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She couldn’t just drive away from her family on Christmas Eve. But that was exactly what she was going to do. Drive somewhere. Anywhere. Just get away for at least a few hours.

She raised her head and, with renewed determination, backed out of the driveway. The rain pounded against her windows, making it impossible to see more than a dozen feet ahead of her, even with her headlights on and the windshield wipers working like mad.

She turned down the road that would carry her away.

Despite the rain, she could make out the silhouette of the dark woods ahead that bordered the housing development.

Only a thin strip of asphalt separated the dark wood from the suburban neighborhood she had just left.

Her mother would have called that a liminal zone.

A place between , not quite one thing or another, but somehow a hint of both.

Kate slowed as she passed the woods and thought of her mother and how much she missed her.

Her mother had loved to read her fairy tales, myths, and legends.

She had often warned Kate never to venture into the woods, unless she was strong enough to fight off any wolves that might come after her.

Kate used to imagine an enormous wolf pursuing Red Riding Hood, but as a grown woman, Kate knew that other dangers lurked in dark places, in those strips of the earth that lay between worlds.

Suddenly a flash of white and silver streaked through the darkened woods.

A gust of wind exploded, bending trees violently in her direction, and her car swayed as the wind buffeted it.

The passenger window exploded in a shower of glass.

Kate screamed as the car rocked on its wheels and something soft and white smacked into her body.

She covered her face, gasping. The wind howled like some childhood nightmare, and wild flashes of light broke over the car in spirals, blinding her through her closed eyelids.

Then, everything went silent. Even the rain suddenly stopped.

A strange hum filled her ears—half felt, half heard—deep in her chest and inside her head, a tone that sent her pulse racing before it dropped into a slow, steady rhythm.

In the tomb-like silence that followed, she dared to open her eyes and look around.

It took her a moment to adjust to the darkness again.

She stared at the shattered passenger window and the creature crumpled on the seat.

A barn owl splayed its wings out and stared back at her as it struggled to stand up.

Its right wing didn’t seem to move the way it should.

Its heart-shaped face bobbed and swiveled around, looking at her and the car in confusion. The owl let out a piercing screech.

Kate had no idea what to do. One of its wings was bent, and several feathers seemed out of place. Its body quivered, possibly from shock.

She calmly moved to grip the wheel and let out a slow breath. “Okay...” She wasn’t afraid of the owl, but she was afraid it might hurt itself more if she spooked it.

Thin red slashes on her forearms dripped with blood.

She was only now becoming aware of the pain.

She wasn’t sure if the scratches were from the glass, the owl, or both.

She examined the cuts and winced, but they didn’t seem too severe.

What mattered was the owl. It could be badly injured, and she couldn’t let it suffer.

There was a veterinary ER nearby. They might let her have some antiseptic wipes and bandages while they checked on the owl. She prayed they could fix its wing and that it would be able to fly again.

“Okay, little guy, I’m going to take you somewhere to get you help.” She started driving again. Thank God the rain had stopped.

She headed for the veterinary hospital a few miles away. The owl’s unblinking gaze was fixed on her the whole time.

“I promise you’ll be okay,” she said. “Just don’t claw me when we get there? I just need to make sure you’re not hurt so we can get you flying again. You want that, don’t you?” If she’d been able to fly, she’d never want to touch the ground again.

Kate stopped at a red light and looked down at the owl.

Its one wing was still a mess of white-and-gold feathers, while the other was tucked securely against its side.

The owl swiveled its head to watch the bright lights of fast-food restaurants and coffee shops along the street.

Then it swiveled its head back to look at her.

It slowly blinked, its dark eyes luminous.

“You’re beautiful,” she whispered.

Kate didn’t feel silly talking to the owl.

She loved animals. Before her mother had died, her family had a golden retriever, Macintosh.

She’d loved to bury her face in his fur and talk to him about everything she’d done that day.

That was one of the many things she loved about animals—the quiet ability to exist on the earth and to accept others with such patience.

They listened and let humans be themselves.

It was a gift that people often took for granted.

They soon reached the veterinary ER. The bright red-and-white sign of the building glowed above them, the mist from the storm creating a halo around the letters.

She considered the problem of safely handling the owl, then spotted her gym towel in the back seat. That might do the trick. Kate retrieved the towel and got out of the car.

“Just remember, I’m not going to hurt you.

” She approached the passenger door, then cautiously raised the towel with one arm while she opened the door with the other.

The owl pressed itself flat against the seat when he saw her advance, which made it more difficult.

But after some careful prodding, she managed to wrap the cloth around the little bird and swaddled him like a baby, making sure his talons couldn’t hurt her.

“See? That wasn’t so bad.” She ignored his disgruntled hoot and grabbed her purse with her free hand before she entered the building.

The woman at the check-in desk wore a cheery Christmas sweater and was watching a Christmas movie on the big-screen TV in the empty waiting room.

Kate cleared her throat, making the woman jump. “Hi. This owl crashed through my car’s side window. I think it injured its wing.”

The woman’s lips parted in shock. “We don’t see wild birds here that often.” She stood and came around the counter. “Do you have it secured?”

“Yeah, he’s wrapped up. His talons are in the towel.”

“Okay, great. Let’s get you into an exam room, and I’ll have the doctor come straight in to look at him.”

Kate took a seat in the first exam room, the owl still bundled up on her lap. She stroked the top of its head, and it tilted its head back to look up at her.

“Now we wait—” Her whispered words were cut off as a middle-aged woman in green scrubs and a white coat stepped into the room. Her gray eyes lit up with wonder when she saw the owl.

“Janice said you had an owl, but I honestly didn’t believe her. Let’s set it up on the exam table so I can get a better look.” The vet held her hand out. “I’m Dr. Coburn.”

“I’m Kate. Thanks so much for looking at him.” Kate set the towel-wrapped owl down on the exam table.

“I’ll see if he wants a little meat treat before I start messing with his wings.” The vet opened a little Ziploc pouch of treats and offered one to the owl. He stared at the vet’s hand and the treat with a look of effrontery.

“Oh come on, just try it.” Kate stroked the owl’s head, and then it opened its beak and took the treat, swallowing it.

The vet carefully unwrapped the towel around one side of the bird. The left wing seemed to be okay, at least from what Kate could see as the vet carefully stretched it out and moved it around.

“Huh,” Kate murmured. “His wings looked worse just a few minutes ago when I first found him.”

“Well, this one looks all right to me. Let’s check his right side.” Dr. Coburn covered the left wing and exposed his right wing. The owl clicked his beak in warning as the vet gingerly stretched his right wing out from his body.

“I know it hurts. You’re a brave little guy, aren’t you? No one is going to hurt you.” She ignored the hiss the owl threw at her.

“Hey, she’s not gonna hurt you,” Kate whispered as she stroked the owl’s head. “It’s a boy?”

“Oh yes. Male barn owls have paler white-and-gold feathers, while the females are darker gold with hints of brown to blend into wooded areas while they nest. This fellow is a boy, aren’t you, handsome?

” Dr. Coburn stroked the owl’s head with a gloved finger, and he made a little cooing sound, his eyes half closed.

“He seems to like that,” Kate giggled.

The vet nodded. “One of my colleagues once said that owls have bird hardware but are downloaded with cat software. They love to be petted but can nibble a little when they’re feeling playful or anxious.”

“Is his wing going to be okay?” Kate asked.

“It seems to move all right. I think it’s just tender.

I’m going to try to reset some of these bent feathers.

Just give me a moment.” The vet prepared a large syringe with hot water and used it to heat up the feather shafts, then straightened out the bent feathers.

As Kate adjusted her hold, the vet noticed the scratches on Kate’s arms.

“Ouch, did he do that?”

“I’m not sure. It was either the broken glass or him. I meant to ask if you have any antiseptic wipes I could use?”

“I’ll do you one better. Let me get him taken care of, then I’ll see to you.” Dr. Coburn reset the remaining bent feathers and removed two that weren’t fixable, then tended to Kate’s scrapes.

“They don’t look deep, but keep an eye out for infection.

Go straight to the doctor if they start looking too red.

Now, about this little guy—I know a rescue group that handles wild animals if you want them to take him in.

Once he’s healed, they’ll set him free. I can get you the info sheet.

” The vet left the room, while Kate continued to stroke the owl’s head.

He made a soft twittering sound and settled deeper into the towel as she cradled him.

“That’s it. Just rest, Handsome. You’ve been through a lot lately.” Kate had decided to name the owl Handsome.

When Dr. Coburn returned, she put the info sheet in front of Kate.

“Now, we’re a bit short-staffed right now, but you can leave him here until the holiday is over if you want; that’s when I can send him to the rescue group.

Or I can leave you some care instructions if you want to hang on to him until the rehab center is open on Monday. ”

Kate looked down at the owl’s gold and white head. Handsome looked straight at her, unblinking. For a second time, the dark fathoms of the owl’s eyes seemed to make the world around her vanish. Spirals of silver light seemed to form within those dark, mysterious eyes, and she couldn’t look away.

“Miss Winslow?” The vet’s voice was distant, as though it came through a deep tunnel. Kate shook herself back to the real world.

“What do you want to do?” the vet asked. “I don’t normally let people keep wildlife in their homes, but under the circumstances, I think he’d be okay for a few days with you.”

“I’ll take him home for a few days. Can you call me when the wildlife center opens?”

“All right, if you’re sure. Just remember, he’s a wild animal. Don’t treat him like a pet. I’ll print out some info on how to care for him while he’s with you. If you have any trouble keeping him until after the holidays, just bring him back here and I’m sure we can make room for him.”

“Thank you.”

Kate once more looked down at the owl in her arms. “You hear that, Handsome? You’re coming home with me.”