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“You kept something.” One of the men murmured.

I said nothing.

Still, he finished. “You shouldn’t have.”

13

NYSSA

Thunder split the sky hard enough to wrench me awake.

White light flooded the room before fading just as quickly, leaving shadows crawling across the walls once more.

My pulse sped.

The nightmare still clung to me.

Hallways.

Locked doors.

Hands crushing my wrists to steel.

And breathing.

God—

That breathing.

A wet whistle through his nose whenever he got too close.

The smell hit me. That sickening, foul stench like something warm rotting from the inside that made me want to⁠—

My stomach twisted violently.

I kicked the sheets away and dragged in a sharp breath. Cold rushed across my skin. My stomach tightened. I left the horror behind, sliding my feet from the warmth and climbed out.

Another roll of thunder groaned through the estate.

Then—

Thud.

My breath stilled. What was that?

I stepped toward the window. Rain lashed violently against the glass, but through it I caught a glow that swept across the grounds before disappearing once more.

Not the storm.

Headlights.

Who would come here in the middle of the night?

And in a storm like this?

I glanced toward the bedroom door before moving instinctively toward it. The handle was cold beneath my palm. I opened it slowly.

The hallway beyond sat dark.