I gathered together my senses and tried to remember my surroundings. The room smelled woody, and only starlight filtered in through the soft white curtains. Charlie stepped in quietly, padding to the side of the bed. He put a hand gently on my shoulder. “Miss Rook?” he whispered. He put a finger to his lips. “Shh. Stay quiet, but there is something outside the cabin.” My thoughts tripped and tumbled, and then clumsily righted themselves. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. Jackaby’s silhouette appeared in the doorway, pulling his bulky coat over his pajamas. “You’re certain it’s still out there?” my employer asked in a whisper. “My hearing is still very good, Mr. Jackaby.” Charlie peered out of the bedroom window into the blackness of the forest. “What is out there?” I said. “That is what we intend to find out.” Jackaby pulled the knit cap over his mess of dark hair and stuffed his bare feet into his shoes.
