Landon’s scent, mingled with leather and fresh lake water, awakened her in the semi-darkness. Confused, she searched for a familiar sight before she remembered she was in a cellar below the shanty.
On the dirt floor, a cheery fire crackled merrily, the smoke escaping through a yawning hole in the ceiling above them. Only about half the main floor remained intact; the rest was gone. Up there, the dark gaping maw of a brick hearth loomed in the shadows, standing quiet and cold at the far end of the first floor room. Farther up, cobwebs coated the rafters, obscuring the shaggy remnants of several abandoned nests tucked in the corner eaves. Her surroundings smelled of neglect, mice, and damp dirt. Straight ahead were steps built into the side of a wall, leading up to a small hinged door, whic
