Chapter 88

Abby

Elias Thorne lived on the opposite side of the lake in a house that looked too small for someone carrying two hundred years of family guilt.

That was my first impression.

My second was that he was ancient.

Not magically ancient.

Just old.

Maybe eighty.

White hair.

Thick eyebrows.

A cane he clearly resented.

He opened the door before Vincent knocked.

“You’re late.”

Vincent looked at his watch.

“We’re six minutes early.”

“Then you should have been earlier.”

His eyes moved past Vincent.

To me.

Everything in his face changed.

“Well.”

I had no idea what that meant.

“Hello.”

Elias looked at the strand near my temple.

Then the necklace.

Then Kade.

His gaze stopped on Kade for several seconds.

“Nathaniel’s boy.”

Kade’s eyebrows rose.

“Everyone here apparently knew me as a child.”

“You were loud.”

I smiled.