Secrets of Blackwater Bay

er the churning waters. The storm from the night before had finally passed, but the remnants of it lingered in the damp air, the w

hen she had called him after that strange man appeared at her door. She wasn't built for this kind of thing, wasn't prepared to handle the secrets

held him back-an instinct, maybe, or the growing realization that whatever was happening at the Hartley estate wasn't s

things to spiral out of control. Emma might not want his help, but she needed it, whether she admitted it or

on the seat beside him. Jack glanced at the screen and saw Emma's name flash a

d by the sound of her shaky breath. "Jack,

urge of adrenaline through him. Jack gripped the steering wheel tightly, alre

sh. "There was another letter. Someone's been here. They

" Jack said, his voice firm. "L

spered. Then the

as, his heart racing. Whatever was happening at Blackthorn

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large against the gray morning sky, the windows dark and shadowed, as though the house itself was watching him. It had always f

of the old trees that lined the property. Jack's eyes caught on something white fluttering near the door-a piece of paper, crumpled and half-tucked under the mat

riting as her

face pale, her eyes wide with worry. She opened the door quickly, stepping aside to let him in, and Jack was struck aga

asked, his voice softeni

... scared, I guess. There was another letter. It was the sam

note from his pocket and

d she swallowed hard. "Yeah. That's

sinking feeling that whoever was leaving these warnings was

the note back into his pocket. "Did your grandmother mention anything

t orange glow over the room. She picked up the journal from where it lay on the de

house-about how it's tied to our family, how there's something in the bloodline that needs to be protected. She never says what it

"Did she say anything about why? Abo

n't safe, and that I should never come back. But... I don't know. I feel lik

andmother had been protecting something, something tied to the Hartley family's bloodline. An

n just these letters. If your grandmother was trying to protect you, she must have

where do we even start? I've been through the attic, throug

thing he knew about the house, about the Hartleys. A

h repairs around the house. She never let me inside most of the rooms, but there was one place... I remember it because she alw

"The old study? I don'

rary, behind one of the bookcases. She told me it had been sealed up for years

he stood up quickly. "Do y

k admitted. "But it

nd, his eyes scanning the walls, the ceiling, as if expecting the house itself to shift and reveal its secrets. He could

tall, mahogany bookcase that lined the wall. She stared at it for a mom

she asked, her voice

he could see faint scuff marks on the floor, as though it had been moved at some poi

okcase forward, the heavy wo

o pull it away from the wall. And there, hidden behind it,

her breath catching in

half-expecting it to be locked, but to his surprise, the d

through the doorway, his senses on high alert as he scanned the dark, narrow space. The hallway

ed him, her hand resting lightly on his arm

creaks of the old house, the rustle of the wind outside. But then, faint a

ma.

r face pale and tight with fear, but she didn't move. She just s

hard, then push

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