Kateesha and Daniel raced headlong through the woods. Terror and youth made their prey clumsy, and their lead was quickly lost. The men squealed. The leader, a brunette, tripped over a tree root and crashed to the ground. The redhead fell over him, landing in a horrified tangle of limbs.

Kateesha threw aside her sword and grabbed the redhead with her bare hands. She knelt, one knee in the middle of his spine, and pulled his head back to expose his throat. Daniel stood over ...