Prologue
Starla clutched heriPad, fear making her reach for her sister Aurora.
She sat in the back of her dad’s Tahoe with her seventeen-year-old sister while her parents sat up front, driving through a storm.Although they were ten years apart, many who saw them together assumed they weren’t related because of how different they appeared.She wished she looked more like her sister with her straight, black hair and bright blue eyes.But she looked more like her dad with blonde hair.
Her mother leaned across the console toward her father.The long curtain of her dark hair obscured her face as she kissed his cheek.She whispered something that made him laugh.Starla let out a sigh.If they were laughing, then it couldn’t be too bad outside.She hated storms, though.
“Mommy kissed Daddy.That’s eleven,” she chirped.
“Are you keeping count, Biddy Bee?”their dad asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror.
Starla scrunched up her nose.“I’m not a bee, daddy.”She glared at the front of the SUV rather than the iPad in her lap until their father lifted his hand in surrender.He never called her sister silly names.
Aurora returned to listening to her playlist, nodding along to some song Starla couldn’t hear.She glanced back at her tablet, focusing on the birds on the screen.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the water looked higher.It reminded her of large hands reaching up as if they wanted to pull them into the scary depths.“Mommy, the water looks really scary,” she cried.
Her mom turned around and patted her leg.Starla tried to smile, but their dad cursed.A loud crash beside them shook the ground.Her father ordered her mom to hold on.The guardrail that should have been there was gone—washed away—and part of the highway was missing as well.
A loud crack followed by a boom filled the air as a bright light flashed.Rain pelted the windshield.She closed her eyes, trying not to cry out.
“Dad,” Aurora whispered.
“Hold tight,” he said.His deep voice sounded worried.Her dad never sounded anything but strong.
Starla whimpered.Aurora took her hand as their vehicle slid back and forth.
Her mother glanced back at her, then at her sister Aurora.The look in her dark eyes made Starla’s stomach hurt.Her parents promised they’d have a great adventure.They knew Starla hated storms since she’d gotten lost alone during a family camping trip when she’d been four.Nobody knew how or why she’d gone off in the middle of the night.The only thing she remembered was waking up during a storm with lightning flashing all around them, like now.
Earlier, there’d been no sign of a storm, but now they were driving into something terrifying.Starla held her breath, hoping it was a bad dream.
“Starla, you need to breathe, Biddy Bee,” her mother said.
“The water looks like it’s come alive, Mommy.”
Starla looked over at her sister, Aurora.Usually, she could count on her to calm her, but she was shaking her head and squeezing Starla’s hand a little too tightly.Starla cried out as the feeling of her fingers grinding together became too painful.
“Sorry, sorry,” Aurora mumbled, releasing her grip slightly.
The engine's rumble grew lower as their dad slowed, dodging debris on the road.Why didn’t he stop and turn around?
“Ivan, maybe we should stop and go back,” her mother said.
The sound of leather squeaking filled the Tahoe.His voice was always gentle, even when angry.
“Gemma, look behind us, baby.I can’t go back even if I wanted to.”
Her sister looked over the backseat and gasped.Her beautiful blue eyes widened.Their vehicle swayed back and forth.It was as if a hurricane had hit them, bringing down several trees and blocking the path.
“Aurora, stay seated, sweetheart.”Their mother, Gemma, glanced backward, giving them both a smile.“No matter what happens, as long as we’re together, we’ll be fine.”
Starla grabbed her backpack from the center of the seat and shoved her iPad into it.Aurora reached for her hand again, giving it a gentle squeeze.Nobody spoke as their dad drove really slowly.She wanted to tell him to speed up.Tears dripped down her face, but she didn’t make a sound out of fear she’d make her dad wreck.
Lightning lit up the sky, making her flinch.Thunder boomed, shaking their vehicle.She bit her lip hard enough to break the skin.
A crash behind them pulled a scream from both her and Aurora.Their big SUV jerked.Her dad and mom yelled at the same time.Her father twisted the wheel of the Tahoe, swerving perilously close to the crumbling side of the cliff edge.Starla held onto Aurora’s hand tighter, panicked that they’d be lifted and slammed back to the ground.
“Aurora, what’s happening?”she asked.
