THE SOUNDS OF THE VILLAGE at night were surprising. Jack lay in bed with his arms wrapped around Nicole. She slept soundly as he listened. It was silent, so silent it didn’t feel normal. No owls hooting, no crickets chirping, no wolves howling, no dogs barking, no noise at all. Jack was certain the wind wasn’t even blowing. How could Nicole sleep through all that? It was unnerving. Something was definitely wrong. Jack slowly slid from the bed leaving Nicole to slumber. He grabbed his sword and headed outside to take a look around.
Jack silently crept out the front door, his sword ready. As soon as he passed across the threshold the normal sounds of the night appeared. Jack shook his head and smiled. They must have placed a talisman of silence around the house to help Shorey and the babies
