Something tapped on the window. Three soft taptaptaps, then silence, then taptaptap again. Tree branch? Polite woodpecker? Whatever it was would wake Jeremy any minute now if Rafe didn’t put a stop to it. Jeremy had already stirred in his sleep and dropped his arm across Rafe’s chest. Luckily, he’d had plenty of practice escaping from Jeremy’s arm trap. He eased sideways and put Jeremy’s arm down onto the pillow. Worked like a charm. He found his jeans and T-shirt from yesterday and pulled them on.

Quietly, he slipped down the stairs and out the back door. Spring was finally coming to Starcross. A carpet of wild ginger damp with morning dew tickled his bare feet as he walked the garden looking for whatever had woken him.

The sun rose over the trees. As the long shadows stretched and danced in a breeze, for a moment no longer than the span between two heartbeats, the garden came alive. The unicorn raised her head high and the silver tiger opened its mouth to roar, and the red crow spread her wings, and Queen Skya turned her head and winked at him.

Then it was over. Had he imagined it? Were the remnants of a dream still swirling through his brain?

A single red feather wafted down on the wind and landed at his feet. He picked it up.

“What is it?” Jeremy asked. He stood in the doorway half-dressed and wide awake.

Rafe walked over to him and held up the feather. Jeremy took it from him and then looked up and around.

“Aurora. Did you see her?”

“No,” Rafe said. “She just left her calling card. What do you think it means?”

Jeremy didn’t answer at first, only stared at the feather in his hand.

“I dreamed we went back to the Crow last night. Emilie was there with a gift for us.”

“What gift?”

“I don’t know. I woke up before we opened the box.”

They looked at each other without speaking. They hadn’t been back to the Crow since their return. They’d talked about going to see—just in case—but kept putting it off like a visit to the doctor when you know it’ll be bad news.

“Wouldn’t hurt to look,” Jeremy finally said.

Rafe said, “I’ll drive.”

When he got behind the wheel and turned the key, the radio came on playing “Landslide” by Stevie Nicks.

“All right, Emilie,” Rafe muttered. “We’re coming.”

The song played on. Jeremy said, “It’s not my favorite. Too sentimental.”

“You’re getting a message from another world, and you’re complaining about the song choice?”

“I’m only saying I would have picked ‘Edge of Seventeen’ or maybe ‘Stand Back.’ I like her solo work better.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“I have never denied that.”

“It’s a good thing I love you,” Rafe said.

“Or what?”

“Nothing. It’s just a good thing I love you.”

Jeremy grinned. “It’s a very good thing.”

Rafe got them to Red Crow in what was probably record time, even for him.

The day was nothing like the day they had left with Emilie. Spring instead of fall. Sun instead of rain. Wildflowers blooming instead of leaves dying. And when Rafe stepped onto the path, he felt—

“Nothing,” he said.

“You sure?”

“Last time I felt something pulling me in. Not now. I mean…I know the way, but I don’t feel that, you know—”

“Magic?”

He nodded.

Jeremy shoved his hands into the pockets of his fleece jacket and shrugged.

“We can still look. Why not, right?” Rafe said.

“Can’t hurt to try. Lead the way.”

Rafe did remember the way, more or less, though he had to go more slowly and pay attention.

They found the game trail to the Goblin Falls without any trouble, and then a little farther in, they found the hill. Last time they’d scrambled up the steep eastern face of it, but this time they took the long way up the southern slope, as if they both wanted to put off the inevitable.

They reached the top and found the strange tree.

Jeremy went to the hollow and put his hand inside it.

“Nothing,” he said.

“Skya warned us.”

“I know,” Jeremy said, “but then why…bring us here?”

Rafe didn’t answer. Jeremy answered himself. “Maybe they didn’t. Maybe we just wanted to believe.” His exhalation turned to mist in the cool morning air. “It was such a good dream, though. Emilie was so happy to see us.”

“Come on,” Rafe said. “Let’s go home.”

They took the long way down the hill, following an ancient deer path.

When they reached the bottom, Jeremy pointed ahead. “That’s where that nurse and her boyfriend found us. I wonder what ever—”

“Jay?”

“Look.” He grabbed Rafe and turned him forward.