Page 73 of Clearly Charmed

I helped Mara stand, cautioning her not to make any jarring movements to protect her collarbone. Once she was upright, I took Banjo from her and that jolt of pain and heat flooded my veins. The taste of steel and copper sat heavy on my tongue. He definitely had a few broken bones.

Lia stepped closer. A white helmet with a goalie-type mask dangled from her fingers.

Mara shrank back. ‘What’s that for?’

‘I need you to wear it. The helmet protects your head inside the litter, and the goalie shield will make sure falling rocks or dirt don’t hit your face. But that won’t be a problem, because I’m a total pro.’

Lia winked at Mara, who gave her a confident smile back. ‘I believe you.’

Once the helmet was on Mara, the snap secured beneath her chin, Lia helped her lie down inside the litter.

‘It’s like being in an open coffin.’

I hated that Mara even knew that image.

‘Consider it more of an open-air swing, with the rest of us just giving you gentle pushes upward.’ Lia gave a firm nod to reassure her.

Mara tucked her chin and closed her eyes. ‘Okay, I’ll picture that and not me swaying thirty feet above the river.’

‘Smart girl,’ Lia murmured as she strapped her in with what she called webbing before cinching four thick black bands over Mara’s chest, torso, thighs and ankles.

‘You’re in good hands with Lee,’ I said, gently patting Mara’s hand.

‘Thank you, Dr McGuire, for finding me. I’ll never forget it.’

Lia gave me a dark look before she clipped a rope to her chest harness. She radioed back to the team that she was ascending. With a quick yank on the ropes, Lia’s body slid beneath the basket as if she was cradling it in her lap. Inch by inch, she pulleyed her way back up the ridge with Mara.

I waited for a half hour until Lia rappelled back down with extra ropes and a harness for me.

‘What the fuck, Dani?’ she said as soon as her feet hit the ground. ‘Did you slide down here on purpose? I was halfway into the forest, and it was like a rubber band snapped in my chest. Ast felt it too. We panicked when we couldn’t find you.’

‘I stopped on the trail because I sensed movement, and there were these pika all lined up at the edge of the ridge like they were telling me she was here.’

Her angry resolve crumbled, and she swiped at her watery eyes. ‘Mara must have been terrified. Why didn’t Ast sense her fear? Better yet, why couldn’t I scent her? See where she fell?’

‘Up this high, the wind and the mist from the river below could have interfered with your skills. She also said she shot off the side of the ridge while running. With all the gravel around here, and the traffic from the hikers, it’d be easy to miss.’

She didn’t like my answer and crossed her arms over her chest. ‘What about Ast?’

‘When I found Mara, she was asleep. Poor kid was exhausted. That’s why Ast couldn’t sense her panic.’

Her rigid shoulders gave way as she scanned my torn coveralls. ‘I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.’ Her voice broke. ‘These past months have been hard, and I’m sorry if I’ve been grumpier than usual.’ She pulled me into a tight hug with Banjo nestled between us. ‘You are my rock, you know that, right?’

‘Yep. Just like you’re mine,’ I said wincing slightly.

She pulled back and blinked away tears, surveying the cuts on my arms. ‘You’re sure you are okay?’

‘Yes, I’m lucky I only have a few scrapes.’

‘Isn’t that the damn truth.’ Her jaw went hard. ‘Give me a quick explanation of how you ended up all the way in the hell down here.’

After I explained about the glimmer of silver on Banjo’s collar, and my idiotic mistake on the ledge, she grabbed my hands. ‘Don’t you ever scare me like that again.’

‘I promise, no more careening off ledges.’

She grimaced before reaching down to grab the climbing gear she’d brought. ‘Can you do this on your own, or should the guys send the litter back down for you?’ she said with way too much snark.

‘Shut up and help me get back up the ridge.’