Page 208 (2/2)

She had a head start of no more than thirty feet And Drake was faster than she was

The air cracked from the sound of his whip hand She felt the breeze on the back of her neck No way she’d make it back up the trail No way

Dekka spun and raised her hands

Suddenly Drake’s legs were puround in a vortex of dirt and rock Like a slow-one off under him His whip hand twirled crazily

“I’ll kill you, Dekka!” he yelled

Dekka turned gravity back on, and Drake fell from ten feet up

She turned and ran again, and now the coyotes were around her, bounding along on both sides of the trail,ahead of her They would easily cut her off

She powered up the hill, breath rasping in her throat She turned a corner, and there was the new Pack Leader She raised her hands Too slow They caht and left Leaped at her from all directions at once

Dekka went down beneath a snarling, yelping, slashing pile of coyotes

She screamed and tried to use her power, but iron jaws clamped her wrists

The powerful made powerless

The coyotes would have her

FORTY-TWO

27 MINUTES