ound them wasn't comforting-it was suffocating. Tobias was still cu

ulder gently. "We h

st nodded and stood, his t

dim, stretching into s

, others polished and new. Some were slightly ajar,

door s

, a soft golden lig

n, Elena could

rhythmi

creak..

rocking

cra

sed. "Elen

was alre

to look. She did

ng pulled h

of Forgot

ed the d

e lined with cradles. Dozens of them. Some were new, their wood polished and smo

the one in the c

creak..

breath

something

g. Tobias clung to her hand, trying t

ad to

ad to

and touched th

pped r

le

grew thi

ed hard and l

ood ra

red blankets was a s

ba

ad once b

with black thread. Its tiny lips were pa

th

mov

le hands

nd back, her stomac

it sm

e gurgled up fro

is co

s scr

violently, the e

their blankets shifting-som

bbed Tobi

r shut behind them,

cking

ce re

y weren

ld never

pering F

down the hall, thei

h

his

n ba

a fr

d come from

fl

impered.

ooked

their feet were cracked, s

ing was movi

h

d sho

wed fingers burst through the

ed and kic

hand e

anot

anot

the floor, clawing their way up, their finge

rom b

ing turned

bbed Tobi

stretching, twisting. The doors melted away

bed. "Wher

didn't

th

sa

se That Sho

airc

vanishing into da

been the

y a second. Then she gr

the floor behind them,

limbed

d higher, the whispers gro

h

ghter s

ds disa

staircas

of Brok

top of the stair

them wa

t from t

its surface co

eds o

ed letters. Some were deep and fres

hen s

own

belo

bi

art st

fingers tracing the letters.

't want

only one way

breath and pushe

aitin

s a n

st, it had

moons. A crib sat in the corner, empty. The

center of

king

its wooden frame creaki

was sitt

throat t

and. "Elena... I don

r stoppe

le

gure s

lowly, the c

eart near

tting in t

er mo

t le

that looke

sm

h were t

were to

e, her voice was

ave stayed in