“By his father. Mr. Cortland came with the paperwork… He said he wanted to take the child home to handle the postmortem arrangements.”
“What?”
The word tore from my throat in a scream. My mind went blank, a ringing noise exploding in my ears. I staggered back a few steps, barely staying upright.
Why did Cortland take my child’s body?
I didn’t even have time to respond to the nurse’s attempts to stop me. I stumbled outside, flagged down a passing car, and rushed straight to the Dorances estate.
The front gates were wide open. A faint scent of smoke hung in the air.
The moment I stepped into the courtyard, it felt like lightning had struck me.
Right in the center of the courtyard, the Dorances had formed a circle. A brass fire basin sat in the middle, flames roaring inside it. And held in a pair of long tongs, about to be placed into the fire—was a pure white box.
My pupils contracted sharply. I nearly lost my mind.
“Stop!” I screamed.
I charged forward like a madwoman. But just as I reached out, someone shoved me to the ground with brutal force.
“Saylor! What the hell are you doing!?”
It was Cortland.