Jayce gave her a look like she’d lost it. “Maybe I should just go.”

For a moment, she considered letting him walk away. She could follow him invisibly; things could return to the way they were before she’d exposed herself to save him. That wasn’t what she wanted though, so she reached out and entwined her fingers with his.

He didn’t react, and for a moment, she thought he’d pull away and leave.

“Please?”

“I need some answers, Rika.” He shook his head, but he didn’t pull his hand away. “That whole scene inside was weird.”

“Come with me, and I’ll give you some answers.” She held his gaze and repeated, “Please?”

After a moment, he nodded.

She smiled and then she said again, “Really. Don’t forget to move your feet.”

And then she started to run, holding on to Jayce’s hand; she didn’t go as fast as she had when she’d disappeared earlier, but she traveled fast enough that each of her steps was the distance of many of his. Her movement propelled them forward. His running merely kept his body upright.

The world blurred around them for an impossibly brief time, and then they were at a cliff in the desert. In the far distance behind Jayce was the town; he hadn’t turned to see how far they’d traveled yet, staring instead at the cliff in front of them.

The moon was three-quarters full, and the desert was shadowed and beautiful in the night. Several night-dwelling animals were out. A coyote slunk by in the periphery; farther out, a bobcat crouched on a ledge.

“Welcome to my home.”

“Where?” Jayce looked around now in confusion, finally noticing how far they’d run in a few brief moments. “How did we . . .” His words died as he stared at her.

Ignoring that question, she pointed to a small inlet in the rock face over their heads. “Grab there. Come on. We need to get inside.”

“I really have questions. . . .” Jayce started.

“I know.” Rika scaled the cliff using the almost imperceptible steps. She was a few feet off the ground before she urged, “Come with me.”

With a strange bemused smile, Jayce shook his head and then climbed past her. “You’re full of all sorts of surprises, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea,” Rika whispered.

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Jayce stood at the mouth of her cave—where Sionnach had stood earlier—looking not at her but at the expanse of desert they’d crossed. “That isn’t possible, you know. Moving that fast, that far.”

Rika stepped in front of him, but instead of answering the question he wasn’t quite asking yet, she told him, “We’re safe here.”

“Who were they? Why were—”

“I can’t answer that,” she said softly.

“She had a knife. That girl . . .” Jayce pulled his attention from the desert and glanced at Rika finally.