As she watched even the blood disappeared, as the sound of unseen mouths licked the still warm blood from the floor.

Finally there was nothing left but a smear on the floor. All that remained of Amy.

Elinor rose to her feet, the ritual was finished. She would return to her guests of the evening and then prepare for the opening of the guest house in two days time when everything would be clean and everyone within the house would be ready for a new dawn.