“Did you make this for me?” I asked, keeping my focus on Derek. The tin necklace felt like a thousand pounds in my hands.
Derek smiled but didn’t answer. Instead, he walked by us, taking extra care not to touch me as he passed. I stared after him until he disappeared around the corner.
“I’m sorry about that, Eve,” the man said. “I should’ve been more prepared.”
That voice. I turned to him. His hair was shorter on top and there were lines in his face he didn’t have before, but I recognized him. “Charlie?”
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and he nodded.
Surprising even myself, I threw myself to him and buried my head into his chest, tears blurring my vision. He stroked the back of my head tenderly and guided me into an office, shutting the door behind us.
After a minute, I calmed down and pulled away from him. “I’m sorry.” I sniffed. “It’s just so good to see you.”
“It’s about time. I was starting to doubt my abilities,” he said, motioning me to sit down in a plush, high-backed blue chair. He sat across me, bringing his bent, right leg up to rest upon his left knee. Behind him was a mahogany desk; a vase of red roses and a neat stack of papers sat upon its top.
Although it had only been seven years, Charlie looked much different than I remembered. There were deep lines between his eyebrows and a two-inch scar on his right cheek. His eyes had changed the most. They were still green, but no longer sparkled with life. They reflected the pain I had read in his letters.
“How was the drive?” he asked.
“It was fine. I’m just glad that it’s over and that I’m finally here. Sorry it took me so long.”
“You came exactly when you were supposed to.”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, well, thanks again for taking care of me for so long. And for the letters. They meant a lot to me.”
He chuckled uncomfortably and shifted his position on the chair. “I wasn’t sure you were reading them. Honestly, they meant a lot to me too. Writing them was cheap therapy.”
It was my turn to squirm. “I didn’t read them until a couple of weeks ago, but I wish I would’ve. I might’ve come back much sooner.”
“You took the time you needed.”
I shook my head. “I owe you so much.”
“You don’t owe me anything. The work you’re going to do will more than make up for any debt you’ve incurred.”
I immediately tensed, not because I didn’t trust him, but because I was afraid of using magic. “What kind of work?”
“Let’s get the formalities over with, and then we can talk about your future.” Charlie reached for the nearby desk and removed a thick manila envelope from off its top. He reached inside and removed several papers. “As your parent’s only child, upon their death, you inherited everything.” He handed me a single sheet.
“My mother?” I asked.
“She died four years ago. There was an earthquake, and the facility she was being held in collapsed, killing everyone inside. It was a terrible disaster.”
Both my parents were dead.
“You’ve inherited everything,” Charlie said. “We transferred the funds to a Swiss bank account under an alias. I hope you don’t mind, but we didn’t want to give anyone the ability to track you. If you’d just sign this paper, then everything will be transferred to your new name: Eve Andrews.”
“But don’t people think I died?”
He shook his head. “Only missing. Your body was never found in the fire. After your mother passed, we filed paperwork showing you were alive, and then created the new identity. It was all done in secret. There’s not a chance anyone will find out who you really are.”
I glanced down at the paper. The dollar amount was staggering. “This is all mine?”
Charlie nodded.
“What will I ever do with this much money?”
“Whatever you want.”
I set the paper in my lap.
“What made you finally come?” Charlie asked.
“Besides Nora threatening to beat me up? The desire to make things right. I’ve done some horrible things and wasted a lot of time doing nothing about it.”
“It wasn’t you.”
“But it was me, specifically my stupidity that caused it all. I let my hunger for black magic consume me, and I’m still not sure I’ve rid myself of it. “
“Time will fix that, or I should say what you choose to do with your time. We’ll help you, too.”
I tightened my jaw. “How?”
“By teaching you to use your abilities correctly.”
“What?” I asked, my heart racing again.
“We’ll teach you to use them for good,” he clarified.
“I’ve heard that before. I’m not using magic again. I think there’s been a mistake.” I stood nearly knocking my chair backwards.
“Eve, that’s not what I meant. Please, sit back down, let me explain.”