Page 59 of Beneath the Haunting Sea

Calling her to the sea, calling her to the Hall of the Dead.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” she whispered, peering down into the dark waves. “I don’t know how to help you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

She closed her mind against the music. She latched the window shut again.

But the song wound on inside her.

Chapter Twenty-Four

SHE WAS LATE JOINING THE OTHERS THEnext morning, her head fuzzy with too little sleep and the dreams that wouldn’t release her.

The sun was unexpectedly shining, but the frigid wind bit at her ears as she stepped up to the knot of people and horses waiting in the courtyard. Blaive and Wen and Caiden stood with their mounts, Ahned holding the reins of a lovely chestnut marewith a gold-colored mane. The mare stamped impatiently, nostrils flaring. She was clearly ready for a run.

“This gal’s a lot of horse, Miss Dahl-Saida,” said Ahned as Talia came to take the reins from him, trying to force her thoughts to the present.

“Talia can handle her,” said Caiden cheerfully, swinging up onto Avial.

Ahned frowned. “So you keep saying.”

“I certainly wish you would havethought to hire more than one spirited mount, Caiden,” said Blaive, frowning. She was dressed for the day in a nut-brown riding habit trimmed with fur, and was wearing another awful hat—this one seemed to be drowning in ostrich feathers and garish velvet ribbons.

“I had no idea of you coming when I hired her,” Caiden said lightly. “And anyway, Miss Dahl-Saida is an extremely accomplished rider.”

Blaive pressed her lips together, a flush of color coming into her cheeks at the implication thatshewasnot.

Ahned gave Talia a leg up into her saddle, and the mare danced underneath her like a spring tightly coiled.

“Up you go, my lady,” said Ahned, hoisting Blaive onto the dappled gray.

Wen climbed into his saddle last of all, and Talia looked over at him. She found herself desperatelywanting to talk to him more about the temple and the myths, and why he was so certain Rahn’s Hall wasn’t real.

Ahned checked the saddle girths for all four of them, and then nodded, though he cast another disapproving eye at Talia and the chestnut. “Anira knows to expect you,” he said, addressing Caiden even though the riding party was ostensibly for Wen and Talia. “Take your time, but try andbe back before dark. There’ll be a man by to collect the horses.”

“But not the chestnut,” Caiden announced. “I bought her.”

“Did you indeed,” said Ahned, unimpressed. “Before dark, my lord.”

Caiden flashed him an unabashed grin and let Avial out into a trot.

The rest followed—Wen, Blaive, and then Talia, bringing up the rear. They left the Ruen-Dahr and, despite Wen’s objections, took thepath that wound down to the shore. “It’s faster this way, and Father won’t know or care,” Caiden told him.

“Uerc’s beasts tear you to bits,” Wen muttered not-quite-under his breath, and then relented.

The four of them cantered for a while along the coast, the waves bursting white against the shore and the gulls wheeling noisily overhead. Talia tried not to look at the sea as she crouched overher mount’s neck, the mare a snarl of boundless energy beneath her. She could almost feel the horse laughing at their current pace, so she wrapped her fingers in the mare’s gold mane and gave her her head.

They sprang away from the group in a flat-out gallop. Around them the world faded to a blur of sand and sea and sky. But they couldn’t go fast enough to outrun the tangle of Talia’s thoughtsor the music rising suddenly from the sea.

And then there was another rider racing alongside her, matching her pace for pace: Caiden on Avial. “Is that all she’s got?” he shouted over the wind, grinning like mad. He put his heels in Avial, and the black gelding lunged ahead.

Talia leaned even tighter against the chestnut’s neck. “Run, lady,” she whispered into the mare’s ear.“Run.”

The mareleapt forward like she’d been standing still. They caught up to Avial, and for a few delirious moments they raced evenly, side by side in the sand. Caiden shouted encouragingly at his gelding to keep up the mad pace, but the red mare didn’t need any urging.

And then they were past Avial, running on alone. The wind sliced past Talia’s cheeks, so swift and cold she could hardly catch a breath.All was rushing air and pounding hooves, motion and power andspeed.She rode on the heels of the wind—shewasthe wind, no longer moored to the earth. It numbed her so much she could almost think clearly again, almost understand the things just beyond her grasp.

But not even the chestnut mare could run forever. She slowed bit by bit, and dropped finally back to a walk, her shoulders gleamingwith sweat. Talia patted her neck, singing her praises.

“I didn’t imagine she’d bequitethat fast,” said Caiden, riding up on Avial. “We won’t go so easy on you next time.”

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