The Gathering (Darkness Rising 1)

IGRABBED THE BOTTOM branch of the nearest big tree and swung up. Daniel followed. As I crouched on the branch, I looked for Rafe and found him where I'd last seen him, just standing there with this weird look on his face, like he wanted to run but couldn't. He glowered at the bear and his expression wasn't shock or fear. It was defiance.

"Rafe!" I screamed.

That snapped him out of it. He blinked and saw the forest flattening in a path heading straight for him. His lips formed a curse and he backpedaled. The bear shot up from the brush, rising on two legs with a roar.

It was just a black bear. I say "just" because we do get the odd report of grizzlies swimming across from the mainland, and that's a whole other level of predator. A black bear is no harmless teddy though, especially Vancouver Island black bears. When this guy reared up, he was taller than Rafe and twice as heavy.

"Go away!" I shouted. "Shoo!"

Daniel whistled and clapped. Usually that's enough to get rid of them, but this one just stood there, snarling and waving his front paws, huge claws flashing. Enraged by the smell of fire or the smell of another predator, he wasn't leaving.

Rafe glanced over his shoulder, looking for a closer tree, but nothing nearby would support his weight.

"Back up toward us," I said. "Keep eye contact, and don't turn around."

He nodded, impatient. He knew that. It was hard to remember he wasn't the city boy he pretended to be.

The moment he started retreating, the bear roared again, dropped to all fours, and charged. Rafe did turn his back then--to run for the tree. As the gap between Rafe and the bear narrowed, Daniel jumped to the ground, waving his arms.

"Hey!" Daniel shouted as he raced for the next big tree. "Over here. Come on!"

But the bear kept charging Rafe, tiny eyes blazing with rage. The overwhelming scent of musk filled my nose, making my brain shout mixed messages--to run, to stand firm, to help Rafe.

Then I remembered the elk.

Power over animals.

I closed my eyes and concentrated, telling the bear to relax, that everything was fine; we weren't a threat; he had to leave, get away from the fire. But the ground kept quaking, and when I opened my eyes, the bear was right behind Rafe. The bear snarled and snapped, but Rafe shot ahead just in time.

I bent down to grab Rafe's hand. He waved me back, and with a flying leap, caught the bottom branch in both hands and swung up. The bear hit the trunk and I lost my balance. Rafe grabbed the back of my jacket and hauled me up, flailing, until I could grasp the branch again.

"Climb!" he shouted.

The bear backed away, shaking his shaggy head, dazed by the impact. He looked at me, and I froze and I knew then what had stopped Rafe from running. When the bear met my gaze, any thoughts of escape vanished. Instinct said to fight. This was my territory, and no bear was going to take it from me. Stand firm and--

"Maya!" Rafe grabbed my jacket again and nearly yanked me off the branch. "Climb!"

That snapped me out of it, and when I looked down now, all I saw was a very big, very pissed off bear.

As I scrambled up, pain ripped through my foot, and something wrenched my leg. I looked down to see the bear's jaws clamped around my shoe. Daniel was running toward the bear, shouting and waving his arms. Rafe grabbed me under the armpits and yanked. My shoe came off in the bear's mouth as Rafe hauled me up to the next branch.

The bear shook my shoe, growling, then tossed it aside. As it did, it noticed Daniel, standing only a few feet away.

"Daniel!" I shouted.

He backed up, looking for a suitable tree. The bear only snorted at him, then peered nearsightedly up at us. It rose on its hind legs, front paws hitting the trunk hard enough to make the tree quiver.

I swung onto the next branch as Rafe did the same on the other side. I felt the bear's hot breath on my stockinged foot and snatched it away as his teeth clicked together. He roared in frustration, then leaned on the tree and shook it again.

"Hold on!" Rafe shouted, like I was planning on doing anything else.

I clung to the tree, arms around the trunk, as it swayed. The bear swiped at us, but we were well out of reach. After a moment, he figured that out and backed down onto all fours. He eyed us for another moment, then, with a snort, lumbered into the forest.

"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.