Her room was spotless, ready for her replacement. Still, Honey kept finding things to do—remaking the bed with fresh sheets, dusting out every nook and cranny of the shelves. She even fetched a bucket of water and carefully washed the window. Twice.
Still, no one came.
By the time it was coming up to mid-morning, Honey could find no more excuses to delay.
It’s for the best,she tried to tell herself as she left her room for the last time.At least this way, I can stay strong.
It had been hard enough to end things last night, when she’d been filled with hurt and betrayal. If he’d come to her now, all that fierce strength and uncompromising will focused on changing her mind… well, it would have been all too easy to let him talk her round.
But that would have been making the same mistake that she’d made all those years ago. Another man insisting that everything was fine, when she knew down to her bones that it wasn’t.
The rest of the cabin was silent, all the campers and counselors away on morning activities. She paused for a moment in the main dorm, brushing her fingertips across each bed in silent farewell—Beth’s neatly turned-back sheets, Flora’s scrunched-up nest of blankets. Claire’s drawings of flowers and animals tacked along the wall above her bunk; Estelle’s, a tatty, treasured crochet blanket hidden under the pillow.
“Goodbye,” Honey whispered.
If she didn’t leave now, she never would. Blinking hard, Honey made herself stride firmly out of the cabin.
Or at least, she tried to. Her foot caught on something just outside the front door, and she nearly pitched head first down the porch stairs. Whatever she’d stumbled over let out a startledmmmmmrrrp!
Honey caught herself on the porch railing, heart hammering. She tried to see what she’d tripped over, but there was nothing there. Just the mottled wood of the porch deck…
Which, as she watched, rippled, changing color. Weathered wood grain faded to white fur, patterned with anxious blue and orange spots.
“Claire?” Honey said, startled. “What are you doing here?”
The chameleopard’s tail was puffed out like a bottle-brush. Her spots swirled through a whole kaleidoscope of colors, settling on pulsating shades of red and orange. She yowled—the loudest sound Honey had ever heard Claire make in any form.
“Claire, you’re supposed to be down at the lake with the others!” Honey could easily imagine quiet Claire managing to slip away without anyone noticing she’d gone missing. “What’s the matter? Did you want to say goodbye?”
Claire yowled again, even louder. A moment later, something hit the porch roof in a scrabble of claws. Honey’s heart leaped—but then a beak poked over the edge. Golden eyes blinked at her owlishly, upside-down.
“Oh, it’s you, Rufus,” she said, the stupid surge of hope fading as quickly as it had come. “Does Buck know that you’re here? Where’s the rest of the pack?”
Rufus leaped down from the roof, landing with catlike ease. Shifting into human form, he grabbed her hand. With his other, he pointed into the woods.
“They’ve gone for a hike?” Honey guessed, but Rufus shook his head. He tugged at her hand more urgently. Behind her, Claire bumped her head against the back of Honey’s knees.
“Is something wrong?” Honey was starting to get worried now. “Claire, sweetheart, go inside so you can shift and get dressed. Then you’ll be able to tell me what’s the matter.”
Claire’s spots flashed an alarmed bright red. She exchanged a look with Rufus, then bumped the back of Honey’s legs again.
They clearly wanted her to go with them, and right now. Honey cast a brief glance in the direction of the central camp area, wondering whether to go find Zephyr or Leonie, but something told her there wasn’t time. She had a strange, gut-deep sense of urgency that wasn’t entirely due to the children’s peculiar behavior.
“All right, I’ll come with you,” she said, and saw Claire’s spots fade to a more relaxed mauve. “But I wish you’d tell me what’s going on.”
She let Claire and Rufus lead her away from the cabins. At first, she thought they were headed for the woods, but as they approached the trees Rufus surged forward to bar the way, shaking his head at Claire. The chameleopard doubled back, leading Honey the other way instead.
Honey couldn’t help glancing back at the woods, some strange impulse to go that way pulling at her heart. “Are yousureyou know where we’re going, kids?”
Claire’s spots rippled pink, then settled on a steady orange. She bounded ahead, letting out a littlemmmrp!sound as though to encourage Honey to keep up.
Increasingly bemused, Honey allowed them to take her on what seemed to be a rather random circuit of the camp. The only constant seemed to be that they consistently steered her away from other people, especially staff. Whatever Rufus and Claire were doing, they clearly didn’t want to get caught.
“All right,” she said at last, coming to a halt. They were way off on the far side of camp now, almost at the fence that marked the boundary. “That’s enough. Are you two just trying to delay me?”
Claire and Rufus exchanged wide-eyed glances. Honey definitely read guilt in their expressions.
She sighed, kneeling to stroke Claire’s soft, furry head. “It’s all right. I’m not mad. It’s sweet that you want to keep me here. But I really have to go now. I’m supposed to have left an hour ago.”
