"You know that Obi Wan follows us, no?" Nasrin and Atticus could barely conceal their shock at Tayanna's question. "Are you sure?" Nasrin asked.

"Oh, yes. He told me he is coming. He tries to listen to me, but I don't always let him. And he talks to the xolos- or, he tries to talk to them" Tayanna corrected herself.

"How in hell did he get here?" asked Atticus. " We took off from Brooklyn just 10 minutes ago."

"We have to shake him, and fast" Nasrin continued.

"I have thought of that, Nasrin," Tayanna explained.

Atticus pivoted and noticed to his amazement that the two hounds were nowhere to be seen.

Fiel circled silently behind the hated one. She thought only the thoughts the alpha had instructed her to think. El Sombre stood ahead, at the fork in the road until he was within eyeshot of the hated one. He too, thought only those thoughts. They heard the hated one's jumbled thoughts, full of nightmares, chattering on, but the hounds had learned to ignore such things and only pay attention to the alpha. As planned, the hated one followed el Sombre down the left fork.