PROLOGUE
Late in the night, Lindsey heard a soft knock at her bedroom door. She got up, and tiptoed across the room to answer it.
Her little brother stood outside, staring at her.
She waved him in, and quietly shut the door behind him. “Andy! What are you doing?” she whispered. “You’re gonna wake them up!”
“I’m being quiet,” Andy whispered. “Can we go see her?”
“Now? It’s the middle of the night! Go back to bed.”
“I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
“She’s fine. Why are you worried about her? Didn't you say she can talk to squirrels and they give her nuts and stuff?” She giggled. “There's no need to worry if that's true!”
“It is true!” he said, slapping her arm.
“Okay, calm down, whatever! Either way, she'll be fine, she always is. We’ll see her in the morning.”
He sat down on her bed. “Why can’t we tell them about her? She could stay with us. Mom would say yes.”
“But Dad would say no. He doesn’t like this kinda stuff. He’d probably make her leave.”
“What kinda stuff?”
“You know—she’s kinda weird,” she said.
“So are you,” he said.
“Yeah, and so are you. But it’s not the same. I don’t think he’d get it. Let’s just worry about this in the morning, okay? Go back to bed.”
Andy sighed, and crept out of the room. She waited a few minutes, then checked to make sure he had gone to bed, and hadn’t run off to see their unexpected visitor. He hadn’t. He was curled up in bed, waiting to fall asleep. She went back to her own room, to do the same.
The Mansion’s Family Description:
The cause of the storm remains a mystery, and June fears there could be another. She enlists the help of the Senka twins, but the girls only grow frustrated after hitting dead ends. Ellie is far more curious about what she and Savannah might find on the other world, and eventually, June agrees to let them go.
Exploring the other world, the twins discover far more than what they bargained for. Secrets of the past are revealed, both in the mansion, and beyond the shadow cave.
Though Jerome remains bound in the forest, the trap grows weak, and a battle is coming. Ellie and Savannah are no warriors, but they still have an important part to play. This time their mission is not to rebuild, it is one of great sacrifice. They discover a secret of their magic, one that will allow them once again to keep the mansion’s people safe. But the price may be too high to pay.
