Page 10 of A Thieving Curse

Raelyn winced. She usually avoided thinking about her last fight with Frederick. She’d been fifteen. They’d argued a lot—strong opposing personalities, Father said. Frederick would be rude; she’d say something insulting, then he’d salve his hurt pride with a stinging barb. What had caused that particular fight, she couldn’t recall. But he’d ended it.

“I know something you don’t,”Frederick had taunted. “You were supposed to marry the prince who became a monster. Lucky he was killed, or you would have been a monster’s bride.”

Gareth had punched Frederick, and Raelyn had gone crying to their parents. The worst part was it was true, in a way. After King Henry slew the monster prince and was crowned, the kings had renegotiated an existing treaty and transferred a betrothal Raelyn hadn’t even known about to Henry’s son. Father had assured her he would never have married her to a monster, then scolded Frederick. After that, Frederick never talked about her marriage. In fact, they didn’t speak much at all. She wished he hadn’t waited until she was leaving to apologize, but she would treasure that parting embrace forever.

Raelyn took another bite of stew-soaked bread. She’d be happy to get to Rethalyon. She was tired of eating hard rolls and soup made with dried meat. “He was sweet. He actually nearly cried.”

“Maybe he realized he might have to negotiate with your husband someday, and he should be nice to his allies.”

She shoved Gareth’s shoulder, and he fell onto his back.

After dinner, they continued up the pass. Raelyn’s backside ached from the long days of riding, and they weren’t yet halfway. Dusk crept into the mountains as the sun sank lower, setting the tops of the trees ablaze in orange light. What little warmth the air had absorbed quickly fled. A sliver of the moon drifted above them. As darkness pressed in, their party paused while a few knights lit torches. This part of the pass was too narrow to stop for the night, as Sir Christopher didn’t want to defend a spread-out caravan. He assured them they were near a more open area to camp.

The trees groaned in a way that made Raelyn’s skin crawl. Branches snapped. Opal nickered.Knights looked up and whispered, and Raelyn’s chest shuddered.

“Something’s in the woods,” a nearby knight muttered, confirming her fears. Something big or high enough to rustle the limbs of trees ahead of them.

“Your Graces, wait.” Another knight motioned for her and Gareth to halt as he moved forward. Raelyn obeyed, staying at the back of the caravan, but Gareth pressed on, his eyes on the overhanging branches and a hand on his sword.

“Be careful,” Raelyn hissed. She knew better than to suggest he stay back when there might be a monster to fight, but she wished he would.

A woman screamed, the shrill sound ringing along the pass. Raelyn’s heart thudded against her ribs as she scanned the shadows along the tree line.

She saw the reflection of the torches in its eyes first.

Glassy and black, with mirrored fire seemingly shining out from the monster’s soul. As her vision adjusted, she saw its outline, hulking and shaggy, then its lithe, cat-like body perched on a towering boulder. It made a sound that was half roar, half yowl. Large teeth glinted in the torchlight. It looked like drawings she’d seen of mountain lions, but monstrous.

Bat-like wings protruded from its shoulders. A massive scorpion’s tail twitched over its back. The shock of the terror before her—the manifestation of horrors reserved for books and legends—left her mind numb. For the briefest moment, she couldn’t assign an identity to the creature. As yelling and scraping of blades against scabbards barraged her ears, its name crashed into her consciousness.Manticore.White-hot fear accompanied the identification, strangling her scream in her throat as her heart beat with the ferocity of a knight at full tilt.

She pulled back on Opal’s reins to put more distance between herself and the warriors charging the beast. Opal chomped at her bit, pawing the ground.

The manticore leapt, gliding on its wings, and slammed into one of the knights. Its tail darted forward as it knocked the knight off his horse. The man screamed. In the dim light, Raelyn couldn’t tell who it was—Sir Christopher? Sir Samuel? Gareth?Don’t let it be Gareth!

The sound of teeth tearing into flesh undercut the shouts of the knights. Raelyn’s stomach twisted violently. Where was Gareth? She strained to see him in the chaos of the fight. Someone stabbed the manticore’s wing, and the monster roared. Opal screamed, backing away from the shouting men and into the darkness. Raelyn fumbled with the reins as she struggled to calm the horse, but Opal tossed her head and the reins ripped away, the ends hanging out of reach. The manticore released an earsplitting screech, and Raelyn clamped her hands over her ears.

Opal wheeled and fled, crashing into the forest.

4

THE MARE PICKED up speed as she tore between trees and leapt over rocks, ignoring Raelyn’s cries to stop. Raelyn leaned over Opal’s neck, clinging to the horse’s mane as branches whipped past, catching at her hair and clothing and battering her sides. A sharp sting of pain made her gasp as a branch cut her right arm. Afraid of falling off, she squeezed her legs tighter, even though the stirrup leathers rubbed her skin raw through her stockings.

Fright gave way to tears.Someone help me!The words resounded in her mind like clanging bells as her horse carried her farther from the pass.

Finally, Opal slowed, her sides heaving. Raelyn gulped and forced herself to raise her head, then pried her fingers out of their death grip on Opal’s mane. Her hands trembled, but she reached down and rubbed Opal’s sweat-soaked neck.

“Easy, girl,” she eked out, her voice gravelly. She cleared her throat and tried again, still patting Opal. The horse’s nostrils flared, and her ears flicked back and forth as she walked. “Steady, girl. It’s all right. Easy.”It’s not all right!But she kept repeating the words between deep breaths, louder and louder, as much to calm herself as her horse.

A few minutes later, Opal halted. Raelyn sat still a minute longer in the pale moonlight filtering through the trees. She dismounted carefully. Her legs throbbed, and she nearly collapsed, but she managed to hold herself up on Opal’s side.

“We’re fine, see?” A nervous laugh bubbled past her lips. She shivered as a chill breeze filtered through her torn cloak and dress.

Once she felt more confident on her feet, she moved to Opal’s head and found the reins. Stopped now, she could think.

She had no idea how far they’d traveled or in which direction relative to the pass. In the dark, everything looked the same. Impenetrable shadows filled the spaces between the creaking trees. Rustling foliage mixed with the sound of Opal’s breathing. The earthy scent of the forest surrounded her.

She debated what to do. Perhaps Opal had circled around, and if she called out, someone would hear her and find her. Or she would attract the attention of another monster. She shivered again. Could she freeze out here?

Terror and anger fought for prominence in her mind. “This is why ladies should be taught navigation and survival skills,” she muttered. “In case they end up lost in the mountains!”

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