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“Kayla,” I yell and my voice wobbles. “Say something, I need to hear you. This isn’t funny anymore. I’m going in, and if Cave comes near me, I’ll kill him.”

Brawley grabs me from behind, both his arms wrapping around me and pulling me back from the cornstalks.

“Let me go,” I snap, fighting against him.

“Calm down,” he whispers, holding me tighter. “I’ve got you.”

“She is in there. Kayla has to be in there. Why wouldn’t she come back to me?”

“Look at me, Vero.” He turns me around and puts both his hands on my face, making me meet his eyes. “Breathe. We will find her, I promise.”

“She dropped it,” Ares says from where he is crouching down near the bag.

“Of course she fucking dropped it,” I say, my voice rising. “We all have fucking eyes.”

“Vero,” Brawley warns, his hand tightening on my arm.

Clay gets on his radio to the security team. He instructs Khodi to start an entire grounds check, and that no one is to enter or leave the island until we find her. Clay is too calm. Kayla is missing, and I want to scream at him. The radio crackles to life, and Khodi reports that the cameras on this side of the island are down.

“What if she left me again? I have been good; I promise I have. What if she left me again?”

“She hasn’t left us,” Brawley reassures me, but how does he know? Maybe she decided I was too much and simply walked out.

The corn beside us moves, and Cave steps out. He silently strides to the edge of the path and stops, his head turning slowly toward us. I take a step forward, but Brawley holds his arm out to stop me from going further.

Cave stares at us all, but doesn’t say anything.

Does he not know that my paper-cut princess is missing? Why is he wasting our time?

I look down and see that blood coats his hands, it’s dried into the creases of his knuckles. My stomach drops to the ground.

“It was you,” I breathe, the rage building, ready to unleash itself. “What did you do?”

Cave doesn’t answer me; instead, he tilts his head and opens his mouth, spilling out a riddle.

“I have no lock, but I keep you. I have no windows and hold in the dark. The air inside me is all you are given, and every breath you take is one less that remains. I was already counting before you knew to be afraid.”

Nobody moves.

“What am I?” Cave finishes.

Brawley shifts first, closing the distance between him and the scarecrow to grab him by his shirt with both hands and drag him forward.

Cave doesn’t flinch; he just looks at Brawley and blinks.

“Where is she? Tell me right now.” But Cave says nothing, and Brawley shakes him hard. “I will kill you and not blink an eye over it.”

Cave peers at him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as Brawley shoves him back.

“Whose blood is on your hands? Fucking say something that isn’t a riddle!” Brawley snaps.

“Vero,” Clay says. “Let’s figure out the riddle.”

I turn to where Ares repeats the riddle over and over.

“Fuck!” Ares shouts and starts running.

We all trail behind him, Cave’s manic laughter following behind us. I have plans for him later, but first I need to find her. I have to know she’s okay.