The woods feel wrong. Too quiet. Too still. Like they’re holding their breath.
Dad is a few yards ahead of me, flashlight sweeping across the underbrush. A couple of deputies trail behind him, pretending they know what they’re looking for. They don’t. They can’t. Because the truth isn’t something they’re allowed to know.
Emily isn’t just missing. Drake isn’t just missing. Jason has them. And if he has Delaney too…Then this search is pointless.
I kick at a fallen branch, frustration burning in my chest. “Dad, this is a waste of time.”
He doesn’t turn around. “We have to be seen looking.”
“That’s not what I mean.” I lower my voice, glancing at the deputies. “If Jason’s hiding them with a spell, we’re not going to find anything out here.”
Dad finally stops, turning to face me. His expre
