Chapter Twenty-eight

Emma

The door moved, coming inward toward the stairs. The temperature rose as I moved upward as if the air became thicker as well as warmer. I took the next step, and the last, until I was at the kitchen floor. The shadows had grown while I’d been in the cellar, indicating that the sun was setting. It was still present, but getting lower in the horizon.

“Emma.”

I sucked in a breath as I stepped around the corner of the hallway.

Jezebel was seated at the table beyond the kitchen counters and appliances. No longer dressed in a colorful dress, she was wearing blue jeans, a plain shirt, and a sweater that hung below the chair. Her long hair was braided, not unlike the way I wore mine from time to time.

She didn’t look my way. Her attention was toward the back windows. “You didn’t take the tablets.”

“I’m hungry,” I said honestly.

Jezebel motioned me toward her. “Edmée made you a plate. I told her you’d be up soon.” Her gaze met mine. “Come sit with me.”