“Get Loch and Johnny. Search the woods. Track her down.”
“I’ll get a head start,” Garret volunteered, already halfway out the door.
“This is a disaster.” Holly placed a hand over her chest as if that would ease the building pressure. Her fingers brushed against her pendent.
“The spell!” She gasped. “I wasn’t paying attention to it! What if it changed and I missed it? Why did I think a pendant was a good idea? I can’t even see it if I’m not looking down.”
Any trace of glory she had felt from today’s success quickly washed away. The energy seeped from her body. For just a moment, she felt like everything was well in hand. She should’ve known better. It was her own damn fault for relaxing, even if it was just for a moment.
“Whatever terrible thing you’re thinking about yourself, stop it right now,” Loch warned her.
“How did you—?”
“I can read your face like a book.” He smirked. “Don’t worry. We’re going to find Elise. We’re going to tell her that her brother’s safe. Everything is going to work out.”
“All right.” Holly took deep, shuddering breaths. “You’re right. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“Put your head between your legs if you have to,” he advised. “I know that dress doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room, but you’ll make it work.”
Holly couldn’t help but laugh. “Just find her, okay?”
“We will.”
Keller and Johnny stood by the front door, waiting. Loch joined them, and they disappeared into the night.
Holly wrapped her arms around herself and began to pace. She couldn’t remember the last time she was in the house alone. She didn’t like it. Everything felt too big, too empty. The restless itch that had taken hold inside of her wouldn’t let up.
Frustrated and frantic, she stepped back out onto the deck. Maybe the cool night air would help settle her. She scanned the forest, looking for any sign of her four shifters. Aside from the occasional rustling, they’d all but disappeared into the night.
She lifted her eyes from the dark forest to stare at the sky instead. No matter how long she lived here, she’d never tire of it. The lack of light pollution made such a difference. Every night, the stars came out by the billions.
When a twig snapped nearby, she paid no mind.
“Help me,” a voice rasped. Female.
With a gasp, Holly looked down. She saw nothing. She was starting to think she had imagined the voice when it came again.
“Help. I’m hurt.” It was most certainly Elise.
“Elise,” Holly called back, careful not to be too loud in case there were any dark shifters trying to sniff out the house. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” came the strained reply.
“Can you see me?”
“No.”
“I’m on the deck. Stay still, and I’ll come to you.”
“What other option do I fucking have?”
Holly pressed her lips together. Whether it was to avoid laughing or lashing out, she wasn’t sure. At least, Elise wasn’t seriously injured.
Before leaving the deck, she picked up her bow and grabbed a couple of practice arrows. They wouldn’t pierce hide, but they’d hurt like a bitch if she fired them at anything.
Holly grabbed a flashlight from the drawer in the entryway table before stepping outside. Walking down the porch steps and driveway wasn’t too bad, but as soon as she moved off the paved road, she wished she’d stopped to change her shoes.
She picked her way around the side of the house until she stood directly in front of the deck.
“Elise?”
“Still here,” she replied.
“Can you see me now?”
“No.”
Holly turned on the flashlight and shone it on the ground. “Can you see the light?”
“I’m not at death’s door yet.”
“I mean my flashlight.” Holly sighed.
“Yes. I’m to your right. Ten paces.”
Holly did as she was told, nearly losing her footing as her heels sank into the uneven earth. Her pendant bounced against her chest. She glanced down at it and froze.
All of the color had leeched from the stone. She shone her light on it to be sure. The gem was now as clear as glass. There was someone nearby she shouldn’t trust.
The only person in the area was Elise.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR—Holly
“Are you close?” Holly whispered.
“Yes.” Elise’s voice came from directly beside her. “One more step and your stiletto will be buried in my arm.”
Holly shone her light downward. She stood less than an inch away from a small ridge where the earth suddenly gave out. It wasn’t a steep fall, half a foot at most, but it would wreak havoc on unsuspecting ankles.
Sure enough, Elise sat on the ground just on the other side of the ridge, gingerly touching her ankle.
“Can you not shine that in my face?” she asked.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Do you really think they’ll be able to hold back?” Elise snapped.
Holly blinked in confusion. “What?”
“The shifters. They hate Golden Oak. They hate my brother now that you’ve gone and told them about him. Do you really think they’ll be able to stop themselves from seeking revenge?”
“They will because I’ve told them to,” Holly said with more confidence than she felt in the moment.
Elise barked out a laugh and rolled her eyes.
“Oh, please. They don’t give a damn what you say,” she said. “The only ones who really care are the ones who get to fuck you.”
“That’s not true,” Holly muttered.
“Oh, really? Do you think anyone would do anything you asked if there weren’t such a huge prize at stake? You showed up in town two months ago. You didn’t even know we existed until then. You know nothing of shifters or their lives. Maybe you hear the voice of one of our deities, maybe you’re just insane. I’m
