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He clilass, then offered a hand to helpinto the room behind us, and crept to the closed door that probably led to the interior hallway

I got there first, turned the knob with slow and careful concentration, pulled open the door just a sliver

The light in the hallas pale and golden, and there was nothing but silence on the other side

We’re clear, I told him, and we stepped into the hallway

It was big Cavernous, as far as houses went A lot of open space, a lot of marble, and a lot of décor A s and tables and credenzas

We crept down the hallway to the junction that led to the long gallery of art, and the main staircase between The hallas like arows

I guess we start here, I said, and Ethan nodded

You take this one, Ethan said I’ll take the other

Roger, I said, and alked to our respective doors

I got a closet He got theWe folloith another bedroom, a bathroom, and a small home theater

I hit pay dirt, personally if not professionally, on my third door

The room was small, little est as filled with books, with a couple of chairs and a small table in front of them

Curious, I walked to the shelves, scanned the spines I’d expected griraphies, or true cri else

But they were fairy tales Volume after volume of them, from countries and cultures around the world Reference books, books for children, picture books But all about ical creatures and the worlds they inhabited

"Fairy Tales of the Round, Round World," I murmured, and pulled the book from the shelf It had been one of my favorite books as a child, and I’d pored over the stories of Camelot and Rose Red, fairies and djinns, dozens of times As a child, this book had beenthe way, and hadn’t thought about it in years

I opened the book, the pages thick and stiff with age, but absolutely pristine There were no crayon ins If Sorcha had read this book, she’d read it carefully and left no trace behind

So back at the rest of her books--the hundreds of volumes of stories in this lush room--absolutely furious

• • •

She had everything, and she’d still demanded more More power More fame Justmore