“Yes,” Andrew said. “There’s a whole drawer of them.”

He got up, his fingers lingering in her hair before he left her side, and started roughly opening drawers in the kitchen. “Get me some saucers,” he said. Nikki and Ryker found the few saucers they had in the cabinet.

Andrew lit a match. The sulfur smell permeated the cottage. He lit the wick on a long, thin candle and let the wax drip onto the saucer. He pushed the end of the candle into the wax, holding it until it set. Nikki took over, lighting the rest.

Outside, the howling had stopped.

The flickering glow of candlelight revealed Buttons scratching at the door, letting out the occasional wary growl.

Andrew picked up the rifle.

Kate was too jittery to just lie in bed. With a little effort, she managed to get to her feet. Her fever had lessened, but it still had her on a low boil. Even the soft kiss of displaced air felt like needle pricks on her skin. Every joint in her body felt as if it had been spackled with grains of glass. She walked unsteadily and looped several fingers under the dog’s collar, pulling him from the door. He didn’t fight her, but he also didn’t shift his attention a single inch. His stubby legs remained locked and rigid, sliding backward on the bare floor.

Keeping the barrel of the rifle pointed at the ground, Andrew put his index finger to his lips. Everyone went silent, including Buttons.

The only noise in the cottage was the crackling of a candlewick.

There were no more howls, no crunching footsteps circling the house. It was so deathly quiet, Kate was sure if they opened a window, the crickets would even be lying low.

“I think he’s gone,” Ryker said.

Kate felt the tension coiled within Buttons’ collar.

No, Buttons sure doesn’t think he’s gone.

“Shite, I have no bars,” Nikki moaned. “Do any of your phones work?”

“Not without the Wi-Fi,” Andrew said. “You’d have to get to the main road and drive about a mile before you got decent cell service.”

“What about a landline? This is an old-fashioned little place. Surely they have one.”

Andrew shook his head. “Nope.”

“Well, then we’re good and properly screwed. Are we supposed to call the police by smoke signal?”

Nikki had gone from scared to angry, and Kate thought that might be a good thing. Anything was better than cowering in fright.

“Kate, can I borrow your tablet?” Andrew asked. She handed it over, happy to be rid of the excess weight. The tablet and its case were heavier than her damaged shoulders could stand for much longer.

He disappeared, but she could hear him open the metal door to the circuit breakers, the clicking sound of flipping switches giving her hope, then dashing it when the lights refused to go on.