Horse Charmer (18 page)

"Why?" He shoved his own feet in his boots.

Deciding it would be best to let the topic rest for now, she kicked her legs free of the blanket. From the corner of her eye, she could see Luki glance at her before he went back to lacing his boots.

Kali?

We're awake and ready. The others are rested and their stomachs are full.

Pakelika will be there for you.

You're upset?

I'm fine.

Kali was silent and she could feel the mare sorting.

What's happened?

We're packing up and will be down shortly.

You're thinking of him.

A blush crept up her cheeks again, heating even more with the knowledge that Luki was as aware of her as she was of him. He kicked the blankets in the corner and made sure they had their belongings. Quickly buckling on her belt, she shoved her feet into her boots.

Cassia?

Later.

She didn't look at Luki again as she laced her boots and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and he stepped out of the room first, looking up and down the hallway, canvassing for her safety before signaling her to follow him. Cassia trailed behind him, not surprised when he hesitated in the hall. Back door or front? She could almost see his brain working. The soldier encampment was behind the inn in the plowed field, but who knew who was in the front.

Daeshawna made the decision for them when she stepped out of the dining area and motioned them forward. She held a wrapped bundle still warm from the oven which she handed to Cassia.

"Breakfast," Daeshawna said. "I thought you would leave early."

Luki barely nodded as he moved to look out the window by the front door.

"Thank you, Daeshawna," Cassia said, meaning it.

Luki gestured for her to move quickly and with one last smile at the Dream Weaver, Cassia left the inn. Pakelika had all three horses, tacked and ready to go, at the bottom of the steps. Luki swiftly helped Cassia mount and after swinging up on Dall, he led the way out of town toward the heart of Vespera.

****

They rode quick and hard, but the miles slowly crept by as the sun rose into the sky. At last they came to a break in the trees. Castle Vespera rose above the hills and into the mountain. A pinch of panic gripped her. What if they didn't reach the advisors in time? She would continue on to find her father's horse, Rae, but there were events playing out that she didn't understand.

Luki noticed her gaze. "We'll reach them."

She stifled the urge to have Kali run headlong down the road. Dall and Ward were still trying to catch their breath.

"How far ahead of us do you think the caravan is?" Cassia asked, sitting Kali's easy trot.

"Not far." Luki focused back on the trail. "The road starts to climb just around that bend and that will slow them down a lot. We'll catch them."

She again judged Dall and Ward's stamina. They weren't overly tired yet, but it would be a close one if she had them travel at the speed she wanted to. Kali agreed and slipped into a slow ground-eating lope. They rounded the bend and she could see the hill, at the top of the rise a line of carriages and soldiers.

The Karahan Caravan! Her spirits lifted. They weren't too late. Castle Vespera loomed large over them, but she would reach the advisors before they reached the castle gates. Kali needed no urging and lowered her head, her speed increasing until Cassia could no longer see the caravan because of the tears in her eyes. Dall and Ward followed, but weren't able to keep pace with Kali.

Kali started to slow and Cassia sat up tall, surprised by the Karahan soldiers lined up to block her. They had no idea it was their princess racing to them at top speed. The soldiers were ready, but hadn't drawn their weapons as Kali slid to a stop in front of them. She looked at each face, irritated she didn't recognize anyone in particular.

"Princess Cassia?" a voice said behind the line.

She searched past the soldiers, relief flooding her as Captain Maconahay became visible on foot next to the last carriage.

"Let the Princess through!" Maconahay ordered.

The soldiers quickly cleared a path for her to ride Kali through. She registered the surprised expression on Maconahay's face as she slid off of Kali's back next to him.

"Thank you, Captain. I need to speak with the advisors."

"Of course, but it's not captain anymore."

He no longer had his captain's pins on his collar. She switched her gaze to his face as he knocked on the carriage door. He flushed under her scrutiny and her stomach churned with regret and the knowledge that his downfall was her fault. He'd been her guard and she'd run away. He'd been left to shoulder the blame.

"I'll make it right, Captain," Cassia said softly as the door opened.

Maconahay bowed his head as he stepped back and nearly backed right into Kali who had shadowed Cassia. His eyes flickered to the horse's head, the lack of bridle obvious.

Advisor Eb hung in the doorway, evidently processing through his amazement. He climbed out much quicker than a man of his size should be able to.

"By all that is holy, our princess returned." Eb's voice reflected true joy. He looked her up and down and Cassia knew she didn't make the loveliest picture, but he didn't seem to care.

"Halt!" One of the soldiers behind Cassia shouted.

Cassia glanced over her shoulder. Luki and Pakelika were on the wrong end of drawn swords. She stuffed down her annoyance. Nothing ever went the way it should.

"Let my escorts pass through!" Cassia forced authority into every word.

Maconahay seconded her order and the men backed down. Luki and Pakelika rode up behind her and Eb frowned at them.

"Who are these men?" Eb asked her.

"My escorts. Surely you recognize Wrangler Luki, and this is Pakelika, the son of Wrangler Alrik."

Eb glowered at them and then turned his glare on her. Relief cascaded through her. He was unchanged.

"I have much to tell you," Cassia countered before Eb could reprimand her.

A look of sadness passed over his face. "And I you. Come, into the carriage, we must not delay our journey. Cap-." Eb interrupted himself. "Lt. Maconahay, get us back underway and let the other advisors know who has joined us."

"Sir." Maconahay saluted.

"Your Highness." Eb gestured for her to climb into his carriage.

She swallowed back her distaste. How she hated carriages and their confinement. But she climbed in, glancing briefly over her shoulder at Luki who had his eyes trained on her. She had a sudden panic he wouldn't stay.

"Luki!"

"By your command." A touch of a smile curved his lips in response to the urgency in her voice.

Relief washed through her, and she nodded to Luki before sitting on the cushion. Eb's assistant, Kieran, tried not to stare at her in astonishment, unsuccessfully. The door shut as Eb sat down and then the carriage lurched into motion.

"Your captors?" Eb asked.

She looked from Kieran to Eb in surprise. "In no way. As I said, my escorts. They have helped me reach you before you reached the castle. Luki, Wrangler Luki, wouldn't allow me to travel alone."

"How did you escape?" Judging by Eb's voice, he wasn't completely convinced.

"I was not captured," Cassia said. This was what she had to get past if she was going to get him to listen to her about the treaty. "I left. I found out something disturbing and I knew I couldn't allow the wedding to occur."

She had shocked Eb. As his face switched to understanding, her irritation percolated.

"I am not speaking of myself, Advisor Eb," Cassia said. "King Erich tricked us. My father did not sign the treaty he shoved down our throats. Their last meeting was an impasse. They couldn't agree on the terms. The treaty was unsigned when my father left the room. The next time Erich saw my father he was dead. So, how did the treaty get signed by a dead king?"

Eb was silent as he stared at her. "How did you learn this?"

This was the tricky part. She couldn't very well say she knew because her father's ghost had told her. She'd already seen what reaction that would cause.

"I did a little listening and asking questions of my own while I was in Vespera. The King's Guard were so focused on who killed my father that they didn't really investigate what happened up until that point. The answer was there."

"Are you certain of your information?" Eb asked.

"Completely." Her thoughts on the Dreamscape. "I have no doubt of the validity of those I spoke with. I had to stop the wedding."

"By leaving," Eb said. "Why didn't you go to Queen Sarahann with your suspicions?"

"I did," Cassia said. How much to reveal? "She believed I was seeing ghosts where there weren't any, because I didn't want to marry Torr. She wouldn't listen to me."

She jumped into her story explaining the odd things she'd overheard, repeating the conversation between Torr and Erich word for word. The only thing she left out was the visit from her father. She glossed over it by saying she was visited by someone who told her about her father's last meeting with King Erich. Eb listened without interrupting until she'd gone through all she could think of to convince him that what she said was true.

"Are you sure you can trust this visitor's word?" Eb asked.

"Yes."

"If you're wrong…" Eb trailed off.

"But I'm not." Cassia insisted.

She was about to mention her visit with Julyan and learning that he wasn't the one behind the murder, but she sucked the words back in. She still hadn't spoken with Rae. The carriage rolled to a stop and voices shouted outside. The door wrenched open and Luki loomed in the opening.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Excuse me." Eb turned to the open door in annoyance.

Luki ignored him. "Princess, we're at the castle gate. Do you want your presence known or not?"

"What is he referring to?" Eb demanded.

"Not." Cassia leaned out and accepted Luki's help to hop lightly down to the ground. "Do you have an idea?"

Luki glanced ahead to the first carriage. "They don't seem too keen on allowing them in."

She followed his gaze. "Why do you think that is?"

"Your Highness," Eb gasped, climbing out. "You haven't given me the chance to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Your mother, Queen Sarahann," he said, seeming to have a difficult time phrasing what he wanted to say, "is to marry King Erich today."

"What?" Her stomach dropped. "I don't understand."

"She's fulfilling your obligation," Eb said, his voice hushed. "After you left, the people of Karah were not happy. The people of Vespera were even less happy. Skirmishes have broken out. Several farms have been raided on both sides."

"But why marry him?" Cassia asked.

Eb shook his head. "Queen Sarahann wishes to stop the hostilities by marrying King Erich. That's why we came. She wouldn't listen to my letter of objection so I knew I had to come out quickly to make her understand marrying Vespera will not solve the problems of a missing princess."

The ache in her stomach grew more pronounced. It was because of her. She'd known there would be consequences to what she had done, but she'd never imagined this.

"We have to stop her," Cassia said.

"Yes, hopefully, we aren't too late." Eb frowned and glanced up to where the blocked entrance. "Why aren't they letting us through?"

"Because you'll stop the wedding," Luki said.

Eb turned his frown to Luki. "We must get through those gates."

Cassia stared at the mounted cavalry men who blocked the Karahan Caravan from getting inside the walls. "Mount up."

Luki whistled and Pakelika trotted forward, pulling Dall with him. Kali was beside her in an instant. Her saddle had been removed. Cassia swung up so she was astride Kali.

"What are you doing?" Eb asked.

She looked down from her contemplation of the horses to smile at Eb. "Did my father ever tell you I'm a Talent, Advisor Eb?"

The look of surprise on his face indicated he hadn't known. Luki moved Dall next to Kali.

"What's the plan?" Luki asked, Dall edging to stand neck to neck with Kali.

"We go through the gate and stop the wedding," she said.

"There will be other soldiers past the gate." Maconahay rode his horse, Bailintin, up next to Luki.

"We split into two groups." She envisioned the plan in her head. She would need to create chaos to keep King Erich from suspecting what was coming. "Once inside the gate, the official Karahan party will go through the front door. We'll go through the back."

I won't be able to go up those stairs.

Indecision gripped her for a moment, but she pushed it down.
But you can get me to them?

Yes. I'll need to find another way inside.

Cassia nodded. The Vesperans would delay the Karahan party. She would have to be the one to get to her mother.

"Time passes," Luki reminded her of the urgency around her.

"Advisor Eb," she ordered. "You'll fulfill your original intention. Demand entrance and an audience with my mother. If you get to her first, tell her of what you've learned, and stop the wedding. If not, create as big a drama as possible. Draw as many guards to your party as you can."

"Kieran!" Eb called out.

Kieran climbed quickly out of the carriage and hurried to stand beside Eb.

"You heard the princess?" Eb asked. Kieran nodded. "You inform Advisor Abiga of what we have just learned and Princess Cassia's plan. I'll speak with Advisor Donaly."

Eb bowed to Cassia and they both hurried up the line. Eb climbed into the next carriage and Kieran continued on to the front one.

Cassia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, centering herself. She'd never asked this many horses to obey her commands, and so many different commands, at that. Her mind calm, she could feel Kali's presence and she shot that awareness out so she could feel every horse.

In the darkness, she gathered and dispersed what she wanted all of the horses to do. The Vesperan horses would race away from the castle while the Karahan went straight for the gate. She felt like time was creeping by, but in reality it only took a second for the commands to be given and another before the yells of the men could be heard.

Kali leaped forward at the same instant. The Vesperan horses at the gate, listening to her command, bolted into a full gallop, taking them away from the gate and the castle. The horses within the Karahan Caravan were also in a dead gallop, racing for the open gate.

The Vesperan Gate Keeper was taken by surprise, having no chance to hit the lever to start the gate closing before a Karahan soldier's horse bumped him away. He fell too far to reach it. Kali weaved through the small contingent of Karahan soldiers and the carriages to sweep through the gate. She spun and headed left to the royal stables.

Cassia didn't look behind her, but closed her eyes again to focus on the horses inside the castle walls. She hoped Rae was still in the barn, but she didn't know for sure. Kali didn't falter under her. Her stride smooth, she charged for the barn. Cassia's eyes snapped open as Kali slid to a stop. She vaulted from Kali's back and bolted inside.

Once in, she stopped. She couldn't run and focus at the same time. Eyes closed, she sent her senses out again. She knew Kali's voice, Dall's voice, she had to recognize Rae's voice. She nearly gave up, but a slight suggestion of familiarity called to her at the end of the aisle.

She ran by the startled stable boys and briefly noted them looking at each other in confusion. The horse put his head over the door and nickered to her. Relief washed through her.

It was Rae, her father's horse, and he recognized her. She let him sniff her hand and rubbed him behind his ears just the way he liked to reinforce the familiarity. That was when the enormity of what she was about to do cascaded over her. She was about to interrogate a horse. Actually, try to question one. Something she had never done before.

Cassia glanced behind her again, her courage bolstered when Luki and Maconahay ducked in through the small door. The stable lads shuffled and backed away even more confused and Maconahay branched off to deal with them while Luki walked over to her.

"Princess?" Luki said softly, so they wouldn't be overheard.

"I'm not sure how to do it." Cassia admitted.

"You speak with Kali and Dall."

Cassia didn't waste time explaining how both of those examples were different from what she was about to do. "I need to focus."

Luki nodded and glanced back behind them as he placed his body between her and the entrance in a protective pose. Cassia would have smiled if she weren't so stressed.

Rae, I need to ask you a question.

Rae's ears flicked forward in surprise and his willingness washed over her.

Thank you. Do you remember the last time you saw my father, your master?

Images flashed through her mind at a blinding speed. She gasped, trying to focus and put them together in some sort of cohesive whole. Luki grabbed her arms and she tried to shake her head to let him know she was all right as she gave herself over to Rae.

Please, slow down. I --

Frustration washed over her and the images slowed and repeated. She saw her father stealing into the stable with his bodyguard, Talent Westleigh. Rae was eager for the ride he thought was coming, but they only went into the village. The roads were dark and mostly empty. They reached an alley. Her father was concerned about taking the horses into a dead-end alley. He left Rae with Westleigh. Westleigh objected verbally, but didn't stop Robet. A man came from the shadows. Rae knew something was wrong. Robet fell to the ground. Westleigh dropped the reins and rushed forward. The attacker turned to face Westleigh. From Rae's images, Cassia saw his face clearly in the moonlight.

She trembled in anger and Rae responded to her feelings with his ears pinned back and a fierce snap of his teeth.

Thank you, Rae. You've been a faithful steed to your master.

Cassia closed her eyes. She'd recognized the man who'd killed her father. She'd seen him stand right next to King Erich as his personal bodyguard during his stay in Karah. She had no doubt in her mind who had killed her father or orchestrated it now, and Erich was about to marry her mother.

The command built up inside her and she released it. The horses all screamed with her anger as they began to bang the stalls. The ones in the outside pens leapt out of their confinement, causing terror and chaos for anyone in the yard.

"Release the horses," Cassia said.

Luki shot her an alarmed look, but unbolted all of the doors, jumping out of the way as each horse surged out and raced to the closed main door.

"Captain." Cassia didn't raise her voice.

Maconahay shouldered the large doors open and barely kept from being trampled by the frenzied horses.

"Cassia," Luki said, rejoining her side.

Rae pranced in front of her. She laid her hand on his nose.

We shall avenge him, my friend. Go! I will rejoin you later.

Rae reared and darted around her, sweeping out the door to join the other horses. Kali walked easily in, Pakelika behind her.

"Uh, our horses all ran off," Pakelika said, dusting the dirt off caused by Ward ditching him.

"They will rejoin us later," she said. "Erich was behind it all."

"Are you sure?" Luki asked.

"Rae witnessed Erich's personal bodyguard shove a dagger in my father's back."

"What?" Maconhay asked, his voice outraged. "Are you talking about Guard Bittore?"

She raised her eyes to meet Luki's. "We must stop this marriage."

His look of horror matched her own.

You must move swiftly. The guards will only be diverted for so long before they realize it is a ruse.

Cassia didn't waste time nodding, but ran out of the barn with her escorts around her. The yard was in complete chaos, as she'd intended. Everyone on foot was either running away from a horse or unsuccessfully trying to chase one down. A single Vesperan soldier guarded the side door she had snuck out that fateful night.

The soldier hesitated when he saw Maconahay's uniform and barely had time to draw his weapon before Maconahay punched him in the head with the hilt of his sword. The soldier fell to the ground unconscious. She darted past, shoving the door open, and flying down the hall toward the servants' staircase.

Luki shouted her name, but she didn't heed the warning and continued on. It wasn't until she had dashed up the narrow servants' staircase that she realized the reason for the shout. Always quick, it hadn't occurred to her that she would have been able to outrun both Luki and Maconahay.

She didn't slow as she ran one, two, three flights of stairs, and up the final one to burst into another hall. Her wedding to Torr had been planned to occur on the battlement. She had no idea if the plan still held. She'd check the Karahan rooms first before she headed up to the roof. Nolan and Giles, two of the Karahan royal guard group, tensed as she rounded the corner. They wore identical expressions of surprise when they realized who was running toward them.

"Where's my mother?" Cassia gasped.

They looked at each other and quickly saluted her. "At the wedding feast."

"The feast?" Her spirits plummeted. She was too late. "She's already married?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Giles said. "The ceremony occurred about an hour ago."

She swallowed the sob that wanted to work its way up her throat. She had to stay focused and not allow despair to overtake her. What was the next step?

"Where is the wedding feast?" Cassia demanded.

"In the great hall," Nolan said.

Nolan and Giles started to follow her, but paused when Luki and Maconahay jogged into view. Maconahay nodded to the two men and they relaxed at seeing their former captain.

"We're too late," she told them.

Luki and Maconahay shared a dark look before turning back to her.

"What do you need us to do?" Luki asked.

"We're too late," Cassia said, "by an hour. She married him." She closed her eyes to force back the dismay. "Let's go."

Maconahay and Luki fell into step behind her as she headed to the main hallway.

"You need to be careful, Princess," Maconahay said, "about who overhears your accusations. Remember we're in the heart of Vespera and are greatly out numbered."

She nodded her understanding. "The treaty has been nullified."