Chapter 7
The views on the drive up to Maple Ridge were as stunning as ever, maybe even more so. But the feeling couldn’t have been more different to Iris. The pressure in her body shifted lower, from warm and comforting to hot and threatening, more so with every twist in the narrow road.
Iris had to disable the autonav so she could drive around many of the potholes, and increasing elevation had her slowing to maneuver through cracks all the way across the faded asphalt.
“Has the road ever been this bad before?” Gena said, holding on to the door as the van rocked over another massive rut. “Looks like it’s about to fall off the mountain.”
“I’ve never seen it like this,” Iris said. She kept forcing her hands to relax on the wheel, but her shoulders and jaw wouldn’t obey her. “Winter’s ba
