What things? I wondered. Things the Fury did? But Bobbie had said it was okay.

My lungs started to burn and my legs ached from the climb, farther and farther up. I tried to keep my mind off the danger we were placing ourselves in so far from safety. I tried to keep my mind off the fact that we would have to go back down the same way we’d come up. I tried to keep my mind off my mother.

But I failed miserably on all counts.

Eli stopped ten paces ahead of me, and I hurried the last few steps to his side. We had crested the grassy hilltop. At the center lay several large flat rocks. Eli ran to the closest and jumped up. “We’re here!”

I walked to the rock and looked around. From up here so much was clear. As far as I could see in every direction, mountains rolled to the horizon. Forests stood guard, thick with Fury who remained hidden until called upon to consume the unfaithful.

But I was most interested in Haven Valley behind us. It was the first time I’d seen the whole town from this bird’s-eye view.

I had lived most of my life inside this valley. Homes lined up in neat little rows to the south. The paved road up the middle between the outbuildings. The rise north, on which the little white Chapel was perched. The fields to the west, with barn and cows and goats and chicken coops. The schoolhouse and storage units to the east. I could see the large symbolic gate, the old train cars, everything. The entire town lay out before me in a perfectly maintained oval surrounded by the red perimeter rope, and beyond it, the trees.

Two search parties were still at it, one on either side of town. Rose wasn’t giving up. From here, the people looked like tiny stick figures. One of them was likely Jamie.

“I’ve never seen Haven Valley from so high,” I said.

“Or maybe you’ve never really seen Haven Valley at all,” Eli said. “But that’s why we are here.”

I looked up at him standing on the rock, staring down the hill, face flat now. “It is? What do you mean?”

He shoved his chin at whatever had caught his attention. “See for yourself.”

Immediately, a distant haunting cry shrieked on the wind, sending a chill up my spine. I slowly turned my head, following his stare.

Down below, along the tree line of a meadow, was a Fury half in, half out of the dark forest. A black shroud moved like a fog around it. I couldn’t see its eyes or mouth, but I knew it was staring up at us from inside that dark hood.

My heart stopped and I inched backward. My calves bumped into the rock Eli stood on, and I spun. Grabbed his hand, near panic. “It’s . . .”