Eva and Rovender ducked behind Otto’s armored side as the next wave of water bears shot up. Like gigantic armored cannonballs, they blew through the remainder of the royal squadron. To Eva’s chagrin, Besteel once more avoided them as he piloted his craft up, higher than the water bears could leap.

“Nice try, fraazas!” he called down to them. “I cannotz wait to hunts zu all down!”

The herd continued to jump up in chase after the huntsman. They came down all around Eva, Rovender, and Otto at incredible speeds, sending sand and dust in all directions.

Rovender took Eva’s hand. “We’ve got to get to safety!” he said, pointing toward a large steel tower away from the fray. “This way! I think we left Mother just beyond there.”

The two scrambled in the direction of the tower just as Besteel’s glider zoomed overhead.

A sonic sound wave boomed as it hit the base of the tower, causing it to topple down in front of Eva and Rovender. It hit the ground with such force that it blasted dirt and debris everywhere, knocking both of them backward.

Eva pulled herself up, coughing as she wiped the sand out of her eyes. “Rovee? Rovee! Where are you?” she screamed, feeling her way blindly through the rubble. She soon found her friend, lying as still as a doll, crumpled and half-buried in a pile of rocks.

“No!” Eva wailed. Her heart was pounding. Dread snaked in through her rapid breaths and settled in her belly. She patted Rovender’s face. “Wake up, Rovee! Wake up!” She shook his shoulders, but he did not move. A whine could be heard somewhere in the distant dust, intensifying in sound.

“Muthr? Otto?” Eva said. Her words sounded barely audible above her ragged breathing. The desert dust clouded her vision and clogged her nose. She searched around in the murk. She called out again. As she waited for a response, Eva heard that loud whine . . . and a voice.

“My elusive prize. My leettle runner,” the deep voice replied. Out of the thick gloom bounded the burly shape of Besteel. He hopped up onto the base of the toppled tower and charged his boomrod. “Sheesu.” He clucked, “Youz have made Queen Ojo quite upzet. She commandz de royal guardzmen to brings youz back for queztionings. But, de guardz dey needs a tracker to leads them. Zankfully de turnyfins you feeds made yous eazy to trail through deez wastelands. Sos now Besteel brings youz back alive and, tada—my impozible task iz complete. Brozeel iz free.”

Eva stood up. Sand and dust coated her, from her braided hair to her sneakboots. In her ears the whine grew louder and higher in pitch. She yelled at him, “I’m never going back with you. You’ll have to kill me first!”

Besteel let out a throaty chuckle. “No killingz. I promised za queen. But you know, accidentz, zay happeen.”