The trees crowded me, pushing me off the path as if I had no right to be in their forest, no right to be in Judaculla. The last time I’d checked, I couldn’t see the slightest hint of the rose garden. Its absence amplified my sense of isolation.

My fingers curled around the two pendants hanging from around my neck. One, a silver heart given to me by my best friend, Victor Santana.

Boyfriend, I corrected myself.

When James left Woodvine, all evidence of his existence was obliterated because he’d used the “fading”. This was a sort of spell that Judaculla boys used to mask their time in our world. James’s fading had caused some shifting in relationships to fill the gaping hole his absence left behind. In this shifted reality, I was dating Victor, my lifelong best friend. The silver heart was a gift he’d given me last Christmas.

The other pendant was a gold initial, “J,” for Judaculla. This was my wedding token. The one James carried to my world when he came in search of his mate. It was something he couldn’t bring himself to give me, choosing instead to leave it on Judaculla Rock when he left me behind. I gripped the J tighter, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other as I continued down the desolate trail. James had never intended for me to be in his world. He didn’t know I was coming. And I didn’t know what I’d find. I hadn’t been walking for more than five minutes before I was attacked.

A rough hand grabbed my hair, yanking me backward. I lost my balance, landing with a thud on the leaf-strewn ground. To my credit, I didn’t stay down long. After I scrambled to my feet, I stared into my attacker’s icy blue eyes.

“It’s been a real head-scratcher, that’s for sure, but I guess I know now. You really are that stupid,” Ever said.

The smirk on her face, combined with the adrenaline pumping through my veins, was too much for me to handle. I crouched low and plowed into her, which only served to prove her point. I’d never been in a fight before, but apparently she had. Ever rolled away effortlessly, knocking me on my back in the process. In seconds, she was on her feet, her boot making contact with my stomach, pinning me down like a turtle stuck on its shell.

I glared at her, wishing I could slap that smug look off her face.

Ever grinned, applying even more force with her boot. “One day, Leath, you’re going to appreciate how much I’ve worked to save your butt.” She towered over me for a full minute before removing her foot and extending a hand to help me up.