Chapter 29
Elowen
I don’t get a single hour of uninterrupted sleep. I wake up feeling more exhausted than I was last night.After making myself look as good as possible, I head downstairs for breakfast with Mom and Dad.
I kiss each on the cheek and wish them good morning.
“What’s wrong?” Dad asks the moment I settle into my chair.
No matter how hard I try, it’s impossible to hide from hissharp eyes.
“Nothing.” I fix my brightest smile in place. “Just a headache.”
Mom frowns. “A headache? This early in the morning?”
I nod. “I think it’s because of the cold. I was out in the snow last night.”
She nods, but the frown stays.
“I was thinking... maybe I’ll stay here for the party?” I glance between them.
Dad and Uncle are hosting their quarterly party in nine days. If I stay, maybe I’ll see him again, like I did last night.
Mom smiles at the idea. “Why not?”
I turn to Dad. “Can you send someone to bring Rosie?”
He nods, smiling. “Of course, Princess.”
I grin and dig into my breakfast.
Rosie is with Ma and Pa, and they’re taking excellent care of her, but she’s still a baby and a little shy around them.
After breakfast, Dad pushes back from the table. “I have something to discuss with you. Come with me.”
I nod.
We leave the dining room and head to Mom’s indoor garden. It’s made of glass, the fog outside visible through the walls, while the inside stays warm from the heating. It’s not an artificial greenhouse like that place, it’s a convertible garden that can open its roof with the press of a button and seal itself just as quickly. DC isn’t like that location, after all; plants can actually grow naturally here.
I arrived here the day before yesterday—just a day ahead of my concert. I don’t like this city. Truth be told, I don’t like any city.
For fourteen years, I lived with Mom, Dad, and Leo in San Diego, in our mansion on a hill, secluded from the city. My uncle’s house was on the nearby hill, so Avi and I always lived together.
After that, Mom, Dad, Uncle, and Aunt moved to D.C., and Avi and I went to live with Ma and Pa in their sprawling countryside farmhouse. We call it our heaven. It’s so beautiful that I never want to leave. After six years there, that place made me loathe everywhere else—anywhere I can hear the blare of horns or see the grey pall of pollution.
But my father’s house is equipped with air filters, and the indoor garden—spanning nearly a thousand square feet—was what convinced my mom to live here. She hates cities as much as I do. Actually, more. She spent twenty-one years in that heaven.
“Your mother talked about that man.” Dad begins, without preamble.
I glance at Mom, concern written across her face.
My gaze returns to Dad as he continues. “We don’t know him, Princess. The investigation suggests he may be the man all of Europe has been hunting for the past decade. If it turns out to be him, I won’t allow you anywhere near him.”
“What did he do that everyone’s looking for him?” I ask.
He strokes my hair. “That’s not something I want you to know.”
Which only means it’s something horrific—something my father believes will disturb my peace of mind. I can’t fathom that my captor could have done something like that.
