Fury boiled in the back of her neck. She wished she could throttle Cal. The whole point of exploring the house was so she could locate another fireplace. How could she find anything if she couldn’t even see her own hands in front of her?

Lou realized that she was suddenly alone. She couldn’t hear Sadie or Cal up ahead of her anymore. Had they left her behind?

No, no, no … I can’t take it anymore. Someone, please, help me …

Lou squeezed her eyes shut, praying that her racing heart would finally wake her from this nightmare.

As the music went on, a melody formed. The tune made her think of foggy days and the call of ships out on the bay. Lou focused on the music and took several deep breaths. In her mind, she heard Jason’s voice saying Everything is going to be all right. She wasn’t sure she believed it, but it helped somehow. As Lou listened, she thought she could pinpoint the direction the piano music was coming from. She allowed her instinct to pull her toward it.

She found herself standing before a closed door, the edges trimmed in a rectangle of amber light from the other side. Without knocking, Lou slowly swung the door inward. The room was long with high ceilings, decorated with green wallpaper. There were instruments and music stands and wooden chairs scattered all around. But in the center sat a glossy black grand piano. Its lid was propped open and whoever was playing was hidden around the other side. The dark notes swirled around the space, diving at Lou and then retreating, almost as if the music were alive. Lou held her breath as she circled the piano at a distance, bringing the player into view.

A boy, who was about Jason’s height, sat on the piano bench with his eyes closed. His skin was pale, and his red hair was bunched in small, tight curls. His forehead was scrunched in concentration as his torso swayed and lurched, following his fingers up and down the keyboard.

Lou stepped on a weak floorboard, and it squeaked. The boy stopped playing and looked at her. His eyes went nuclear, and he stood, knocking the bench over. It hit the ground with a raucous bang.

Lou’s jaw dropped as she realized who it was that she’d stumbled upon.

“Louise!” her cousin cried out. “What are you doing here?”

CHAPTER 18