Chapter 206

Agnes

I stared at the letter in my hands the entire night, reading and rereading the words until they were practically burned into my brain. By morning, the paper had taken on a slightly crumpled appearance from how many times I had folded and unfolded it.

By the time the sun rose, I wasn’t sure if I had gotten a wink of sleep. I certainly hadn’t returned to bed, although the night was such a blur that I couldn’t recall if I’d dozed off in the armchair in my study at some point or not.

I found Elijah in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee with a half-eaten plate of scrambled eggs sitting in front of him. He looked up with confusion as I shuffled past, taking in my disheveled appearance and the dark circles under my eyes.

“You didn’t come back to bed,” Elijah said as I poured my coffee. “Did you go to your panic room?”

I shook my head and slid the letter across the table. “I found this slipped under my study door last night,” I said.

Elijah picked it up, his brow furrowing as he scanned the handwritten words. The letter wasn’t long, but it was direct. And it was from my father.

“Agnes,

I know about your elemental abilities. I’ve known there was a possibility for years, although I hoped they would never manifest. I need to speak with you as soon as possible. You and Thea may both be in danger if you’re not careful.

I can help you with your abilities. I can teach you about your heritage—things your mother never had the chance to tell you. Please call me. For your sake and for the safety of your family.

Dad”

Elijah stared at the letter for a long time, although his expression was unreadable. Finally, he set it down and looked up at me. “How did he slip this under your door without anyone noticing?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Maybe during the party, when everyone was distracted. There were so many people moving through the house.”

“It seems like he knows more than he’s letting on,” Elijah said, tapping the letter with his finger. “About your abilities, about Thea. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing,” I replied without hesitation. “I have no intention of speaking to him. Not after everything he and his wife have done to me.”

“But you’re curious,” Elijah said, not as a question but as a statement of fact. He knew me too well.

No matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn’t deny it. “Of course I’m curious. He says he can help me with my abilities. He mentioned some kind of heritage, something my mother never told me.”

I pushed my coffee cup away, suddenly nauseated by the thought of eating or drinking anything. “But I don’t trust him,” I went on. “How can I? He threw me out on the street when I was at my most vulnerable. He chose his new wife and daughter over me after mom died, and now he suddenly cares about my safety? It’s suspicious as hell.”

“I understand your hesitation,” Elijah said with a nod. “But what if he really does have information that could help?”

“So you think I should talk to him,” I said flatly.

He shrugged. “I just think you should consider it,” he corrected. “I’m not saying you have to forgive him or even really trust him. Just hear what he has to say.”

I couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped my lips. “Easy for you to say. He’s not your father.”

“No, he’s not,” Elijah agreed. “And I’ll never fully understand how his abandonment hurt you, because I didn’t live it. But Agnes, if there’s even a small chance that he has information that could keep you and Thea safe, isn’t it worth a meeting? You don’t have to say or do anything. Just listen to him.”

I hated that he was making sense. And even more than that, I hated that a part of me—a much bigger part of me than I wanted to admit—was actually considering it.

“What if it’s a trap?” I asked quietly. “What if he’s involved with Elemental Enterprises somehow? He could be trying to get to Thea.”

“Then we’ll be prepared,” Elijah said firmly. “If you decide to meet him, I’ll be right by your side. We can set it up somewhere public, somewhere safe.”

I took a deep breath and considered my options for a moment. “I’ll think about it,” I finally said. I couldn’t believe I was even thinking about it.

Elijah nodded, apparently satisfied with that response. He glanced at his watch and stood. “Not that I’m trying to ditch you when you have so much to think about, but I need to get going. I have that meeting with Olivia today about unmarking.”

My stomach twisted at the reminder. “Right. The unmarking. Do you think she’ll actually tell you something useful?”

“I hope so,” Elijah said, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair. “It’s not like she has any reason to lie anymore.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the knot of anxiety in my chest. The idea of Elijah being alone with Olivia still bothered me, even though I knew it was necessary. Even though I knew I could trust him completely, and she’d officially run out of cards to play.

“I’ll be back by dinner,” he promised, leaning down to kiss me. The gentle brush against my lips soothed me. “Think about what you want to do about your father. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”

“Thank you,” I murmured against his lips. I allowed myself a brief moment of comfort in his arms before we parted ways.

After Elijah left, I stared at the letter on the table, lost in thought once more. I still had no desire to see my father, to hear his excuses, to listen to whatever justifications he might offer for his past behavior.

But Elijah was right. The stakes were too high to let my anger and hurt get in the way of potentially valuable information. If my father knew something about my elemental abilities, something that could help me control them, shouldn’t I at least hear him out?

I thought about the fire that had destroyed our home, how I’d nearly killed Thea, Elijah, and even myself with my uncontrolled powers. I couldn’t risk something like that happening again.

And what about the danger he’d mentioned? Thea had already been taken from me once. I wouldn’t—couldn’t—let anyone take her again. We still hadn’t found anything on Elemental Enterprises, so if he knew anything, then it could potentially protect her.

My morning was filled with routine tasks—making breakfast for Thea when she finally woke up, reviewing designs for the summer collection, answering emails about the Isabella Foundation. Normal, everyday things that should have taken my mind off the letter.

But my thoughts kept circling back to it, like a moth to a flame.

By afternoon, I’d reached a decision.

I picked up my phone and dialed the number on my father’s business card—the one I’d torn up and thrown away months ago, but had memorized despite myself. It rang three times before he answered.

“Agnes,” he said, sounding genuinely surprised. “I didn’t expect—”

“Five minutes,” I cut him off. My throat felt tight just speaking to him over the phone. “I’ll give you five minutes to explain yourself; no more than that.” I took a deep breath. “Meet me at the dive bar on the south side of town tomorrow night. We’ll talk there. And if you try to pull any stunts—”

“I won’t,” my father replied quickly. “Agnes, I just want you to know the truth. I want to help you.”

I couldn’t help the wry laugh that came out of me. “Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.”