”

The words were harsh, but the blanket was warm.

Elena wrapped it tightly around her shaking shoulders and buried her face into the wool. The car glided faster through the rain, smooth and silent, swallowing the road as Seattle disappeared behind them in a haze of distant lights.

The Devil’s Sanctuary

Two hours later, the car passed through enormous iron gates that opened by themselves. It climbed a private cliffside road surrounded by tall pine trees swaying in the storm.

At the top stood a massive modern estate made of glass, steel, and dark stone, overlooking the restless black waters of Puget Sound.

The car stopped beneath a covered entrance. A tall, silent driver in a dark suit immediately opened Matthew’s door and held out an umbrella.