**Chapter 6: The Lady of the House**

The woman's eyes seemed to bore into my soul, her gaze like a cold, dark draft that left me shivering. Elijah's grip on my arm tightened, his fingers digging deep into my skin as he pulled me closer to his side. "Don't move," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of my own heartbeat. The woman's smile was a thin, cruel line that stretched across her face. "I've been waiting for you," she repeated, her voice dripping with malice. "I've been waiting for a very long time." As she stepped closer, her eyes never leaving mine, I felt a sense of recognition wash over me. Where had I seen her before? I racked my brain, trying to place her, but it was as though she was a ghost, a fleeting image that had haunted my dreams. Elijah's voice was low and menacing. "Who are you?" he growled. The woman's laughter was like a sigh, a soft, mirthless sound that sent shivers down my spine. "I am the mistress of this house," she said, her eyes glinting with amusement. "And you, dear, are a very special guest." She reached out a hand, her fingers brushing against my face, and I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body. It was as though she had touched a spark within me, a spark that was now fizzling and spitting with an otherworldly energy. Elijah's grip on my arm tightened, his fingers warning me not to move. But I was frozen, unable to move or speak as the woman's eyes seemed to bore deeper into my soul. "You have something that belongs to me," she said, her voice low and husky. "Something that I've been searching for a very long time." I shook my head, trying to clear the fog that was gathering in my mind. What could she possibly want from me? But before I could answer, Elijah spoke up. "Let her go," he said, his voice firm and commanding. The woman's smile grew wider, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, I don't think so," she said. "Not yet, at least." As she spoke, the hallway around us began to shift and change, the walls melting away like wax in a furnace. I stumbled, my foot catching on a step that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Elijah's arm wrapped around me, holding me close as the woman's laughter echoed through the corridors. "You're not going anywhere," she said, her voice growing fainter and fainter until it was nothing more than a whisper in my ear. And then, everything went black. When I came to, I was lying on a bed, surrounded by soft, white sheets and the gentle rustle of curtains in the breeze. Elijah was sitting beside me, his eyes watchful and concerned. "Where are we?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Elijah's face was grim. "I don't know," he said. "But I think we're in grave danger." As he spoke, the door to the room creaked open, and the woman stood in the doorway, a smile spreading across her face. "Welcome to my home," she said, her eyes glinting with malice. "You're going to be staying here for a while."