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ONE

I WAS RUNNING THROUGH the forest Running on all fours, huge tawny paws touching down so lightly they see up The pounding of their boots was so close I swore ainst them as I ran

I couldn't keep this up Cougars are sprinters, not distance runners I had to get into the brush, up a tree, someplace, anyplace where I could hunker down, invisible, until they passed, and then--

A dart hit --

"Maya!"

Hands gripped s Arms I saw hands wrapped around my wrists, a familiar face in front of mine--wavy blond hair in need of a brush, blue eyes underscored with dark circles, wide ht orry and exhaustion

"Daniel?"

He released my wrists

Corey's voice sounded toa bit of a scene here"

I looked around to see strangers staring A aze fixed on us Behind him was a counter stacked with books In front of me was a computer, while Corey was seated at another beside me

A library We were in a library

Theat lare at Daniel and I realized how it led

"No," I said "We were justgoofing around"

Not the right thing to say in a library Even Corey--the king of goofing around--winced

"I'ain"

As he spoke, he held the librarian's gaze and kept his voice low, cal his powers of persuasion With Daniel, it really is a power I don't think the librarian needed it, though He seeht the attention of people around us and, under the circumstances, we really couldn't afford to make ourselves memorable So we left Quickly