Not Saskia, I realized. Pad. Darting from Mac’s grasp, I bolted toward the sound. The forest, the mammoth trees overhead, the burning in my muscles as I pushed myself to the brink and past it—none of that mattered.

Find. Recall. Re-find.

Pad was the best we’d ever trained. Cady was with her. They’d found something.

When Saskia fell in beside me, I followed her lead. Mac yelled my name, but I didn’t care what he was saying.

The only thing that I cared about was Jude.

Saskia made it to Cady before I did and added her voice to Pad’s. The woman who’d raised me stood with her hand on the trunk of one of the giants, its gnarled bark twisting like something out of a fairy tale.

Like something out of a nightmare.

It was only when Cady stepped forward that I realized that the dogs weren’t barking at the tree. They were barking at what was inside.

I hadn’t seen it at first, but as Cady disappeared, I made out an opening in the tree’s base, a doorway. I was halfway to following when Mac locked a hand around my shoulder. An instant later, Gabriel appeared, winded, and skittered to a stop beside us.

It’s hollow, I thought. The tree is hollow, and my family’s inside.

Before I could shrug off Mac’s grip, a familiar form appeared where Cady had stood a moment before.

Ness held a hand up to the dogs. “Stay.”

There was enough casual oomph to that command that Pad looked to me. It took every ounce of control I could muster not to tear into Ness myself, but we still hadn’t seen Jude.

“Stay.” I repeated Ness’s command. Pad sat, her ears flicking forward, but Saskia took a threatening step toward the old woman.

“I guess Saskia won’t be staying out here,” Ness commented wryly, “though I’m afraid I can’t vouch for her safety inside.”

Jude was inside. Cady was inside.

“Well,” Ness said, turning her attention to Gabriel and Mac. “Don’t just stand there, boys. Come in.”

Chapter 54

The sequoia wasn’t completely hollow, but someone had carved out enough space for a small room. Jude lay prone on the floor. Cady knelt beside him, trembling. I started for them, but Ness stopped me, something metal digging into my side.

Gun. My brain processed the situation on a delay. Rifle.

Saskia had bolted ahead. She nosed at Jude’s still body.

“Get away from my daughter.”

I could barely hear Cady’s words over the ringing in my ears. Jude wasn’t moving. Guns were blood. Guns were vicious. Guns were cheating.

“Whatever this is, Ness, it’s between you and me. Leave my kids out of it.”