Running her thumb over the grooves of the talisman for what felt like the hundredth time Marlena idly thought it was a miracle she hadn't managed to rub away the pattern. Not that it would make much difference - the pattern was as mystifying as everything else about this artefact, the secrets unyielding no matter what she tried. It had occurred to her around four o'clock yesterday that she might need to consult somebody whose experience outstripped her own but Lena was nothing if not stubborn.

She had to understand it; last year she had missed out on the adventure of a lifetime in Irvingly through sheer ill-timing and she refused to be thwarted again. There was only one thing for it - Marlena pocketed the talisman, deciding she would take it out of the vault where the charms might be hindering her progress.

If anything happened she would bring it back immediately. What was the worst that could happen?

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MJ: still raising the graphics bar as of 2022