Page 43 of Cursed Crowns
The old man brandished his knife. “We’ve been preparing for your kind.”
“Not well enough,” said Shen, who knocked him out with a single, spinning kick. His lantern fell to the ground with a clatter, the oil inside it spilling out. Flames licked the cobblestones as the bald man lunged, but Shen struck again, cracking his nose with the palm of his hand. He fell backward, dazed.
Rose winced at the crunching sound.
Beard grabbed the lantern and flung it at Kai. “Burn, witch!”
Kai stepped out of the way. The lantern landed in a nearby bush, where, with a hiss and crackle, the entire shrub burst into flame.
“My turn.” Kai knocked Beard out with one swift punch.
“Time to go!” said Rose, clambering on to the nearest horse, which happened to belong to Kai, just as the doors to the Vault opened and more people came pouring out. They raced down the dusty street, alongside Shen and Storm.
Rose glanced over her shoulder. “They’re following us!”
Kai winked at Shen. “Time to put your desert horse to the test, cousin.”
“Storm’s been riding under the sky her whole life,” scoffed Shen. “Your horse is the one out of practice.”
“Pah! Victory’s been waiting years to stretch his legs.”
“Are you two really bickering over which horse is faster?” said Rose. “Surely, now is not the time.”
They both ignored her.
“A name doesn’t make a winner,” said Shen. “There’s no horse under the sun as fast as Storm.”
“We’ll see about that.” Kai whacked Victory’s rump, and the horse somehow began to gallopevenfaster.
“Kai!” shrieked Rose. “Slow this horse, at once!”
Behind them, Shen let out a shout, and soon Storm was matching Victory stride for stride, both men laughing so hard, Rose could barely hear herself shout. “It looks like it’s a tie! Well done, everyone!”
“The race has only just begun,” yelled Kai. “My horse can ride all night.”
“I’m not riding Storm to her death to prove her worth,” Shen yelled back. “We’ll race to the next bridge, and when I win, you can bow to Storm and kiss her hooves.”
With that, he took off in a whip of cool wind.
“No chance!” said Kai, laughing as he chased him. And even as the wind howled in Rose’s ears and she clung on to Victory for dear life, she found herself laughing, too.
After an hour of thunderous horse racing, Shen and Storm pulled ahead, arriving at the next bridge in swirling plumes of dust. Seconds later, Victory, carrying Kai and Rose on his back, barreled into them, and nearly knocked Storm into the river.
“Watch yourself!” shouted Shen. “You lost. At least be a dignified loser.”
“There’s no such thing as a dignified loser,” said Kai. “And this race was rigged from the start. Victory had to carry an extra person. Next time, I’ll win.”
“Next time, I’ll throw you in the river, Kai.”
“Give it a rest, you two,” said Rose wearily. “It’s dark. Let’s keep going.”
The men stewed in silence as the moon rose overhead, dappling them in silvery light. They journeyed onward, into the town of Hollyfort.
“We can stay here for the night,” said Shen, who was scouring the doors for painted arrows. “It looks like a safe spot. And the horses need rest.”
“As do I,” said Kai through a sprawling yawn. “And I could eat an entire boar.”
Rose eyed the dark streets warily. “Just be careful not to cause any trouble this time. The doors might be unmarked but there could be Arrows here.”