li g ht.
“L is te n to m e, E le na . . . .”
She w as h o ld in g m oonli g ht. A ng uis h c a ug ht a t h e r h e art.
“A ll y o u n e ed to d o is c a ll fo r m e,” D am on’s v o ic e s a id . “ A ll y o u n e ed . . .”
His v o ic e fa ded in to th e s o und o f w in d r u stli n g th ro ug h th e tr e es.
Ele na ’s e ye s s na pped o pen. T hro ug h a fo g s he r e gis te re d th a t s he w as in a r o om fille d w ith s unli g ht, a nd
a h ug e c ro w w as p erc he d o n th e s ill o f a n o pen w in d ow . T he b ir d tilt e d its h e ad to o ne s id e a nd g ave a
c ro ak, w atc hin g h e r w ith b rig ht e ye s.
A c o ld c hill r a n d ow n h e r s p in e . “ D am on? ” s he w his p ere d.
But th e c ro w ju st s p re ad its w in g s a nd fle w a w ay.
Chapte r
2
D ear D ia ry ,
I A M H OM E! I c a n h ard ly d are to b elie ve it, b ut h ere I a m .
I w oke w ith th e s tr a ngest fe elin g. I d id n’t k n ow w here I w as a nd ju st la y h ere s m ellin g
th e c le an c o tto n-a nd-fa bric -s o fte ner s ce nt o f th e s h eets , tr y in g to fig ure o ut w hy
eve ry th in g lo oke d s o fa m ilia r.
I w asn ’t in L ady U lm a’s m ansio n. T here , I h ad s le pt n estle d in th e s m ooth est s a tin
and s o fte st v e lv e t, a nd th e a ir h ad s m elle d o f in ce nse . A nd I w asn ’t a t th e
board in ghouse : M rs . F lo wers w ash es th e b eddin g th ere in s o m e w eir d -s m ellin g h erb al
mix tu re th at B onnie s a ys is fo r p ro te ctio n a nd g ood d re am s.
And s u ddenly , I k n ew. I w as h om e. T he G uard ia ns d id it! T hey b ro ught m e h om e.
Eve ry th in g a nd n oth in g h as c h anged. It’s th e s a m e r o om I s le pt in fr o m w hen I w as a
tin y b aby: m y p olis h ed c h erry -w ood d re sse r a nd r o ckin g c h air ; th e little s tu ffe d b la ck-
and-w hite d og M att w on a t th e w in te r c a rn iv a l o ur ju nio r y e ar p erc h ed o n a s h elf; m y
ro llto p d esk w ith its c u bbyh ole s; th e o rn ate a ntiq ue m ir ro r a bove m
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