"Oh, you want scared giant orange spiders," I said, forcing as much fake sincerity into the statement as possible.

  "Well, you might want to move over here first," Logan said. "I'd rather them not run this way, if it's all the same to you."

  I looked at the nearest one, which appeared to be tapping at my enclosure. "It's worth a try. Just make sure you don't run away as well. Any of you."

  When I circled around to stand by Logan, the creatures watched my trajectory. It was only when I was standing in front of everyone that I shifted gears.

  Thinking of something intensely fearful wasn't difficult. Using my own terror, I began to fill the Path.

  The spiders stopped their inquisitive approach.

  "They're hunkering down," Logan said. "Anyone know what spiders will do before they run away?"

  "What do you mean?" I asked.

  "What's their natural response to something they're scared of?" Logan asked. "Do they run away or attack?"

  "What?" I screeched. "No one said attacking was a possibility."

  One of them scuttled back, then turned and sped across the forest floor faster than I would have expected it to move.

  It wasn't long before the other followed.

  Once they were out of sight, it felt like a great weight had been lifted, but I couldn't look away from where they’d disappeared, worried that they might return—possibly with reinforcements.

  "Cassie," Logan said, "you might want to let up now."

  The effort to look anywhere other than the direction of the spiders was great, but I had no idea what Logan was talking about.

  Vincent wore his look of stony indifference. Boone appeared to be trying for the same, but he was straining. Even Logan and Rider looked like they were ready to run.

  Davis and Tolman appeared to be fine, though—much better than when faced with the monster spiders.

  Switching gears, I grabbed a memory of watching Gran cook in the kitchen. Contentment washed over the camp and everyone appeared to relax.

  Except for Davis and Tolman.

  It wasn't that I could control someone's emotions, but I could cool down or heat up the atmosphere, influencing how someone feels. It didn’t affect Davis or Tolman, though.

  Pushing the Path away left me feeling drained.

  It was early morning and I was already exhausted. This day was going to suck.

  "Okay," Boone said, "back to it."

  Back to what, I had no idea, and I didn't care to know.

  "Coffee?" I asked Logan.

  Logan shook his head. "This isn't a great way to start the day."

  "I agree. Someone should have tranqed them," I said.

  "Get more rest while you can," Logan said. "We'll need you later."

  The need to disagree was almost overpowering, but logic said he was right, so I held my tongue.

  Back in the hammock, I listened to the sounds of the camp until I fell into an uneasy sleep.

  When I woke again, the sun was high and the camp was quiet. Birds spoke to each other and the branches in the canopy swayed. If it weren't for all the murderous creatures and crazed madmen, the forest would have been bearable.

  "It makes me uneasy when you do that."

  I peered through the bug net and found Rider giving me a strange look.

  "Do what?" I asked, stretching out.

  "The humming," Rider said.

  "I didn't realize I was."

  "I think that is the root of the issue."

  I sighed and let my head fall back, watching the sky again. "I don't know what you mean."

  "It was the elf humming."

  "Logan?" I asked, feeling even more confused.

  "No, the elf in you."

  Crap. I didn't know what to say. My soul had been imprinted by the lives of many. It wasn't often that I slid into a trivial part of another life as though it was my own.

  "Ignore it." It was the best response I could give right now.

  Rider said nothing.

  The idea of borrowing part of a life that wasn't mine didn't sit well with me.

  "Where are the others?"

  "They are in different places."

  "And you're stuck here with me?"

  "I am partnered with you," Rider said, looking unsure. "I do not appear to be stuck."

  I smiled at him. "Any signs of giant spiders?"

  "They have not returned."

  "What are we supposed to be doing?" I asked, ready to brave the world outside of the bug net once again.

  "After lunch, we need to finish packing up the camp. I think we should take the chance to meditate as well."

  My mouth watered at the mere mention of food.

  Rider and I worked well together. After eating something that had once been freeze-dried, we steadily put away any remaining equipment. By the time we were done, it was barely noticeable that we had been there.

  "Logan and Boone will be returning soon," Rider said.

  "No one else is with them?"

  "Vincent and Tolman are searching the area to see if we can find any other former residents of the village. Davis and Renick are scouting ahead. They will be finding our next—"

  A shrill howl filled the air, cutting Rider off. Birds took flight. It seemed as though the noise was coming from everywhere at once, and whatever was making the disturbance sounded close.

  While the din continued, I moved closer to Rider. The sound cut off after what seemed like forever.

  "Where did it come from, Rider?" I asked the moment I knew I would hear his response.

  "I am not sure."

  "Do you hear Vincent?" I asked. "Is everyone okay?"

  Rider cocked his head and listened intently. "Boone and Logan are returning now. Vincent and Tolman are unharmed."

  "Davis and Renick?"

  "I do not hear them. They have disappeared," Rider said, as though he didn't believe what he was saying.

  "What—"

  "No," Rider said, interrupting. He came close to me and lowered his voice. "They have moved. They are over a mile closer."

  "Are they running?" I asked.

  Rider shook his head. "They are... Now they are closer still. Moving from one spot to another."

  "You mean they're teleporting?"

  "I do not know that word, but they are walking now." Rider shifted from foot to foot, looking so worried that I patted his arm. "I must have misheard. The sounds, they bent oddly. That is all." He shrugged off my hand, not unkindly, and moved away.

  "Is everything okay?" I asked.

  "Vincent is hurrying back," Rider said.

  "That's not an answer."

  "He has been very worried about you."

  "Why won't you answer me?"

  Rider's shoulders slumped, and when he dropped the facade, he looked tired. "It is not an easy question to answer."

  I looked around the camp at a loss. "I guess it was a stupid question to ask. I'm really sorry about your friend."

  "I knew her, but we were not friends."

  I smiled. To werewolves the word friend took on a next-level meaning that was hard to explain. "Is there anything I can do?"

  "I need... something."

  "What? Whatever it is, I'll help."

  Rider let out a frustrated growl. "I need to run. I need to smell something that is not blood. I need for the people of this world not to be like they are back home."

  I bit my lip. Having no idea how to give him those things made me worry. "Which people?"

  "The new three and the people in the village. Everyone that is not our family."

  Maybe that's what friends were in Rider's world—family.

  I couldn't really do anything for him, so I did the best I could. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight. He was breathing heavily as though he had been very active.

  Little by little, he calmed down. He returned the hug and didn't let go until I heard others approach. Even then, Rider seemed reluctant to let go and remained close.

  "Maybe you can go for a run," I suggested. "Surely, Logan would understand."

  Rider shook his head. "After. When there are not as many people around that want us dead."

  "Where we go, the crazies tend to follow."

  "We usually do not let them get so close."

  Close? "Was the thing that yelled out nearby? Or other people from the village?"

  Just then, Vincent and Tolman arrived, looking as though they had rushed the whole way.

  "Do you know where it came from?" Vincent asked, wiping the sweat off his face.

  I couldn't help but notice that Vincent was inspecting Rider and me, looking for signs that something might be wrong.

  "It is difficult to tell for sure," Rider said.

  Logan and Boone arrived not long after.

  "I didn't get a line on the source either," Logan said. "I think we’re moving in the right direction, though."

  Boone began to pack up the remaining items. "We need to be ready to move out in five."

  I moved back to Vincent's hammock, which I had vacated not long before, and started unstrapping it from the tree. Vincent went to the other side to help.

  "We can split up the rest of Davis and Renick's gear," Tolman said.

  "Never mind that," Logan said. "We'll grab them as they are."

  Tolman looked as though he was ready to argue, but Logan snagged one of the bags and threw it over his shoulder as though it was weightless.

  "Rider, you take the other," Logan said.

  "Do you think that it was the nightmare that made that noise?" I asked.

  "It's the best explanation we have," Logan said. "I can't think of anything from this world that can make sound move that way. And only a few Lost—none of which sound quite like that."

  "Rider and Tolman, you two pull ahead. Don't stop until you reach the others—unless you catch sight of this thing."

  "Let us know your progress," Logan called after them.

  "Cassie, you're with me." Boone said.

  I finished shoving the bug net into its pouch, then passed it off to Vincent. Vincent barely noticed, since he was glowering at Boone, who studiously avoided noticing the look.

  "We'll catch up," Boone added to Logan.

  The moment I grabbed my bag, Boone started leading the way out of the camp. It made me nervous to leave so quickly, but on my last look around, I didn't see anything that I had forgotten.

  We moved silently for a while. For some reason, even with the urgency that had sprung up back at camp, I felt more relaxed when I was alone with Boone.

  "So," Boone started, "is there some sort of trick to get your boyfriend to like me?"

  "He’s not my—" I stopped, then changed directions. “It's not that he doesn't like you. He just doesn't know you yet."

  "I know Vincent's a nice guy and all, but I have to say, it's unnerving when someone with his power glares at you like that."

  "Vincent and I have been through a lot together. Then you and I disappeared for a few days and..."

  "Yeah, I guess if I bring his girlfriend home barely alive, I shouldn’t expect him to like me too much."

  "That probably has a lot to do with it."

  "How have you been holding up since then?"

  "It's been strange. How about with you?"

  "Possibly stranger," Boone said.

  "Strange enough to call in backup. That's saying something."

  "Speaking of that, I wanted to have a word with you in private while we can."

  "Is that why we're going in a different direction?"

  "No, we're going to the village. You're the only one that has a chance of getting to know this creature better."

  The idea of Reading a Path that was days old sounded exhausting. We knew what had happened in the village lodge, seeing the mayhem on the other end of the village didn't sound like a great way to start my day. "I guess it's a good thing I got a few extra hours of sleep."

  "Whatever it was you did in the lodge the other day, you're not doing that again today."

  I raised an eyebrow, which Boone couldn't see since he was walking ahead.

  "I mean," he corrected himself, "it's better if you don't. Not without Rider around. Plus, we're going to need everyone in peak condition when we face whatever this thing is."

  "What is it you want me to do, then?"

  "I'm just hoping you can get a feel for this thing. We know it's an aggressive predator, but that’s about it."

  I thought about that for a minute. "Do we know it's aggressive?"

  "We know it attacked at least two villages."

  "My guess is it's not an herbivore and it seems to cause aggression, but we can't even be sure of that. We don't know what these people may have done to it before it attacked."

  "You're pleading defense on its behalf?"

  I noticed Boone's grin. "I'm not pleading anything. I just think we need to consider the options."

  "You think it might have attacked because it was hungry, or maybe in retaliation for something?"

  "Or both. Or it could just be a vicious monster. The point is, I don't think we should automatically assume this thing is killing people just for the fun of it."

  We tromped through the woods in silence for a while. Boone slowed the pace when we neared the huts.

  "You know, I've missed working with you," Boone said.

  "Me too, but next time we get together, can it be a bit closer to civilization?"

  Boone chuckled, but lowered his voice. "Normally, I'd clear the town again just in case someone came back since Logan and I left. We're in a hurry, though, so I'll watch your back while you do your thing."

  We moved quietly across the village to where it looked like the creature had dragged someone away. An eerie feeling had fallen among the empty huts. When we were close to the spot where the person was dragged away, we stopped and dropped our bags. I stretched and looked around, uneasy about getting started.

  "Remember, if you wear yourself out, I'm not going to have to worry about Vincent," Boone said, "I'll be answering to Logan at that point."

  "He won't blame you for something I do," I said, not really paying much attention.

  Before Boone could say anything else, I stepped into the Path. I looked around, seeing wisps of Paths that were days old.

  "I think it came in over by the platform," Boone said. "I'm pretty sure they had a guard above ground level."

  While only Reading a small stream of the Path, I meandered around, narrowing in on the edge of the village. I sensed Boone nearby, but to be polite, I purposefully avoided Reading his Path.

  Close to the forest, I stopped, catching a faint tinge of something impacting the Path in a big way.

  "Do you see it?" Boone asked.

  I waved my hand at him and studied the surroundings. Only allowing myself to Read a small bit saved on power, but it wasn't going to be enough.

  Taking a deep breath, I let the Path pour over me.

  Which was a mistake.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Path bore angry reds, vivid blues—leaning toward black—and a streak of white-hot fire threading around. It surrounded me, poured over me, and made me fear for my life.

  "What is it?" Boone asked, keeping his voice low and calming.

  It was then that I noticed I was breathing fast. The stark terror rooted me to the spot. I began to tremble, and when someone touched my shoulder, I jumped and inhaled sharply.

  "It's me," Boone said. "You're safe. What is it that you see?"

  "I see someone frightened to the core. It's like... It's like the person’s mind broke and nothing remained but the fear."

  "Anything of the creature?"

  Something moved faster than I could follow. The strange vibrating presence that lived in the Path had found me again. I wondered briefly if the thing out here was attached to the village.

  Knowing I was running out of time, I jerked myself unsteadily into the woods. It was easier once I was out of that terrible Path. The experience permeated the area, but without the direct assault, it was easier to handle.

  "I don't see anything else," I said, walking alongside the Path. "I think the person that was taken wiped out any traces of anything else."

  "I'm not sure what that means," Boone admitted.

  "It's as though their experience created a blight in the Path. Nothing else in the Path would be able to be seen."

  "How long does something like that last?"

  "It's hard to say. Logan left his mark in the woods a few years ago when we discovered a fairy had been killed. That anger is there, frozen in time, affecting the past and the future."

  "So we have no hope of finding anything?" Boone asked.

  "Unless the person is still alive, my guess is this has to end somewhere. It's a matter of finding the end."

  Boone was quiet for a moment, so I kept moving.

  "Let's leave it here," Boone said at last.

  Frowning, I turned to face him. "We could track—" I froze. There was something standing behind Boone.

  No, not something—someone. It took me a moment to figure out if it was real or in the Path.

  Boone noted the look on my face. He turned. His puzzled look when he faced me again gave me the last hint I needed. The thing was in the Path. Shaking, I closed my eyes and pushed away the Path.

  "What's wrong?" Boone asked.

  "Um... nothing. Nothing is wrong."

  "You're a bad liar."

  I shook my head. "Something else was there, but it's nothing unless I'm in the Path."

  "You've stopped."

  "Yeah."

  "Let's go." Boone turned and nearly walked into the area exactly where the thing in the Path had stood.

  I grabbed his arm. Wordlessly, I dragged him back, and then circled wide.

  "Can you still see it?" Boone asked, keeping his voice low.

  "No, but it’s... I would just feel better all-around if we avoid going where it stood."

  "Was it a person from the past, like yesterday?"

  "No, this is different. Don't worry about it."

  "Hard not to after seeing the look on your face."

  I smiled at him, but it felt weak. "It doesn't affect anything out here."

  "Not even you?"

  "Honestly? I don't know. Whatever they are, they see me, but I haven't let them get close."

  "They? Are there a lot of them?"