They stumbled out of the cabin, knees weak, to find the world transformed. The ground had split open, a jagged crack running perilously close to the cabin. Smoke or steam—Jas couldn’t tell which—rose from the fissure, and a faint metallic tang filled the air.
“Ivy Mae, look out!” Roman shouted, his voice hoarse.
Jas turned just in time to see a massive tree tilting precariously toward them. Miracle’s frantic barking was the only warning before Jas leapt, grabbing Ivy Mae and pulling her away just as the tree crashed to the ground, missing them by inches.
They lay there for a moment, tangled and breathless. “Thanks to you...and Miracle,” Ivy Mae whispered, tears streaking her dust-covered face.
But as they scrambled to their feet, Jas’s heart sank. "Where's the cat?"
Cupid was nowhere to be found.