Then, without warning, a sharp, piercing screech ripped through the air. Samantha jerked upright, sloshing coffee over her wrist as her heart slammed against her ribs. Windows up and down the street slid open, neighbors craning their heads out, searching for the source of the sudden, jarring sound.
Above the rooftops, an eagle circled—its wings carving massive shadows across the yards. In a breathless instant, it dove, talons slicing downward. Samantha barely had time to rise from her chair before she saw it—Juniper lifted clean off the ground, a small white blur disappearing into the burning sky.