Jessica ran as fast as she could. It was dark and she could hardly see where she was going, but she was so frightened and her heart was racing so fast she didn't care.

She was only a few yards ahead of them.

Things around Escator had changed so fast. Just as people seemed to be calming down after the last attack by the minions of the Cryptics, the first whispers of new threats began. By now even the farmers were thinking of departing for distant places. The scant information available made it sound like were-creatures.

And now, Jessica was sure of it.

One thing the Ajan Warriors had learned, and which Jessica herself had made one of the "super important rules," was that if lycanthropes were around, no matter how powerful they were, and even if it was only a slight possibility they were contagious, that they tell Shannon right away.

Unfortunately for Jessica, Shannon and Kishi were on the other side of the Timbergreen.

It was hard to tell exactly what kind of creatures she was trying to outrun. They certainly weren't lupine, a fact for which Jessica was grateful. Overtaking even the fastest human would have been trivial for true were-wolves.

Teko was flying just at the tops of the trees lining the road. He made ever-wider soaring circles to keep up with Jessica, and also to keep an eye on the enraged creatures. There was little he could do to help, other than perhaps to distract the beasts. The moonlight shone brightly, causing his white feathers to seem to glow.

Jessica stumbled. She strained to keep her balance, swerving back on to the hard-packed road.

It was a long way to safety.