Amy had never felt anything like it—the exhilarating rush of reaching full gallop in a matter of seconds. She stuck her head down as they cleared the fence and raced across the field, bracing when she saw the dense wall of trees looming ahead. Little Dipper maintained the same furious pace, plowing headlong into the forest. She galloped hard and let nothing slow her down, weaving between trunks and leaping over every bush and swollen brook as though she had done it a thousand times before. Amy, who was getting lashed by every branch and twig along the way, did her best just to hang on. She prayed that wherever they were headed wasn’t far. They may have escaped the ranch, but she was on borrowed time; the specks of light on her skin were glowing brighter and brighter by the second. Any moment this could all be over.

When Little Dipper finally eased off the pace, Amy lifted her head and looked around. The tree cover had disappeared. She could hear the ocean. She realized she was back at the cliffs. He came out here? Really ? She spun around in every direction, searching for where Ryan might be, when the significance of this location suddenly became obvious.

Of course, this was the spot! This was where he fell.

But Amy was nearly out of time—her skin was shining ever brighter.

“I don’t see him, Little Dipper! Where is he!”

They rode up and down the cliffs, desperately searching for him, when suddenly Amy caught a faint cry on the wind and spotted a shadowy blur moving in the darkness.

“There, Lil’ Dip! Go!”

When they reached Ryan, he was alone, kneeling on the ground with his head buried in his hands. His own horse was nowhere to be seen. Amy jumped off Little Dipper’s back and crouched beside him. She put her hand on his shoulder.

“Ryan, are you okay?” When he didn’t stir, she gave his shoulder a squeeze. “It’s me, it’s Amy.”

After a few seconds of silence, he mumbled into his hands, “It’s all my fault.”

“No, don’t say that.”

“My father’s gone. He’s dead. It’s all because of me.”

“This isn’t your fault,” Amy yelled, raising her voice above the howl of the wind. “None of this is your fault.”

“If only I’d told him. If only I’d done the right thing. I could’ve stopped this. I could’ve saved him.”

“Look up, Ryan. Look at me, please.”

“It’s over. There’s nothing left. What am I going to do? I’ve got nothing. I’ve got no one.”

“You’ve got me! I’m here! And I can help. Here, take my hand.”

Ryan looked up. His eyes were bloodshot. He moved to take Amy’s hand, but then he saw the luminescence of her skin.

“What the hell?”

“Ryan, don’t freak out.”