“I’m fine,” I said, my voice muffled. “Just buried under a hundred and fifty pounds of fur. Lloe? Are you—?”

A very cold nose snuffled my neck, and her nails clawed my legs as she tried to stand on my lap.

“Oww…” I said.

More snuffling, now with an edge of worry.

“I’m fine, girl,” I said. “You make a wonderful air bag, but can you please get—”

The door opened, and Gabriel tugged Lloe out. I started to follow, but he insisted on a quick once-over—does anything hurt? how’s your neck?—before setting me free.

I wobbled from the car, and I was sure I’d be stiff in the morning, but otherwise I seemed fine.

The car had slid onto the shoulder and struck a rock. It wasn’t a big rock. Just enough to stop the Jag and set off the air bags, which left the car non-drivable.

“You’ll need to call for a tow,” I said.

He took out his cell phone. “No service.”

“Naturally.” I checked mine. “Same.”

“I should hope so, considering we’re with the same provider—the one Ricky set us up with. Which I’ve noticed has substandard coverage. I’m sure it has unlimited texts and calling, which is a benefit…to you two.”

“Um, the guy replaced our ruined cell phones after we both almost drowned, and you’re complaining?”

“No.” He looked at his phone again. “Not exactly.”

“Get a new provider if you don’t like that one. Right now, we have a disabled car in the middle of nowhere. On an empty road. With a winter storm whipping up. Can you see any sign of…” I squinted against the endless white. “Anything?”

“No.”

“All right. Come on, Lloe. We’re going for a walk.”

She sat on the roadside.

“Yes, I know,” I said. “It’s snowing. It’s cold. You haven’t eaten enough to ‘need’ a walk. But we really don’t have a choice.”

She lay down.

“Lloergan,” Gabriel said firmly. “We are leaving. If you wish to remain here, you may.” He opened the door. “It will be warmer in there. I’ll turn on the emergency flashers.”

“How much of that do you think she understands?”

His look said it didn’t matter—the point was that he had explained, and if she lacked the mental capacity to comprehend, that was hardly his fault.

I waved Lloergan toward the open car door. “Go on. We won’t be long.”

She laid her head on her paws. Gabriel closed the door and started walking away. Lloe rose, growling.

“I think she’s telling us not to leave,” I said. “She did warn us that something was about to run across the road. Did you see what it was?”

Gabriel looked around as if—like me—he’d forgotten all about the cause of the accident.

“I presumed a deer,” he said, “but I couldn’t tell.”