Edmund's head lowered, his voice growing quieter. "No! I just … went to find something."
Before Primrose could ask what that something was, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a filthy, crumpled handkerchief.
Primrose frowned.
Was this … some kind of joke?
He left for an entire week, came back looking half-dead, and now he was handing her an old dirty rag?
But when he carefully unfolded the handkerchief, something brilliant caught the sunlight, blinding her for a moment.
A gemstone.
A deep crimson gemstone, glowing as if it held a heartbeat of its own.
As the sunlight hit it, ribbons of orange and gold flickered inside.
It wasn't just dazzling, it was mesmerizing.
So clear that not a single imperfection could be seen, yet so intense that it looked like a burning ember from the heart of a star.
It wasn't a gem. It was a piece of the setting sun, frozen in time.
Primrose had only seen this gemstone from the book—Celestine Heart Gems.
