Chapter 33 – The Dead Do Not Forget
Emma’s Point of View
The coffin opened on its own.
The sound of wood scraping against stone echoed in the crypt, the air thick with something unseen. A breathless silence followed, stretching far too long.
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t speak.
I could only stare as the lid slid away, revealing the remains inside.
Caroline Montgomery’s skeleton lay in a tangle of faded lace and rotted fabric, her bones fragile with time. But it wasn’t her body that held my attention.
It was what lay beside her.
A second skeleton.
Smaller.
A child.
A sharp gasp ripped from my throat. “No—”
Nate grabbed my wrist, his grip grounding me. “Emma, don’t—”
But I was already stepping forward.
My hand trembled as I reached inside, brushing against the brittle fabric of
