My room was stifling, but it seemed like the only place in the house I could go to be alone. I shut the door on Sassafras and Galleytrot, not sure I could handle being around anyone until I calmed down.

If it had just been Alison and her horrible mother, maybe I wouldn't have been so worked up. But backed by Uncle Frank's condition and the fact we still had to face the Dumonts in a few hours, I needed time to clear my head and screw it back on straight.

If that was even ...