Chapter 41

 

When he had told the guards to meet at the stables, I thought we were talking about the old stables or what used to be the stables. As I stood outside watching the stable hands bring out the horses I didn’t know what to do. They were real horses and like everything else in this realm, really large. When one of them stopped in front of me with a gigantic white horse I just stood there feeling like I should be asking for something I knew how to work, a motorcycle or even a bicycle. Riding and steering a horse wasn’t something I had the slightest clue how to do.

“Never ridden, have you?”

I looked away from the huge beast to Chase as he walked up behind me. “City girl I’m afraid.” Craning my neck, I looked up at the big blue eyes of the animal. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to one.”

“As much as I’d like to give you riding lessons, I don’t think we have time right now.” He motioned to the man holding the horse in front of me. “The Huntress will ride with me today.”

I watched him lead the animal away again.

“She’s yours by the way.”

Looking down at the size of the print she had left behind I felt relieved I didn’t have to ride something with feet that big. “What do you mean?”

“The horse. Angelica. She’s yours.”

With both eyebrows raised I looked back at the animal now running around in the yard again and then flicked my eyes to Chase. “She’s mine?”

He nodded. “I’ve been breeding the same champion blood line for over a hundred years waiting, always selecting the white foal to groom for the Huntress. Angelica was born for you. I only let the female trainers ride and groom her.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Watching the guards come out of the stables, each leading two horses he shrugged. “Thank you works.”

“Thank you.” I fidgeted with the dagger strapped to my leg again, so I wouldn’t have to look at him. “Why horses by the way? I know you have cars.”

Accepting the biggest horse that had been led over, he patted its neck. “Easier to maneuver and quieter.”

Sounded like a reasonable explanation to me. “Is it far?”

“Roughly twenty minutes.” Grasping me around the waist he lifted me onto the back of the black animal. “Just stay up there until I get on.”

I nodded, too nervous to say anything and clung to the animal with my knees while he climbed up behind me. There was no need to encourage me to lean back into him as he reached around me to get the reins. The animal pranced a few times, but stayed in one place.

“I’ve got you, kitten.” He whispered in my ear, wrapping his arm around my waist. “Ready to go kick some ass?”

I was on the horse wasn’t I? “Let’s do this.” I answered breathlessly.

****

The compound wasn’t well guarded, so getting close enough to plan was the easy part. We watched a few people come and go, long enough to get a good idea of how many people we were dealing with. There were nine of us and we counted twenty of them, so far.

Victor pointed out a tall thin man in a blue jacket. “That’s him. He’s mine.” His voice had that ice-cold edge to it.

Chase nodded and moved back toward the horses. “We’ll go in around the side of that small building to the left.” He motioned to two of the men. “You two come in from the back of the middle building.” They nodded and jogged off into the trees.

Victor started in the other direction, motioning for one of the men to come with him. “Fight well, brother.”

Chase grinned. “Well enough to beat you, brother.” The grin died when he turned to me, his eyes told me how much he wanted me to stay right where I was. “Do whatever you need to stay whole and alive.”

“I always do.” Pulling the tonfa from the strap on my back, I popped the blade out to check it. “Let’s go.”

Chase looked me up and down and then he turned dead serious eyes in Tim’s direction in warning to remember what he’d said.