I knew they were on the way before I saw them. Something under my skin burned bright, like a beacon of blood and bone. Then there was a soft thunk, and something large and dark ran full tilt at us. I braced myself. I barely had time to put out a hand to motion Mitch to stop when Tree jumped the last foot between us and threw himself into my arms.

“French!”

I gasped from the weight, but more than that, from the feeling of all his familiar limbs tangled up in mine. I took the deepest breath I had taken in more than a month. I felt lightheaded from it. Then there was more jostling as Zheegwon joined in, running his long fingers over my short hair.

“Shit, I’d know that noggin anywhere, even without the luscious locks.”

I was crying, but I stifled the sobs in Tree’s shoulder, gripping both twins with everything I had. There are no words to explain the feeling of clicking into the exact spot you belong. Your muscles move differently. Your blood has weight all the sudden.

“We heard you were dead! But we knew you weren’t dead. Legends don’t just die.” Zheegwon stepped back with a clap on my shoulder and sized up Mitch.

I pulled away from Tree, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. “This is my brother, Mitch. Mitch, this is Tree and Zheegwon.”

Tree put out a hand. “We’re his other brothers. Good to meet you. Damn, French, you’re really rallying up the half-breeds out here.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Mitch said, a little too stiff. “Where is everyone else?” He was already looking past them to the green expanse beyond. It made me angry. I wanted to shake him, to slap his face. He was in such a hurry to collect that he was missing the beauty of these identical boys and the warmth they offered.

“Waiting to see who we bring in,” Zheegwon answered, oblivious to the intent of the question. “And wait till they get a load of this guy!” He put his arm around me.

They peppered me with questions, the ones I knew would come: where I had been, how did I get away, how long was I in the woods before they found me? These were the questions we had rehearsed on the drive to the drop-off. What I couldn’t have anticipated was the way giving each simple, practiced answer felt like dropping pieces of myself on the path, parts I was sure I would never get back. With every word, I pushed them closer to danger. And I couldn’t get Sunny out of my head, the way her hand had gone limp in mine before it was yanked free with the quick violence only a badge could bring, knowing there were no arguments to be had unless you wanted things to get even worse.

I wasn’t sure my feet were touching the ground anymore. Every part of my awareness was caught up in the forward momentum, in the curve of Tree’s shoulder up ahead, in the loud pounding of my heart pushing blood. And then, just like that, I was home.