I stared after him for a full minute. My initial feelings about Knox had been right. He was a good guy. I said a silent prayer for his safety as I watched the branches bounce until they no longer moved.

“Knox’s pretty tough, but he won’t be able to hold them off for long,” Ever said.

Swiveling to her, I glared, the disdain I felt for her shooting straight to my heart. How I despised this girl who was on a never-ending quest to keep James and me apart.

“Now what?” I asked. “You can’t force me to go back to Woodvine.”

“I’m hoping you’ll come to the decision to leave on your own,” Ever said. When she reached out, a golden J suspended on a chain I thought I’d lost long ago caught the light of the moon.

“You say you love him. Prove it. Leave Judaculla and give James some chance of survival.”

I considered her words, wishing for the impossible. Hoping there was a way Ever could make this all end, but knowing that even if she could, she wouldn’t. I took the chains from her, allowing them to weave around my fingers. I studied the pendants. Two symbols from two boys from two different worlds, neither of which I seemed to belong to.

“This way,” called a man’s voice.

“Go,” Ever yelled, roughly pushing me to the other side of the garden. “You have to get out now. If you get caught, James will always blame himself. If you don’t get caught, he’ll never know any peace trying to keep you one step away from the Elders. If you love him like you say you do, then now’s the time to show it.”

A bright light shone ahead as the invisible veil glimmered into view. I stared at the large boulder just inside my world. The stone known as Judaculla Rock. When I planted my feet firmly on the ground, Ever bumped into me. I turned to face her, hoping for mercy.

“I can’t, Ever. I can’t do it.”

“You have to,” she said in a voice that threatened to prove she did indeed have a heart.

“How can I just leave him behind?” I asked.

Ever’s eyes darted toward the sound of someone crashing through the woods, fast approaching the rose garden. She took a deep breath before bringing her gaze to me. “Because you love James. Be strong in that. Do your part to protect him.”

“How do I know he’ll be safe?” I asked.

“Come on, Leath. You know the answer to that. I’ll keep him safe. The only thing we have in common is that we both love James. I promise to watch out for him. Just as I’ve always done.”