Hunter vs ghosts

  “What if echoes are already tailing us?” Cole asked. “Won’t they lead the Enforcers right to us?”

  “Let me check,” Hunter said. Sitting cross-legged on the edge of the road, he closed his eyes, made fists, and pressed his knuckles together.

  Cole shared curious glances with Jace and Dalton.

  “Are you praying?” Jace asked.

  Hunter gave no reply.

  “Maybe Mira and I should get started,” Joe proposed.

  Eyes still closed, Hunter held up a finger, asking him to wait. Hunter flinched, eyes squeezing tighter. His head jerked a little. He pushed his knuckles together tighter, arms trembling. Then he opened his eyes.

  “Okay,” Hunter said. “There were a couple of echoes spying on us. I took care of them. Let’s hurry. Stay safe!”

  “He means die bravely,” Cole amended, earning a smile from Jace.

  Hunter started running along the road to the north. Cole caught up and ran beside him. Glancing back, Cole saw Joe and Mira racing along the edge of the road in the opposite direction. Dalton and Jace dashed eastward.

  “What did you do to the echoes?” Cole asked.

  “I confronted them,” Hunter said. “After opening my mind to the echolands, I found a couple of echoes there. I worked a weaving on them that forced them to depart. It was the best I could manage. A full binding could have imprisoned them or even destroyed them. But I’m not that good yet.”

Chapter 5