"I swung onto the next branch as Rafe did the same on the other side. I felt the bear's hot breath on my stockinged foot and snatched it away as his teeth clicked together. He roared in frustration, then leaned on the tree and shook it again. "Hold on!" Rafe shouted, like I was planning on doing anything else. I clung to the tree, arms around the trunk, as it swayed. The bear swiped at us, but we were well out of reach. After a moment, he figured that out and backed down onto all fours. He eyed us for another moment, then, with a snort, lumbered into the forest. "You okay?" Rafe said when the bear was gone. I sat on a branch and pulled my foot up. My sock was ripped, but the bear's teeth hadn't broken the skin. I squeezed my foot and winced. "Just bruised," I said. "Maya?" Daniel called. I tried to see him but couldn't through the thick evergreens. "We're fine!" I yelled. "You?" He said he was all right, and I was about to climb down, when Rafe climbed over to my branch and crouched there. "Seems that control-over-animals thing doesn't work so well with the animals we really need control over." "No kidding, huh?" I said."