Far away, the Slater Mansion had grown darker than any night could bring.
A heaviness settled into the walls of the mansion, as if the house itself understood that something had gone terribly.
The family had placed Dane's and Lachlan's bodies on a bed made of ice which sat at the centre of the cold room.
Usually, there were rituals. The clothes of the deceased were prepared and changed. The funeral was arranged with the weight of tradition behind it. But tonight, no one could move. The shock held them all in place. From a distance, the two men looked like they were only sleeping.
Hailey, who had gone out to the theatre in the company of the Ravencroft siblings earlier that day, now looked devastated. One piece of bad news after another.
The rim of Hailey's eyes had gone red. She wiped at a tear before it could spill, pressing the heel of her hand against her cheek as if she could force the grief back inside.
