business. The other shops and taverns were either abandoned or locked for the night. Mirage peered down the wide, gloomy avenue. Years ago the city had bustled with commerce, or so Lukien had told her. Now it was just a hulking corpse, with no spirit to animate it.
‘Maybe we should go back,’ Mirage whispered to her horse. The Red Stallion had rooms, and she was sure she could convince the kindly barkeep to give her one for the night. But despite the darkness it wasn’t really late, so Mirage continued down the lane, away from the soldiers, until the merry noise of the tavern faded far behind her. Being a main thoroughfare, the street would take her toward Lionkeep, she was sure. After long minutes of walking, she reached a corner and paused, not sure which direction to take. Koth’s tall buildings obscured her vision.
‘West?’ She thought for a moment. ‘North?’
Straight would lead her down the same broad lane. Turning right led to a narrower, darker street, but it seemed to be the direction she wanted. She peered down the narrow street, focusing her eyes through the gloom. Koth’s skyline beckoned darkly. She saw hills in the distance, bordering the city.
‘That way,’ she whispered, not liking the choice at all.
Then, she glimpsed something unusual in the road, draped in shadows, hidden by the neglected buildings. A horse. And a rider, facing her and not moving. Mirage caught her breath and froze. The snorting of the horse echoed down the lane. The mounted man barely stirred, nearly invisible in the blackness. His great beast clopped at the broken cobblestones. Mirage drew back, first one step than another, wondering if she’d been seen. As she moved the horseman flicked back his cape and took something from his belt.
‘Do not run, girl,’ he ordered. ‘If you do it will be worse for you.’
Forgetting her horse, Mirage bolted back down the avenue. At once she heard the horseman pursue, his thundering mount coming fast behind her.
‘Leave me alone!’ she shouted. Up ahead the road was empty. ‘Someone help me!’
Running made the world a blur, and soon Mirage felt the horseman’s shadow. His gloved hand shot down, grabbing up her blond hair and yanking her back. She screamed as his cape fell over her eyes. His hands were everywhere, lifting her, jerking her up, then silencing her scream in smothering flesh. Mirage’s head pounded with pain. An odour seared hermouth and lungs. She was in molasses suddenly, her body slack, her panicked thoughts quickly fading. Unable to stop her arms from dropping, Mirage sagged in the violent grip.
Mirage’s consciousness waned swiftly. Before it fled, she heard the man again, happily triumphant, telling her to be a good girl.
She awoke to a thunderous headache and the world swaying beneath her. Heat stroked her skin, the feeling of sunlight on her burning neck. It was more than the usual pain in her flesh, and it awoke her with a gasp. Her eyes fluttered open, glimpsing the ground moving below her and the thick coat of her horse against her face. She fought the pain and fog, struggling to reason, to even raise her head.
‘Where . . .’
The word dribbled from her dry lips. A foul flavour coated her mouth and throat, burning when she breathed. Forcing her eyes wider, she realized she was riding. Daylight streamed down from the sky and the sounds of horse hooves reached her ears.
Am I drunk?
She had been drunk before, but it had never hurt like this. Again she raised her head, straining against the nausea squeezing her skull. Another sharp pain grabbed her wrists, and she realized her hands were tied to the saddle. Startled, she bolted upright, then felt a rope around her waist as well, keeping her from tottering off her horse. The same panic from the night before overwhelmed her.
‘What’s this?’ she moaned. ‘What’s happening?’
Up ahead sauntered another horse, huge and black. A caped rider straddled the beast, barely turning his head to
‘Maybe we should go back,’ Mirage whispered to her horse. The Red Stallion had rooms, and she was sure she could convince the kindly barkeep to give her one for the night. But despite the darkness it wasn’t really late, so Mirage continued down the lane, away from the soldiers, until the merry noise of the tavern faded far behind her. Being a main thoroughfare, the street would take her toward Lionkeep, she was sure. After long minutes of walking, she reached a corner and paused, not sure which direction to take. Koth’s tall buildings obscured her vision.
‘West?’ She thought for a moment. ‘North?’
Straight would lead her down the same broad lane. Turning right led to a narrower, darker street, but it seemed to be the direction she wanted. She peered down the narrow street, focusing her eyes through the gloom. Koth’s skyline beckoned darkly. She saw hills in the distance, bordering the city.
‘That way,’ she whispered, not liking the choice at all.
Then, she glimpsed something unusual in the road, draped in shadows, hidden by the neglected buildings. A horse. And a rider, facing her and not moving. Mirage caught her breath and froze. The snorting of the horse echoed down the lane. The mounted man barely stirred, nearly invisible in the blackness. His great beast clopped at the broken cobblestones. Mirage drew back, first one step than another, wondering if she’d been seen. As she moved the horseman flicked back his cape and took something from his belt.
‘Do not run, girl,’ he ordered. ‘If you do it will be worse for you.’
Forgetting her horse, Mirage bolted back down the avenue. At once she heard the horseman pursue, his thundering mount coming fast behind her.
‘Leave me alone!’ she shouted. Up ahead the road was empty. ‘Someone help me!’
Running made the world a blur, and soon Mirage felt the horseman’s shadow. His gloved hand shot down, grabbing up her blond hair and yanking her back. She screamed as his cape fell over her eyes. His hands were everywhere, lifting her, jerking her up, then silencing her scream in smothering flesh. Mirage’s head pounded with pain. An odour seared hermouth and lungs. She was in molasses suddenly, her body slack, her panicked thoughts quickly fading. Unable to stop her arms from dropping, Mirage sagged in the violent grip.
Mirage’s consciousness waned swiftly. Before it fled, she heard the man again, happily triumphant, telling her to be a good girl.
She awoke to a thunderous headache and the world swaying beneath her. Heat stroked her skin, the feeling of sunlight on her burning neck. It was more than the usual pain in her flesh, and it awoke her with a gasp. Her eyes fluttered open, glimpsing the ground moving below her and the thick coat of her horse against her face. She fought the pain and fog, struggling to reason, to even raise her head.
‘Where . . .’
The word dribbled from her dry lips. A foul flavour coated her mouth and throat, burning when she breathed. Forcing her eyes wider, she realized she was riding. Daylight streamed down from the sky and the sounds of horse hooves reached her ears.
Am I drunk?
She had been drunk before, but it had never hurt like this. Again she raised her head, straining against the nausea squeezing her skull. Another sharp pain grabbed her wrists, and she realized her hands were tied to the saddle. Startled, she bolted upright, then felt a rope around her waist as well, keeping her from tottering off her horse. The same panic from the night before overwhelmed her.
‘What’s this?’ she moaned. ‘What’s happening?’
Up ahead sauntered another horse, huge and black. A caped rider straddled the beast, barely turning his head to
Similar Books
The Safest Place in London
Maggie Joel
People Who Eat Darkness
Richard Lloyd Parry
Refracted Crystal: Diamonds and Desire
M. J. Lawless
Ghosts of Winters Past
Christy Graham Parker
Blind Pursuit
Michael Prescott
The Apocalypse Codex
Charles Stross
The Breath of Peace
Penelope Wilcock
The Lily Brand
Sandra Schwab
Perfect Crime
Jack Parker