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"Ahhh!" The pain was sharp and sudden and knocked him to his knees His eyes flew open, strained to open wider still, until he felt like he was peeling his own face back

Ies of a lake with boats floating calirl with dark hair and a wry half s her to me!

Drake had spoken little in ue aard in his mouth The name came out in a harsh whisper

"Diana"

Quinn was not happy as he pulled at the oars, heading away froaze on the mountains where the sun would soon appear

None of his creere happy Nor Usually the boats would call out cheerful insults to one another, denigrating one another’s rowing technique or prospects or looks

Today there was no teasing The only sounds were the grunts of effort, the creak of oars in the oarlocks, thethe sides and the lap, lap, lap of tiny wavelets slapping the bow

Quinn knew the creere angry about Cigar All agreed that Cigar had screwed up in a monumental way But as Quinn supposed to do? The other kid had swung first If Cigar hadn’t struck back, Jaden ar pay a fine, endure some lockup, maybe even a few minutes of Penny to teach the boy to take it easy in the future

But a whole day under ar had all the fears any noriven a whole day to work her evil Penny would find the It distressed him, this sullenness, this worry But what could he say? What words of his were going to ar?

He orried, too And he shared soer at himself and at Albert He had hoped Albert would step in Albert could have if he’d chosen to Everyone knew that Caine could call hi but Albert was the emperor

The boats moved away from one another as the pole fishers went one way and the net casters went toward the barrier A school of blue bats had been seen there the day before, skinaled a halt and motioned to Elise to ready the nets His boat crew today was Elise, Jonas, and Annie Elise and Annie eaker on the oars than Quinn and Jonas, but they were ni thehts had dragged the net down before closing the trap

Quinn sat at the stern now, using an oar and the rudder to keep the boat stable while the girls and Jonas hauled in two blue bats and a nondescript seven-inch fish

It earying work, but Quinn was used to it, and he handled the oar and rudder on autoazed off to see the other boats take up their own positions

Then, hearing a splash, he turned toward the barrier to see a flying fish--not great eating, but not inedible--take a short hop

But that wasn’t what ht

Elise and Annie were getting ready to cast again