The storm hit hard and fast. One minute the sky was calm, the next the wind was slamming against the windows like it wanted inside. I was curled up in the library with a book when the lights flickered. Once. Twice. Then everything went black.
I sat still, heart pounding. The sudden darkness made the big house feel even bigger and lonelier. Thunder rumbled in the distance. I stood up slowly, using my phone flashlight to find my way.
“Aurora?” Lucian’s voice called from somewhere down the hall. He sounded tense.
“I’m in the library,” I called back.
His footsteps came closer. He appeared in the doorway holding a flashlight. “Power’s out. Probably the whole area. Come to the living room. The fireplace is going.”
I followed him through the dark corridors. Mrs. Hale had already lit candles
