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A low growl rippled from the shadows, and the hairs on her neck stood on end. A
long, sleek shape emerged from the surrounding vegetation: a cougar. Muscles shifted
beneath its dun-colored coat. A pink tongue flicked out to caress long fangs.
 My servant, said Victor.  Her mind is linked to mine, and she will obey my
slightest wish. If you reach for your weapon, or try to interfere, she will stop you. Put
down your gun.
Ashley glared at Victor. The cougar stepped forward, and a low growl trickled from
between its lips.
 It s all right, Will said. He sounded oddly calm.  I can do this on my own.
Ashley hesitated. The last thing she wanted was to throw away her gun, but with a
hundred-pound carnivorous cat staring her down, she didn t have much choice. She
unbuckled her holster and tossed it aside. The cougar stood, motionless as a statue, and
watched her with flat golden eyes.
Victor bent and picked up a stone.  The challenge will begin as soon as this stone
strikes the ground. He flung the stone into the air.
Her eyes followed the stone as it rose and fell. It hit the ground and bounced.
She expected Victor to charge Will. Instead, he stood motionless, arms crossed over
his chest, expression flat and hard, like a stone slab. She felt the hum of power in the air.
Power crawled over her skin and into the hollows of her body. Her nerves tingled.
Will stood, his back rigid. She watched the small, almost imperceptible movements
of his chest as he breathed, and she felt his power rise to meet Victor s. She couldn t see
his eyes, but she knew they glowed a brilliant blue. Two energies, two wills, swirled
through the air, invisible and silent, yet real as the ground beneath her feet: scorching
heat, penetrating cold. Fire and ice.
Victor s jaw clenched. Veins stood out in his forehead.
Something burst from him and rushed toward Will like an invisible train. In the same
moment, Will s power exploded outward. The air crackled and buzzed. She heard a thin
whistle in her ears, then felt a soundless explosion as the two streams of power collided
in midair. The force shook the earth. Will fell to one knee, but made no sound. He panted
for breath, chest heaving.
 Will! She ran toward him. The cougar leapt in front of her and snarled, teeth
flashing white. She tried to run around it, but it blocked her path and swiped at her with
one huge paw, claws extended. She backed away.
Slowly, Will straightened. Sweat trickled down his brow and neck, and his chest
heaved as he clenched his fists. A sharp, burnt smell filled the air as his power pushed
against Victor s. The hairs on her nape stood on end.
 Give in, Victor said.  This is your last chance. Surrender now, and I will spare
you. Continue to fight me, and you will die.
Will said nothing. His eyes remained focused on Victor. He trembled with effort, jaw
clenched, skin gleaming with sweat.
Victor s power sliced through the air like a blade. She saw the air ripple and blur,
distorting the trees behind it, as a thin wedge of energy hurtled toward Will. He let out a
hoarse cry and staggered backwards. Blood ran from the long, thin cut across his chest. It
looked as though he d been slashed with a sword.
She watched, her guts in a knot. Victor could cut him to ribbons without even
touching him. She had to stop this. She darted forward, and again, the cougar blocked
her, forcing her back. Its jaws snapped together on air like a steel trap.
Her mind flashed back to the night she d watched Star Wars in Will s apartment, to
the tiny black housecat.
Bring the mouse, Lily.
Ashley drew in her breath sharply. It had worked once. Maybe&
She stared, hard, into the cat s eyes.  Go, she whispered.  Go away.
The cat stopped growling, but didn t move. It stood motionless, mouth open, teeth
bared to the gums.
 Go on! She gave a firm, mental push.  You heard me, kitty. Get lost.
The cougar shook its head, as if trying to dislodge a fly, then pawed at one ear. Its
eyes clouded over.  Go! She thrust the message into its mind, reinforcing the command
with all the power she had. As she d hoped, Victor was too busy holding back Will to
fight her for control of the cougar s mind. The cat gave a low, coughing growl and
continued to paw at its head, as if it were trying to scratch an itch in its brain. Its tail
lashed.
 Go! She pushed with everything she had.
The cougar let out a low, strange sound, somewhere between a moan and a whine,
more doglike than catlike. Head down, it slunk away into the forest.
She made a dive for her holster, grabbed her gun and pointed it at Victor.
Victor must have seen her moving from the corner of his eye. He spun to face her.
His eyes met Ashley s, and his mind slammed into hers. A hot, red pain divided her brain
like an axe. Her vision grayed out, and the Beretta slipped from her hand as she sank to
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