You okay?" Rafe said when the bear was gone.
I sat on a branch and pulled my foot up. My sock was ripped, but the bear's teeth hadn't broken the skin. I squeezed my foot and winced.
"Just bruised," I said.
"Maya?" Daniel called.
I tried to see him but couldn't through the thick evergreens.
"We're fine!" I yelled. "You?"
He said he was all right, and I was about to climb down, when Rafe climbed over to my branch and crouched there.
"Seems that control-over-animals thing doesn't work so well with the animals we really need control over."
"No kidding, huh?" I said.
His head tilted as he scanned the forest. When he glanced back at me, I thought he was going to say something, but he only nodded toward the ground and said, "We should go. Fire's still coming. I can smell it."
I twisted to kneel on the branch, so I could lower myself to the next one. As I did, I glanced up and realized we were in the biggest tree around. Which gave me an idea.
"I'm going higher first," I said, "to look around for Annie."
"Good idea."
I called down to Daniel to say what we were doing. Rafe was already two branches above me. I scrambled up after him. The faster I went, the faster he did, and I thought it was just coincidence until he grinned down at me.
I sat on a branch and pulled my foot up. My sock was ripped, but the bear's teeth hadn't broken the skin. I squeezed my foot and winced.
"Just bruised," I said.
"Maya?" Daniel called.
I tried to see him but couldn't through the thick evergreens.
"We're fine!" I yelled. "You?"
He said he was all right, and I was about to climb down, when Rafe climbed over to my branch and crouched there.
"Seems that control-over-animals thing doesn't work so well with the animals we really need control over."
"No kidding, huh?" I said.
His head tilted as he scanned the forest. When he glanced back at me, I thought he was going to say something, but he only nodded toward the ground and said, "We should go. Fire's still coming. I can smell it."
I twisted to kneel on the branch, so I could lower myself to the next one. As I did, I glanced up and realized we were in the biggest tree around. Which gave me an idea.
"I'm going higher first," I said, "to look around for Annie."
"Good idea."
I called down to Daniel to say what we were doing. Rafe was already two branches above me. I scrambled up after him. The faster I went, the faster he did, and I thought it was just coincidence until he grinned down at me.
( Kelley Armstrong )
[ The Gathering ]
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