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She’d told Lenna about Halcyon and how amazing it was, giving the speech the voice had provided.Maybe you’re stuck.Rhiannon knew it by heart. Lenna seemed a little unnerved about that, too, and certainly not up for upending her life and marriage and making a change. Asking her to come felt much harder than asking Sarah, who’d been a stranger. She truly believed in what she’d told Lenna about Halcyon, but she didn’t like the pretenses of why she was trying to get her to come. This wasn’t the way to start over as friends. Rhiannon was almost hoping Lennawouldn’tsay she’d come—even though that would have spelled disaster for her and Teddy.
But then, a few days after they parted ways, Lenna reached out late at night and said that she’d try it out at least for a visit. Could she come tomorrow, if she could find a flight? Rhiannon felt conflicted. Overjoyed…relieved…but also guilty. She tried to tell herself that maybe Lenna really did need to come to Halcyon—maybe not permanently, but at least for a little while. She decided to see it as divine providence, the universe pushing them back together, rooting for their friendship to reignite. She wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Rhiannon had tried to believe that. She shoved down thefeeling of guilt she felt, too, when the voice called her just last night, after Lenna arrived, asking how it was all going. Even when Lenna nearly caught her on the call.
“She’s here,” Rhiannon told the voice.
“You picked her up?”
“Yes. This morning. But I’m not sure she’s going to stay.”
“Get her to give it a few days. I asked that of you.”
“I know that,” Rhiannon argued, but she felt annoyed, because Lenna was married, and she didn’t even seem that unhappy. “I’ll do everything I can.”
But she must not have sounded very convincing. “We have an agreement,” the voice nudged.
“I know we have an agreement,” Rhiannon said wearily. “But it doesn’t feel right.”
“I’m sure you can do something to convince her that there’s magic to the place. The baby cries, yes? Maybe something to get him to stop crying? Something to help her rest, too?”
Rhiannon licked her lips. She didn’t like what the voice was asking. But she’d done it. She felt she had to. It pained her to mix the herbs into the tea, but what did every mother want, after all? Sleep, and lots of it.
And now, it was clear there was something much bigger at play—a grand manipulation much more serious than she’d ever imagined. If Lenna and Sarah were strangers, Rhiannon would only see all of this as a campaign to bring in money. But maybe it wasn’t about money at all. Someone wanted Lenna and Sarahspecificallytrapped here. The voice wanted Lenna to stay a few more days, and…what? The Gillian link was a smoking gun, connecting both women. Clearly it was something the voice didn’t want Rhiannon to know. It scared Rhiannon, too, this anonymous voice holding all these secrets—including hers.
Her phone rang, startling her. It was the unknown number. She steeled herself.Speak of the devil.But actually, she wanted to talk to the voice. She had questions.
“Hello,” she said coolly.
“Hi, Pigeon. Just checking in again. You cut me off last night.”
She was solivid,suddenly. It felt like sparks were flying from her fingers. She felt guilty and ashamed and like such a fucking dupe, bringing her friend into a situation that was potentially dangerous. Fuck this voice, whoever she was.
“You baited me,” she exploded. “You made me think it wasmyidea, and now I’ve brought Lenna into some kind of…trap.I’m done, okay? I’m done with ruining people’s already broken lives.”
“My my, Pigeon!” The voice laughed. “Okay, fine. I did know a thing or two about your recruits. So what? What did Lenna tell you? Did she give you a sob story? That she’s scared? And you fell for it—what, because she’s an old friend? Because you told some nasty lies that you feel guilty about?”
Rhiannon swallowed. “I mean…”
The voice cut her off. “Your friend is smarter than you think. She’s more in control of her destiny than she lets on. Just likeyouare, Rhiannon. You brought Lenna here because you wanted her here. And she came because she couldn’t live without you. You didn’t have to follow my instructions.”
“You would have made me leave. And you sent me that photo. Youknow.”
“You still could have walked away.”
Fear streaked through Rhiannon. The voice was basically admitting she’d slipped Rhiannon that photo. That she’dthreatenedher.
She was halfway up the peak. She stared into the valley, at the house. It looked so tiny. “Who are you?”
The voice chuckled. “I think you need to get off that rock. Call me back when you’re more levelheaded, okay?”
There was aclick.
Rhiannon stood still for a while, the sun baking into her scalp. She felt like she might explode.I think you need to get off that rock.The voice knew where she was.
She had to get out of here.
Rhiannon scurried down the peak and flew back into the house. As usual, Coral was hunched at the stove. When Rhiannon burst through the door, she wheeled around, her birdlike face full of fright. Everything spooked Coral. The slightest sound made her squeak like a little mouse.
