Page 19 of Dream Weaver

That was Nash, Erin’s badass partner, a dragon shifter. Puffs of fire lit the sky as he sliced through the air, guarding us fiercely.

But was there actually a threat out there or just a disturbance?

To the northeast, a thin line of orange crept over the horizon, and I called to Erin.Feels like it’s coming from over there.

Silence reigned while we both tuned in.

Airport Mesa?Erin asked at the very moment I’d come to the same conclusion.

I tensed through the next rumble, grabbing one of the porch posts.

In my mind, I sensed Erin moving.Where are you going?

Over to the cliff. Hang on…

Nash swooped lower, protecting the airspace above her.

The cliffmeant the vortex — Erin’s vortex. At least, that’s how I thought of it. Our great-aunt had shown each of us a different vortex — or a different portal to the same vortex — years ago. Pippa’s was over to the west, and mine was up on the mesa.

When the air rumbled again, I winced, imagining the earth groaning. Somewhere, someone was picking away at the magic embedded in Sedona’s landscape. Stealing it, almost, like gold from an off-limits mine.

The vortex pulses at the same time,Erin reported.Faintly, but I can feel it.

I closed my eyes, reaching out to my special place. At the next pulse of that mysterious disturbance, my vortex reacted. Twitching, almost, like a horse irritated by flies.

Nash grumbled loudly, swooping lower.

We’ll go check it out,Erin told me.

And,whoosh!A second winged shadow joined Nash, and they shot off toward Airport Mesa.

“Be careful,” I whispered.

I tensed, expecting another ripple in the air at the same interval as the previous disturbances. But there was nothing.

Too bad Pippa and Ingo weren’t home. Ingo would have shot off in his government-issued Jeep to start investigating immediately. Protecting people was his job — and his passion — as an officer in supernatural law enforcement. But he and Pippa were in Colorado.

Twenty tense minutes passed. I shuffled from foot to foot, trying to keep warm. The colors in the sky intensified as the sun approached the horizon. Soon, it would be light and too risky to fly around in dragon form.

Right on cue, Erin and Nash swept into sight, then glided into smooth landings. Erin shook out her wings, making my hair ruffle.

My sister, the dragon shifter. I was only slightly jealous, I swear.

“Did you see anything?” I called out as Roscoe cowered behind my legs.

Yes and no,she reported.There were a couple of parked cars at the trailhead and a few people out on Airport Mesa, but that’s not unusual.

True. Folks often headed up to Airport Mesa for the sunrise.

We looked at each other. The disturbance had stopped, but that didn’t put me at ease.

Weird,Erin concluded.

Nash disappeared behind the cabin and emerged a short time later in human form, dressed, and ready to race off in his vehicle.

“I’ll catch up with you at work,” Nash said, kissing Erin goodbye as the sun rose over the horizon.

She hugged him as if he were going off to battle.

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