Chapter 239

Agnes

Richard was sitting alone in his study when we found him. His shoulders were hunched, his face drawn and pale in the low light. He looked up as we entered, and even in the dimness, I could see that his eyes were red-rimmed and swollen.

“She’s gone,” he said simply.

Despite having seen the coroner’s van, hearing the words still felt like a punch to the gut.

“Richard, I’m so sorry,” I said, stepping forward.

He simply nodded, his gaze drifting back to the fireplace, where the fire had burned down to nothing but embers. “It was peaceful, at least. She went in her sleep. The doctor says she didn’t suffer in her final moments.”

Small mercies, I supposed. But what comfort was that, really, when the person you loved was still gone? I thought about how I would feel if I lost Elijah, and a wave of nausea rolled through me. It didn’t matter if it was peaceful—death was still death, and those left behind still had to somehow pick up the pieces.

“Is there anything we can do?” Elijah asked.

Richard shook his head. “No. But thank you for asking.” He took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders. “I appreciate your concern, truly. It’s been… nice having you all here. A welcome distraction. But I think I’d like to be alone now.”

“Of course,” I said quickly. “We understand.”

“Perhaps it would be best if you returned to Silvermoon in the morning,” Richard continued. “I’m sorry you’ll need to cut your visit short, but I need some time to… process all of this.”

“We can leave first thing tomorrow,” Elijah assured him without hesitation.

Richard’s eyes focused on us properly for the first time since we’d entered the room. “Thank you. For everything. Your visit was a bright spot in what has been a very difficult time.”

We left him there, staring into the fire, a glass of whiskey clutched in his hand. The door closed behind us with a soft click, and I leaned against Elijah in the hallway, suddenly exhausted. The day’s events had drained me completely.

“I need to find Thea,” I murmured. “Make sure she’s okay.”

We found her in the parlor with Lena, playing a game of checkers. She looked up as we entered, her face lighting up with a smile that quickly faded when she saw our expressions.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

I sat down next to her on the couch. How did you explain death to an eight-year-old? Especially when we’d just barely gotten to know Elise?

“Sweetheart,” I began, “do you remember Richard’s wife, Elise? The lady we met at the party?”

Thea nodded. “The pretty blonde lady.”

“That’s right. Well, she was very, very sick, and… she passed away today. She died.”

Thea’s eyes widened. “Oh.” Her gaze dropped to her lap, where her small hands twisted together. “Is Richard sad?”

“Yes, honey. He’s very sad.”

“Should we make him cookies? You always make me cookies when I’m sad.”

I smiled despite everything. “That’s a lovely thought, but I think Richard just needs some quiet time right now. We’re going to go home tomorrow morning, to give him space to grieve.”

Thea nodded solemnly. I glanced over at Lena, who had been silent throughout the exchange. Her face was composed, but there was something in her eyes—a sadness, perhaps, or maybe something else. It was gone before I could identify it.

Dinner that night was a somber affair. Richard joined us, although it seemed more out of obligation than desire. He pushed his food around his plate, barely eating anything. The conversation was minimal and strained. Even Thea was subdued.

After the meal, we retreated to our rooms to pack for the morning’s departure. Elijah went ahead while I helped Thea pack up her things. When I emerged from her room, I found Lena in the hallway, passing by with a small basket of laundry.

“Lena,” I said, turning to her, “I just wanted to say thank you for helping us today. You were instrumental in finding the stone.”

Lena paused, her face morphing for a moment, but then she nodded and offered me a small smile. “Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. I’m glad to have helped.”

I couldn’t help but smile slightly in return. “I’m glad you came into our lives.”

She stared at me, wide-eyed, as if I’d said something completely unexpected. For a moment, I thought I saw tears shimmering in her eyes.

But then she quickly hurried past without another word.

Morning came too quickly. We gathered in the foyer with our bags, Thea still yawning from the early hour. Richard stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, looking older than he had just days ago when we’d arrived.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Elijah said, extending his hand.

Richard shook it firmly. “Safe travels. Perhaps when… when some time has passed, you might visit again under happier circumstances.”

“We’d like that,” I said, stepping forward to hug him briefly.

Thea tugged at Richard’s sleeve. When he looked down, she held out her hand, something clutched in her palm.

“This is for you,” she said.

Richard took it, turning it over in his fingers. It was her dinosaur keychain—the one Elijah had randomly come home with from his trip.

“Thea,” I began, “are you sure—”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “It’s my good luck charm. I thought Mr. Richard would like to have it.”

Richard’s eyes filled with tears. He knelt down to Thea’s level, the keychain clutched tightly in his hand. “Thank you, little one. I’ll keep it with me always.”

He hugged her tight, and over Thea’s shoulder, his eyes met mine. “You’ve raised a sweet girl,” he said. “You should be proud.”

I nodded, my own eyes stinging with unexpected tears. “We are.”

As Thea pulled away from Richard, I noticed Lena staring at the dinosaur keychain with an odd expression. But when she caught my gaze, her face smoothed out into a pleasant smile.

“We should get going,” Elijah suddenly said. “We don’t want to miss our flight.”

With final goodbyes, we piled into the car that would take us to the airport. Thea waved out the back window until Richard’s figure disappeared from view.

By the time we arrived home, the sky was darkening toward evening. The familiar sight of our house was a welcome relief.

Lena carried a sleepy Thea up to her bedroom while Elijah and I brought in the bags. My fingers trailed over my backpack, feeling the hard outline of the stone through the fabric. We had it. After all our searching, all our waiting, we finally had the means to unmark Olivia and start to set things right.

“I’m going to lie down for a bit,” Lena said as she came back downstairs. “If that’s okay.”

“Of course,” I replied. “It’s been a long day. Rest well.”

With a nod, Lena turned and left. Elijah and I watched her go. I felt like going to bed myself, but it seemed Elijah had other plans.

The moment Lena was gone, Elijah turned to James, who was standing nearby. “Get Olivia from the prison,” he said. “We’ve got a long drive ahead of us to the top of the tallest vista in Silvermoon. Tonight’s a full moon, so we should hurry if we want to get this unmarking ritual over with.”