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"Everyone out," I ordered. "Leave the rest.”

The last group entered the jungle. Nykos moved with its center, Halver ranged ahead, and Jade and I took the rear.

We had gone less than a hundred paces when the first Water Zrake reached the camp.

Its head rose behind the command shelter, neck fins spread and burning with blue light. It struck before the rest of its body cleared the channel. One forelimb tore through the shelter supports, collapsing the canvas into the water, while its jaw closed around a supply crate and crushed the wood hard enough to scatter its contents through the flooded grass.

A second Zrake surfaced beyond it.

The researchers began to run.

"Keep the same pace," Jade called. "If you scatter, they'll chase whichever group looks easiest to separate."

I formed a shield across the rear of the path, but Jade caught my arm before I closed the entire route.

"Leave the left side open. If your shield becomes a wall, it will attack until it breaks. Give it ground and make it choose the empty path."

I angled the shield toward the trees. The Zrake struck its edge, recoiled from the light and forced its body through the opening instead.

It didn't stop at the abandoned camp. It tore down anything carrying our scent and continued after us, driving the evacuation toward the eastern shore. Its aggression had purpose. The colony wanted the island empty, and anything that resisted would be removed with the same force it used against the shelters.

The path narrowed near the eastern channel. Alex stood knee-deep in the water with both hands extended, holding a shelf of mud firm beneath the surface. The ground should have broken apart under the evacuation, but earth magic threaded through it while the current divided around the crossing.

"Stay on the roots," he told the approaching researchers. "If you step outside the blue markers, you're swimming."

Halver waited on the far bank, guiding each person toward the boats with a sweep of his body. Nykos sent people toward whichever path had space while Dannian and his team loaded the sealed samples into the center.

The first two boats were nearly ready when the water beside the crossing erupted.

A Water Zrake surged from the channel and struck both forelimbs against the bank. Mud and water swept across the route as it opened its wings, filling the space between the trees with translucent blue membranes. Its warning call hit hard enough to make the nearest boat shudder against its ropes.

Weapons came free along the line. Alex pulled the current around his arms, while one of Dannian's trainees raised a spear toward the Zrake's exposed throat.

"Lower it," Jade said.

"It's attacking."

"It's driving us toward the water. If you threaten it now, it will stop giving us somewhere to retreat."

The Zrake lunged. The trainee thrust the spear forward, but I formed a shield between it and the weapon. The point struck the inside surface as the Zrake's jaws snapped shut several paces short of the shield.

"Lower it," I ordered.

He obeyed.

The Zrake's fins remained fully spread. Its claws dug into the bank as it released another breath, throwing spray across Jade's face.

She didn't reach for her knives. "Keep loading the boats, don't rush."

Nykos repeated the instruction through the research party. The people nearest the water continued boarding while everyone still on the bank moved backward with them, never leaving anyone isolated.

The Zrake advanced each time we gave it space.

I kept my shield angled along the side of the route, protecting the researchers without placing a barrier directly between the creature and the retreating line. Alex held the crossing stable instead of releasing the water he had gathered, and Halver remained beside the injured trainees.

Jade stood near the rear until only Nephrite remained on the bank.

The Zrake lowered its head toward her, its jaw level with her chest. Ashter's smoke tightened around her wrist, red light burning through the dark coil, but Jade held her ground until Nykos reached the final boat.