“It’s different here. We don’t just—I can’t leave him because he’s old. I wish I—sometimes I do resent that.”

“I understand,” Chase says. “Sometimes I get frustrated with Dad too, you know? It’s like his job is the only meaning he has left in his life. He’s never gotten over Mom dying. What about me? When did I stop mattering to him? But he’s the only dad I’ve got. I know he’s doing his best, despite everything. I’m sure that your dad’s the same.”

My gaze drifts back to the stain on the floor. “I guess.”

Chase’s phone lights up, buzzing. Surprised, we look at it for a moment before we realize the implications. Then Chase’s hopeful look abruptly turns into a scowl when he sees who’s calling.

“Riley? What the hell do you want? Look, you are the last person I want to—”

Riley interrupts him. She’s not on video call, and her voice sounds terrified. “I said I’m sorry, Chase! Please believe me! I swear I won’t bother you ever again. Just please, make her stop! Tell her to stop doing this to me!”

“What?” Chase is dumbfounded. “Riley, what are you talking ab—”

“It’s not funny anymore, okay? I don’t know who you paid to dress up like some deranged tree monster, but this isn’t funny! Tell her to go away! I can’t—oh my god. It’s at the window. It’s at the—”

The call ends.

Chase gazes open-mouthed at the phone. “Is the Diwata haunting Riley? Can it do that? Is it because—was it because I—?”

Chase yelled his frustrations into the cave. I’m stunned. The Diwata is protective of me. Was He trying to placate me by trying to solve Chase’s problems with his ex? “I—I don’t know. Maybe He was trying to help?”

“This is what he considers help?”

“He doesn’t know enough about human relationships. And as you already know, He prefers a direct approach when it comes to confrontations.”

Chase gulps. “He’s not really gonna harm her, is he?”

“He won’t.”

The knock on the door is loud. “Chase? Are you okay?”

“The door’s open, Dad.” And then Chase pauses, dumbstruck. “Why is he knocking? It isn’t even locked.”

The door rattles again. “Chase? What’s going on?”

Askal begins growling quietly. My gaze flicks toward the ceiling.

The beams are covered with makahiya, writhing quietly on the metal ledges.

Chase stands. “Dad, are your hands full or—”

He moves toward the door but stops when I grab his arm. “Wait,” I whisper, a familiar dread creeping up on me.

“What? If that tree creature’s still around and Riley is being bullied, we need to warn him—”

Quietly I point to the window before us.

Through the half-open blinds, we see Gries still some ways off, looking despondent and dirt stained, walking toward us from the direction of the cave; the rest of the search team is with him.

Chase is frozen, now with fear. “If he’s over there, then who is at the—”