-

: The Seam B

one gr

tribute laid at a tomb. Evelyn stumbled back, watching in breathless awe as the masonry slid awa

reathed fr

a candle from one of the bras

if carved by hand and foot over centuries. The walls bore gouges, strange scorch marks,

ttom, the passage opene

ht flickered

s of

e cracked, others veiled in cobwebs. Each reflected not her-but flicker

of the chamber,

at remaine

he rot. The skirt was collapsed, boning exposed like ribs, and the fab

been Lili

l gown. A m

across the hem in thread so d

I was, not what

swallow

" she wh

rors sh

ne, their sur

eflections-

dark hair laughing in a sunlit room; Lilian standing at a window, writing

n-Lord

ess polish

lyn saw him seize

a appeared-watchin

e change

n scr

room locked fr

eli

ng fabric int

th

kne

ack, the candle tr

owing me this?"

ors didn

e dres

otting bodice, something

rd, hands shaking, a

ock

found in trinket shops. This was heavy. Cold. Black

r embroidery sciss

read s

ket fel

l of dark hai

not. The gowns are warnings. The house is a wound. He

.

flickered

n extin

yn g

ness swallo

eath coming fast. Her hea

ot from the mirro

inside he

st... before i

-

ng room like a woman retur

member shedding. The hidden chamber had vanished behind its s

locket r

in her palm an

s to her bedside. She spread the notes, sketches, and messages across the quilt and

threads w

ed Alaric-or t

something-marriage

thing ha

rrived so

ri

res

s friend? Or the fin

Isadora had drawn of Lilian'

pain in th

lso g

fe

d shown her on the first day-the

eath

a con

a c

-

he east wing again. She needed answ

m h

glow of a brandy decanter and the dying fire. He didn't l

he locket on

ared

ooked

nd her,"

"You just buried her deep enough

ried nothing. It was the house. It

rusted

ly. "Yes. And

n demanded. "Wh

ate, and crossed to the windo

rst to listen. The others came to appraise. To cove

his face

se you loo

yn f

ha

fiance. The same hunger in your eyes. T

teppe

ing this pla

Alaric said. "Every betraya

he whispered. "W

ze fli

ee Lilian. But s

wed. "What ha

dn't

eyes sai

part of the

-

Evelyn dream

e, it wasn't

ballroom bath

pped around a figure made of shadows. Her h

aw Evelyn,

und the

rward. "What do y

tilted

ick

wn. In her hand-

ed at th

e made o

sses stitched together

ehind it all, a

gan to

d by

h by

lls began

-

the sensation of f

The locket lay open beside her pillow. Her j

l page held

her own handwriting-but

ing. Finish it, or b

-