Where was Keith? His rifle was gone and the campsite packed up, all but the canvas bedroll she’d slept on. She sat up, rubbing her bleary eyes with panic blooming in her chest as the events of last night replayed in her mind. She reached up to touch the bear tooth necklace and felt instantly at ease. Was it a psychosomatic response, or did her new talisman really have some kind of supernatural power? Laughing at herself, she reached for her boots, but then remembered Keith’s warning to check them first. She shook them upside down and shrieked at the two scorpions that tumbled out. She frantically smashed one with her boot heel but the other managed to scurry away. Her cry must have alerted Keith. He appeared a moment later, a frown etching his brow. “I heard a scream. Are you okay?” “Yes.” She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Just scorpions.” “You didn’t get stung, did you?”
