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Uniforms. Searchers. A medic.

I had never seen that many faces look that afraid at once.

Mom reached me carefully. Not a hug at first.

Her hands.

Both of them on my face, my hair, my shoulders, like she couldn’t decide what part of me proved I was real.

“Oh my God,” she said. Her blue eyes were swollen. She had been crying for hours.

“Mom.” She made a sound. Then she folded around me.

Declan loosened his hold enough to let her. Not enough to let me fall.

“You were there,” she said into my hair. “I had you, and I let you go.”

“Mom—”

“And then I couldn’t catch you.” Her voice broke apart. “It wasn’t close. Hazel, it wasn’t even close. You disappeared so fast.”

I shut my eyes.

Her fingers tightened in my torn shirt.

“You slipped through my fingers so easily.”

“Sunshine,” Dad said quietly.

“No.” She shook her head against me. “I was right there.”

I found enough strength to get one arm around her.

“You didn’t let me do anything.”

She pulled back and stared at me.

“I ran.”

“I know.”

“I don’t think I could’ve stopped.”

Her face collapsed.

Dad put one hand against the back of her neck.

Riot stood beside him, filthy from the knees down.

His shirt had a tear across one shoulder.

Clayton had mud up one leg.

Rook had a flashlight clipped to his belt and one long, bloody scratch down one forearm.

Ruckus looked like he had fought every tree between here and the house personally.

Micah’s hair was wet with sweat.