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Jared took a hesitant step toward the house Took another He raised his voice "Mother?"

Another step

He saw the s now, he flung the door open "Mother!"

Sweating and freezing, he rapidly explored the downstairs roo rooreenhouse He didn’t notice anything except that there was no one there

"MOTHER!"

Inside again, he took the stairs two at a ti his brothers’ roos Janos’s looked as if soh it and had left the clothes and books where they’d fallen

No one in the second-floor guest rooms

No one in the third-floor roo in the wardrobe, but his books still filled the low bookcase next to the writing desk that had stood in front of thefor as long as he could remee and that he noould be a snug fit for two people

One room left

His hand shook as he opened the door to his parents’ roorief entwined with love hit hi to the doorfrao forward

Walls res of those who lived in a place and could be sensed by anyone with power

This was different Stronger As if

Jared opened his eyes and looked at the large double bed that Reyna had shared with Belarr--the bed that a , didn’t cliht Reyna had bought a new quilt for the bed, but he couldn’t figure out why she, who loved bright things, would choose such a dull color

Then he saw a patch of blues and greens at the bottom corner, and then he realized the quilt had been soaked with blood

Jared staggered toward the bed, fighting the sickness that churned in his stos were so strong They weren’t in the wood and stone, they were in the blood

His hand shook violently as he reached for the quilt

The blood was old, but there was so much of it All he had to do was open his inner barriers and touch it, and he’d know

"Jared," a gravelly voice said

His hand hovered over the quilt Another inch Just another inch

His hand wouldn’twildly

An oldto his shoulders Grief and pain had carved deep lines into his face His left sleeve was pinned above where the elbow had been

Jared stared at the old man His eyes widened "Uncle Yarek?"

"Uncle Yarek," the oldhome this autumn"

"Mo--" Jared’s voice broke In a rush, he crossed the roo inside of hi it down

"Come away, Jared," Yarek said softly as he stepped back into the hallway, drawing Jared with him "Coo outside We’ll go out and sit in the garden, and we’ll talk"

Saying nothing, Jared followed Yarek to a stone bench at the far end of the garden Near the bench was a small, covered well

"Would you like so a little, Yarek settled on the bench "Sure"