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I knelt beside the dwarf Salina had thrown her ic at him in such a way that it sucked the moisture out of his body, and Cooper's skin looked as wet and saggy as Antonio's had on the Delta Queen last night

"It'show shefights," the dheezed, trying to breathe "She pulls the water out of you and into her It er "

I reached into rabbed earlier at the Pork Pit, and thrust it into Kincaid's hands "Here's so just in case Rip open his shirt and put that on his skin, especially over his heart and lungs where Salina hit hiic It'll have to hold hiet him to the healer I know "

"Forget about ht!"

I could see the pleading in his eyes No matter what happened, whether he lived or died, he wanted this thing with Salina finished - now

And so did I

"You stay here with hi after Salina "

I scrambled to my feet Salina saw me She looked at Owen once more, then turned and ran into the trees Owen just stood there, watching her go, and theninto the woods after her

Salina darted through the trees like she was a deer - niround on her, so I sucked in a breath and forced myself to move faster, to run harder But I just couldn't seem to catch her, and I desperately wanted to I wanted to end the threat Salina was to Owen and all the people he cared about - and the threat she was to us

I caught a glie tree If I'd had the breath for it, I would have cursed at how fast she was Instead, I forced myself to pick up the pace thatto pound right out ofair

I rounded the tree, stepping into another clearing in the ht another flash of Salina's blond hair streaold in a patch of sunlight I leaped over a fallen log, determined to catch her, but toof all - she stopped

She turned around and faced , and I wondered if she was out of gas already A satisfied smile curved my lips If so, too bad for her I put on a final burst of speed and surged up an incline to the edge of the clearing - and then I stopped too

Because a creek lay between us

The water had worn its way through the hill ere standing on, creating a slight dip in the landscape About fifteen feet of water separated us, churning and frothing its way down the ridge to parts unknown

Salina had already crossed the clear water, probably walking on top of it as she had the Aneirin River out by the Delta Queen For ainto the creek to continue my hot pursuit, but I knew better Besides, I could easily blast her with ic from this side of the creek