oria

p that night.

ace, sleeping in what used to be the guest quarters. Thomas wanted to

s situation wasn't alrea

The same grounds where Elias and I used to build snowmen. Before ev

my door m

e," Tho

adn't slept either. His expensive

bout what we're go

oice low. "He knows things, Thoma

research, found old records, maybe

rly. "You don't

in his hands. "I have to beli

brother and something

I'd slapped him.

t? It's

bankrupt. Father was going to lose everyth

tasted like poison. "We burned him alive

You were fifteen. You didn't

h to have nightmare

er. The space between

itual again," Thomas said

it doesn

another way to

in his voice. "You

ecess

About the cold intelligence in his eyes. "I

putting off the moment I'd have to go downstairs. Ha

smelled like c

reading it. Mother picked at her breakfast, her hands shaking. And the

I entered. "Good m

ose to the voice I remembered from

ll me tha

all you? We're f

rembling hands. "Family doesn

ar. I died. There

ound. Father reached ov

"What do you want? Money? We can pay

er. I want the truth. I want to know why I have these fragments in my head. Fire.

t was the same lie he'd told the police. The same lie h

dle behind them. "Then why can I remember you holding the torch? Why can I remember Moth

ld. Frost formed

from the table. "

e eyes. "You shouldn't remember that. The ritual was su

er's voice was s

fession hung in t

I was starting to think I was going insan

oating the silverware in ice. He walked around to

hispered. "Tell me why y

ything. The house, the name, all of it. I found the book in the library. The old texts from your

ou cho

Thomas was the heir. Victoria was the baby. You were just i

he crack in the door. Elias drugged and crying on the altar. Mother's voic

tranger said softly. "I

mperature returned to norm

nued. "Why am I back? If the ritual worked, if

e ans

ing to tell me. And when they do, we're