Riley’s car was warm. Rain spattered against the windows and slid off in streams. Faith shivered at the thought of what could be waiting at the house.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Riley said.

Faith had too many to know where to start, but they would be at her house soon. Now was her chance to get more answers. “How do you know the thing in the lake is called Ninivus?”

“People have been watching these beings for a long time,” Riley said. “I don’t know exactly who. Their notes have been passed along. I and those I work with have passed the notes between ourselves, along with our own notes on what we’ve observed. There’s little about these beings in any books or articles. The few books I have found are very old.” He parked out front her house at the edge of town.

Faith was reluctant to go back in there, but maybe Ninivus wouldn’t send another messenger, at least not tonight.

Riley looked at her. “If another messenger attacks, come back to my house. There shouldn’t be another one tonight. I don’t know how Ninivus knows who knows about him, but if you knew something he really didn’t want known, he would have sent more than one messenger.”

That was barely a comforting thought.

“Thank you,” Faith said, “for telling me what’s going on.”

Riley nodded. “We’ll talk more later.”

Faith got out of the warm car, into the surprisingly cold rain. She hurried inside. Everything was just how it had been when she left. She put the knife back in the block. The towel she had wiped up the messenger’s puddle with was already dry. She hadn’t been gone that long. Faith tossed the towel in the laundry basket in the laundry room, which was two doors down from Suzie’s room, by the bathroom. Suzie’s door was still closed. Faith went to bed and didn’t hear any creaking. Not even from the wind.

The sun woke her up and it felt too soon. She got out of bed, drank her coffee, then checked the phone. Nothing. She looked back at the kitchen. The silence was one of the worst things she had ever heard. Suzie had always gotten up early and eaten breakfast while Faith drank her coffee. The kitchen was too quiet, just like the rest of the house. Tears threatened, but Faith forced them back. She grabbed her jacket and left the house.

The warm morning air smelled of last night’s rain. Faith breathed in deeply, then headed for Destiny Park and sat on the usual bench. The park was empty, and Daena didn’t join her there. Faith noticed two people standing off to the side behind her. They were far enough that she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but both looked worried and one tense, glaring at the other man. The angry one wore the tan uniform of the sheriff’s office. Faith had seen him once before. Sheriff Lorence Willet.

His uniform was wrinkled and a little dirty. His short dark brown hair was streaked with gray. Willet’s pale gray eyes narrowed at the nervous man he was talking to. Faith had seen the man around but didn’t know his name. The two finished their conversation and the man hurried away. Sheriff Willet stood there for a moment, then walked away in the opposite direction.

Faith looked back at the park quickly, so he wouldn’t think she’d been trying to listen in. What had that been about? There was someone in the park, standing under the tree on the left. Her dark green dress was stained and ragged. Long black hair went down to her shoulders and looked wet. The woman stared at Faith with dark, unblinking eyes. She looked only a few years younger than Faith. She continued to stare.

The stare was getting unnerving. Faith looked away, but she could still feel the woman watching her. Faith glanced back at the tree and the woman was still there, watching. Faith hesitated, then she stood and headed for the tree.

“Morning,” Faith said.

The woman continued to stare and said nothing.

Faith stopped at what felt like a safe distance. “Are you alright?”

The woman was soaked, but she wasn’t shivering. There was a strange mark on one side of her neck. Like a burn scar but faintly blue. The woman turned and walked away. Faith stared after her. Who was she? What had that mark been from? The woman headed along the path toward the lake. Faith was about to follow when she recalled what Riley had said the night before. Don’t go to the lake. A sigh escaped her. Maybe the woman lived out there like Mr. Tetley. For all Faith knew, the woman lived with Mr. Tetley.

Faith turned her attention to other things, trying to think of where she could find information on the lake. Another moment and she had an idea. The library was a squat, stone building near the center of town. It stood next to the town hall, a newer brick building. Faith had heard something about the town hall when she and Suzie had first come to Silverfield. The original town hall had been wood and had burned to the ground. That was why some stones on the side of the library were blackened.

Inside, the library smelled of dust and books. Faith asked the librarian about old newspapers. She showed Faith where they were kept, organized by year. Only the ones with the most important headlines were kept there. What year had it been that things happened before? Faith looked through a few recent newspapers, then further back. There weren’t many newspapers. Apparently, not much happened in Silverfield.

Faith found it easily. The newspaper with the headline, Another Goes Missing. Below the headline was a picture of a girl who looked very familiar. This was the article about Destiny Crass. Despite the picture being black and white and this having been ten years ago, Faith knew she’d seen her. She had seen her in the park that morning. The woman who had been staring at her was Destiny Crass, Faith was certain of it.

Destiny was alive. Maybe the others who had gone missing were as well. At least it felt rational and plausible that she had seen Destiny. She’d clearly been older than seventeen. Not that Faith wouldn’t believe in ghosts at this point, but she liked this explanation better, that Destiny was alive. That brought only more questions. Where had she been for ten years? Why was she back now?

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Faith slid the newspaper back in its place, then left for Riley’s house. Maybe this would make sense to him. She hoped he would have some sort of theory about this, but she tried not to hope too much. His car was parked in the driveway when she got there. Faith knocked on the door and Riley opened it a moment later. His hair was wet, as though he’d just had a shower. His clothes were dry, not soaking wet like Destiny’s had been.

“Did another messenger show up?” Riley tensed. “During the day?” He had gone pale.

“No, but I found something at the library,” Faith said.

He breathed out. “Good. I’ve never seen a messenger during the day, but there’s a first time for everything.” He opened the door further. “Come in.”

The second chair was where it had been the night before. The two of them sat.

“I saw a woman at the park,” Faith began. “She was soaked and her clothes were ragged. She had a mark on her neck, like a burn scar but blue. I went to the library and found the article from when Destiny Crass went missing. The woman in the park was Destiny.” She hoped she hadn’t said it too fast.

Riley frowned, not saying anything for a moment. “Had she aged?”

“Yes,” Faith said.

He smiled. “Well, at least we don’t have to wonder if you saw a ghost.” The frown returned. “I don’t know what it means that she’s shown up now, after ten years. I don’t know what that mark on her neck could mean either. For now, I think it best that you stay away from her if you see her again, just in case. Until we know more.”

Faith nodded. That sounded like a good idea.

Riley wrote something on a scrap of paper and handed it to her. “Call me if something happens.”

Faith took the paper. “Thanks.”

He nodded. “Do you need a ride home? It’s getting gloomy out there.”

“I’ll be fine,” Faith said.

Destiny Park was empty when Faith reached it. She stopped by the usual bench and looked at the two trees and the stretch of grass. What had happened to Destiny ten years ago? Daena came to stand beside Faith, staring out at the park.

“I saw Destiny here earlier,” Faith said.

Daena looked at Faith, her expression not changing. “I’ve seen her too, but she is not the girl that was taken ten years ago. Not anymore.” She seemed to consider something. “Come.”

Faith followed Daena through Silverfield to her house. It was a small, one floor house on a street with many others like it. Though this one looked older than the rest. Inside, it smelled of something faintly sweet. Faith couldn’t place what the smell was. They went down a narrow hall to a sitting room with two chairs. The carpet was worn and faded, much like the intricate tapestries hanging on the walls.

“Have a seat,” Daena said.

They sat across from each other in the two chairs. The room felt cramped with the wall hangings, and stuffy with the strange smell.

“What do you know about Ninivus?” Faith asked.

Daena smiled. “Then Riley has told you what he knows. I’ve seen him looking into things.” Her smile vanished. “He’s been looking into things ever since Corisa and Lily were found at the lake. Ten years ago.” She reached up and touched the pendant again. When she let go, she continued. “Filbert Tetley has seen what’s in the lake. When things weren’t happening, he swam down there, but he wouldn’t tell anyone what he saw.”

“Do you think Mr. Tetley will tell me what he saw, now that things are happening again?” Faith asked.

Daena seemed to consider this. “I do not know, but I suppose it would be worth a try to ask him. He knows what’s down there.”

Faith hesitated. Daena probably didn’t want to talk about this, but maybe she would know something that could help. “Did Lily tell you about Ninivus?”

Daena’s faint smile faded. She absently touched the pendant again. “No, but I know she knew something important. That’s why Ninivus killed her.” She closed her hand over the pendant. “This pendant was hers. It was with her when they… When they found her by the lake. It contains wyvern blood.”

“Wyvern blood?” Faith asked, not knowing what to think of that. Sure, giant sea monsters existed, but dragons?

“They are not the beings most call dragons,” Daena said, letting go of the pendant.

“Does it have to do with Ninivus?” Faith asked.

“It is very important.” Daena stared at her. “Don’t tell the sheriff anything, Faith. He isn’t an ally.” She said nothing more.

Faith realized Daena wasn’t going to explain about the pendant. At least Daena had told her something.

Faith stood. “I should go.”

Daena smiled. “Come again.”

Faith left the house and went to the edge of the path to the lake. She hesitated there, thinking of what Riley had said. Nothing had happened there before during the day. She wouldn’t linger at the lake, and Mr. Tetley could know something. If he’d seen what was in the lake, it was worth the risk of going to the lake to find out what he’d seen. While she walked, Faith wondered what else Daena knew. Maybe Daena still thought she was protecting Faith by not telling her everything.

The water was still when Faith reached Gray Lake, how it had been the other times during the day. She hurried away along the shore, not getting close to the water. When she reached Mr. Tetley’s house, the sun had been blocked by dark clouds again. The smell of rain was strong in the air, but the rain hadn’t started to fall yet. Mr. Tetley’s house was more of a cabin. There wasn’t a car parked outside, but maybe he didn’t have one. Faith was about to knock when she noticed the door was open a crack.

Faith knocked on the doorway. “Mr. Tetley?”

No answer. Faith hesitated, then knocked again and called his name. Still no answer. She could only see darkness through the crack. Faith hesitated another moment, then she pushed the door open a little further. What if something had happened to him? The door stopped about halfway open and she saw a foot. Faith pushed the door open the rest of the way and hurried over to Mr. Tetley where he lay on the floor. A chair from the table lay next to him, as though he’d fallen over and taken it with him.

His eyes stared past the table and into the distance. He was soaked, a puddle of water around him. He wasn’t breathing, but Faith didn’t see any injuries. Water everywhere… Had he drowned? But how would he have gotten here if he’d drowned? Unless someone had brought him here. With everything that had happened, she couldn’t help but wonder if he had drowned right there in his cabin. The messengers were watery, maybe one of them had drowned him. Faith found his phone hanging on the kitchen wall and called the sheriff’s office.