the journal tightly, whipping the pages back and forth with my thumb.

"You can believe me or not. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter to me. I know who I am."

I tossed the journal on the desk. 

His confidence was envious.

"This medallion makes you question everything about your old life and if you're really who you thought you were."

His words were valid.

"How long have you had it?"

"Since I was a baby. My father gave it to me."