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“We share nothing,” the crow hissed.

She held up a hand. “Fine, fine. What do you want so we can pass?”

“Want?” the crow questioned.

“Yeah. What do you want? Is there a test or an offering or something? What do you want to let us pass?”

The crow ruffled her feathers, her wings spreading to the sides as she grew in size. “How about your life?”

“What the hell?” Paige cried as the massive crow stalked toward them.

“Run, Paige,” Dewey screamed, wrapping his arms around her neck and squeezing.

“Get away from me, you crazy bird,” Paige shouted as she darted between its two skinny legs and sprinted away.

The large animal snapped its neck toward her. As she escaped, it cawed, sending its smaller compatriots into a frenzy. They fluttered in the air, screeching and shrieking as they flew toward Paige and Dewey.

“RUN!” Dewey shouted, shielding himself with his wings and gripping tighter to Paige.

“I am running,” Paige choked out as she covered her head with her hands. “You’re choking me.”

“Ahhhhh!” Dewey screamed as wings beat them and beaks poked at them. “They’re pecking me! They’re going to tear my wings! Run!”

“They’re pecking at me, too,” Paige retorted. “And I am running, but you’re choking me!”

Paige scrambled forward through the crowd of crows as fast as she could, emerging into the blue sky beyond the wooded area. The crows landed in the trees, still squawking at her.

Dewey’s wings still flapped as a defense mechanism. Paige collapsed onto the ground, sucking in deep breaths as her heart rate returned to normal. She tugged at Dewey’s arm.

“Please, stop,” she choked out in a hoarse voice.

“Right,” Dewey said after a moment, releasing his death grip. “Sorry. I panicked.”

Paige nodded at him. “It’s okay. Are your wings okay?”

Dewey flung them open, twisting his neck from side to side to check. “Seem to be.”

Paige’s jaw dropped open. “Dewey, there’s not a scratch on them.”

“No,” Dewey said, a grin sliding across his face, “I fared pretty well.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t,” Paige shouted, thrusting her arms into the air.

Blood trickled down her skin from various poke holes.

Dewey winced. “Yikes! Looks like you took the brunt of it.”

Paige shook her head as she climbed to her feet. “As usual. Anyway, note to self, let’s not go home that way.”

“Definitely not. They give new meaning to the term murder of crows.”

“No kidding.”

Paige dusted herself off, taking a moment to assess the damage to her arms.

Dewey jabbed a finger forward. “Paige, look!”

She pried her eyes away from her wounds and stared ahead. Placid blue water peeked through a ring of trees.