Josie and Marcus had the whole day to spend as they wished before worrying about the enigmatic brothers. What did it mean 'they weren't going to be happy,' anyway? What power did Sam and Ezra have here? And where were they during the day?

The girl quickly put these questions out of her head. There was too much fun to be had now that she wasn't completely alone. Giving Marcus a quick tour of the manor's ground floor, she led him through the parlor and dining room before stopping at the grand staircase.

Instructing her new friend to go upstairs, Josie watched from below and giggled when he tripped on the fourth rung. She laughed even harder once the obstacle became visible and he turned whiter than the specter-like cat. The boy only regained his composure when they'd reached the conservatory, where the duo was equally mesmerized.

In just a few days' time, the entire indoor garden had reached full bloom. The sweet, intoxicating smell of a dozen flower varieties mingled in the air, creating a welcome haven for previously unseen creatures.

Hundreds - if not thousands - of butterflies fluttered between the petals, their iridescent wings sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the panes. Tiny hummingbirds also darted from flower to flower, hovering mid-air while their wings moved at an almost impossible speed.

The children watched the commotion with wide eyes before joining in. Running over the mosaic paths, they jumped in an attempt to capture a bird or insect.

They weren't successful, of course, but that wasn't the point. When they tired, Josie and Marcus crouched beside the fountain-fed pond to catch their breath. As if on cue, a dozen or more frogs emerged from among the water lilies, hopping from rock to rock. The goldfish, too, wanted a part of the merriment, swimming in a perfect, circular formation just below the water's surface. Their choreographed, underwater dance ended with each, finger-length fish jumping out of the water before disappearing into the muddy bottom once again.

Josie and Marcus clapped at the unexpected spectacle, until the unmistakable flutter of a raven's wings interrupted. The large, black predator passed through the small opening at the top of the glass wall, flying high under the clear ceiling. Tilting its body before reaching the far wall, the raven made a u-turn and descended to head-level.

With the bird coming straight at them, Josie grabbed Marcus' hand and ran. Their shoes clacked on the narrow, twisty path as they hurried past clumps of fragrant lavender and giant stalks of sunflowers. When the girl thought they were almost at the exit to the manor, the path took them further into the floral labyrinth.

Looking over her shoulder, Josie saw the raven land and perch on a nearby tree. The thin branch, already overloaded with beautiful, ripe lemons, sagged even lower from the bird's weight.

Before the girl returned her attention to where she was going, her heel caught on a loose tile and she lost her balance. The raven let out a gleeful caw-caw as Marcus tumbled after her. The boy got to his feet first and offered his hand in assistance to Josie. It was only when they stood that the manor's proximity became apparent.

"What's in there?" Marcus pointed at a closed door just a few feet away.

Josie shrugged. She hadn't noticed any other rooms linked to the winter garden before. Hesitant at moving toward the raven and emboldened by Marcus' company, she walked toward the door and turned the knob.

The door opened easily, releasing the same musty air Josie smelled the first time she stepped into the manor. Entering the windowless space, the duo found themselves amongst a whole array of instruments. A grand piano sat in the room's center under the lit candelabrum hanging from the arched ceiling. A harp and cello leaned against the wood-paneled walls, while a trumpet, violin, and flute lay on empty chairs.

"Excellent!" Marcus exclaimed, crossing the hardwood floors and sliding onto the piano bench. After lifting the fall, he placed his hands on the keyboard and closed his eyes. Tapping a steady beat with one foot, his fingers began moving over the ivory and black keys.

A shiver ran up Josie's spine as the music reverberated over the enclosed walls. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard. She quietly moved beside him as the boy's fingers continued to play effortlessly from memory.

His body swayed along with the notes, becoming one with the music. When one song ended, Marcus seamlessly continued into another.

It was as if he was in a trance.

Josie didn't know how long they'd been in the room when a string inside the instrument snapped and a note fell flat. Seizing the opportunity, she stood.

"Shall we go?" Josie smiled at the boy, who appeared confused, perhaps even disoriented.

Marcus nodded and the pair returned to the lone door. When they opened it, however, it didn't lead into the conservatory, but rather into a hallway.

Large paintings and tapestries hung above the crimson carpet much like in the upstairs corridor connecting the bedchambers. Sticking her head through the gap, Josie made sure the area was deserted before stepping inside. Marcus followed, and as the duo timidly walked next to each other, he became more talkative.

"I like this place. It's quite peculiar." The boy turned his head inquisitively so as not to miss any details of their surroundings. "Look at that bloke."

Marcus pointed to a full-body portrait of a gentleman with thick mutton chop sideburns, wearing a red jacket and riding britches. Several eager hounds crowded around his legs, and a chestnut mare stood behind him.

Josie stopped in front of the oil painting and shrugged her shoulders. "What of him?"

"It's his eyes, you see." The boy pointed upwards. "When you're standing here, it's quite obvious he's looking far off into the distance. But when you walk this way," he stepped in the other direction, "his gaze appears to follow you."

A shiver ran down Josie's spine from the thought, but she was too curious to not try the experiment. Focusing on the long-dead lord's eyes, she watched as they seemed to turn when she walked away.

"However did you notice that?" She laughed to hide her discomfort.

Marcus smirked. "Dunno. I pay attention to things others don't find important"

Josie got an idea. "Let's see how well you pay attention to catching me, then!" She flashed a mischievous smile at the boy before running full-speed down the hallway. Bolting around a corner, she nearly ran into a suit of armor.

Marcus didn't need further encouragement and Josie could hear his feet pounding on the soft carpet as he hurried after her. The girl kept running, unsure of what she'd do once she reached the end of the corridor.

That problem never arose.

No matter how fast and how long the children kept running, the candle-lit hallway lined with closed doors on either side didn't end. Every time they turned at a corner, there was just more of the similar looking space to go.

When she became out of breath, Josie slowed down enough to look more carefully at the items she'd passed. There was not only a familiar marble bust of a portly man, but also a tapestry with a battle scene and a painting of a noble hunter.

The girl bit her lip as realization set in. These weren't just the same things she continued to pass in the corridor, but decorations that existed in the second floor hallway.

A loud crash made Josie turn around and backtrack. Further down the hall, Marcus was lying amid the scattered pieces of the shiny armor that previously stood at attention.

"Whoops." The boy smiled, and Josie was glad to see he was unhurt.

She shook her head and walked toward him, but instead of immediately standing, Marcus stuck out his hand and reverently touched a piece of the metal plate.

By the time Josie had reached his side, the boy had put on the top half of the suit - including the helmet, breastplate and metallic gloves - and picked up the accompanying sword.

"I don't think my aunt would be happy-" the girl began, but when Marcus raised the sharp weapon and swung it at her, the words froze in her throat. Without thinking, Josie turned on her heels and began running. This time, though, it wasn't an attempt to create a fun game, but rather out of pure terror.

The clinking sounds of Marcus' armor followed Josie through the winding corridor, and she dared not look behind her for fear of slowing down. The boy hadn't said a word since putting on the medieval suit, and the way he wielded the deadly weapon made Josie feel like he wasn't afraid to use it.

Tiring, the girl grabbed a wall for support and turned another typical corner. Her shoes skidded to a halt on the carpet when - unlike on countless occasions before - a dead-end faced her.

Huffing for air, she ran as far as she could and turned around. Josie could hear Marcus still coming and her body began to shake. When he came into view, the girl backed up to the far wall and squeezed her eyes shut.

Mentally saying a prayer, she waited for the inevitable as Marcus approached. When the sounds of his movements ceased, Josie hesitantly peeked through her lashes.

"Forgive me. I was just playing. I didn't mean to frighten you." The boy removed the helmet and threw it on the ground.

His face appeared as confused as Josie felt, but the girl breathed a sigh of relief. No longer focused on getting out of harm's way - the threat had either passed or was never there to begin with - she realized there was something odd on the wall behind her. Turning around, Josie tapped on the surface with her hands. Finding a cleverly concealed latch, she pulled open the hidden door just as Marcus removed the last of his armor.

It was the same spiral staircase Josie was used to seeing in the dining room.

Without an alternative, they had no choice, but to use this passage to exit the hallway. Josie led the way and as on prior occasions, the sconces lit up as the children passed under them, illuminating their path.

The boy kept silent and didn't question any of these peculiarities. In fact, he was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he nearly ran into Josie when she came to an unexpected stop.  

"Do you see that?" She asked over her shoulder.

The boy had to squeeze onto the stair next to her to look at the opposite wall. There, the shadow cast by the candlelight wasn't their own blob-like silhouette, as it had been all the way to this point. Instead, the small, dark figures dancing on the smooth, stone wall gradually depicted a familiar story.

The children watched the mysterious shadow puppets play out the tale of the three little pigs complete with a hungry wolf and his eventual demise in a pot of boiling water. Too engrossed by the action to contemplate the source of the apparitions, Josie and Marcus watched with bated breath whether this was a one-time occurrence or if there would be a repeat performance.

To their delight, no sooner had the pigs disappeared before the shadow of a hooded little girl took their place. Other familiar tales followed, and the duo eventually sat on the cold steps to watch the increasingly gruesome depictions. When a brave knight encountered a dragon, but unexpectedly slayed the innocent princess, instead, Josie had enough.

"We need to go." She got up and led Marcus to the bottom of the twisting stairwell. Opening the door, she nearly ran into Ezra Mollick. Upon seeing the anger on his face, Josie knew she would have been better off with the misguided knight even if she'd been the innocent princess.