I think about the town below. The town that has my mate, my future, everything I didn’t know I wanted until she stumbled into my web.
And then I make my choice.
Chapter 19
What Heroes Do
June
The truck bounces violently asI careen down the mountain road, hitting every pothole Montana’s finest neglected infrastructure has to offer. My poor suspension is going to file for divorce after this abuse, but my dad’s truck maintenance fund is about to be the least of my worries.
“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” I mutter, my mounted phone showing nothing but the ringing screen. The call goes to Dad’s voicemail for the third time. Perfect. The one day he decides to be unreachable is the day a psychotic tree lady decides to go full Lorax gone-wrong on our town.
I try Dale next, because apparently I’ve reached the “voluntarily calling Deputy Ding Dong” stage of desperation.
“Brennan,” he answers on the second ring.
“Dale, it’s June Hartwell. Listen, there’s something coming for the town. The mudslide wasn’t Riven. It was a dryad named Kestra. She’s seriously pissed, seriously powerful, and she’s heading for the valley right now.”
A beat of silence. “A what named who?”
“A tree monster!” I scream into the phone, taking a curve so fast the tires squeal. “She can control plants, make the ground move. She’s the one who tried to kill me, and now she’s coming for everyone else!”
“June, slow down. How do you know—”
“There’s no time!” I hang up because explaining would take longer than the drive itself. I dial Merry’s Diner next.
“Good morning, Merry’s Di—”
“Merry, it’s June. Get everyone inside, away from windows, away from trees. There’s something bad coming.”
“June? What on earth—”
“Please, just trust me. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
I toss the phone onto the passenger seat and floor it. The truck’s engine whines, but I push it harder. All I can think about is Kestra’s twisted body, those dead eyes, the way the ground trembled beneath her rage…
And Riven. I left him standing there, frozen by his own fear.
I can’t blame him for not coming. Eighty years of isolation, eighty years of hiding from humans who once pointed weaponsat him. It’s a miracle he’s let me into his life at all. But I can’t help the small, selfish part of me that wishes he was here now, that those massive spider legs were carrying him down the mountain behind me.
The “Welcome to Pine Ridge” sign flashes by, and I barely slow down until I hit Main Street. I screech to a halt in front of Merry’s Diner, the heart of our little town, tires burning rubber on the pavement. A few people on the sidewalk turn to stare as I explode out of the truck.
“Everyone needs to get insidenow!” I shout, running for the diner door.
The bell jingles cheerfully as I burst in. The diner is half-full, the morning crowd thinning out.
“June?” Merry looks up from behind the counter, spatula in hand. “What’s going on, honey? Why did you call me in a panic?”
“Everyone needs to take shelter.” I’m panting, wild-eyed, probably looking like I’ve lost my mind. “There’s something coming. Something dangerous. Get away from the windows, away from trees.”
A few people exchange concerned glances. Old Man Peterson snorts into his coffee.
“What kind of something?” Merry asks, but she’s already moving, wiping her hands on her apron. She trusts me, at least.
“A dryad. Forest guardian. She’s—”
“A what?” Dave from the hardware store interrupts. “June, have you been up on that mountain too long? Getting a little loopy?”
