Aryyah returned to the mansion just as the sun was setting, the sky painted in shades of orange and purple that should have been beautiful but felt oppressive instead; she parked in the driveway and sat in the car for a long moment, staring at the massive structure in front of her, the place that was supposed to be her home but felt more like a prison with each passing day.

The portrait frames sat in the backseat, and she thought about Cletus, about the hours they had spent talking, about the ...