EMBER’S POV

Once upon a time, I would have. I used to be the kind of girl who blindly trusted a kind voice and a helpful offer, right up until the exact moment it put a knife in my back.

I look at Hale, and the pieces suddenly snap into place with cold clarity.

She doesn’t know. She said she sensed “something” on the lawn, but she didn’t see the fire. She doesn’t know about the gold, or the healing, or what exactly happened out there.

She’s not trying to be useful.

She’s fishing. She wants to put me in a quiet room, poke the bear, and see what kind...