“I’m Camille Ellis. I work with the Earthen Conclave.” When that got me nowhere, I tacked on, “I’m Harlow’s friend.” I showed Roni my empty hands, hoping to convince her I meant no harm, but she cast me a shrewd look that said she knew sometimes the worst dangers were the unseen ones. Considering she had gotten into this situation by having a tender heart, I understood her hesitance to trust me. “You’re safe now. See those lights?” I pointed through the trees to the partially concealed road. “Once those cars get here, we’ll find you a phone and let you call your mom and sister, okay? They can meet us at the nearest hospital, and we’ll get you checked out.”

Or failing that, the nearest safe house with a fae medic on staff. Roni hadn’t been missing long, but she must be starving. Elizabeth McKenna escaped with her life but not without injury. I hadn’t been greedy then, and I wouldn’t be now. Roni was alive. That was all that mattered.

“You know Daphne?” Roni’s bottom lip trembled. “Is she mad at me?”

“No.” I sank to one knee and put my face at her level. “She’s worried sick about you. Your mom is too.” I touched the bubble’s spongy surface. “Did you make this? What is it?”

A sharp nod. “It’s just air magic.”

“That’s a very neat trick,” I praised her. “Maybe sometime you can show me how it works.”

A slower nod, one I could tell she didn’t mean but did all the same to be polite.

“I need you to let me in, Roni.” I touched the wall where Harlow’s head rested. “My friend doesn’t look well. She needs a doctor too.”

“I—I can’t.” Tears rolled down Roni’s cheeks to splash on Harlow’s chin as she slung her head from side to side. “The bubble happens when I get scared.” She trembled. “It won’t go away. I’m trying, but I’m stuck.”

Motion in the corner of my eye left me gritting my teeth. “Stand back.” I shooed the wargs away from us. They wanted to help, but half of them were still wolves, and it was obvious Roni wasn’t ready to deal with more animals. Eyes as wide as dinner plates, she was too frightened. “Go someplace and shift, or stick to the trees.”

The pack obeyed me without question, which appeared to please Graeson, and that worried me. Anything making him happy made me nervous. Being accepted by his pack, even for the night, felt like I had walked into a trap he was attempting to close behind me.