Chapter 26

You already know where to find me, Ash. You already know.

I wake up gasping for air.

Mia’s fleeting voice rings in my ears, her final words an echoing whisper that fades into silence.

I can’t hear the wind or the rain anymore. The storm must have passed.

Wan starlight shines through the window – it’s still dark outside, probably a few hours until sunrise.

I don’t have much time.

I slip out of bed, shivering as it dawns on me that I fell asleep wearing my rain-soaked silk dress. I’m in too much of a hurry to get changed into something warmer, so I pull the cream-colored chunky knit blanket off the end of the bed, and wrap it around myself before slipping on a pair of flats.

As quietly as I can, I open my bedroom door, and creep stealthily down the passageway, sure that at any moment one of the old wooden