ela
k estate was an iron fortress meant
er. I jammed my palm against the emergency
ead groundskeeper crackled through the static. "W
gate, Rick
th. "Miss Isabela? The
ore I rip th
llowed by the deep hydraulic groa
mulch was cloying, masking the underlying rot of this place. In my previous life, every s
ke an executioner ap
door flew open before my
o-thousand-dollar emerald silk robe, her face plast
to see if I was bleeding. "You smell like a sewer, Isabela. Gasoline, smoke
letting my cold blue eyes sw
on her forehead, utterly untouched by
she tried to catch my scent. "Are you deaf? I asked you a question! G
e! Don't ye
marble staircase ca
amas, her blonde curls bouncing, her wide eyes
wide to embrace me. "We were terrified! The tracking signal on
touch she had used in my past life to p
gers could graze my skin
forward, catching herself on the doorframe,
ng up at me from beneath her lash
d down
So soft. So pure.
aid, my voice dead and fla
blackened sleeve brushing a
ird-floor staff. "You turn around right now and apologize t
d foyer, leaving a trail of gray ash
abe
over my shoulder. In the low chandelier light, my eyes caught an eerie, p
ork," I whispered, the ghost of a smile curling my l
d the attic, the old wolf-servant Mari
et, staring at my ha
in wasn't burned-it was glowing with the faint, s
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