Page 133 of Beneath the Mountain Sky
Dr. Bird opens his mouth to argue, but one look at me and he shifts forward slightly in his seat toward her. “Willow, remember you’re safe, you’re warm, you’re comfortable. You’re in Killian’s arms in the cabin.”
I step closer to her, afraid to do anything that might hurt her while she’s still under hypnosis, but needing to help. Needing to do something.
The doctor motions for me that it’s okay to touch her, and I wrap my arms around her, dragging her up out of the chair and into my embrace.
Willow buries her face against my neck and sobs as I hold her, keeping her upright because her legs won’t do it on their own.
Dr. Bird continues to direct her. “Keep breathing in, out. In, out. And when you wake up, you’re going to remember everything that you told me, but you’ll feel safe. There will be no panic. No more fear.” He watches us for a moment, allowing her to breathe deeply a few times. “Willow, open your eyes.”
They flutter open, and she tilts her head to look up at me, tears streaming down her face.
“I’m so sorry, Honeybee.” I swallow through the giant lump in my throat. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
She presses her cheek to my chest, and I exchange a look with the doctor.
Raven approaches from where she waited and rests her hand on Willow’s shoulder, rubbing it gently, whispering something I can’t hear.
I scowl at Dr. Bird. “I think we’re done for today.”
He nods, sliding his notebook into his bag and grabbing it from the floor. “You know how to get in touch with me if she wants to try again. Make sure she gets lots of rest tonight.”
Something tells me that won’t be happening.
Not now that she remembers.
It may not be everything.
But it’s enough.
He slips out of the office, leaving her trembling in my arms.
I tighten my grip on her. “Let me take you home, Honeybee.”
We can discuss all this later, when she’s up for it and ready to. I won’t force it now. Not when she’s so shaken.
Willow pushes away from me, takes a step back, and shakes her head. “No.” She swipes at her tears with determination, looking from me to Raven to Sheriff Briggs and Connor and Liam. “There’s a reason I wanted to do this here.”
I try to pull her into my arms again, but she holds up a hand, stopping me. “Why?”
“Because when I was looking at your tattoo last night…”—she walks over to where all the old maps hang—“it made me think about something.”
Liam pushes off the wall. “What?”
Connor, Tony, and Raven join us in front of the maps.
Willow tilts her head, examining all of them. “I was in here the other day with Connor looking at these. And I realize they’re all a little different.”
I nod. “Of course, they are. Some of these are two hundred years old.”
“Right…” She points to one of the older ones on the far left. “And this one has a lot of things on it that these”—she motions to the newer ones—“don’t.”
“Yeah.” I nod, scanning the oldest of the maps. “Old logging trails, places we can’t work anymore, where we’ve planted and need to wait for regrowth.”
She turns back to face me. “I had to be somewhere there aren’t a lot of people, somewhere very remote, if no one saw me for a year, right?”
Everyone bobs their heads in agreement.
Her lips twist. “But all of those gifts and notes that went to Raven had to be from someone who knew that if I just disappeared, she would call on the cavalry. Someone had to get me to write them to keep her from looking for me…which means it had to be someone who was close enough to town to know about my relationship with her.”
