by RJ Blain
Fire engulfed me, accompanied by the dull crack of breaking bones, and I choked back a scream. The protective covering of fur melted away, leaving my bare skin on rough, broken pavement. A shudder coursed through me.
“It gets better with practice. That time, it only took you a minute or two—much better than yesterday.” Anatoly tucked the cloak around my shoulders and helped me sit up. “Get dressed.”
I grabbed the change of clothes, pulling the t-shirt over my head. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t wear sweatpants, especially not while riding horseback. “Why’d you send Henry and Maria away?”
“Politics.”
“Politics?”
“Late-age shifters get short shafted. Younger shifters are considered more desirable—more natural. She likely understands you’re having a difficult time with shifting from our conversation, but this might help mitigate some of the prejudice. It’s not really considered bad form if the one being helped is injured, which you are. It won’t help with everyone, but I’d rather not have any trouble on the road. Maria’s going to have a rough time of it for a while.”
“Because you’re taking her from her family?”
“That, plus she’s been brought up among prey species. While prey and predator shifters can get along, she’s young enough she’s impressionable, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if her aunt has tried to counter her nature.”
I grimaced, understanding Maria’s situation far too well. “All right. What do you want me to do?”
“If she starts trying to belittle you, set her on her ass and prove you’re the bigger, badder predator. Don’t let her walk all over you.”
“You want me to rough up a little kid?”
“I merely want you to establish you’re the boss.”
Standing hurt; while no evidence of my captivity remained branded on my skin, I ached. “That may not be wise.”
“Why not?”
After a lifetime of lies, I appreciated speaking the truth. “I know nothing of children. I’m used to fighting for life and limb on the road.”
“Do your best. That’s all I’m asking.”
I’d never seen a horse a color quite like the washed out chestnut. Her coat gleamed in the sun, as though the gold hid steel beneath. The young mare blew against my hand and breathed in my scent. At first, her ears pinned back, but she relaxed while I waited for her to make up her mind.
Some thought me strange for how I treated horses. I cupped her nose in my hands, leaned to her, and blew air against her before inhaling her scent. She bumped her nose to my cheek and lipped at my ear without using her teeth.
“What’s her name?”
Anatoly swung up onto his bay, flashing a smile at me. “She’s yours to name. I lucked out. I knew one of the horse merchants in town, and he directed me to the best in his herd, her. When I told him she was going to someone favored by the tribes, he informed me it would be best if you named her.”
“How much do I owe you for her?”
“She’s a gift. Consider her part of the compensation you’re owed. I should have found you long before I did.”
No matter how much I wanted to argue, I kept quiet on the matter, spending a few more minutes introducing myself to the mare. Unlike Dipshit and Devil Spawn, she lifted her hooves for me at the lightest touch of my hand against her leg. The novelty of riding a horse who wasn’t contemplating my murder excited me almost as much as the thought of putting everything behind me.
If I had my sword and a pair of riding boots, I’d be able to believe things would get better. The sneakers didn’t fit quite right, so new I smelled the plastic—another novelty to spice up my day. Who wasted precious heat and fire on something meant to be worn on my feet when leather was so plentiful?
I adjusted the stirrups, checked the mare’s cinch, and mounted.
“Why does she get a horse?” Maria demanded.
With Anatoly’s warning still fresh in my memory, I considered the little girl clinging to Henry. “I get a horse because I’m a courier. My job is to ride horses and kill people who try to stop me from doing my job. I get a horse because I’ve earned a horse. How have you earned yours?”
Maria’s dark eyes widened. “You kill people?”
Of all the things for the little girl to fixate on, it had to be the brutal part of my job. I smiled, allowing my teeth to show. “When I must.”
“Why?”
“If I didn’t, they’d kill me, and I rather like being alive. I intend to buy a new sword as soon as I can.” I frowned. “Anatoly, I can pay in my services or in cash if my satchel wasn’t stolen in Charlotte.”
“Your satchel’s safe. It’s with law enforcement, and I was assured everything would be kept safe, including your documentation and money. I’m sure we can come to an arrangement. What type of sword do you use?”
“I prefer short to mid-length blades. I doubt I’ll be able to find a replacement for the blade I lost, but I can make do.”
If I wanted an unwieldy, poorly crafted katana, I could find one in most cities. Few swords matched the quality of the one Todd had given me. I wouldn’t find a replacement for the weapon he had given me. When I held it, I remembered the stallion and his friendship.
“What type of blade?”
“Katana.”
Anatoly stared at me as though I’d grown a second head. “You use a katana?”
“The tribe even gifted me a sheath for it. It’s a useful blade, even on horseback. It works for me.”
Maria waved at me. “How can I earn a horse, too?”
“Catch one.” I cursed myself for my answer the instant it left my mouth. Like Anatoly, most bought a horse from a breeder, already broke and ready to ride.
“You didn’t catch that one.”
“I caught my first two horses, I broke them to saddle and trained them myself. I earned my right to ride. A bad rider can ruin a good horse. You don’t want that, do you?”
“No,” Maria whispered.
“If you want a horse, you must learn to take care of it and earn the privilege. Horses are expensive. How do you intend on paying for its keep?”
The little girl’s brow furrowed, and her mouth twisted in a scowl. “I’m too little.”
Without any experience with children, I decided to treat her like I would anyone else interested in one of my animals, even the lowest hinny. “Not too little to muck a stall or groom a pony. I can teach you if you want to learn, but if you don’t take it seriously, I’m not going to let Anatoly give you an animal.”
Maria’s gaze snapped to Anatoly, who sat quietly on his bay, his expression so neutral I couldn’t tell what was going on behind his dark eyes. “That true? You’re a bigger tai-grr. Why you let smaller tai-grr boss you around?”
A smile touched Anatoly’s lips. “She’s right, that’s why. If you want a horse of your own, you need to prove it to her. That’s also why I gifted her with the absolute best horse I could find this morning. She’ll treat the mare right. Horses are a big responsibility.”
For a long moment, I thought Maria was going to argue, but then she bobbed her head. “Okay. I want.”
I considered the conversation a success. With the issue settled, at least for the meantime, I redirected my attention to more pressing matters: getting to Charlotte. “When does the next train pass through to Charlotte? It might be faster to ride.”
Anatoly brought his horse alongside mine, leaving Henry on the other side. The placement amused me; in many situations, the center was the safest, protected from flanking attacks. It limited my mobility, although without a sword, I had few options to work with.
“There’s a daily evening train out of Richmond. If we ride hard, we can catch it. We could be in Charlotte as early as tomorrow night if things work out in our favor. It’s possible your sword’s waiting for you in Charlotte, too. I didn’t get a list of everything they’d collected of yours. If not, I’ll make some inquiries. You can help relay messages for me in Charlotte fo
r the blade.”
“I may have obligations to Dawnfire.”
“I can speak with the guild leader and make the appropriate arrangements.”
“Agreed. I’ll have to see about accommodations—”
“You’ll be staying with me.” The sharp edge of Anatoly’s voice startled me into silence. “I’ll deal with Dawnfire if they don’t like it. It’s been too long since I’ve smacked their guild leader around.”
I twisted in the saddle to stare at Henry. “He’s insane, isn’t he?”
The mystic shrugged. “He’s a tiger. What were you expecting?”
“Mean!” Maria declared, smacking Henry’s back.
I dug my heel into my mare’s side and shifted my weight before realizing I hadn’t taught her to sidestep yet. Whether by luck or good training, she obeyed, putting me close enough to Henry’s horse our legs touched. I reached over and grabbed Maria’s wrist, holding firm enough she couldn’t break free without hurting herself. “No.”
“What? What did I do?” Maria wailed, tears welling up in her eyes to streak down her cheeks.
“Don’t hit those who help you. They might not help you next time.” Releasing her, I nudged my mare away from Henry’s horse. “There are better ways to deal with someone who insults you.”
Maria’s tears dried as quickly as they’d spilled. “How?”
I allowed myself to smile. “Maybe one day I’ll teach you if you’re a good girl.”
Anatoly leaned towards me and whispered, “I hope you know you’re going to hell. You’re going to create a monster.”
Since smacking the smug look off Anatoly’s face wouldn’t help my case with Maria, I settled for a glare. “Maybe I’ll use you as an example.”
“You have my undivided attention.”
I eyed his toe and its placement in the stirrup. It wouldn’t take much to dislodge his foot and unbalance him. A single strong shove would send him tumbling off the back of his bay if I caught him unaware. “Do I?”
“Do your worst, Runs Against Wind.”
Some invitations simply couldn’t be refused, and I dumped the smug tiger’s ass off his horse and onto the ground. “Don’t mind if I do.”
So much for being a good role model.
Chapter Thirty
While I could have ridden in the passenger car with Anatoly and Henry, I opted to stay in the stable car with the horses. The ticket price included a groom to keep an eye on our animals, but I stayed with my mare. She seemed to enjoy my company and sought out my affection.
Anatoly’s bay, on the other hand, wanted my blood for knocking his rider out of the saddle. Laughing at the horse only infuriated him more. His challenging screams made me miss the bittersweet attention of Dipshit and Devil Spawn.
We arrived in Charlotte at sunset, and I had the horses ready to ride by the time Anatoly came with Henry and Maria. I grabbed the reins of Anatoly’s bay, careful to keep out of the way of his teeth. “Here’s Snapper.”
Anatoly’s eyebrows rose. “Snapper?”
“He tries to bite but misses. You should work on that. It’s not really useful to have a biter if he can’t land a hit. So he just ended up snapping his teeth, thus Snapper.”
“His name’s Cherry.”
“I’m doing your horse a favor, then.”
Henry chuckled and fetched his horse. “Mine’s Sunshine.”
“Good name. Matches her disposition. I like it.” Returning to my horse, I gathered her reins and followed after the men. My mare balked at the ramp over the tracks to the platform, forcing me to coax her over the shifting boards. Once on solid ground, she snorted and kicked her hind hooves at the offensive train.
Henry mounted first, and Anatoly lifted Maria up behind the mystic before swinging onto Snapper’s back. I followed on foot and guided my mare through the dispersing crowd until we reached the street.
“You could have ridden through the building.” Anatoly shifted his weight in the saddle, and a glance at his foot confirmed he had learned his lesson about using his stirrups.
I still wore sneakers, something I meant to change as soon as possible. Mounting, I settled in the saddle. “What’s the plan?”
“I need to take Maria to Samson and introduce them.”
“Samson?”
“A Bengal tiger clan leader. Nice guy, good with kids. They’ve got a lot of cubs right now, so Maria’ll have a lot of clan siblings her age. I’ll make sure to let him know you promised to give her a chance to earn herself a horse. He’s not high up in the rankings among the felines, and he refuses to accept non-Bengal tigers in his clan, which is honestly a wise choice.”
The little girl in question yawned and leaned against Henry’s back, oblivious to our conversation.
“I need to check in with Dawnfire and see if they have my horses.”
“After we drop Maria off.”
I consented to the delay with a nod. To my dismay, we headed in the direction of the Lancers’ Alliance barn, still one of the more distinctive buildings in the area. I stared at it, my worries rising every step closer we got to the building.
If I crossed paths with Todd, would he recognize me? If he did, what would he do? The thought of him hating me for everything I’d done sickened me. I shifted restlessly in the saddle, and my mare’s ears twisted back. Clenching my teeth, I forced myself to relax and sit still.
Anatoly brought Snapper alongside my horse. “What’s bothering you?”
I longed for the day I could be truly honest. “Charlotte hasn’t been all that nice to me.” The truth behind the truth hurt the longer I thought of it.
Six years should have been long enough to forget.
“It’s not far to the clan’s residence.”
True to his word, within ten minutes, we reached a row of townhouses skirting the guild district. Anatoly slid off Snapper, scooped Maria up, and headed for the door, leaving Henry to watch his horse. I stayed mounted, keeping a wary eye on those passing us on the street.
“I’m surprised she’s okay with being dumped off with a different clan.”
Henry chuckled and waved away my concern. “We explained everything to her while you were napping. She had a choice: go with Samson and other Bengals, or go back to her aunt. She chose Samson. She’s a pretty smart kid when she decides to be. She wouldn’t be a good fit with our clan; Bengals don’t settle on one mate, which would cause friction once she’s older.”
“I’m sorry I did nothing but sleep in Richmond.”
“You needed it.”
Anatoly returned without Maria, giving us a satisfied nod. “Samson will contact me if he has any problems with her. Dawnfire next. If we’re lucky, Gentry will be out.”
To play my role, I had to pretend I didn’t know why someone would want to avoid Gentry Adams, the grizzly leader of Dawnfire. “I thought you wanted a fight with Dawnfire’s guild leader.”
“On my terms. He’s a grizzly. When fighting a grizzly, you want every advantage possible. If he’s not at the alliance, I win by default. I like winning.”
“What sort of idiot challenges a grizzly?”
Anatoly laughed. “The kind who can win against one.”
Despite it being after dark, people clogged the streets, many on foot. What should have taken no more than thirty minutes took us well over an hour, and by the time we reached Dawnfire’s building, I was contemplating taking a nap on the sidewalk.
“If your horses are here, they’ll be in one of Dawnfire’s barns. Let’s check there first. With luck, they’ll have space for ours while we report.” Anatoly slid off Snapper and marched around the former warehouse. I sighed and eased my aching body to the ground, following well out of the bay’s kicking range.
Two stablehands met us at the main stable entrance and took our horses. The quiet convinced me my horses weren’t present, but I asked, “Are the two mean blacks still here?”
The two younger men, likely on the threshold of being legal mercenaries, exchanged long looks
. The older of the pair, with piercing blue eyes, looked me over head to toe. “What’s it to you, lady?”
“None of your business. Are they here?”
“Does it look like they’re here?” he challenged.
Anatoly put his hand on my shoulder and turned me in the direction of the doors. “If that champagne mare isn’t here when we get back, I’ll be asking Adams to deal with you himself—in person.”
The stablehands paled and retreated into the barn.
I clenched my hands into fists. “Someone better have a damned good explanation for why my horses aren’t here.”
“Before you panic, let’s go ask inside. They could be at the auxiliary stable on the other side of the alliance building. There are also several really secure stables in Charlotte—more secure than here. It’s entirely possible they’re there.” Anatoly kept pushing until I started walking on my own. “Let’s get the facts first.”
Deep breaths should have helped sooth my temper, but strand by strand, my temper frayed. “I won’t be responsible if I have to rob a mercenary to get a sword so I can start killing people if someone hurt my horses.”
“Duly noted,” one of the most influential men in the United States replied with a grimace.
Mercenaries worked around the clock, but the crowd in Dawnfire’s entry startled me. Anatoly halted in the doorway, his eyes narrowing as he took in the multitude packed into the room. “Well, that’s different.”
My hand dropped to my side, and I hissed my frustration through clenched teeth. Without a weapon, I’d be an easy mark. “The stable didn’t seem all that busy.”
Had everyone come on foot, or were their horses elsewhere? I frowned, looking over the crowd for familiar faces. I found a few, and my anxiety spiked.
The last time I’d seen Ferdinand, he’d been after me in more ways than one. Six years hadn’t changed him much. He spoke with several other mercenaries, younger recruits who’d probably enlisted after I had fled Charlotte.