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“So, what happened? What’s next?”

“A lot happened, and I can’t explain it all right now.”

“That’s okay. You sound shaky. Are you alright?”

“I’m alright.”

There was a long pause, then Riss asked in a calm, low voice, “We’re not meeting up with you in the next town, are we?”

I closed my eyes, laying my head back on the headrest. “No. We’re not.”

I half expected Riss to start yelling at me. In preparation, I held the phone a little aloft, but after a long moment, Riss said coldly, “I thought you trusted us more than that.”

“That’s not why I’m ditching you guys. I can’t drag you into anything more. Not after... Not after what I did tonight.”

Blood in the snow. Dead eyes. Animal howls of warning.

Only more death was coming for us until we figured out how to escape the Winters for good, and I refused to let my friends partake in any more of it.

I had Everly, I had Fox, and we got Corbin out, too. Friends were a luxury I couldn’t afford right now.

I pictured Riss fuming on the other end of the phone, stewing in her seat with a deeply creased frown. From the sound of her heavy breathing, my mental image was probably pretty accurate.

“Riss, listen,” I started again. “I’m gonna get in touch with you again soon. Once we have our plan set up. We’re going to the safe house tonight, and you guys should go home. Get as far from Bald Eagle Forest as you can.”

“This is ridiculous,” she started to gripe.

“And don’t, whatever you do, call the police,” I added emphatically. “More people will die that way until we gather the proper evidence. If we try to blow the Winters’ cover now, it’s just gonna end with more dead officers and innocent bystanders.” A glance out of the corner of my eye at Fox had me adding. “I don’t even know if we want to go to the police with any of this yet.”

“Not go to the—Are you nuts?” Riss huffed. A shuffle sounded, like she was switching which ear she held the phone to. “Rae, listen to me. We gotta go to the police eventually. The Winters are serial killers and madmen. We can’t just do nothing.”

“I know. I... I know...” Closing my eyes, I tried to keep the demon at bay that wanted to turn back right this second and shoot every Winter I came in contact with. Hopefully, starting with Arthur.

Fox kept me from moving a muscle though. There was more to this story he needed to tell me. More about his family I didn’t understand. More about his past and his genetics I needed to grasp before I made another violent move.

His healing and Everly’s safety were more important than anything right now. I had to let go of my vengeance. For them.

For now.

“Arthur could be coming after you right now,” Riss argued. Her voice grew louder, higher pitched, like she was gearing up for the irrefutable part of her debate. “He knows your name. Your face. He could—”

“Riss, I know,” I growled. “I can’t debate with you right now. But believe me, I know better than anyone that the trouble didn’t end here tonight. That’s why I need you to stay away from me for a little. We’ll be at the safe house. It’ll be okay.”

“You need to charge your phone as soon as you get there so I can track you—”

“I lost my phone, and you already missed too much school. You should go back and finish the semester.”

She kept going like I hadn’t said a word. “Call me as soon as you plan your next move, and don’t make it till you talk to me. Actually, call me before you make any plans. You know your plans always have flaws, and I can objectively help you figure out the best course of action.”

I blew out a breath, a tired smile on my lips. “You aren’t even a little objective when it comes to me, Riss. That’s why I love you. Tell the others I love them, too. Okay? Just go home. Get some rest. You all earned it.”

“Rae, please—”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

With that, I hung up before she could say another word. Before she could rage or carry on. Riss had a tenacity when it came to talking circles around people. Her defining move was to talk a topic to death until someone gave in out of sheer lack of resilience. I could believe wholeheartedly in something and still take Riss’s side at the end of the debate just to make it stop. Just to give my brain a break from her slew of facts and reasoning.

I loved her, but I didn’t have any patience left to let her talk circles around me tonight.