“Maria,” Tora said again, gasping for breath as she changed into her full human form. “This…this isn’t what it looks like.”

To her credit, Maria’s face registered no reaction at all to what she was seeing. There was no expression of shock, no surprise, no horror, and no disgust. If anything, she seemed happy to see them—Tora and Argus—with her sister. Maria put her hand up to silence Tora, then said, “Is she all right?”

Argus didn’t move until Tora turned and nodded, signaling to him that it was okay. Only then did he step forward and kneel down so Maria could get a look at her sister.

Maria put a hand on Angelina’s forehead.

The girl’s eyes fluttered open at her sister’s touch. “Does this mean I can stay home from school, Mama?” the girl said.

“Yes, Lina,” Maria answered, most likely calling her by a pet name her mother liked to use. “No school for you today.”

“She’s pretty weak,” Argus said. “And a little delirious, but I think she’ll be okay.”

There was still no sign of Harlan.

“Give her to Maria,” Tora said. “She’ll have to take her into the hospital.”

Argus nodded and, without hesitation, handed the girl over to Maria.

Tora waited until Maria had a firm hold on her sister, then said, “Maria, about this…” She pointed to herself and Argus. “You can’t—”

Maria shook her head. “I don’t want to know any more. And I don’t even care. You guys helped me after the way I treated you…” She looked away for a moment as if she was ashamed. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“I think you know,” Tora replied.

Maria thought about that for a moment, nodded once, then turned for the hospital.

As Tora and Argus watched Maria step through the building’s sliding rear doors, there was movement in the forest to their left. A moment later Harlan appeared through the trees carrying Argus’s clothes in his arms. “Did I miss anything?”

“Not much,” Argus sneered at his little brother. “Just the end to our whole way of life, is all.”

Tora dismissed her big brother’s words with a shake of her head. “Better late than never, Harlan,” she said, taking the clothes from Harlan and handing them to Argus. “Besides, I have a feeling everything’s going to turn out all right.”

Chapter 23

Ranger Brock felt his cellphone buzzing against his waist and brought it to his ear. “Garrett Brock,” he said.

It was Phyllis on the other end—with good news, he hoped.

“They found her,” she said.

“Where?”

“I don’t know, but they’re taking her straight to the hospital.”

“Thanks,” the ranger said, then hung up the phone. He replaced it on his belt and took a deep, deep breath.