“I already called her, Cam. I told her something bad was happening. I told her to come here.”
Fuck! “Call her back. The guild is after me. They’re on the way. Here.” He didn’t have time to tell Mason anything other than that.
Mason swallowed, pulling his phone from his pocket and dialing Georgia’s number. After a few seconds, he hung up. “Not answering.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “Goddammit!”
“I thought it was best, Cam, that we gather here, start searching for Scarlett. I didn’t know any—"
“It’s okay.” Georgia had answered. She was all right. She knew there was a situation. He just hoped to God she was ahead of the others. “Wait for her, Mason. Then you hide too. Both of you. You know this house. There are a million places to choose. We’ll come back for you. Just stay hidden.” He thrust the box at Mason and Mason took it. “Use this if you need to. There are two bullets in the gun. You know they won’t let any of us leave town.” The weapon was evidence—all they had—but Mason’s and Georgia’s lives were more important.
Mason nodded solemnly. “I know. I’ll wait for her. We’ll be here waiting.”
Camden nodded once and then he ran for the woods, drawing his firearm as he ducked into the trees.
Where are you, Scarlett? God, please let them all be okay.
The sky had been a vivid peach as he’d made the windy drive to Lilith House, but now had faded to a pale pink streaked in yellow. It made the woods feel peaceful and for a moment Camden almost believed nothing bad could happen here. He stopped, listening, but when he didn’t hear anything he continued forward, not attempting to be quiet. If he was going to make up the time between when Scarlett had gone into these woods, and when he followed, he was going to have to run. Scarlett was hurt, and she didn’t know this land, not like he did. He could only hope that she’d traveled cautiously and he could catch up with her. Then they’d both search for Haddie and Millie together and whatever might have taken them.
He couldn’t consider what it was. Not now, not when he was helpless to do anything about it. Old fears surfaced, stories of horned demons, Satan’s creatures roaming this forest, and he forced himself to push those terrors aside. His girls needed him. His. His girls. The thought bolstered him, dissipating the fear with something stronger. Love. Scarlett had calmed that restlessness he’d lived with all his life. Given him a purpose greater than spite. And he had to find them. He had to find them.
The forest dimmed another shade, drifting from pink to purple, and behind him, he heard the distant roar of trucks. The forces had arrived and he only had a twenty-minute lead. Please let Georgia have made it to the house before them. Please let both she and Mason be secreted away in one of the many hiding places they knew well.
The guild would see their cars, but they’d see his and Scarlett’s too. There was nothing he could do about that.
He began to turn toward the stream where he’d first kissed Scarlett. She knew that route, she’d take it, wouldn’t she? A fox darted out in front of him very suddenly, causing him to emit a short yell as he stumbled to a stop. The fox stared at him, wide-eyed and then darted in the other direction, stopping, looking back once, and then disappearing into the darkening forest. Camden paused for a moment and then, for reasons he couldn’t quite articulate to himself, he followed it, moving in the opposite direction from which he’d been going. Toward the canyon where the bones had been found.
He ran through the trees, his breath coming short, gun gripped in his hand. “Camden.” He heard his name, said in a hushed whisper and spun around, lowering the gun to his side.
“Scarlett?” he gasped.
“Here.” He moved toward her voice, a strangled moan of love, of relief, of thankfulness coming from his throat when she stepped out from behind a tree. He rushed forward, taking her in his arms and she yelped in pain. He let go, stepping back and looking down to see her arm hanging at her side, blood splattered on her clothes. “Oh hell, Scarlett, you’re—”
“Yes. Cam, you have to come with me. I heard their trucks. They’re here. Sister Madge tried to kill me, or not her but some,