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PROLOGUE

ELLIOT

Fifteen days ago

“Elliot? Elliot? Shit, shit, shit! It’s his voicemail!”

My world came to a standstill the moment I heard her sweet voice For a split second, I allowed the familiarity of it to wash over me before reality slammed into me I hadn’t heard that voice on the phone, or in person, in four very long years The closest I’d got hen I watched old videos that she was in

“Noah?”

The disbelief in istered withflood of shock and confusion the second I uttered those two little syllables With ers to the silver calla lily pendant that suddenly felt heavy against my chest

“Help us,” she sobbed, the sound causing my heart to clench “Oh God Please, I don’t knohat to do! Bailey, what’re we gonna do? It’s so dark, put the high beams on”

My grip onhitched I reminded myself that the voicemail came from my sister’s phone Noah ith my sister and I had no idea why I suddenly felt like I was free-falling and no one was around to catchdown at the rice I was cooking I watched the water bubble through blurred eyes as my senses focused on the call

“Oh God, oh God!” Noah sobbed “Bailey, you’re going too fast!”

The line began to break up and I clutchedthe call didn’t drop

“Tulse Hill,” she whimpered “Elliot, we’re on – Bailey, slon!”

“I’m tryin’!” my sister’s panic-laced voice shouted “I can’t stop, it’s black ice! We’re slidin’!”

“Elliot!” Noah screamed as the line broke up “Elliot, help us Tulse HillPlease, pleasegoing to killBailey! Look out!”

I had never felt true bone-rattling fear until I heard my sister’s terror-filled screaripped on to the counter to keepFor what seemed like an eternity, I didn’t move I felt like I wasn’t in control ofwasn’t real I sed The haunting silence that filled the roohter from the common room seemed to snap me back into reality I pushed the pot of rice off the burner, switched the hob off, then ran into the rooathered