The Breeding Prize - Aya Morningstar Page 0,53

allow you to ride, then you are free to use them," the leader says. "If they refuse you, however, then there's nothing I can do. The destriers have minds of their own. I am no more their master than they are mine."

"I understand," I say, and I leap up onto the destrier.

I don't even consider the possibility that the thing will refuse me. If it does, I know that Annabelle is as good as gone. It might buck me off at any moment, but until that happens, I will assume it will accept me. Not as master—as the Koira said—but as a partner.

Kula looks up at me skeptically, but he jumps up onto his horse as well.

I sigh relief, but just as I do, Kula's horse lets out a loud neigh, and leaps up onto its hind legs. It throws Kula off, and he hits the ground with a loud thump.

"Go," the leader says. "It has accepted you, and you alone.”

Kula motions for me to go without him. "I'll try to stay behind you, brother. But go! Get your Muru back!"

Twenty-Three

Annabelle

Philos holds me in his palms. His fingers are pressed tightly together, but little rays of light leak through as he runs. He's trying to keep his hands stable as he runs, but each step has me rolling back and forth within his massive hands.

I try to kick and thrash and bite, but it does nothing. Even biting into his skin with all my strength is likely as painful to him as a mosquito bite would be to me. He never so much as winces or slows down.

I'm trembling with fear. I saw how fast he moved before he snatched me up. I saw how little damage Raiska and Kula were able to do to him.

What chance do I possibly have?

Somehow, deep in my heart, I still believe that Raiska will save me. It's the only thing keeping me going. Logically, I don't see how he could ever stop something as large as Philos, but emotionally I am prepared to believe Raiska's promise. He will protect me no matter what. No matter the cost, and no matter how bad the odds. I cling to that thought as I'm jostled back and forth with every massive stride.

It goes on like this for at least ten or fifteen minutes, but then the jostling dies down. Philos is walking now. His hands begin to tremble, and he sets me down. I expect light to flood in when his hands open, but the light I see is starlight rather than sunlight. The stars and the planet's ring are even brighter outside of the city. Philos looks down at me, and then he falls to his knees.

The impact sends a massive cloud of dust up into the air. I have to shield my eyes and press my lips together, but dust still goes up into my nose, and I cough.

As the dust subsides, I see Philos has already shrunk back down to his regular size. He looks like a very large and strong human dipped in gold. He's only a foot or so taller than some of the larger human men.

He gets up onto his knees, and then he stands.

Something about his gait or the look in his eyes tells me he's weakened or injured. His feet are still bleeding. The wounds are shimmering like the scars on Kula's face and chest, and like the fresh wound on Raiska's leg.

I don't hesitate for another moment. I run.

I don't dare look back over my shoulder at first. I run as fast as I can. The plains are flat and there's very little to block my path, so I just run toward the mountains we came from.

It’s night time on Lakria, and the mountains are very far away, but the light of the stars and the planet's ring are bright enough for me to see those mountains clearly even from this distance. I know that Raiska is back in that direction, and I'll run as long and as fast as I can if it means closing the distance toward him.

I don't expect that I can run so long without stopping, but if Philos is as injured as he seems, I might be able to out-endurance him. Raiska will be coming for me too, so each step I take toward Raiska is one step less he has to take before he can rescue me.

I keep running, as fast as I dare, and after twenty seconds or so I