Eden walked into the sitting area in the front of the house. Outside, nature had decided to take control and wreak a little bit of havoc. Upstairs, Sean and Tyler played with Trista and Tessa, helping them pack for a day visit with Mae and Doc the next day. If the weather permitted.

Lights flickered on and off as high winds were clearly messing with the electricity.

Camden sat in one of the wing chairs, a tray in front of her.

Eden picked up the scent of herbs. “What’s that?” She pointed to the tray, tea cups, and teapot with steam rising from an elegant neck.

Camden smiled. “Have a cup of tea with me?”

Eden cocked her head. “Since when do we do high tea?” She laughed. “Got scones to go with it?””

Camden shook her head. “Well, with the power flickering on and off, couldn’t make coffee in the electric coffeemaker, but the stove is gas-powered. So, I figured it would be a perfect day for tea.”

Eden shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

Camden set down a book she’d been reading and poured her a cup while Eden took a spot in the opposite wing chair and studied the trees outside.

“Freak storm, isn’t it.”

Camden looked up. “Yes, Tyler says it doesn’t happen all that often.”

“The sky’s so dark.” Eden shivered. “It’s almost scary, the way the mountains and trees make it look darker than it is. At the same time, it makes me miss Colorado so much.”

Camden handed her the cup. “I know what you mean. I miss it, too.”

“But now you’re going to be staying here…”

Camden nodded. “I know. I’ve thought about it. I hope there’s a way to figure out how to be able to visit home more often.”

Eden fought back the tears. “I’ll miss you.”

Camden’s lip trembled. She fanned her face with her hands to keep the tears from shedding, a mannerism both Eden and Camden had picked up from their older sister Circe.

“You’re reminding me of her,” Eden told Camden.

Cam looked at her hands, then dropped them self-consciously in her lap. “I miss her, too.”

Eden nodded, but didn’t tell Camden that she’d be seeing Circe a lot less now that she was going to be living here with Tyler.

She took a sip of the fragrant herbal tea, shuddered at the sweetness.

“I’m sorry,” Camden said. “I might have over sweetened it.”

“It’s okay. I hope the storm doesn’t scare Trista and Tessa too badly.”

A crack of thunder drowned out Eden’s reply.

* * *

Eden held onto the chair’s arm. “Something’s wrong.”

Camden watched her, not saying a word.

“I think that…” In Eden’s mind, her panther roared. Otherwise, there as an emptiness she couldn’t explain.

And still Cam was silent.

“I can’t feel Piria.” The words sounded strange, coming from her own mouth, but she didn’t know how else to explain it. She felt empty inside. Except that her panther was there.

“Piria?” she called out to her elemental.

Eden received no reply.

Many times, Piria didn’t respond. So not getting a reply wasn’t that unusual. But the sensation that Piria was gone was a totally new feeling. It was like walking into a vacant house.

“Piria’s not answering me. And it feels like she’s gone. She can’t do that, can she? Just up and leave? Don’t I have to be dead for her to go?”

Camden shook her head. “Wait.” She rose and stepped closer to Eden, putting her hand on her shoulder. “I told Circe about what is going on with Piria and the bear thing, and the fires…”

“What are you saying?”

“She sent me the tea. Overnighted it.”

“What?” Eden flew to her feet. “What have you done? You killed Piria?”

Camden gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth. “God, no. No. The tea is to knock her out. It’s a sedative.”

Eden slumped back into the chair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You wanted me to tell you that I was going to give you something to knock Piria out? And you don’t think she’d have heard that? You don’t think she’d have made me spontaneously burst into combustion?”

Eden chewed on her lip, rubbing her hands over her thighs repeatedly with anxious energy. “You’re right. But now what?”

“Circe said to keep drinking the tea while we try to help the girls. It will keep Piria from freaking out. And it will allow you to be able to be around bear shifters, and bears, without issue.”