by A. W. Exley
Before Allie could question what he meant, his warm, firm hands were on her right shoulder. He probed the muscle with his fingers and she winced when he found the sore spot.
“Sorry.” His hands massaged along her neck and the top of her shoulder. A part of her mind cursed her clothing choice that morning. The slashed neckline of the shirt left her whole collarbone and neck exposed to his touch. Her body betrayed her when she leaned into his strong fingers and against his warm chest.
“A-ha.” He found the worst knot and put pressure on it, until it dissipated. He massaged her shoulder for a few more minutes and Allie closed her eyes, giving a small sigh of relief as the pain started to fade.
It took her a moment to notice he had stopped and she still leaned against him, lulled by the warmth and the steady beat of his heart through her back. She wondered why he hadn’t said anything and kicked herself for letting her defences drop.
“Thank you,” she said, standing upright, glad he was behind and couldn’t see the colour rise in her cheeks. She rotated the joint to see how it felt. The twinge was still there but the tightness had gone.
“You’re welcome,” he replied. “Marshall has a liniment which is great for sore muscles, ask him for a jar.”
Having composed herself, Allie turned and noted that for once he wasn’t scowling at her. He wore a strange expression on his partly hidden face. She caught herself before she reached out a hand to brush his hair back, to see his face more fully.
“You should have said you had pulled a muscle, Marshall would have understood.”
“And be labelled a girl?” Allie smiled when Jared smirked at the obviousness of her statement. “Are you here for a particular reason?” she asked in order to break the tension that developed since the spontaneous massage. She clutched the remaining books to her chest, using them as an impromptu barrier to keep the butterflies in her stomach from bursting forth.
“Zeb has finished reassembling Thumper. He wants to activate the thing and send it out for a run. I was wondering if you wanted to come for a ride with us? Duncan and I are taking the horses out, to make sure his invention doesn’t go on a rampage through the countryside.”
Allie itched for a hard ride after weeks at the school full of different experiences and emotions. Her brain ran at overdrive trying to sort through everything. She could do with an activity that would halt conscious thought, if only for a while.
“It will be a fast ride though, so only if you think you can keep up.” Jared coloured his words with the faintest challenge. “Zeb reckons it can outpace the horses.”
There was no way she would to miss seeing Zeb activate his creature. The adrenaline rush of the run was an added bonus. “I have to finish up here first. Can I meet you in half an hour?”
Jared nodded. “We’ll have Soiron ready for you. See you in the barn courtyard.”
Allie finished putting away the remainder of the books on the trolley, gave Weasel a pat on the head and then told her grandfather she was heading out for a ride. She ran back to her room for a swallowtail coat. Even though late summer dominated the countryside, it was still far colder out than she liked. With the dark green jacket around her shoulders, she did up the three silver buttons as she darted down to the stables courtyard.
Allie rocked back on her heels at the strange sight in the middle of the cobbled yard. The creature taking up the largest portion of space looked like the love child of a reptile and a chicken with short stumpy front legs dangling in the air and the massive tail acting as a counterweight, allowing it to stand on two legs. Overall, it towered over the horses, but was smaller than a full grown elephant.
A curious group of students stood around the edge of the courtyard, keeping clear of the mechanical nightmare. Nervous chatter and laughter floated on the air. Duncan and a groom held three horses between them, while Jared leaned against Thumper talking to Zeb.
Seeing the creature unfurled, recognition nagged at Allie. “Is that a dinosaur?” she asked as she neared the beast.
Zeb flicked a glance in her direction, before opening a side panel. “Yes, an allosaurus to be exact. It’s a superior and faster method of transportation than the horse, with defensive capabilities.”
“It doesn’t look very fast.” Allie stared at the giant reptile feet.
“It will out run a horse.” Zeb stuck his head inside the contraption, to fiddle with something within.
“With those feet?”
He pulled his head back out, a frown on his face. “What’s wrong with its feet?”
Allie balled her hand into a fist and rolled it along her palm. “Very long break over point. Did you not study equine biomechanics before you dismissed the horse as a starting point?”
“Well—” His gaze flicked from Thumper’s feet to Allie’s fist, impersonating a much shorter horse hoof.
“You need to talk to Eloise more. She’s a walking biomechanical encyclopaedia.”
“Perhaps she could advise me on Thumper 2. For today, I have programmed Jared’s standard route in and as a backup, I have told it to chase the horses, so it doesn’t get lost.”
Allie’s gaze roamed over the powerful legs, claws, and mouth full of gleaming metal teeth. “Um, Zeb, isn’t an allosaurus a predator?”
“What? Oh, yes. Plus I have enhanced its natural protective features.”
Duncan looked like he would choke, he tried so hard to contain his laughter.
She shook her head, thinking of how to make Zeb understand the imminent problem. “Horses are herbivores.”
“I am aware of that.” He gave her a weak smile, patting the side of his creation.
Jared swallowed his laughter. “Zeb, horses don’t like being chased by big scary critters with long claws. You’ll panic them. It would be better if we followed Thumper.”
“Oh.” He frowned, still not quite comprehending. “I guess I could do that.” He dove into the open side, his head and shoulders disappearing.
Allie laughed and walked over to the groom holding Soiron.
Jared took the reins of his large brown gelding.
Allie held out her un-gloved hand for the mare to sniff, before stroking the soft velvety nose. “Hey girl, ready to stretch your legs?” She turned to Duncan, who approached and threw her up onto the sidesaddle.
Leaving her to settle, Duncan vaulted onto his own horse while they waited for Zeb to finish his last minute adjustments.
Madeline broke away from her friends and stood at Jared’s stirrup as he mounted. “Be careful, Jared. Unlike others you’re not disposable.” She turned her cold smile to Allie.
Allie returned the hostile look. Any further baiting was cut off by a clank as Zeb activated the starting mechanism inside Thumper. He dropped the hatch and swung the pin, locking the side shut. Madeline retreated back to the safety of the large barn wall as the creature stretched and tested each limb. The hands on the short front arms opened and closed, clasping at nothing, while the strong tail wagged from side to side.
The horses skittered sideways at the motion from the unknown animal in their midst. The head rotated an unnatural full three hundred and sixty degrees, sending a shudder down Allie’s spine.
“Easy girl,” she murmured to the little horse. She kept her breathing calm and regular, so the mare would sense her ease and not panic. She settled on the sidesaddle with her right leg wrapped around the upright pommel and her right foot tucked against the mare’s shoulder. She shortened her left stirrup so she could grip into the leaping head if they took any jumps, while the groom tightened the girth on the offside.
Jared cast a backward glance. “Ready?”
Allie nodded and a grinning Duncan gave his cousin a thumb’s up sign.
“Set it loose, Zeb,” Jared called.
Zeb took a few steps away from his creation, raised his arms and gave the command. “Thumper, run.”
With a clink and a whirr, the creature leapt forward and disappeared under the archway. Jared put heel to his
gelding and they raced out the courtyard.
Allie rocked her seat. The little mare was keen to shake off her excess energy and she flew over the ground to keep pace with the much taller geldings.
Despite her reservations, Allie admitted Thumper was quick even if it did bear a similarity to a giant mechanical chicken. Its powerful hind legs propelled the body forward with each stride, long claws digging into the soft soil for purchase. It tore over the pastures, leaving deep furrows to mark its progress.
The chase was fast, scary, and utterly exhilarating. All thoughts went from Allie’s mind as the adrenaline pumped through her body. She concentrated on staying balanced on Soiron’s back as they galloped over the fields, keeping the metal dinosaur in sight. Sods of damp earth flew from under the horses’ hooves. They took a path off through the woods and over logs and ditches they found in their way. Allie folded at her waist with each obstacle, giving the reins forward as the little mare stretched her neck and snapped her legs up against her belly.
She didn’t tie her hair properly before rushing off to the stables and the loose plait worked its way out as the wind pulled at her. The dark chocolate locks swirled around her face as they ran. Jared set a hard pace and he never once looked back. Duncan cast a couple of worried looks her way, but the sure-footed mare soon overtook his mount when he faltered briefly at a ditch. Soiron and Allie sailed past and were hot on Jared’s heels, the mare never lagging.
Up ahead, Thumper scrabbled over obstacles. Under her right calf, the mare’s powerful shoulders moved. Allie pressed firmly against the mare for purchase to keep her in the sidesaddle. Jared’s horse blew hard and Duncan fell further behind. The wee mare still had miles in her and Allie wished they could gallop all the way to Egypt.
Jared pulled his horse to a walk where the path widened enough for them to be two abreast and gave Allie an intense smile, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. She let the mare fall in next to the gelding.
“What about Thumper?” she asked, the dark hide disappearing around a curve in the track.
“Zeb told it to walk at the halfway point so we could rest the horses. It won’t be far ahead.”
Allie dropped the reins to her knees and drew her fingers through her hair, pulling it back off her face. She gave it a quick plait but with nothing to tie it, she could only loop the end around itself. Jared had lost his tense look and Allie noticed he relaxed the further they were from the school grounds. “Do you do these mad runs often?”
He flicked his gaze to her. “As often as possible. Duncan and I both like to escape the halls.”
“Isn’t that your world? Can you escape it so easily?” She tried to puzzle him out. He didn’t act like the other nobles at the school.
“St Matthews is an English world, not ours. They are very strict about rank and protocol, Scotland is different, freer.”
“Ah, Scotland, land of sword wielding barbarians.” She teased. After the disastrous reign of Queen Mary, Scotland demanded her heirs prove themselves. The country had a reputation for producing formidable warrior kings and they expected no less of their peers.
He caught her gaze. “We believe in ability, not just accident of birth. Anyone can become noble by their actions.”
Her heart constricted as his words wrapped around her. Anyone can become noble by their actions. It sounded like an offer of escape, a chance at another life. But probably not a chance available to those born guild, a stain that could never be removed from your soul.
Duncan caught them up and as the wooded path gave way to a clearing, all three could ride side by side. Duncan fell in on Allie’s right, Jared to her left. Their horses close enough that Jared’s leg brushed Allie’s.
Duncan gave his usual lopsided grin. “You know, we’d never have got any of the other girls to ride outside school grounds with us. Let alone deep in the woods, following one of Zeb’s creations.”
Allie snorted, teasing Duncan her new favourite past time. “Two things you need to know, Duncan. Firstly, the matrons don’t bother to chaperone me. I’m not noble and beneath their notice which allows me a lot of freedom.” She frowned. “I used to envy the noble girls but now I’ve had a chance to watch them, I don’t know how they survive. They’re treated like hothouse flowers, constantly under somebody’s care or supervision and hardly allowed outside, unless it’s on a short leash.”
Allie winced at the thought of a captive life, compared to the relative autonomy she enjoyed. The aristocratic girls kept in beautiful gilded cages. But they were still cages. Like the concubines in the harem, showered with expensive gifts, living in the opulent palace, but they were still constrained by its walls.
“What’s the other thing?” Jared asked after a brief pause.
“The fact that I can hurt Duncan here so very, very badly. And in so many different ways.” She threw him a smile and challenged him to dispute it.
Duncan cast his eyes down and away, staring at his gelding’s mane. Allie regularly bested him at weapons training. Even though he was bigger and stronger, she was quicker and smarter. She normally took him down within the first five minutes of their bouts.
“What about Jared then?” he threw back at her.
“But I beat him too,” Allie pointed out.
Duncan burst out laughing. “Hoho! He kept that quiet.”
“Did he not tell you?” Allie swung her head around to Jared.
“She cheated.” Jared’s tone was clipped. “It doesn’t count.”
“Ahh,” Allie said, “So you’re after a rematch then?”
“Whenever you feel up to it.” He issued the challenge but she shook her head as she met his gaze. She knew she wasn’t ready to fight him again. Not yet.
“Let’s find Thumper before it scares some poor farmer or woodsman.” Jared led off for the run back to the school on a slightly different route.
Allie was sure he plotted it with Zeb just to challenge her, not test the enormous metal critter. The logs and ditches were bigger than on the way out, although the mare hardly noticed. She enjoyed herself, ears pricked at every jump. Allie kept expecting Soiron to squeal in excitement.
A mile out from school they pulled their horses to a walk, to let them cool off. Up ahead they could see the descending sun lighting up Thumper, the black hide a rainbow of hues like oil, as he loped back to his master.
Duncan smiled and whistled.
“What are you so happy about?” Allie enquired.
“Tommo owes me some money,” he said.
“And why are you taking money from the grooms?”
“Because he bet me you wouldn’t stay the distance on our giant chicken hunt and I said you would. Jared has a reputation. None of the grooms will ride out with him anymore and they used to do it astride. You just did it sidesaddle.” Duncan chuckled. “I’ve made a profit just by having a good time.”
“Well at least you didn’t bet against me,” Allie said as they crossed under the arch into the stable courtyard, pleased he had faith in her abilities. “Don’t tell them sidesaddle is more secure or they’ll all be doing it.”
Thumper stood motionless in the courtyard, in the exact position where he started.
“Well done!” Zeb exclaimed, patting his mechanical dinosaur. “I knew it would work. This should yield some fascinating data.” He turned and headed to the barn. “Follow,” he yelled over his shoulder.
Thumper’s eyes whirled; it turned and followed behind like an elephant-sized Labrador.
Jared dismounted and threw his reins to the waiting groom. He came around to help Allie down. After she unhooked her leg, she leaned down, putting her hands on his shoulders. He reached up, placed both his hands around her waist and then lifted her to the ground.
She stumbled slightly on touching the cobbles. It had been a long, hard ride and her right thigh protested the amount of jumping they did along the way. The muscle cramped as she stretched it out. Jared instinctively tightened his grip and pulled her closer for support, un
til she regained her balance.
She moved a hand to his chest and his heart pounded under her gloved fingertips. Her own heart struggled within the confines of her corset. A slow tingle ran down her torso and through her legs, in response to his proximity. She looked up as he reached out and gently tucked a lock of her escaped hair back behind her ear. Such an intimate gesture, it took her by surprise and she found her breath caught in the back of her throat.
He captured her gaze and held her hostage, not letting her look away. She thought his eyes were cold like metal, but today they were the deeper grey of the sky before a storm, swirling clouds formed within. She wanted to stop time and savour the smell and feel of him.
He traced his fingers from her ear, along her jaw, to her chin. She inhaled a gasp as his touch sent tendrils of fire sweeping down her neck. His arm held her tight to his chest as he tipped her head and leaned in to kiss her.
Allie closed her eyes, her body a bowstring stretched tight, waiting for his touch, a tremor racing through her body. Yes, she sighed.
“Jared!” Duncan called in a sharp tone, breaking into their world.
Jared froze, his lips so close Allie could taste his breath mingling with her own. She ached for the contact.
His gaze searched hers, before he lifted his head a fraction.
Immobile for a moment and caught off guard, Allie drew a ragged breath. Within his eyes she found a turmoil that echoed her own.
“Let’s see what Zeb has to say.” Duncan drew Jared’s attention.
“Of course.” He released her and followed Duncan into the barn.
Allie drew another breath and leaned against Soiron’s warm side. Her thoughts ricocheted around her head and her body pulsed with awakening desire.
She yearned for a kiss she never tasted.
Friday, 19th August.
llie pulled aside the fine muslin protecting her face from the sand and let the sun trail a heated caress over her skin. She slid off the back of the sleek gelding, leaving the reins around his neck, knowing he would not wander. She shielded her eyes against the harsh sun for a moment, scanning the desert. The shimmer rising off the sand could disguise movement, making it hard for the eye to locate a shadow. Relived, she found no signs of anyone following, so she turned and walked toward the ancient pyramid of Giza.