Pausing, she peered through watering eyes, trying to spot anything that resembled boulders that twisted and turned like a snake. Too bad Dylan wasn’t with her. He’d noticed a strange configuration of rocks the first time they’d been out in the area exploring and hiking and had commented on it. He’d likely be able to remember exactly where it was and take Hance and Otis right to it.

Dylan had pointed out a cave near the formation. But with so many caves and rocks all seeming so similar, identifying the spot was turning out to be trickier than she’d realized. And stumbling upon a lost treasure would be even trickier. Regardless, she thrived on a challenge and reckoned she’d get a day of harmless exploring out of her time, if nothing else.

She stepped over the craggy outcroppings and climbed around the center peak. At the sight that met her, she froze. The sky seemed to be on fire with flames shooting into the air and smoke bulging up in mushroom-like towers. Only it wasn’t the sky on fire. It was the forest.

Strong winds were acting like bellows in a forge, pumping the flames hard and causing them to rage higher and hotter. Even from a distance, she could feel the heat. It blew against her face, drying her lips and mouth.

In seconds, the fire jumped from one tree to the next and was heading straight toward the summit of Windy Peak.

Her heartbeat stuttered with sudden urgency. She took a step backward but stumbled over the terrain. She had to get to Hance and Otis and tell them to hightail it down to that cave.

She started to backtrack over the rocks, but a glance over her shoulder showed the flames leaping as fast as a wild mustang racing across a mountain prairie. She wasn’t gonna make it to Hance and Otis before the fire caught up to her.

She had to take shelter. Now. She scrambled down toward what appeared to be a grouping of large boulders.

“Ivy!” A call came from farther down the summit on the side opposite from where she’d left Hance and Otis.

She squinted, and through the smoke she caught sight of Jericho. What in the name of Saint Peter was he doing out in the Kenosha Range today?

He climbed up the incline toward her, his features taut with worry. “Come on! Hurry!”

With the heat pressing in behind her, she slipped and staggered until, at last, she met him and nearly collapsed into his arms with relief. But he didn’t stop. The moment he had her, he raced toward another tall, jagged line of granite. “I saw a cave,” he said without letting go of her.