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“Okay,” says Kiara, “there’s no way we’re doing this. I can’t believe I let myself get talked into this mission-quest- thing . My bad luck will go away on its own. If we just give it time—”

“It’s not hiccups,” I point out a little more harshly than I intend.

I’m antsy to set off, and so far all we’ve done is stand around squabbling, squandering daylight.

Even at the last minute, I had the forethought to plan this trip and account for parental worries, while Kiara’s exes have contributed nothing constructive so far.

Too many opinions, too little action. I see no upside to holding their hands the whole way when Kiara and I can do this on our own.

Honestly, their presence is a complication we could do without.

“I don’t want anyone risking their life for me,” Kiara says stubbornly.

“No way, we have to.” Radhika reaches for the pocket of her lightweight gray Patagonia jacket, where a thin paperback sticks out.

Sour recognition hits me when I see the glimpse of the tan cover, the blue ombré of our little corner of the Blue Ridge forests.

I’ve never read the book, but years before I was born, Dad bought a copy when her grandparents published it.

Dad was always baffled that they never saw eye to eye on the dangers of exploiting something so precious.

As far as he was concerned, Henry Prior was a questionable individual with a suspicious, checkered past, but he’d had the right idea about obscuring the location of the wishing well.

The legend of the well should fade, same as the man. Footnotes of history.

“I know I can get us there,” Radhika says. She meets my gaze, and she raises her chin, almost as if she’s daring me to contradict her. Seeing her smugness, I hope Dad used that book as kindling. “Maybe the tourists didn’t make it because they didn’t have the inside track like we do.”

“Um, just to be clear,” says Evan. “By ‘make it,’ do you mean make it to the wishing well or make it out alive? Because that kinda sounds like a deciding factor we should be aware of.”

Tayla elbows them in the side.

Radhika seems to lose some confidence when she says, “My point is, none of them had a descendant of Henry Prior. And we have two .”

Oh, she’s definitely lost confidence if she thinks admitting my connection to the great Henry is going to boost anyone’s spirits.

Maybe Radhika fangirls over the family history, but I have a strong aversion to romanticizing anything about the Prior lineage.

Uncomfortable with the way everyone’s eyes cut to me, I clear my throat.

“Look, we all know the risks. Whatever you decide to do, you need to do it quickly because we’re losing daylight. ”

“What are you talking about?” Radhika uses the book to gesture at the sky. “Bright and sunny.”

I frown. “It gets darker inside. Doesn’t your guidebook have anything in there about that?”

She crosses her arms and doesn’t respond.

“And shouldn’t you have known about not having phone coverage in there?” Caroline asks. “Oh great descendant of Henry Prior?”

“Never thought I’d say this,” says Tayla, “but Nova is right. Madame Aurora was super clear about this: if we don’t make it, Kiara’s bad luck will last forever. So all of you shut up and make your choice.”

“Again, a pretty opaque definition of what ‘make it’ means,” grumbles Evan.

This time, Keiffer is the one who elbows them.

“We can stand around arguing, or we can get moving,” I snap.

“We’ve established that we’ve all got people who will freak out if they can’t reach us, and since we’re going to lose connection in there anyway, I suggest we all leave our phones with my friends so they can respond to messages on our behalf. ”

The commotion is instantaneous.

“You’ve got to be kidding. She’s kidding, right? Right?”

“ WHAT? I don’t want any of you reading my messages!”

“Fuck off, I’m not giving up my phone.”

“I’m not going in there without a connection to the outside world!”

And then one voice breaks through the din.

Tayla, the last person I would ever dream would be my supporter (again), says calmly, “I truly hate to say it, but Nova’s right.

Our parents all think we’re just camping, and if we want any chance of pulling this off, we need them to keep believing that.

Our phones are going to be useless once we get deeper into the forest, so leaving them behind is the only way the cat stays in the proverbial bag. Unless anyone has a better idea?”

They don’t.

I’m momentarily bugged by the fact that she’s essentially repeated my exact plan of action, just more authoritatively. Her get-shit-done attitude was one of the reasons I once had a crush on her, but thankfully I snapped out of it before I could do something truly heinous, like tell her.

“Great,” Tayla says. She smiles at Kiara with more warmth than I’ve seen her give anyone. It’s a bit surreal to see the softness on her normally aloof features. “Solved.”

“Maybe all of you don’t have to come,” Kiara starts to say, but Tayla cuts her off. “Of course we do. We all want to be by your side the whole way. Where you go, we go.”

Kiara loops her arm through Tayla’s and lays her head on the redhead’s shoulder. “Love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Did Tayla just sniff her hair? I blink. WTF. Evan looks equally gobsmacked, but when I meet their brown eyes, they lightly shake their head. A warning, maybe, that I should pretend I didn’t see anything.

The two girls look good together, which makes it all the more sickening.

Jealousy rears its ugly head. It’s hard to fake my nonchalance toward Kiara with Tayla throwing herself at her.

I see zero to like or love about Tayla. The fact I once had a crush on her feels like a lifetime ago.

Like, what was I even thinking? This girl is cutthroat, and she was just such a bitch to me, and Kiara’s acting like…

Tears of frustration pool in my eyes. Do not cry, Nova. Do not cry.

“Now that we all love each other, can we go…?” asks Radhika. She waves her book again.

Keiffer’s wearing his game-day face, all decisive and projecting conviction. “I’m ready.”

“I said I would go, so I will,” Evan says simply when their friends all turn to them. “You’re my friends, and I love you, but you have zero survival skills. Besides, have any of you been camping before?”

Keiffer cocks his head. “And you have? Wait a second, I thought you said it was a family vacation in a rented RV at a national campground that had showers and toilets? Not exactly roughing it.”

Evan smiles enigmatically and sips their tea. Keiffer huffs.

When it’s my turn, I have my answer ready. “Of course I’m with you. If I was already ready to risk bodily injury to save Kiara from a gourd avalanche, might as well risk more life and limb, right?”

“Oh, goody,” says Tayla. She turns to my friends. “Looks like you two are surplus to questing requirements. Austin, you better know how to work that radio. Caroline, I’m trusting you with my phone. If you open or read or mess with anything you shouldn’t, believe me, I will know.”

“What she means is,” Kiara says hastily, “that we really appreciate you hanging back to look out for us. The fact you’re even here means so much to me, I can’t even tell you.” Her eyes are watery, like she’s really moved by their presence. “Are you sure you’re both okay with setting up base camp…?”

“Okay with it?” Austin’s smile is grim. “I’d prefer it. I’m very much an indoor cat.”

Caroline nods emphatically.

Even though this split-up was always the plan, every inch of me wants to balk.

From a two-person trip of just me and Kiara, it’s now ballooned to her entire friend group.

Just me, Kiara, and four people who love her.

Including one who seems to hate me. Terrific.

If there’s ever a bear eating or mauling situation, I can imagine who else Tayla would determine is surplus to requirements .

But on the other hand, maybe the alone time will get Austin and Caroline to actually go for it instead of tiptoeing around me.

Truly, how much more obvious can I make it that I’d love for my two best friends to get together?

They’re perfect for each other, but their pesky internal friend code is clearly a blockade.

“So that’s settled,” I say with a forced cheerfulness.

Finally. They really suck at falling in line.

Caroline grabs my hand and tugs me to the side. “Are you sure about this?” Her gaze flits over my shoulder. “It’s five of them and only one of you.”

“Just because I’m not a member of Kiara’s entourage doesn’t mean they’re going to leave me for dead in the forest somewhere with just the squirrels and birds to keep me company.” Probably not anyway.

She huffs. “I didn’t mean it in a murder-y true-crime documentary way, Nova.”

“Whew.”

“Quit being sarcastic. Are you going to be okay is what I’m asking.

” She lowers her voice, but it occurs to me that we’re not standing far enough away for true secrecy.

With those furtive little glances over my shoulder, she’s not exactly subtle.

“They’re all a little, well, protective of her, aren’t they?

” The delicate way Caroline pauses leaves no doubt that what she really means is possessive.

Lower still, she says, “And Tayla…” She trails off, biting her lip.

“Is right there,” I point out. “It’s pretty obvious we’re talking about them, Care.”

“You don’t have to go.”

I sigh. “Yes, I do. You know why.”

There’s nothing she can say to that, and she knows it.