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height. Its tail pulled in and disappeared. Andits hound face melted and re-formed, the ears andmuzzle shrinking, the chin growing. In maybetwenty seconds the dog had become a boy, a boy who still wore patches of tan fur here and there,but definitely human-looking. And he's got pants on, Maggie thought distractedly, even though her heart was Page 101 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html pounding in herthroat. I wonder how they manage that? The boy turned his head toward the riders. Maggie could see the ribs in his bare chest move withhis breathing. "Something's wrong here," he said. "I can't followtheir life force anymore." Hunter Redfern looked around."Are they blocking it?" Gavin spoke up from beside Sylvia's stirrup. "Bern said they were blocking it yesterday." "Isn't that impossible?" Delos's cool voice camefrom the very back of the group, where he wasexpertlyholdinghisnervous,dancinghorsein check. "If they're only humans?" Hunter didn't move or blink an eye, but Maggiesaw a glance pass between.Sylvia and Gavin. Sheherself twisted her head slightly, just enough tolook at the other girls in the tree. She wanted to see if Jeanne understood whatthey were talking about, but it was Cady whocaught her eye. Cady's eyes were shut, her headleaning against the dark furrowed trunk of the tree.Her lips were moving, although Maggie couldn'thear any sound. And Jeanne was watching her with narrowedeyes and an expression of grim suspicion. "Human vermin are full of surprises," Hunter Redfern was saying easily down below. "It doesn't matter. We'll get them eventually." "They may be heading for the castle," Sylvia said."We'd better put extra guards at the gate." Maggie noticed how Delos stiffened at that. Page 102 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html And so did Hunter Redfern, even though he waslooking the other way. He said calmly, "What do you think of that, Prince Delos?" Delos didn't move for an instant. Then he said,"Yes. Do it." But he said it to a lean, bearded man beside him, who bowed his head in a quick jerk. And he did something that made Maggie's heartgo cold. He looked up at her. The other people in his party, including the hounds, were looking up and down the road, orsideways into the forest at their own level. Deloswas the only one who'd been sitting quietly, lookingstraight ahead. But now he tilted his chin andturned an expressionless face toward the cluster ofbranches where Maggie was sitting.And met her gaze directly. She saw the blaze of his yellow eyes, even at thisdistance. He was looking coolly and steadily-at her. Maggie jerked back and barely caught herselffrom falling. Her heart was pounding so hard itwas choking her. But she didn't seem to be able to do anything but cling to her branch. We're dead, she thought dizzily, pinned into immobility by those golden eyes. He's stronger thanthe rest of them; he's a Wild Power. And he couldsense us all along. Now all they have to do is surround the tree. Wecan try to fight-but we don't have weapons. They'llbeat us in no time.... Go away.The voice gave her a new shock. It wasclear and unemotional-and it was in Maggie'shead. Delos?she thought, staring into that burning gaze.Youcan-? His expression didn't change.Itold you before,but you wouldn't listen. What do I have to do to make you understand? Maggie's heart picked up more speed.Delos, listen to me. I don't want Page 103 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html I'm warning you,he said, and his mental voicewas like ice.Don't come to the castle. If you do, Iwon't protect you again. Maggie felt cold to her bones, too numb to evenform words to answer him. I mean it,he said.Stay away from the castle if you want to stay alive. Then he turned away and Maggie felt the contactbetween them broken off cleanly. Where his presence had been she could feel emptiness. "Let's go," he said in a short, hard voice, and spurred his horse forward. And then they were all moving, heading on downthe path, leaving Maggie trying to keep hertrembling from shaking the tree. When the last horse was out of sight, P.J. let outher breath, sagging. "I thought they had us," shewhispered. Maggie swallowed. "Me, too. But Cady was right.They went on by." She turned. "Just what was that stuff about us blocking them?" Cady was still leaning her head against the treetrunk, and her eyes were still closed. But sheseemed almost asleep now-and her lips weren'tmoving. Jeanne's eyes followed Maggie's. They were stillnarrowed, and her mouth was [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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