The scream came again.
Long.
Terrified.
And so painfully familiar that my entire body went cold.
I stood at the bottom of the staircase, staring toward the dark hallway that led to the west wing of Valentine Manor.
My mother tightened her grip around my wrist.
"Elijah, look at me."
I couldn't.
Not when the voice I'd just heard sounded exactly like the woman in the photograph.
My biological mother.
"Did you hear that?" I whispered.
Vivienne's face was pale.
"Yes."
My heart skipped.
"So I'm not imagining it."
"No."
I turned toward her.
"Then why are we standing here?"
I pulled away and started toward the hallway.
She appeared in front of me so quickly that I nearly collided with her.
"You're not going down there."
"Mom, somebody's screaming!"
"I know."
"Then help her!"
