#Chapter 230: There and Back Again

Agnes And just like that, a mere three days later, we were back in Richard’s territory. Only this time, we hadn’t come alone. We’d brought an entire retinue with us. Thea pressed her nose to the window as our car pulled up the long driveway to Richard’s mansion. Lena sat beside her, pointing out various landmarks, while Elijah tapped his fingers on his leg—impatient to settle in and get started on our search for the stone. James was in an SUV close behind with the security team. Bringing several security guards wasn’t exactly ideal—it was cumbersome to travel with so many people and made the impression that we didn’t trust Richard—but it was a necessary evil. After my stepmother’s unexpected little visit the other day, we couldn’t take any risks. Unbeknownst to anyone except me, Elijah, and James, Thea wasn’t just here for fun. She was here because we didn’t feel comfortable leaving her at home, an entire plane ride away from us, if my stepmother was circ