Christian came home from work just after midnight, the whole night having been pretty uneventful. He planned to just call it a night and head to bed.
He checked their mailbox on the way up just in case Avery hadn't earlier. Inside, he found a small paper-wrapped parcel. Assuming it was for Avery, he frowned when he saw his name on it.
He continued up to the apartment and headed straight for his room, trying to be quiet so as not to wake his roommate. After dumping his bag, he sat on the bed and looked at the package.
There was no return address, but it had been posted from Houston. The only connection he could think of in Houston was the amplifier that went up to the station. And that could be anyone.
With a sigh, he opened it.
Out fell the spider pendant.
Christian froze when he lay eyes on it. It had been years, in fact even before the last time he had seen Lucious, that he had seen this pendant for the last time.
He finally reached out to where it had fallen onto the bed, and lifted it by the chain. His touch alone sent the deathly black backside of the spider into a glowing ruby shade, though still duller than he remembered.
He studied it for marks. A signature. Anything. There was nothing. No return address, no note, and no markings.
With a frown he closed his eyes and remembered back to the last time he'd had it. He remembered very well the day he'd had to give it up.
"I would suggest removing it, or I think I may create my own face on Taylor's existing one, using this saw."
Blakesley.
His eyes opened and he stared at the pendant again.
"So how did you find me after all this time?" he asked it.
Not exactly expecting a response, he sighed. Yet another stone in an already large whirlpool of chaos in his head.
He got up and went over to a bedside table he'd gotten the week before. Opening the top drawer, he pulled out a sock and slipped the pendant into it. If Avery saw it he knew there'd be a lot more questions than answers.
Closing the drawer he went to have a shower and get ready for bed.