Flames of passion

uld haunt Melody for

arely nineteen, had been humming softly as she arranged the last of her mother's dried lavender on the kitchen shelf. The soft voice of her father's laug

ed with a sudden s

ke curling under doors, windows exploding in the distance. Melody's father yelle

Melody

them. She screamed, beg

r saw th

ors held her back as she collapsed in the street, her body heaving with sobs as ashes floated dow

eeks

tood at the edge of her parents' graves, numb, silent, starin

The bank had already begun seizing the property - he

one good dress, and fi

heir final shovelfuls of earth,

suit stepped out and approached. Her voi

ked, throat

once did some work for Mr. Calloway. I've been instructed to offer y

zed in her chest. Wo

rvival. But she didn't have

she asked, her voic

dn't smile. "

r Th

essed her fingers against the window. The mansion towered in the distan

open, and the ca

to walk into a house full of secrets, shado

st her

he