Outside, the fog began to knock —three slow raps on every pane.

On the screen, a man in an old Coast Guard uniform stood motionless, his back to the camera. The timestamp read .

The man turned. His face was smooth porcelain, like a doll’s, with no mouth. He raised a hand and pointed directly at her window.

Sassie didn’t scream. She was a Thorne. Instead, she typed again: