Not Hæra. One of Hæra’s kin, an Each-uisge. It had to be. And probably not here for a friendly reunion with a long-lost member of the herd.

She stepped back from the window. Her knees weren’t steady. It was so dark in here, and she was all alone. Meanwhile, Hæra was out there somewhere⁠—

Wasn’t she? Had she already been found by the other ones, however many had come here? Was she dead?

Dead, Madeleine lunged back toward the window, she can’t be dead, Madeleine grabbed the sink, not dead, Madeleine leaned forward until her breath fogged up the glass, Hæra can’t be dead, I would feel it. She would say so, yell it loud enough to be heard on the other side. She would make that horrible horse tell her that Hæra was alive.

Lightning flashed again. Cloud-to-cloud this time. There was nothing on the other side of the window.

Madeleine clung to the counter. Outside, the wind and the rain began to lessen—the storm must be passing, and quickly. Did that mean the Stormhorses had found Hæra and taken what they’d come for?

Oh God, if only she could call the main house! Why wasn’t the landline working? Had that creature out there cut the line to the box? That couldn’t be. How in the world would it know what a phone line even was? Hæra had said Each-uisge avoided humans unless they were preying on them.

Preying on me. Her blood turned to ice.

She strained to hear anything. The wind had gone from a shriek of rage to a low moan, as if saying, My work here is done. When thunder rumbled again, it sounded more distant. The sky, however, remained dark.

Otherwise, everything was silent except for the percussive slam of Madeleine’s own heart.

Until the creature neighed again.

Madeleine whirled on her heel. The sound had come from the left. She stared at the curtains hiding the nearest window in that direction, just as lightning flashed again.

On the other side of the pale curtains stood a giant horse’s silhouette.

Madeleine could barely breathe.

The horse moved on as the lightning faded. It walked slowly, taking its time.

Madeleine, biting her lip against a groan of fear, looked at the front door. She’d left it unlocked for Hæra. Not that it mattered, right? Horses couldn’t unlock doors.

But this was not a horse. This was a creature out of myth, and it could take a human shape, with human hands.

The thought was enough to unfreeze Madeleine’s knees. She sprinted toward the door. Every foot seemed like a mile, and every second she expected the door to open and a human-that-wasn’t to be on the other side, ready to tear her into pieces.