MAYA

Dinner was the best I’d had since I’d been trapped in the midst of the Blackwoods. Caleb was a walking comedy show; his sense of humor was effortless, and for the first time in weeks, I found myself laughing—really laughing. My sides actually ached, a sharp, wonderful pain that reminded me I was still capable of feeling something other than dread.

I honestly thought that if we had met under different circumstances, we would have been very good friends. He was like the first normal person I’d met who was actually close to this family. I couldn’t believe he and Silas were best friends; they were complete opposites. One...