Chapter 314

• We stumbled into Leonardo’s living room, hurtling through the portal so quickly that I nearly knocked over the lamp perched on the oak end table. The room was cloaked in shadows, with the curtains drawn back to reveal the dimly lit street outside. It was late, yet the neighborhood exuded a haunting stillness.
• No toys cluttered the front yards anymore, and several homes had boarded-up windows. A sickening unease coiled in my stomach, one that Leonardo sensed immediately.
• I flipped on the lights, casting the room in a soft glow. It struck me how little time I’d spent here since returning. Everything had moved so quickly after coming back, yet this place, unsafe as it was, allowed me to take a fuller breath.