The old stone houses of the Sardinian village of Ghilosu seemed to hunch together in silence, as if sharing secrets that only the darkness understood. The chill of the autumn night crept in, winding through cobbled streets and empty fields. Moonlight settled over Ghilosu like a thin veil, washing the village in ghostly shades of…

The storm came without warning.One moment, the sky above Blackwater Point was streaked with lavender and gold; the next, a wall of black clouds tore the horizon in two. Captain Elias Crowe’s ship, The Wren, never stood a chance. By morning, the shore was littered with splintered timbers, torn canvas, and silence. Mara Finch stood…