How long Lilith stood in total darkness, she couldn't tell. She felt numb. Her acute sense of smell picked up a metallic tang; her mouth tasted bitter. White spots danced in front of her eyes. Doctor Baumgartner's death-scream bounced around in her head, making her want to part with her half-digested breakfast. At some point, her every thought evaporated and was replaced with one clear message: You're a murderer, just like your grandfather.

On the periphery of her senses, Lilith detected movement. A sickly sweet smell reached her. She wheeled around.

"Grandfather?"

Alfred switched on the light. "Well...I'm impressed. Nice work, my dear girl, nice work. I knew I was not mistaken in my choice. That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Clothed in a black suit, he stood by the door, a charming smile making his eyes twinkle.

Lilith's tongue wouldn't move. She glanced around for any sign of struggle. The room looked exactly as it did when she entered an hour ago. The floor sparkled with a polished shine, the circular wall sported golden frame upon golden frame of Bloom & Co.'s achievements, and the rug lay unruffled, pinned by three leather chairs and a desk, on which stood the gilded lamp, whole. Lilith studied her hand. A long cut decorated her palm, still bleeding.

"How did your session go?" asked Alfred.

"Is he dead?" croaked Lilith.

"Is who dead?"

"The doctor." Lilith began to shake.

"Doctor Wilhelmus Baumgartner? Why would he be dead, my dear? He hurried off to his next appointment. Asked me to apologize to you for his quick departure. A busy man; very sought-after psychotherapist, one of the best in his field. He left me a report on you." Grandfather pulled a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket.

Lilith stared. A minute ago she held it in her bloodied hand. Now it vanished.

"Did the room eat him?" she asked anxiously.

"Are you feeling all right?" He stretched out a hand.

"Don't touch me!" Lilith jumped back.

"Let's sit down, shall we? No good talking on your feet. Amuse your grandfather." Alfred motioned to the chairs.

"What happened to the doctor?" Lilith pleaded, realizing she had no witnesses to rely on. Who would believe a twelve- year-old girl pronounced mad by a certified professional?

"What do you think happened to him?" Grandfather stuck the report back into his pocket.

A sudden inspiration seized Lilith. "You were spying on us the whole time, weren't you?" She stepped behind a chair.

"What makes you say so? It would be inappropriate for me to participate in your private therapy session unbeknownst to you, wouldn't it?" said Alfred cheerily.

It took an enormous effort for Lilith to steady her voice. "Excuse me for saying this, dear Grandfather, but I believe that it is equally inappropriate to lie to your own granddaughter whom you yourself have decided to appoint as your heir. About Rosehead, especially."

The room quavered.

Alfred glanced about suspiciously. "Lie? I never lie to my family. By the way, glad you agreed, my dear. Never doubted you for a second."

"Agreed to what?"

"Why, to becoming the Bloom heir, of course," he said, his attention on the ceiling.

"You couldn't have possibly heard me saying that unless you were in the room. The doctor said it's soundproof."

"Did he?" Alfred craned his neck, looking around.

"How did you—I don't remember smelling your revolting odor— where did you hide?" Lilith blurted.

"Where did I what?" He felt the wall, straightening the golden frames one by one.

Infuriated, Lilith exploded. "When will you stop pretending and start talking honestly to me? Coward. Stinking, creepy, freaky, bloody, mendacious, squalid, abominable coward!" She gripped the back of the chair.

Her outburst had an immediate effect.

Alfred looked at his granddaughter as if he saw her for the first time, with the appraisal of a predator, his charming mask gone. For a second, his fingers spread in a strangling motion. "Your acceptance of becoming my heir means nothing, dear girl. I demanded it for my convenience. I'll be using you for a certain task, if you will. This is still my house, my garden, my property. I will do as I please," he said in a controlled voice. "Who do you think you are, judging me? What do you think your little life is worth? You don't know? Would you like me to tell you?" He advanced.

Lilith gulped.

"It's worth nothing. You're nothing to me. You're bait," he said, glaring.

Lilith felt her spine turn to ice. She was looking into the face of a killer, cold and calculating. "So my acceptance means nothing?" she managed.

"That's correct, my dear." He sneered.

"And it's still your mansion?"

"It is."

Lilith licked her lips. "Dear mansion, did you hear my grandfather? We happen to have a dispute of ownership here. Do you mind showing us, please, who's your current boss?"

Without a warning, the floor bulged and threw Alfred off balance. He hit his head on a frame. A trickle of blood spilled down his temple and disappeared into the stone.

Lilith gaped, her heart pounding.

Alfred pulled himself up and leaned on the wall, eyes darting left and right in utter incomprehension.

Emboldened by her power, Lilith stepped out from behind the chair. "Well, dear Grandfather, now that we've straightened out the insignificant mansion ownership details, let's get on with the other important matter. You mentioned I'm bait. I would very much like to find out, for what, or for whom. Please?"

Alfred touched his head and examined his stained fingers. "You're imagining things," he said sweetly. "Now, if you could help your poor grandfather."

"Oh, I'm imagining things? Did I imagine this, or did the floor just throw you down? I can't tell."

"Will you help me up? I'm afraid I've lost my balance," Alfred commanded.

Lilith balled her hands into fists. "I was actually going to thank you for being honest with me for once. I was going to tell you how much I appreciated it, how it was rather a breath of fresh air, after days of rotten pretense. But I changed my mind."

Grandfather smeared his fingers on the floor and hissed, "Get her!" He tensed, ogling the room in clear expectation of its obedience.

Nothing happened.

An idea gripped Lilith. "When did she do this to you? Rosehead? When did you see her kill for the first time?"

Alfred looked up. A glimmer of fear flashed across his face. He opened his mouth, but Lilith interrupted him, inspired.

"Did your father show you? Your grandfather? Who was it? Who passed the knowledge?"

"What are you talking about?" He edged back, toward the door.

"You were just a kid, weren't you?" Lilith pressed on. "It was an accident. Just like what happened to doctor Baumgartner. There was nothing you could do, so you thought it was your fault."

"I might have to agree with Wilhelmus, I'm afraid. Perhaps you are a loony after all." Alfred attempted to stand, but the floor tilted him off balance again.

"A loony, am I?" Lilith repeated. "How would you like me to ask the mansion to crush you to death, dear Grandfather. Who would call me a loony then?"

"You don't understand half the things you're talking about. Everything comes at a price. If I were you, I'd choose my words carefully," Alfred said with a tense smile.

"Oh, why, thank you for the validation. Means I'm not crazy after all." Lilith lilted over her grandfather's crumpled shape. "You said I'm bait. Let me guess. Bait for Rosehead's baby?"

The room screeched, shrinking another few feet.

"I can yell her name on repeat, see if we get smashed into pulp, would you like that, Grandfather?" Lilith said sweetly.

"My dear girl, let us take a stroll in the garden. I'll explain everything. Would you like that?" Alfred offered, his eyes rotating wildly. He reminded Lilith of an animal that's been caught by a predator and about to be consumed alive.

She narrowed her eyes, not buying the lie. "You excel at avoiding my questions. A useful skill; perhaps I need to learn this from you. Dad doesn't know, does he?"

Alfred winced. Deep inside his eyes Lilith thought she saw a frightened boy who came to possess a ferocious rose garden that threatened to dispose of him if he didn't take care of it, and so he did, until he saw his chance to pass the responsibility on to someone else and retire. He has shielded his son from it, going as far as forcing him out of the country, but somebody in the family had to take over, somebody strong enough to command it. And that somebody happened to be Lilith. Alfred must've sensed her strength when she came to his late wife's funeral. Little Lilith was the only one who detected the stink, but she was too small back then to take over.

Lilith's chest tightened. She studied her grandfather, his ashen face, his callused hands. "You're scared. I can see that. I'm sorry." She sighed. "Listen, I'll find a way to stop her, Opa," she called him affectionately, as she had many years ago. "I declared myself heir to stop her."

"You don't know what you're saying." Alfred stubbornly shook his head.

"I will stop Rosehead," said Lilith firmly.

The mansion heaved. The windows burst open. A horrific blood-curdling drawl issued from the garden. Lilith thought it sounded like a cry of birthing pain, reminiscent of dog whines right before they passed their litter. Wind swirled the curtains, bringing stench in its wake.

Alfred sidled toward the door.

The room protested by careening. He slipped and fell.

"It's okay," said Lilith to the room, "you can let him walk. Will you help me, Opa? It's what you want to do, wanted to do for years, isn't it?"

"What do you know about what I want? Did you care to ask me?" Alfred threw over his shoulder, carefully edging along the wall.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It never crossed my mind." Lilith felt caught off guard. Guilt spread its cold fingers in her gut. She didn't know much about her grandfather and only assumed the worst instead of taking the time to find out his story.

"Of course it didn't."

"I apologize profusely. What is it that you want, Grandfather?"

"I don't suppose it matters at this time," he said.

Lilith deflated. "So you won't tell me what Rosehead will give birth to?"

Alfred reached the door and stepped out. He wore the victorious look of a boy who'd escaped severe punishment. "Well, I have some important business to attend to, if you don't mind."

Sadness filled Lilith. "You don't want to tell me. Fine, I understand. Can I ask you what you meant by feeding organic matter to the roses? It's people, right? That mutant thing will be born tomorrow and it'll feed on people, correct?" She followed her grandfather.

But Alfred hid behind the protection of his charming mask. "Not sure what you're talking about." He peered at Lilith in mock sadness from the safety of the staircase. "Tomorrow we'll have a good-bye carnival. There will be a circus, rose gathering, fireworks. We'll end with a special heir crowning ceremony. I didn't want to spoil the surprise for you, you see. But your nonsensical view of tomorrow's events is forcing me to. Such a young mind, so much promise." He shook his head. "I'm not sure what to do with you, my dear." He descended a few steps.

"Wait." Lilith reached out. "You don't need to do anything, just let me stop her. Don't be scared. A true rosarian is not afraid of a few scrapes and drops of blood, remember?"

Another scream pierced the air.

"You can't possibly deny that you didn't hear that," said Lilith.

"Stupid girl," Alfred whispered. "She'll suck you dry and throw you away like a piece of trash. Nobody can stop her. Nobody."

He skidded down the steps.

"Wait!" Lilith rushed after him and snatched his arm. "Thank you so much for being honest. But, Opa, what if I can? As an heir I can command her, can't I?"

They faced each other in the gloom of the red floor.

"You think I haven't tried?" Alfred snapped. "Every try came at a price. She took my Eugenia." His face contorted. "You don't know what you're dealing with."

Another wail reached them. This time it lasted longer.

Alfred pushed Lilith. "If you'll excuse me."

"Dear mansion, please stop him?" she said.

The floor curled and threw Alfred backward, to her feet.

He moaned, massaging his sides and staring up with unconcealed contempt.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather," she said. "I truly am. I tried being nice, but you don't seem to understand. Unfortunately, I'll have to resort to your nasty tactics."

"Let me go," he hissed.

"No. Not until I tell you what I want you to do." She fixed her beret. "I'm sure my parents will want to know the results of my session. You will tell them it went very well, but that, given the fact that Doctor Wilhelmus Baumgartner had to depart in a hurry, he had no time to write up a report."

Lilith jerked the paper out of grandfather's breast pocket and tore it up. He glared but didn't attempt to stop her.

"He wanted to relay to them that I'm suffering from jetlag, a rare week-long occurrence. He suggested I take frequent walks in the garden and in the forest."

"Certainly. You may stroll in the garden and in the forest at your leisure," Alfred said, injecting poison into every word. He slowly pulled himself up. "I'll ask Gustav to accompany you."

"No. No Gustav. I want to walk alone," Lilith demanded, pocketing the torn paper. "And Ed doesn't have to move out of his cottage, he can stay there if he wants to. With his step- mom."

"Anything else?" Alfred's voice turned cold. He took a cautious step back.

"Yes. Please tell all guests to vacate the mansion at once. Tell them that the carnival was canceled due to, I don't know, due to a circus elephant falling ill. They might not believe you if you told them the truth. Don't say anything to my parents, I'll tell them myself."

"Would that be it?"

"Yes, I think that's it for now," Lilith said thoughtfully, and gestured to the stairs. "After you."