The tree swung open.
Serena walked back through the root-tunnel, stepped out of the juniper tree, and shut the knot behind her. In her pocket, the berry pulsed like a tiny green heart. serena hill juniper
"Who are you?" Serena whispered.
The mason jar in Serena's hand suddenly felt heavy. She understood: she hadn't come to capture anything. She'd come to offer. The tree swung open
She slipped out after midnight, a flashlight in one hand and a mason jar in the other—to catch whatever the tree exhaled. The knot was warm, alive. She pressed her palm flat against it. Instead of wood, she felt a latch. stepped out of the juniper tree