Chapter 1

I woke up.

The memory was not a dream. It was real.

Maria. The chicken trinkets. My son, stolen. My name, erased. My husband, Julian Vance, a monster.

Then, my death.

Now, I was Sarah Miller again. Alive.

My son, Thomas, was just days old, sleeping in the bassinet beside my bed.

The scent of chicken broth filled the room.

Maria Sanchez, my housekeeper' s daughter, stood in the doorway.

She held a thermos.

"Sarah, you must be exhausted after the birth. I brought you some special revitalizing chicken broth. My mother' s recipe."

Her smile was too wide, too sweet.

I remembered that smile. I remembered that broth.

In my past life, I drank it.

Days later, Maria used the first trinket.

She swapped her sickly newborn for my healthy Thomas.

This time would be different.

"Maria, that's so thoughtful," I said. My voice was weak, as it should be for a new mother.

"You always take such good care of me."

I forced a smile. She didn't see the ice in my eyes.

She poured the broth into a bowl. The steam was rich.

"Drink it while it's hot, Sarah. It will help you recover."

I knew what it would really help. It would help her.

The trinkets needed a connection, a conduit. My consumption of something she "blessed" or prepared.

"Thank you, Maria."

I took the bowl.