Page 31

Puffing and panting and sucking in air, Eryn kicked back to a light jog and nodded for him to join her. “You’re fast.”

He laughed under his breath. “I am.”

“Exploring the area?”

“Yeah. Beautiful. No hiking, though. Doctor’s orders.”

“Smart man. Although, with how busy I’ve been at work the last few days, I’m tempted to search the hills to figure out how my patients find so much trouble.” As soon as she was strong enough. “The cougar population must be out of control.”

He snorted a laugh. “I don’t think your colleagues would appreciate you filling up their ER.”

Slap-happy, wired, and exhausted from the run, she tipped into him and tapped a friendly punch on his deltoid. And giggled at herself, tempted as hell to turn the tap into an inspection. Not in a creepy way, but holy shit, a needle wouldn’t be able to puncture that.

“What?” he asked, a carefree grin curling up the corners of those lips. When he smiled, it was like something completely shifted inside him, a darkness blossomed into the essence of life itself. Since she’d rushed them out of the work party and tossed a curt farewell at him… she was relieved he was still smiling at her.

“You have a nice smile. Some people smile reflexively, out of politeness or awkwardness. When you smile, it feels very genuine.”

His eyes crinkled with a curious smile. “You sound like Lana.”

“Lana. One of your friends who helped you move in, right?” Short, bubbly, and one of those women she could absolutely picture as a best friend. If she survived all this, if she actually won, she could try finding actual friends… instead of imaginary relationships with people she’d met briefly.

“That’s her. She’s a force of nature.”

“That was my impression. She reminds me of Lexi before… before our parents died. Or what Lexi would have grown up to be.”

His brow dropped. “I wondered. I mean, not about Lexi, she seems vibrant, but your parents. You and Lexi seem like a team as much as sisters.”

“We had to be. I was eighteen and she was sixteen. I was… getting a little too introverted, and Lexi was getting a little too extroverted, both of us finding trouble in our own ways. Anyway, my parents decided we needed more family activities to try to center us. We went backpacking.”

The echo of their mother’s scream. The image of the wyvern plucking her off the mountainside and dropping her carelessly into the valley.

Desperate, their dad sent his daughters running for safety. Standing in front to protect them. In case the creature came back.

It didn’t matter. A boulder as big as a tree fell from the sky. Crushed him.

Gone from sight. From life.

Eryn grabbed her sister’s hand to run, but Lexi resisted. She’d turned to see why Lexi would be so stupid as to turn back, and risk herself when their parents were so obviously dead.

Lexi put herself in harm’s way. So Eryn could live.

The creature swooped in, too fast for either to escape. Claws out. Its screech deafening. It knocked Lexi to the ground.

“What happened?” His voice was lower than the waves, heavier, and even more soothing.

Salt precipitated on her skin. From the air, from her sweat. She wiped the thick layer from her eyes. “Landslide.” Or so they told the police. Family and friends. Anyone who asked.

As if anyone would believe the truth? What she’d agreed to?

That she’d screamed so loud she shook the clouds above.

That she’d held Lexi in her arms while she was bleeding out. Knowing she’d die before she could get help.

That she’d made a deal with the devil.

“I’m so sorry. Was it around here?”

“No.” The lie tasted bitter on her tongue.