“Where are we?” Holly demanded.
“We’re going to the stones,” Keller replied.
Holly felt deeply unsettled. She thought Pearl’s house was in the middle of nowhere, but now, they truly were in the middle of nowhere. The trees were taller and thicker than they were around Pearl’s house. They looked like parts of one giant cage.
Keller opened the door, and Holly half stepped, half fell out of the truck. He grabbed her arm just in time to prevent her from slipping while she untangled her legs.
“Thanks,” she said and extracted her arm from his grip.
Garret jumped out of the truck bed looking completely in his element. Johnny exited the driver’s side and started off into the woods, not waiting for the others.
“This way.” Keller offered Holly his hand, which Holly refused at first, but as she walked on the slippery and uneven terrain, she realized she needed help.
She took his hand, letting him support her through the tricky parts of the trail—if it could even be called that. Thick roots inches beneath the earth made the ground uneven. The permanent mist that hung in the air turned the dirt into a slick muck that somehow still looked like normal dirt.
When they started the incline, Holly tightened her grip on Keller. She did not have the proper attire for a hike like this. Her shoes were one step above treadles, but it was a small step. Every time she put her weight onto one foot, she began to slip.
“We should’ve planned this better.” Keller laughed softly as he moved behind Holly.
“If I’d known last week I’d be stuck here, I would’ve brought better shoes.” She wasn’t in the mood to joke, but she welcomed anything that took her mind off the grueling walk.
“I have a sister that’s about your size,” Keller said. “I’m sure she’ll happily lend you some things to tide you over.”
“That would be great, actually.” Holly offered a small smile. “I’ve worn this shirt for two days now. I feel gross.”
“You don’t look gross,” Keller assured her. “You look better than the rest of us anyhow.”
“Speak for yourself,” Johnny called back.
Holly’s temper flared up to full force once more the moment she heard his voice. She wracked her brain for something to shout at him but came up empty. Not that it mattered. They’d reached their destination. The sight before her made Holly forget why she was even angry in the first place.
At the top of the slope was a flat clearing surrounded by trees. Their leaves were all shades of yellow, orange, red, and gold as if they were trapped in a permanent autumn. When the wind blew through, the microscopic droplets of mist on the leaves caught the faint rays of sunlight, making this section of forest look as if it were made of gold.
Around the perimeter of the clearing were huge slabs of solid stone arranged in a circle. At the top of each slab was a perfectly circular hole cut right through the stone. Each slab was also carved with different arrangements of the same basic image, men, and women transforming into bears.
“Oh my.” Holly gasped. “What is this place?”
“It’s the most sacred space in Silver Spruce,” Keller explained.
“Let’s just show her.” Johnny sighed. “I think she already knows, anyway. She was on the deck last night.”
“I know,” Garret muttered. “I’m the one who carried her into her room.”
“Whatever.” Johnny sighed. “Let’s do this so she can freak out and get it over with.”
Holly stood stone still as the three men moved to the center of the circle. The holes at the top of the stone steps filled with what looked like pure sunlight. The light bled into the clearing, surrounding the men. When the light dispersed, three bears stood before her.
Holly caught a glimpse of Johnny transforming in the dark last night, but this was an entirely new experience. The transformation was elegant, beautiful even. The light caressed their bodies as if they themselves were made of sunlight.
“Wow.” She gasped. “I don’t know what to say.”
Just as he was in human form, Garret was bigger than the other two. One of his claws was as long as Holly’s hand. Despite his frightening appearance, one look at his eyes told her she was looking at the same gentle giant she sat next to in the diner.
Keller was all sleek muscle. His light-colored fur trapped the sunlight. His blue eyes were as sharp as ever. He watched her carefully, monitoring her expression.
Johnny wouldn’t look at her. He kept his gray-green eyes trained to the ground. Holly scowled at him.
“Can you understand me?” she asked quietly.
Keller blinked and dipped his massive head. She took that as a yes. Slowly, she left the rock she was using for support. She strode right up to Johnny.
“You should have told me,” she said. “That day in the study, when you swore, you were telling me everything I needed to know? You should’ve told me about this then.”
Johnny’s massive head snapped up. Even standing on all fours, he was tall enough to look her directly in the eye. Holly’s heart hammered in her chest, but she didn’t break eye contact. She wasn’t going to back down.
“Why all of the manipulation?” she demanded. “Why go to such extreme lengths to make things even harder than they have to be? Why pretend to be my friend if you’re just going to stab me in the back?”
Johnny let out a roar of indignation as the light swarmed around him again. It was so bright, Holly had to shield her eyes. When she was able to open them again, Johnny stood before her as a man. A stark-naked man.
“Stab you in the back?” he snapped. “That’s a stretch, and
