"I have never seen this before," Nathaniel mumbled, his brow furrowing. He turned the small chest over in his hands.
Just as he was about to open it, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned and found Zara coming in. He smiled, but her expression stiffened.
"Don't touch it," she exclaimed, crossing the space in two quick strides and snatching the chest from his hands.
"Uh?" Nathaniel blinked, surprised. "I was just curious. What is there in it that you are acting like this?" He arched an eyebrow, half amused, half intrigued.
Zara glanced up at him but didn't answer right away. Her grip on the chest tightened. This used to be her and Nora's treasure box, a hiding place for anything they thought valuable. But the torn pages of Nora's journal still lay inside, unread. She had no idea what was written in those pages. She wasn't ready to share it yet.
"It's a secret," she said finally, holding the box close to her breastbone. "You are not allowed to peek into it."
