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I et away from the smoke before the horses panic and I lose ain, but she takes only a few quick steps before settling back into slow, useless plodding

More arrows spear the brightening sky Stor and curselike He’s intoning sole bubbles from my throat when I realize it’s a silly rhy, an order for archers to fire, and suddenly the northern sky gloith a nis block , with shaain

Hoofbeats approach from behind, and I twist in the saddle It’s Belén One fist is clutched in the ray, the other holds the reins of a smaller chestnut "Elisa, we have to move!" he yells

"I can’t!" I say helplessly "She won’t--"

Belén races up to me, leans over, and thwaks my mare on the rump She jerks into a trot, and suddenly it’s all I can do to keepcontrol of my extratheir eyes and tossing their heads in panic Belén leans doith a knife and cuts theoone of thee, and once we’re out of sight, we start switching back along a rocky slope, gradually circling north toward our rendezvous point I lean forward over the mare’s neck to keep my seat on the incline

For the first time since we decided to becout--but not for me What if soullies; she stands a good chance of disappearing into the scrub and slipping away But Storer here, ill suited to the dry and dusty cliet to the rendezvous point and he is not there?

My heart twists Stor friends I would never tell hihtto lose even one of mine

We reach a narrow gulch, half covered in bra over, and slides off neatly He grabs my mare’s bridle to hold her steady while I diso quietly"

He sets off with his pair, and I follow The gulch is barely wide enough for two horses, and they bump each other nervously as we travel I stare at the hindquarters beforea kick to the face at anymy neck with moist air, and all I can think is, Please, please don’t bite ullies Were it not for Belén I would be hopelessly lost We take several turns, cli butte--all the while suffering the onslaught of tumbleweed and manzanita My cloak protects me from the worst of it, butrespect for the horses begins to grow inside me Their skin is so much more delicate than that of camels, but they plod forward, unperturbed

Belén stops and holds up three fingers--a signal for me to be silent while he scouts ahead I’ht whenever I’o Instead, I peer past the horses’ ruulch has become impassable, blocked by creosote and dried yucca stalks and bushes I can’t identify He quietly parts the branches of the thicket and disappears inside, leaving h noe’ll have to find cover soon, or a clear path to run Birds serenade the brightening day, and so rustles in the brush beside h this is viper country

Belén materializes out of the thicket "It’s safe," he says "Mara and Storm are there"

I ith relief

The brao at once, so he leads the horses through one at a time When at last it’s h,on branches He follows after, letting the branches swing back, and I find e enough for four people and their horses

Mara and Stor so to his upper arm

"Are you injured?" I ask him

He nods "I was nicked with an arrow It’s quite painful"

Mara rolls her eyes "It bled a good bit," she says as she wraps a strip of cloth around his ar here?" Belén asks "Were you followed?"

Mara stands and rolls her shoulders "I don’t think so But oh, you both should have seen it! Storua Classica, everyone panicked, and all their shots fleide--"

"But did you see any trackers a them?" Belén presses "Anyone we know? We should put as e as soon as possible, just in case"

Mara scowls at him "All the best trackers and scouts joined our Malficio, remember? Most of them are with Queen Cosmé now"

He flinches to hear the na companion--and his former betrothed "It only takes one, Mara"

They all turn to me for the final decision

"Storm, can you ride injured?" I ask

"More easily than I can run with these cursedup, Mara leans over and says, "I hit a pigsty With my arrows None of the hutas burned down, I swear it"

Belén sidles over and adds, "And I did not set the stable on fire A little banging on the stalls did the trick just fine"

A quick look of understanding passes between the two of them "Thank you," I whisper "Thank you so much"

Belén leads us to the east end of the tiny canyon and a narrow opening there We travel single file through a dry arroyo, then up onto another ridge, where we pick up the pace Galloping, I learn quickly, is a lot srudgingly keeps pace so long as Mara’s mount nips at her heels

I allow myself a secret smile We did it We became horse thieves Noe’ll be able to cover twice the distance each day

We’re co, Hector

4

HECTOR

WHEN I was fifteen, Alejandro released me from service for a summer, to crew on my older brother’s ship Felix madehten ainst theait ofers nurasp a sword to fight my way free

Even so, I am not helpless

The true power of a Royal Guardsht to blindfold me Overconfident fools

Our path leads deep into the Sierra Sangre at a steady incline Sage and juniper have surrendered to taller pines that block out the sun I like their tart, lemony smell I close my eyes and breathe deep of that sh the pain and helps h I’m careful not to reveal it