This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written consent from the author/publisher. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons living or dead, or places, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. “Happy Birthday to me,” Paige Murphy said as she struck a match. For half a second a brilliant white flash lit up her dark kitchen as the fire came to life. She stared down at the teardrop-shaped flame in her hand until the fire had nearly reached her fingers. Only then did she touch it to the pink and white striped candle. Paige drew in a deep breath and held it.
