Allie didn’t think that was likely, but kept her opinion to herself and simply waited with the others. Drina was back quickly, both bags in hand, and they all moved to the table to go over the contents. It made Allie glad that she’d already removed and put on the underwear she’d had in her bag as she watched them paw through the items on the table. But it was also depressing as hell to think that those were her only possessions other than the black jeans and blouse she’d been wearing when she’d first encountered these people, and the jeans and T-shirt she’d put on after her shower that morning.

Had it only been that morning? she wondered suddenly. It felt like days had passed since she’d woken up from the transfusion. So much had happened . . . Or perhaps it wasn’t really that a lot had happened, as that one particularly huge thing had happened and she was now married.

“There’s nothing here that they could have tracked,” Drina said with obvious frustration as they finished examining everything on the table, including the bags themselves.

Allie wanted to say, I told you so, but bit back the words.

“The necklace.”

Allie turned to look at Stephanie when she murmured that, and found the young woman staring at her chest, her eyes pulsing with that eerie glow she’d witnessed earlier. Lowering her head, Allie followed the young woman’s gaze to Stella’s winged heart. She’d put it back on before coming downstairs that morning, and had kept it on for the wedding. It had come out of her dress at some point and now lay gleaming under the light from the dining room chandelier.

“May I see it, please?” Magnus asked.

“Yes, but it can’t be the necklace,” she protested as she lifted the necklace off over her head. Pausing then, she said, “Please be careful with it. Stella wanted Liam to have it to remember her by.”

“Of course,” he said solemnly, and then surprised her by kissing her forehead gently before taking the necklace she was holding out.

Biting her lip, she watched him turn it over in his hand and then carefully open it. They were all silent as he peered at the picture inside, and then Allie had to clench her hands to keep from protesting when he ran one finger over the silver frame that ran around inside the heart, on top of the photo.

“I need tweezers,” Magnus murmured, glancing up.

“On it,” Victor said, and slipped from the room.

When Magnus then moved to the table where the light was better, Allie followed, ready to rip the necklace away from him if he did anything that might damage the locket.

“Here you go.” Victor was back, holding out tweezers, and Allie was again amazed at the speed these immortals could manage.