The afternoon sun shone through Evelyn’s window as they traveled along the highway bypass. Neither spoke. They were headed to another park on the outskirts of Willows Haven. An itch between her shoulder blades indicated someone followed them. She didn’t think it was the priest, but it was hard to be sure. She kept glancing behind them.

Lawke grasped her left hand. “Quit being so nervous. It’s only the police.”

“Why would they follow us?”

He grimaced. “Because they think I arranged for her to be taken.”

“That’s insane. You adore her.” The delight on his face in the kitchen yesterday morning had been obvious. She wanted someone to regard her with that kind of devotion.

He swallowed but kept staring at the road. “No more insane than some priest of an extinct civilization kidnapping her.” He stomped on the brakes as the car in front of him slowed for no reason. “Law enforcement always assumes the simplest answer. In this case, someone in the family. With Rachel out of the country, I, of course, have to be the culprit. It’s what I’d think if it happened to Billy or any of the other rangers.”

“But they’re your friends. Shouldn’t they support you? Trust you?”

“They would with their lives. But it’s Zoe’s life that matters right now. And the lack of evidence is very damning. Practical and unemotional observation doesn’t include magic.”

“Sounds unsympathetic. You’re too nice a man. I’d hold a grudge.” She turned and watched the trees flash by.

“While some people may be hurting, others inflicted that pain. It’s not our place to judge, just find the answers as quickly as possible.”

The sharp, jagged silence hurt. Maybe she thought his friends owed him more, but he knew there were lines to that friendship. This situation crossed them.

His life would be forever altered.

“How long until we stop?”

He turned with a smile on his face. “Why? Do you need to use the potty?”

Some of the tension eased at his joke. “No. But I would like to stretch my legs.” Even better would be if she were airborne with the wind surrounding her wings.

“The park isn’t too much farther. I’ve rented a cabin on the edge of town.”

The car slowed as he veered onto the exit. At the end of the ramp, he turned left and drove until the road ended. A large sign proclaimed they had entered Gracelynne Shroud State Park. They continued along a flat dirt road and watched the black, unmarked police car turn around.

“Why aren’t they following?”

“I don’t know.” He considered the tunnel-like road before them. Rays of sunlight illuminated some of trees while others stood in shadow. “Maybe he didn’t have any breadcrumbs to find his way out of the Enchanted Forest.”

“Never trust a breadcrumb path, the song birds will eat it.”

He laughed. She sighed in relief when he pulled into the parking area. She stepped from the car and welcomed the gentle breeze against her face. At least the mugginess of summer had dissipated even if the afternoon heat still radiated around them.

“Come on. We have a bit of a hike before the sun sets.” He handed her a loaded backpack and then walked into the woods along a single-person trail.

She rushed to catch him. His legs were longer than hers and he charged through the brush, determined to reach their destination. Good thing she was a shifter; she had more stamina than a normal female. Even still, she couldn’t help but think of thwacking him to slow down.

Time passed in a haze of relentless step after step. They reached the edge of a lake and she slid the backpack from her arms and dropped it to the ground. Twisting the lid off the canteen, she took a large gulp of water.

“At twilight and dawn, a mist flows from the lake water. Covers the water and valley like a shroud. Legend has it that a woman cast a spell to protect this land from harm. Every year a handful of people will claim to see the great Gracelynne in the mist.”

“Sounds like you don’t believe?”

He shrugged. “Hard to believe in ghosts. But I never gave credence to magic or shapeshifters, either. Yet here you are.” His face turned somber. “We need to keep moving.”

Evelyn massaged her calves and wiggled her toes inside her boots. “You go on, I’ll catch up.”

He frowned. “We need to stay together.”

“I’ll be following you. Just not on the trail.” She stood and hooked the backpack with her foot.

She imagined her falcon shape and let the magic change her. Her limbs tingled as she shrunk in size. The tiny hairs extended on her outstretched arms, became feathers. The transformation included the backpack, which now wrapped around her yellow talon.

With a few hops, she launched into the air, flapped her wings to gain height, and screeched her joy into the wind. This was the exhilaration she craved. The feel of the wind through her feathers, seeing the countryside from above, and the ecstasy of freedom only found among the clouds.

She stuck close but circled high in the sky. This was where she belonged. Not trapped on the ground, trudging after a male. That wasn’t whom she was meant to be.

Her gaze returned to him again and again. Even now, she knew exactly where he was below her. And a part of her wanted to be there beside him. But it couldn’t be. He was too grounded in the here and now to be able to handle her need to fly.

To escape.

What spell drew her to him? Why couldn’t she have been attracted to another bird shifter? Someone with whom she could glide along the currents and reach for the moon. Instead, she felt compelled to sit in a tree and watch Lawke climb over another rotting, moss-covered log.

She shook her body and hoped this was only a momentary diversion. Because being tethered to another person was the last thing she needed.

Tied. Bound. Caged.

All words that struck terror in her soul. She cried again, in perceived agony or denial. She wasn’t sure. But the opposing desires were tearing her apart. Lifting from the tree, she flapped her wings, soaring higher, fleeing.

Until she slid through a magical barrier. Electricity zapped through her. Her feathers numbed, and she couldn’t feel the wind. She tumbled in the sky until her wings caught the wind and she could glide again. The barrier hadn’t stopped her, but it had been a surprise.

Below, Lawke broke through a clearing with a small single-story cabin. She dropped to the ground and changed. Together they walked around to the front of the property. On the steps, an older woman with silver hair sat knitting a long purple variegated scarf. Beside her lay a rumpled copy of When the Tree Falls, the Willows Haven community newspaper.

The woman looked up and smiled. “You must be Mr. Morgan…and his friend. I’m Annabel Holmes, the manager. Let me know if you need anything.”

He shook the woman’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Holmes.”

She stood. “Here are the keys. You’re paid for three days, but don’t be afraid to stay longer.”

The snap of leather echoed in Evelyn’s head. It had to be her imagination, yet she could almost see silver tether strands tying her to Lawke. As if the Fates bound them, that their presence here fulfilled a predetermined destiny.

She swallowed and forced a smile to her face. She refused to be caged by anyone, even the Moirai.

Annabel was more than a human but not a shifter, otherwise Eveylyn was sure the woman would have used telepathy to talk to her.

Whatever she was, it wasn’t good for Evelyn’s future. She felt like a dry leaf, adrift in the back and forth sway of a soft breeze. Lifted and then dropped until finally resting on the grass to be ground up, broken and unwanted.

The old woman passed Evelyn and locked eyes with her. Age in no way diminished the flare of power within the light blue orbs covered with a white film. The woman grasped onto Evelyn’s arm and whispered, “Remember, dear, not all ties become cages. Making the choice to stay in one place doesn’t cost you your independence.”

She hobbled across the grass and disappeared into the woods.

“What did Annabel say?” Lawke asked as they entered the cabin.

Evelyn glanced over her shoulder. “Nothing related to finding your daughter.”

Inside was a large living room with a small kitchen to the right. A hallway led off to the left, and a hint of worry wormed its way into her heart. Following the hallway, there were two rooms. One a bathroom, and the other held a queen-sized bed.

That was the extent of the small cabin.

There was a two-person sofa and a small table for eating. Very rustic and sparse. A perfect escape for two people who were in a relationship. Uncomfortable for two people who weren’t sure of each other and were stressed by a kidnapping.

He stood before the picture window, his shoulders slumped. “We’ll explore the town tomorrow.” The quiet words vibrated with determination.

“We’ll get her back.” His family had to be restored. She couldn’t live with any other outcome.

She clasped his hand, entwined their fingers. They stared into the night. Zoe might be out of reach, but Evelyn could provide companionship. Remind him he wasn’t alone; she was there to assist him.

“I’m going to check outside.” He grabbed his coat before rushing out the door.

Abandoned and too anxious to sit at her computer, she prowled the cabin. Always curious, she searched every drawer and cabinet. Ending in the kitchen, she found boxed noodles and jarred sauce in the pantry. While the ingredients weren’t fresh, at least the spaghetti made a quick meal.

She’d eaten and cleaned the kitchen by the time Lawke returned. Whatever he’d searched for, he’d found. Despair no longer weighed upon him. The grief of loss still haunted his eyes but hope lightened his steps.

He turned her from the sink and took her hands. “I’m sorry for the sudden departure. I needed to be alone, to plan. I think best when I’m out on the land. Something about the rustling leaves and fresh air helps me focus.”

Her instincts screamed for her to back up, to run, because his sky-blue eyes sparkled with a newfound determination. His will was focused all right. On her.

She could’ve been bait for a trap, would actually prefer that. But she feared something else. The beginnings of a mate bond. Sometimes it was an instantaneous melding of souls, other times the bond was like an insidious rope that wound around two people until they found themselves irrevocably tied together.

There were still choices to be made. The bond wouldn’t exist without intent on both sides. It could be broken at any time. A good predator knew when it became prey. At that moment, Lawke definitely considered Evelyn prey.

She pulled away from him, handed him the plate of noodles. “The sauce is in the microwave. Eat. You’ll feel better.” At least he’d be fed.

His laughter followed her into the living room. Gathering her laptop, she sat on the couch and checked the weather. A tropical storm at sea had the potential to impact their area.

Great. More rain. She hated wet feathers.

Needing a distraction from Lawke and their situation, she opened her image gallery to review her images.

Retreating was the safe course. Safe? She took risks, did what she wanted. So why couldn’t she take him and walk away like every other relationship she’d been in?

Something inside her recognized the potential for more with him. Either they fell in love and she became tethered to him, or a broken heart was in her future. Better to stop anything from developing at all.

Before love became too messy, too addicting, too complicated to escape.

“That doesn’t look appetizing,” he pointed to the pitted gray blob on the screen.

She grabbed the computer before it dropped to the floor. “Don’t sneak up on me.”

He rounded the end of the furniture and flopped beside her. “It’s fun. However, that doesn’t explain why you’d take a picture of gum beneath a bleacher.”

She shrugged. “I liked the rainbow of colors. I take tons of photos, but not everything will sell. Sometimes I take a picture just because it speaks to me. That’s the advantage of the digital age. You can take pictures of anything and everything.”

“Even if it resembles sprinkle-colored dog yak.”

She closed the laptop. “Even if no one else sees the same beauty in the colors and indentions of gum that I do.”

A tense silence fractured the room. She hadn’t meant to sound so harsh.

“What is there to do around here?” He shoved off the sofa. Like a trapped tiger, he prowled around the room.

Worry gnawed at the edges of Lawke’s peace. He wouldn’t rest until his daughter returned. But maybe there was a way to lighten his load. “In the bottom drawer of the bedroom night stand, there are decks of cards. Select a set and bring it over.”

Thumps and a few curses drifted to her from the bedroom. In short order, his boots scuffed against the floor. He dangled a deep purple velvet bag in front of her face. “These aren’t playing cards.”

“No. They’re tarot cards.” She twisted sideways so one leg draped the side of the coach and the other was bent. “Sit down, please.”

“That’s not going to work.” He sat on the floor, with his legs stretched out. “What’s with the marked quartz?” His mesmerizing eyes focused on her.

For a moment, the force of his concentrated attention caught her. Nothing else mattered. A shiver broke the connection. “They’re runes, another form of divination.” Her voice came out rather breathy.

“Divination? Can they predict the weather? I listened to the radio in the truck and a tropical storm is heading for the coast.”

“Weather is unpredictable. It’s a constant of the universe.”

He shook his head. “Most people would stock board games like backgammon or chess. Maybe cards for poker. This place is definitely not normal.”

She refused to glance toward the lone bedroom with the queen-sized bed, but she couldn’t meet his eyes. “I don’t think they expect people to spend their time in the living room. There isn’t even a TV out here.”

Her fingers rubbed the velvet cloth. In that moment, she resisted the urge to pull out the cards and see which deck he chose. Once she did, the mystery was gone. Her curiosity sated.

“Are you going to do something with those?”

Her cheeks heated. “Yes, of course.” After opening the drawstrings, she removed the deck. Her breath caught in her throat. It was the same set she’d been drawn to.

The back of the cards was a delicate lilac sky with yellow stars bordering a center sun surrounded by a complex Celtic circle with stylized foxes, birds, turtles, and deer interconnected in a never-ending circle. The fronts were bright pastels featuring mythological beasts and people in flowing or airy scenes.

She’d expected him to select the standard Rider-Waite deck, something simple, less fantastical.

“I’m going to use a four-card spread called ‘Facing a Challenge’. It’s meant to help you meet whatever problem you are facing. You need to think of a specific question related to the kidnapping.”

Her fingers tingled as she fanned the deck. She placed the stacked deck near his shoulder on the cushion. “Take the deck and while you’re shuffling the cards think about your question.”

“Don’t people usually draw more cards?”

She leafed through the small pamphlet with card definitions. “Circle and Celtic Cross spreads require more. However, for me, the complexity opens too many pathways and is less helpful. I like a more straightforward configuration.”

The quiet slap of cards filled the hesitant silence.

“So you and Zoe’s mom didn’t make it as a couple?” She cringed. Why did her mouth have to engage before her brain?

His piercing gaze stopped her fidgeting. “You could say that.”

“When you’re done shuffling, set the cards down and cut them with your left hand. Place the left-hand stack over the right one.”

“Rachel and I shouldn’t have lasted past high school, except Zoe came along. We were too young, wanted different things.” He left the cards stacked, turned sideways.

She dealt the cards—one in the first row, two in the second, and one in the third. “How long did you stay together?”

“Zoe was six when we separated. Rachel couldn’t handle the remote assignments. Going home was a bigger minefield than my job. But we tried for Zoe.” His voice cracked. “We’d been doing fine with the current arrangement, until this trip to London.”

She turned over the first card, the challenge. The Knight of Cups depicted by a man riding a unicorn in the sea with a golden cup just out of reach. “A man who follows the truth within his heart. If he remains faithful to his path, eventually he’ll fulfill his quest.”

“So he thinks he’s doing the right thing?”

She shrugged. “Every villain does.”

He turned the next card. The Eight of Wands.

She smacked his hand. “I’m supposed to do that.”

“I’m simply having fun with the game.”

She didn’t believe his innocent act for a minute. “The Eight of Wands is your strength, a journey toward hope.”

“So we have a chance to win.” He shook his head. “Always good to know.”

She turned the next card. The Six of Cups, represented by a girl having a tea party next to a stream of golden fish.

The smile left his face. “Zoe used to make me attend tea parties.”

“This is your weakness. A remembrance of simpler times. Forget the complexities of life, and be more open-minded.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“I have no idea. It’s open to interpretation. It could mean watch for opportunities or don’t over think the situation.”

They reached for the last card at the same time. “Go ahead.” She backed off.

He turned over the Lovers. “That card fits the atmosphere of the cabin.”

“It’s a card about balance, making choices, using both your heart and your mind.”

“Right.” He drew out the pronunciation. “That’s why they’re kissing.”

Heat blanketed her face. “It’s only a bit of fun. Something to think about.” Evelyn turned the cards over and shuffled the whole deck before she returned them to the velvet bag.

He drew the bag from her hands and returned it to the bedroom.

She drew the blanket off the back of the sofa and laid her head on one of the pillows.

“What are you doing?”

“Going to sleep. You’d never fit on the couch. I’m saving you the trouble of offering. Good night.”

A long moment later, the overhead light turned off and in a quiet voice he said, “Good night.” Then the bedroom door shut.

She closed her eyes but image of the Lovers card wouldn’t leave her mind. It was going to be a very long, sleepless night.