The dog charged forward, its jaws going straight for her throat. Samantha swung her left arm, the rock in her hand knocking the dog's muzzle aside. She followed with her right hand. The dog collapsed to the ground at her feet.

With the demise of their leader, the other two dogs came at her simultaneously. One lunged for her chest while the other went for her injured leg. Samantha raised her hands as the first dog neared her chest. She clapped her hands together; the dog collapsed onto her, its weight almost crushing her.

The remaining dog snapped at her legs. She kicked it once with her right foot and then hurled both stones at it. One of the rocks hit the mark while the other sailed wide to hit the ground. The dog was startled enough for Samantha to push its comrade off her chest and then pull herself up and over the boulder she'd been resting against.

She dropped into the river and this time let the current take hold to carry her away. The last dog howled with rage at losing its prey. Samantha turned around in time to watch the yellow eyes climb over the boulder and dive into the water after her. The dog whimpered like a newborn puppy as it tried in vain to stay afloat. The yellow eyes sunk beneath the water.

Samantha tried to make her way to shore, but her sore ankle prevented her from making headway. After a minute of struggling, she no longer had the strength to stay afloat. Her head started to sink beneath the water when she suddenly found herself suspended in the air by one of her braids.

"I got you," Pryde growled. He held up a torch so she could see Prudence lying in an unconscious heap behind him. "Time for you two to see the rev."

Samantha swatted and kicked at Pryde, but his grip was as strong as the river's current. He ended her struggle with a blow to the back of her head. She saw flashes of white light in her vision and then everything went dark once more.




Most Popular