Alexa woke to silence again… the hush of the Mansion settling around her like a shroud. Months of safety had dulled the edges of her world. But last night, something cracked open. A jolt of recognition lit in her mind and she couldn't ignore it.

She rose from the bed where she half-slept, half-dreamed, and crossed the polished floor to the grand library. Her slippered feet whispered against the oriental rug as she brushed past ropes of leather-bound volumes. Her heart skipped, the memory was ...