When hunting for clues in crowded cities, it is imperative to have a good disguise. Her grandfather had tried his best to get that lesson embedded into her mind for as long as she could remember. A phantom ache went through her muscles at the reminders of the city that had been used as an example of the lesson.

If anyone tried to convince her that going into a forest on the outskirts of Calguren with a dwelling of monks was a good idea, she’d call them a liar. Even monks had a tendency to want to fight you when you came upon them on an inopportune time. As she’d had to learn the hard way when the “bonding” trip her grandfather had taken on had led to them being chased through the forest over a cliff.

Turns out sneaking into places of worship to learn in disguise was frowned upon in polite settings. But polite had never been something her grandpa claimed to be. Nevertheless, it had taught her to make sure she blended in before going anywhere from then on.

Even the walls have ears and when you find yourself in a city of enemies, being unrecognizable is one of your greatest strengths. Which is why Eileen was currently wearing a straight black wig and a mask covering her lower face as she wandered up to the office to pick up the key to her new home. Well, it was an old family home, but it would seem new to anyone else. With the recent illness in Teodes, they’d take it to be a safety measure.

Although what would really keep her disguised was the hard-to-rub-off makeup she’d developed to make sure her features wouldn’t be easily recognized. And she could not be recognized. It bring more harm than good.

With all its balls and preaching of goodness, Teodes was still not safe for her. Not when it was the very place that haunted her nightmares with the memories it brought forward. Not when it was the reason her parents were gone.

The thought brought with it flashes of flames and collapsing pillars of stone. The phantom heat of the fire making a shiver run up her spine. She didn’t give it too much thought, only pausing to disperse the thoughts. Not now. Get the key first.

It was a good thing that it was the weekend and everyone was at home enjoying the new spring. As she made up the stairs to the locker which had her key, her mind wandered over her plan for the day. To find the whereabouts of the servants that escaped from the fire.

Miles was a godsend. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she picked up the gold key and looped it through the key chain her grandfather had given her. She would have called him Uncle Miles, but he insisted on the lack of formality. All of her grandpa’s friends were strange that way.

She’d have to treat him to lunch some day. Maybe he’d be able to shed some light on where all of those servants went as well. Especially since neither she or her grandpa knew who they were. With over a decade past, her memory of their faces was a little fuzzy.

Walking up the stone path up to the arched oak door, a sense of nostalgia welled unbidden in the pit of her stomach. A faint smile as she recalled the last time she’d been here. A time which was much happier than the current circumstance.

A happy time with her parents.

She gulped to dislodge the ball dryness in her throat, a hand discretely coming up to wipe the tears from her eyes. The rolling luggage behind her rattled along the marble as she walked in to take in the dirt covered sheets. Her eyes blinked to clear in the aftermath of the sprinkle of dust that rained down from the ceiling as the door shut.

Coughing to clear the dust that had managed to venture into her mouth, Eileen decided that it would be better to settle the state of the house before any other ventures. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get any work done otherwise.

With luggage safely placed in the corner, she tied up her hair and got to work. Fortunately, she’d had the foresight to stash cleaning supplies into the car. And with her Grandpa having made them, she knew they’d be successful in ridding her house of dirt.

While she worked, her thoughts once again wandered to her reason for coming to Teodes. By all official accounts the Devencrux manor had unexpectedly caught on fire and killed everyone within. But with no other homes caught in its line of destruction and the way it had been quickly covered, she sensed something amiss.

It had bothered her for years after the fact. Her father was the son of the great general Emmett Devencrux. He knew not to let anything flammable rest in a place it could be lit, and her mother was far from careless. Not to mention that with so many employees, a manor “unexpectedly” catching on fire was more than fishy.

One of them should have noticed. Or been there for that matter. Eileen had to uncurl her hands when nails started digging into her palms. She blinked. She hadn’t even noticed herself doing that.

Sighing, she looked around the room again. She’d managed to get the sheets in a neat pile on the ground and the entirety of the space around her was now free of dust, but there was a lot more to go. Vacuuming all the dust on the ground had helped speed up the process.

Glancing out the window, she noticed that the clouds had grown darker in the time it had taken her to clean out the living room. Her arms were aching with the strain it had taken to clean the dust. Her eyes closed in resignation, a determined line to her lips. There was still work to be done.

By the time she had managed to get rid of the dust lining the house, the sun had already set. Hours gone by in the time it had taken to see such progress. Collapsing onto the clean bed sheets of her new bedroom, Eileen decided that searching for clues could wait another day.

The strain of her muscles and the way they screamed at her would be a hindrance anyway. Even with years of training, she doubted it was possible to clean an entire house and not feel absolutely exhausted afterwards. She had half a mind to punch Miles instead of treating him to a meal.

Gods. Would it have killed him to hire someone to clean the home before returning it? Those cobwebs would likely haunt her for days. Not to mention the way it made her feel right now. Her nose scrunched up at the smell at the same time as her stomach growled its protest.

Her hand went to cover it in reaction. Oh. That’s right. In her determination to make the house respectable for living, she’d neglected to eat. A part of her wanted to just say fuck it and lie in bed. But the more reasonable part argued that it would be unadvised and unhealthy to do so.

So, she got out of bed and wandered into the newly cleaned bathroom to wash off the lingering dirt clinging to her skin before going into the kitchen to make some dinner. With very little supplies to go off of, and very little desire to do more work, she settled on making noodles. A low effort meal after an intensive day.

The empty home haunted her as she sat to eat her meal. She wasn’t used to living in such silence, it was odd to have it now. Grandpa was never quiet. It was like he felt the need to fill the silence instead of letting thoughts fester. When her parents were alive it was just as loud. There was always people around, a dozen employees looking after their needs.

The same number that should have been there that day.

She hadn’t been there. She’d lost them without ever getting the chance to say goodbye. Some would say it was fortunate that she’d been playing with a friend, but it certainly didn’t feel so to her. It had felt like a shot to the heart when she’d seen the burnt ashes of her once home. A hollow ache growing as she took in the destruction, numbness growing with it.

Even now, some of the ache remained. It felt as if it had happened yesterday and not fourteen years ago. She doubted it would ever feel any different. Even if another decade went by. Grief is never easy nor healing linear. The whisper of her mother’s words echoing in her mind gave her pause. Tears welling at the sense of loss building.

Eileen moved a hand to cover up the sob that threatened to escape. It had never been easy. Dealing with loss. Grandpa hid it better, but she could see it in his eyes every time he talked about the subject. But sitting in this house, with the ghost of their memories had amplified it tenfold.

Perhaps that was why she had rushed headfirst into cleaning.

A shuddering breath escaped as she managed to tamp down the sorrow. Not now. Crying will do no good. Green eyes flicked over the room in quick succession, before inhaling a calming breath and going to wash her now empty dishes. By the time the water drained, she finally managed it.

Decided steps went into her bedroom and picked up a new set of clothes. Ones more suited to moving than the dress she currently had on. She couldn’t stay in the house right now. The sorrow would consume her and she’d never be able to concentrate on her task. It had to be gotten under control. She had to do something.

The thought brought with it memories of laughter under a sunny blue sky. A letter flicked through her mind next. Her head cocked to the side as she ruffled through the stack of paper on her desk, pulling a faded yellow-tinged one from the bottom. Her eyes skimmed it before landing on a sentence near the end.

If you come to Teodes and don't come visit me immediately, I’ll never forgive you. I swear! I’ll haunt you even after death and you’ll be stuck with me foreveeer!

A smile tugged at her lips even as she tried to smother it. Eileen shook her head, a laugh escaping at the threat. Even knowing it was empty, she decided it was better to do as it said. Knowing Ayla, there was a good chance she might even follow through with whatever threat was in her mind.

Her best friend was really stubborn about the oddest things. But she was also kind. A fond smile pulled her lips as she remembered the way she’d refused to leave her side after the tragedy.Aylawas one of the reasons she hadn’t had a complete breakdown. A settling anchor in the storm of havoc the tragedy had sent her hurtling towards.

Having made up her mind, she placed the paper carefully back in place and pulled out the looked book which held the contact details. She’d been annoyed when he’d made her spend so much time on it, but now she was grateful her grandpa was so set on it. Finding the address, and confirming it was still the same as it had always been, she looped the key chain onto the necklace around her neck.

Hidden as it was behind the fabric of her shirt with the cool metal touching skin, it was unlikely anyone would be able to steal it without her noticing. Not that anyone would be around to steal it with the storm brewing outside her window. The distant sound of rumbling thunder gave her pause.

It was an odd superstition. The idea that a storm brought with it a change. She remember her papa saying a storm either meant something really unsettling would happen or something very good. The changing of the tides. Her grandpa respected it even if he never truly believed in it, which made her think it might have been something from grams.

Eileen would have to remember to ask him some day. He hardly ever talked about her and with emptiness in the house, she wanted to get to know her as well.

But she supposed, she’d have to decide her next course of action first. Looking into the sky, it didn’t seem like it was going to suddenly pour down. Her eyes flicked from the house to the sky. Should she risk it?

Yes.

This house was too empty. It was not yet a home. The storm of emotions she felt looking at it would undoubtedly be more damaging to her than the rain pelting down. Besides, she’d be careful not to get too caught in it.

Even as Eileen decided upon the course of action, a strange sense of foreboding filled her mind. A heavy weight on her stomach, churning it as she picked up a bag to stash the gift she’d picked for inside. She shook her head. It was probably just thoughts of old superstitions.

Or maybe it might be because she wasn’t sure whetherAylawould need the miniature telescope. The last she’d heard, she was still obsessed with the stars. Eileen smiled as she remembered the half-page of complaining at her mother not wanting to buy her one. It was nice to know that some things remained the same no matter how many years passed. Even more comforting to have it beAyla’stendency to rant when annoyed.

Like she hadn’t lost everything when she’d been driven from this city.

Because Eileen Devencrux was dead. No one knew she hadn’t been in that house when it had caught on fire. How could they when it had been a spontaneous decision to surprise Ayla with a visit. If she hadn’t insisted on a sleep-over she may very well have been in the manor.

Sometimes it felt like it would have been better if she had been. Especially in the days that followed when she kept running over what-ifs and could-haves. She had felt something was off. What if she had managed to convinced them to not go back from the visit? Thoughts that had plagued her mind with their callous improbability midst the grief.

It had taken a long talk with her grandpa, more than one if honest, before she accepted that there was nothing she could have done. A ten-year-old wouldn’t have been able to change much. Not if what they thought was true. It didn’t mean she couldn’t do something now.

But she had other things of importance to tend to first. It would do no good to ignore the present for the past and future. Words that were probably a family motto by this point, but that didn’t make them any less true.

Eileen would think more on this later. She needed to see Ayla, for more reasons than one. Everything else could wait.

So she stepped outside her door into the storm.