“What do you see for me, spirit?” Madame asked, her usual confidence missing from her voice.

The spirit cackled in a laugh that startled the others at the table. “You do not even deny it. You are evil, and your sins will find you out.”

“How? What do you see?”

“I see blood. I see blood.”

“Whose blood?” Persephone asked sharply.

“Madame’s blood streaming down,” the spirit reported gleefully. “She will pay the price.”

“How? Who causes this blood?” Persephone demanded.

“Persephone, stop,” Madame said sharply. “Who is it? Who will hurt me?”

“I seeeeee . . . I seeeeee . . . someone’s hand. Someone close to you.”

“Close to her?” Persephone echoed in horror.

“Someone she hurt,” the spirit said. “I see money. Lots of money. She stole it.”

“No!” Persephone cried, but Madame shushed her instantly.

“Who is it? Whose money is it?” Madame asked unsteadily.

“Don’t you know?” Anna asked in dismay. “How many people did you steal money from?”

No one paid any attention to her question.

“Revenge,” the spirit purred ominously. “Revenge the money with blood.”

“Can I stop them?” Madame asked. “How can I stop them?”

“Stop them?” the spirit echoed eerily. “Stop them, stop them. This is a mystery. How can you stop them?”

“Can she stop them?” Persephone demanded. “Is it possible?”

“Possible. Possible,” the spirit chanted. “Cannot change the past. Can change the future.”

“How?” Madame asked anxiously. “How can I change the future?”

Elizabeth began to rock back and forth. “Change the future. Change the future. Do what is right to change the future.”

“What is right?” Persephone echoed in confusion.

“Don’t you even know what that is?” Anna asked venomously. “Even I can figure it out. Give the money back.”

“Give the money back?” Persephone echoed incredulously.

Plainly, Madame didn’t like that idea, either. “Who is it? Who is the danger to me?”

“Danger, danger,” the spirit chanted. “Cannot see. Cannot see. Anger. Hatred. Cheated, cheated.”

“You must see something,” Madame insisted.

“I see blood. Running down your face. Blood and death and blood and death and blood and death and—” Elizabeth screamed and collapsed, nearly knocking Anna out of her chair.

“Elizabeth!” Anna screamed, jumping up and falling to her knees beside her. “What happened? Can you hear me?”

Elizabeth moaned.

“Her hands are like ice,” Anna said, chaffing Elizabeth’s wrists. “What happened to her?”

“It’s nothing,” Madame said, rising from her chair. “It will pass.”

“What do you mean, it will pass?” Anna asked in outrage. “She’s unconscious.”

“She always faints when the spirits speak through her. Persephone,” she added, motioning her out with a wave of her hand. Persephone scurried out obediently.

“Elizabeth, can you hear me?” Anna tried again.

This time her eyes fluttered a bit. “Anna?”

“Yes, dear, it’s me. I’m right here. Are you all right?”