avy oak door shut behind her. She reached out and

ng in floral wallpaper and heavy fabrics. She dropped her canvas bag on

plies, ensuring everything had survived the bumpy ride. Instead of pulling out any flashy gadgets, she relied on her own honed instincts. She walked the perimeter of the room, her eyes tracing the ornate mirrors for two-way reflectio

bed the edges of the thick, velvet blackout curtains and ya

t-floor study, the atmo

ersian rug, his leather shoes sinking into the thick pile.

t of Matilda's mas

sort of guilt. "This is absurd. We can't just send Sera t

her palm flat ag

whip. "Would you rather send your precious Blythe? Would you rather watch y

e swallowed heavily. He looked down at his shoes, his shoulders slumping

ity, the Texas sun beat down mercil

g up dust in the dry wind. Inside the driver's seat, Wyatt Miller yanked at the c

," Wyatt muttered, check

th his eyes closed. His face was pale, his

s throat. He leaned forward, pressing a white handkerchief to his mouth. Wh

bottle of purified water and a small plastic vial of pil

enuine panic. "Is the cold poison acting u

gers were ice-cold, his skin radiatin

id. His voice was a low, terrifying ra

red the entire South. We've chased every rumor. We still c

ps. He opened his eyes. They were a piercing

as long as they are breathing, we will dig up

ashboard began to ring. The shrill sound pierced the heavy sil

hovering over the receiver

odore Montgomery's deafening roar

snatched the phone out of Wyatt's ha

ting with absolute authority. "You will get your ass back to River Cit

her seat. His breathing was shallow

marrying a woman I've n

u don't marry her and bring some luck into this cursed body of yours, I wi

the vehicle i

g aura exploded from his body. Wyatt shrank back into the driver's s

retched, heavy

mery Enterprises to fund his search for The Surgeon and to crush

the word tasting li

od. Your fiancée has already been moved into t

ne wen

e onto the passenger seat. He lo

ric commanded. "We're go

ng the wheel tightly. "I don't know what poo

outside her window, the structural weak points of the ancient, creaking mansion. She was a ghost infiltrating a fortress of old sins and buried secrets. Tomorrow, she would be handed over to the Montgomery family, bound to a man rumored to be on his deathbed. She needed to be perfectly prepared for the transition, conserving her resources until she was inside his domain. She slowly stood up and began a physical conditioning routine, moving through a series of silent