points at me. “Who is she?”
“Just a girl.” For the first time, I sense real fear in Kye. “No one who matters.”
His words pierce deep, making me stumble. A memory—or vision—jumps into sharp relief.
F ingers I can’t see press Gram’s ring—my ring—into a stone door, and as they do, it opens. The walls tremble and the floor cracks open.
I shake off the vision and clutch Kye’s coat, trying to re-orient myself.
“Oh, she’s someone,” Boone says. “And you can bet I’ll find out who by the end of the day. This is not over.”
Something large crashes through the trees with such power and speed that I scream involuntarily, like a wimpy girl. Which I’m not. Usually. Finn charges at Boone, hurtling past us so close that his snowy pelt brushes the sleeve of my coat.
Boone plows into the forest, screaming like a girl himself. His screams make me feel better about my own.
Kye is shaking when he pulls me into his arms. “You okay?”
I nod, unable to speak.
“You’re not okay. Of course you’re not.” He presses a kiss to my head. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“Because it was stupid of me to let you out of my sight long enough for him to get to you.”
“Abby.” Rose’s voice is hoarse. “We need to talk.”
“Ya think?” I lead the way to the Jeep. “What was that fire all about?”
Rose hits the remote start button again. “What was any of it about?”
“Haven’t I told you never to talk to strangers?” Kye drapes his arm across Rose’s shoulders. “You know how trouble always finds you.”
She grins. How could she not? Cousin or not, Kye’s smile is warm enough to melt the coldest heart. “And, yet,” she says, “I’m still alive and thriving.”
Kye’s face sobers. “Well, today you’re lucky. Really, Rose, you have to be more careful.”
Jen sputters. It’s the first sound she’s made in fifteen minutes. “We’re in the middle of a national park. We came in a group of three. What else should we have done?”
He cocks his head. “Duh. You should have brought me.”
We all burst out laughing and book it across the parking lot to the Jeep as the snow starts coming down hard. Kye holds the seat forward while I climb in the back. When he’s seated next to me, I glance out the window, noticing there are still no other cars.
“How did you get here, anyway?”
He bites his lip, leaning closer. “Didn’t you meet Finn? He’s my moose.”
I nod. Of course. It would have to be a white moose.
FOURTEEN
Healing the Injured
By the time we park at the Inn, snow is falling in sheets of white, making me glad we returned when we did. As we run for the building, I’m hit by the weight of something else in the air. Worry. Panic. Fear.
A fire burns in the fireplace, but there are no other lights on in the building. The power must be out. Kids crowd in a half-circle near the bottom of the stairs, and the collective mood isn’t good.
One of the teachers holds a cell phone to his ear, mumbling under his breath, “Please connect. Please connect.” My stomach clenches at the sight of a student lying on the floor, immobile. His breathing is shallow, strained. Mr. Akers leans over him, murmuring.
I try to inch forward, but a chaperone holds me back. “You need to stay out of the way until we can get an ambulance here.” As he says this, Mr. Akers moves and I get a better look at the injured person. “Eric!” I push past the restraining arm and drop to my knees beside Mr. Akers, a sick feeling welling inside me. “What happened to him?”
“He fell over the railing from the third floor.” Mr. Akers looks anxious. “The phone lines aren’t working and no one has been able to get cell service this morning. At this point, we don’t even know how seriously he’s hurt, but he definitely needs help.” Mr. Akers holds my gaze, sending me a silent question.
He wants my help. My Healing help. I glance down at Eric and know I should, I could help him.
“Just a girl.” For the first time, I sense real fear in Kye. “No one who matters.”
His words pierce deep, making me stumble. A memory—or vision—jumps into sharp relief.
F ingers I can’t see press Gram’s ring—my ring—into a stone door, and as they do, it opens. The walls tremble and the floor cracks open.
I shake off the vision and clutch Kye’s coat, trying to re-orient myself.
“Oh, she’s someone,” Boone says. “And you can bet I’ll find out who by the end of the day. This is not over.”
Something large crashes through the trees with such power and speed that I scream involuntarily, like a wimpy girl. Which I’m not. Usually. Finn charges at Boone, hurtling past us so close that his snowy pelt brushes the sleeve of my coat.
Boone plows into the forest, screaming like a girl himself. His screams make me feel better about my own.
Kye is shaking when he pulls me into his arms. “You okay?”
I nod, unable to speak.
“You’re not okay. Of course you’re not.” He presses a kiss to my head. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“Because it was stupid of me to let you out of my sight long enough for him to get to you.”
“Abby.” Rose’s voice is hoarse. “We need to talk.”
“Ya think?” I lead the way to the Jeep. “What was that fire all about?”
Rose hits the remote start button again. “What was any of it about?”
“Haven’t I told you never to talk to strangers?” Kye drapes his arm across Rose’s shoulders. “You know how trouble always finds you.”
She grins. How could she not? Cousin or not, Kye’s smile is warm enough to melt the coldest heart. “And, yet,” she says, “I’m still alive and thriving.”
Kye’s face sobers. “Well, today you’re lucky. Really, Rose, you have to be more careful.”
Jen sputters. It’s the first sound she’s made in fifteen minutes. “We’re in the middle of a national park. We came in a group of three. What else should we have done?”
He cocks his head. “Duh. You should have brought me.”
We all burst out laughing and book it across the parking lot to the Jeep as the snow starts coming down hard. Kye holds the seat forward while I climb in the back. When he’s seated next to me, I glance out the window, noticing there are still no other cars.
“How did you get here, anyway?”
He bites his lip, leaning closer. “Didn’t you meet Finn? He’s my moose.”
I nod. Of course. It would have to be a white moose.
FOURTEEN
Healing the Injured
By the time we park at the Inn, snow is falling in sheets of white, making me glad we returned when we did. As we run for the building, I’m hit by the weight of something else in the air. Worry. Panic. Fear.
A fire burns in the fireplace, but there are no other lights on in the building. The power must be out. Kids crowd in a half-circle near the bottom of the stairs, and the collective mood isn’t good.
One of the teachers holds a cell phone to his ear, mumbling under his breath, “Please connect. Please connect.” My stomach clenches at the sight of a student lying on the floor, immobile. His breathing is shallow, strained. Mr. Akers leans over him, murmuring.
I try to inch forward, but a chaperone holds me back. “You need to stay out of the way until we can get an ambulance here.” As he says this, Mr. Akers moves and I get a better look at the injured person. “Eric!” I push past the restraining arm and drop to my knees beside Mr. Akers, a sick feeling welling inside me. “What happened to him?”
“He fell over the railing from the third floor.” Mr. Akers looks anxious. “The phone lines aren’t working and no one has been able to get cell service this morning. At this point, we don’t even know how seriously he’s hurt, but he definitely needs help.” Mr. Akers holds my gaze, sending me a silent question.
He wants my help. My Healing help. I glance down at Eric and know I should, I could help him.
Similar Books
