“Sorry. No luck.” He pushed his hood back and sat knees-to-chest to catch his breath. “I’m gonna be straight with you … we’ve been out here for over two hours now. This might be too big a job for the three of us. We might want to start thinking about getting the sheriff involved.”

“The sheriff?”

“She could send out a search-and-rescue team. I volunteer for them sometimes. If anyone’s going to find Finn, they will.”

Just then Zadie felt a vibration in her jacket pocket. It was Finn’s phone. She pulled it out and tapped the screen to life. On it was a text from Kathy:

WHY AREN’T YOU ANSWERING YOUR PHONE?

WHERE ARE YOU?!

Zadie’s mouth felt dry. If they called the sheriff’s department, they would have to tell Steve and Kathy about Finn’s disappearance. If the Andersons found out, their trip was over; their search for their mother was over. And as resistant as Zadie was at the beginning of their journey, she was invested now. So was Finn. If her sister had to go home early because Zadie contacted her foster parents, she would probably never forgive her. She finally had her sister back, and she wasn’t going to give her up that easily.

Zadie returned the phone to her pocket. “There’s one thing we haven’t tried yet.”

Myron studied her, then said warily, “And what’s that?”

“I just need a minute alone.”

Joel and Myron looked at each other. Zadie didn’t wait for them to answer. “Please?” She thought it best not to share that the only recent success she’d had at deliberately using her psychic ability had been during a round of Psychic Karaoke.

“Sure.” Myron climbed to his feet and gestured for Joel to follow.

“We’ll be right outside if you need us,” Joel said tentatively, before ducking back out into the rain.

Zadie waited until Joel and Myron were out of sight, then crossed her legs in front of her. If Finn could draw out her gift, so could she. After all, she’d mastered the art of pushing it away; she just had to do the opposite.

She had to relax.

Zadie drew in a deep breath and focused on the hammering of the rain on the forest canopy. She had never tried meditating before, but her impression was that it was about emptying your mind of all thought—a task, she soon realized, that was easier said than done. As soon as she closed her eyes, her worries started buzzing around her like gnats.

What if Finn’s hurt?

What happens if I don’t find her?

Am I doing this right?

Who am I kidding? I can’t do this.

We should call the sheriff.