Page 92 of Dream Weaver

Ha. I pulled my lips back to show off mine with an earsplitting roar.

Three of us and only one of you,his snarl implied.

Yeah, well. I was three times their size, and the narrow bridge would make it hard for them to attack at once.

A gust of wind tore over the bridge, and I dropped back to all fours. Even the cougars put their bellies to the ground, while Abby crouched.

Then the leader leaped forward, catching me off guard. Claws parted my thick fur, but only two sliced my skin. I roared and swung back. We slammed together, and I heaved to one side.

“Watch out!” Abby yelled as momentum carried me toward the edge.

The cougar scrambled wildly, and I thrust my front paws out, barely managing to hit the brakes before skidding over the edge.

With a panicked yowl, the cougar tumbled past me and disappeared. The wind lulled just long enough to let the sound of a sickening thump reach us from below. Then the wind kicked up again, howling like a living, breathing thing.

My hair stood on end.

Magic,my bear hissed.

The second cougar stopped, swishing its tail. The third anchored itself against the wind with a wide stance and yowled, not at all enthusiastic about being so exposed.

Abby hunched and turned away from the wind. “Oh. Ow. Ouch.”

Tiny pricks slammed at my nose. The dust storm was about to hit — and hit hard.

The wind howled, and I stumbled sideways, digging my claws into the ground.

“Get down!” Abby yelled.

The hell I would. Not with those cougars there.

But the wind buffeted them too, and they swayed against the force of the wind. Seconds later, they turned and raced for cover.

I glanced over in time to see their buddy disappear into the trees.

“Hang on!” Abby cried over the howling wind.

I roared back as it blasted over us. I was heavy, but Abby was light — light as a feather to those hurricane-force winds.

As quick as I dared, I shuffled over and hunched, keeping my claws sheathed as I scooped her against my body with one paw. Then I curled up like a momma bear caught in a blizzard with her young, with Abby nestled against me. Dammit. How had we not seen this coming?

Abby wrapped her arms around my front leg, holding on. Sand pelted my back, and wind flattened my fur.

In the midst of the dust storm, lightning flashed, andBoom!Thunder cracked.

My teeth rattled — the lightning was that close. My back leg twitched, and I found myself an inch closer to the edge. Abby was even closer to the abyss.

Shit. What next? Fire?

Somewhere out there was a witch or a warlock, and it wanted us dead.

A witch like Lisa — er, Liselle?

Abby stirred. I grumbled, keeping her close, but she wiggled through my grasp.

“Hold still!” she hollered in my ear.

No way. I reached for her, wishing for human hands to grasp with.

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