“In Falling Rock Forest?” Alex pipes up. “Inconceivable!”
Morgan calls him an ass, Romina threatens to fight Morgan, Luna reminds her that she can’t fight anybody because she might be pregnant, and somebody yells, “Did you saypregnant?”
We all look up. Aisling and Cannon are clinging to the cliff face.
The sound that Luna unleashes is the closest that any of us, on this side of mortality, will get to hearing the gates of hell wrench open. “Aisling Gwenelieve Tempest! You were supposed to stay home!”
“I’m going to be an aunt!” Ash sings.
“Cousin,” I correct.
Cannon is in tears. “I’m so sorry! I told her it was a badidea. She made me do this. I wanted to stay home and practice tempering chocolate!”
Luna swears. Apologizes for swearing in front of Cannon. “I knew I should’ve left you two with Alex’s mom and Miles. You know better!”
“I’m not sure that I do know better,” Ash replies honestly. “I can’t believe you were gonna deprive me of seeing a lion.” Her right foot slides in its hold, more rocks crumbling away. The shards of cliff bounce and skitter to their deaths far below. The lionfish sneezes as dust billows into his nose.
“Hold on,” Luna tells them. “Mommy’s coming.” She begins to crawl across tree branches, working her way in their direction. The bough I’m perched on wobbles when her weight sinks onto it.
I scrabble to stay in place. “Careful!”
“I’m saving my babies,” she hisses.
Crrrraaaaack!
My branch snaps. Luna grabs the one above us and I fall to the one below, swinging upside down with the backs of my knees gripping rough bark. My long hair spills like a ladder for the lionfish to climb, its tips hangingjustabove his swatting paws. “Sit up!” Luna yells, as if she isn’t responsible for how I got into this position.
An upside-down Forte falls out of his sling.
“Pliggguck shhurr!” he yowls, legs kicking, parachuting into a grand piano in midair. He falls with a melodicthunkonto the lion. The piano rattles, yowls, and shrinks back into a gingersnappus, scrabbling back up the tree.
“What happened?” Trevor screams. “Why aren’t I wearing a body camera at all times?”
“I think a tree branch fell on the lion,” Alex says.
It certainly wasn’t a tree branch, but in all the commotion, nobody saw what happened clearly. Or perhaps their brains rejected the sight of a cat turning into a piano. They’ve endured too much for one day.
My sisters haul me upright just as the blood pooling in my head begins to pound, and catch me when I get the spins.
Aisling risks her grip to get a better view. “Is the lion all right?”
The lionfish is grumbling, fins switching furiously. “I think so,” I say. He decides he’s had enough of this and lopes off in search of an easier meal. We watch him disappear into the trees.
I inspect Forte, who pins his ears back and scratches my arm. Seems to be in normal spirits.
“Gas leak,” Alex is muttering as we climb down. “Forest gas. A mirage. We’re all dehydrated. Only way to explain lions in the woods.”
Once we’re on the ground again, Luna hugs her daughter tight. “I’m so happy you’re safe. You are in the biggest trouble.”
“The smartest thing to do now is stick together,” Alex tells us, as Trevor shouts, “Split up! It can’t eat us all if we go in different directions!” Then he bolts.
Madness ensues.
Romina panics and runs after Trevor; Alex panics and runs after Romina. Aisling pounces on the opportunity to escape her inevitable grounding and tries to peel off with areluctant, regretful Cannon in tow. Luna tracks them down, and soon I hear whining.
Morgan yanks a hand through his hair. “You need to stay with Zelda!” he bellows. “You idiots! She’s the only one who can sense where to go!”
We return Forte to his sling, then take off after them.
