“I didn’t find the cave,” I said, unsure what exactly it was about the way the sheriff had spoken that set my teeth on edge. “Saskia did.”

I prepared myself to recount the search, step-by-step, but the sheriff looked past me, toward Gabriel. “And I suppose,” he said, drawing out the words in a way that made my stomach lurch, “that Gabriel will tell me that he had no idea this cave was here, either.”

I shifted my weight forward without knowing why.

“I could confirm your assumptions,” Gabriel replied contemplatively. “Or I could tell you that you have a tiny piece of kale caught in your teeth.”

The space between the sheriff and Gabriel shrank to nothing so quickly that I wasn’t even sure which one of them had closed the gap. Saskia moved lightning-quick to Gabriel’s side.

I realized a moment later that I had done the same.

“Kira.” Cady had to repeat my name once more before my eyes flickered from the sheriff’s to hers. “You and Gabriel have done your part here. I’m sure one of the rangers would be glad to see you two home.”

“I can’t go,” I said fiercely. Can’t, not won’t. I knew on some level that Cady was probably trying to defuse the situation. I just didn’t know why—or what exactly this situation between Gabriel and the man opposite us entailed.

“I’m sure the sheriff will agree.” Cady threw him a bone. “It was one thing letting you kids search when this was a missing persons case, but this isn’t a missing persons case anymore. This is a kidnapping, Kira. And you—and Gabriel—are going home.”

Chapter 21

“Tell me again about the part where Broody McSmirkpants called you ‘princess’ and you didn’t rip out his throat.”

The minute we’d been dropped off, Gabriel had pulled a disappearing act, and Free and Jude had descended on me. Now the three of us were sequestered in the room Free and I were sharing. Jude was lying upside down on the bed. In typical Jude style, he’d immediately zeroed in on the one thing—out of everything I’d caught them up on—that didn’t have weighty implications.

“I’m guessing Kira would prefer to tell us again about the teeth-gnashing injustice of being kicked off this search.” Free assumed her perch in the open window.

Being with the two of them should have loosened the knot in my stomach. It should have made me feel more like myself and less like the Girl in the Woods. But all I could think was that I’d shown Cady that I wasn’t a liability, and she’d still sent me away.

Silver nudged the back of my knees, herding me toward Jude.