The next morning, the storm was over but the air inside the mansion still felt tense. Celeste’s eyes hurt from not sleeping, but she couldn’t stay still because Damien’s words from last night kept repeating in her mind.
“Good. That’s safer.”
She hated that he said that sounding serious. But extra than that, she hated the concern in his voice, like he was looking to guard her from something too huge for each of them.
She wanted solutions.
Her bare feet made no sound at the bloodless marble ground as she walked to Damien’s study. The hallway changed into still and quiet, so quiet that she paused outside the thick wood door and glanced over her shoulder. No one. She twisted the handle. Locked.
Of course.
But she had found a key—taped to the back of her mother’s letter. And Damien hadn
