Marian’s. If you lose, this sadist might consider all your requests forfeit. This might be his ultimate trick.”
Swearing furiously, Robin ran back, and swung himself up behind me. I immediately kicked my heels against Amabel’s sides, not needing to have any impact for her to launch into pursuit.
Robin’s body and arms enveloped my form, his hands settling through mine to grip Amabel’s silvery mane as she wasn’t saddled. Though he still went through me, I could feel my outlines within his own, in a surge of closeness and protection.
We exited the alley, made a steep descent down a wider market road. At least most people had now had the chance to hide out of the bull’s rampaging path. And the shattered stands and squashed merchandise were a clear trail for us to follow.
“How are your wounds?” I yelled so Robin could hear me over the cacophony of Amabel’s hooves.
His right hand twitched underneath mine. “Even with the healers sealing them, I can feel them beginning to scar on a deeper level. They’ll probably hurt more in winter. But don’t worry, I can still shoot.”
“I’m not worried about that!”
“I know.” He was silent for a moment, then he said, “I didn’t know you could ride, and like that. You seem like one with your unicorn. And I’m sure it was the same when you had your body. Is it some special connection you have with her, like a witch and her familiar?”
Once, I would have been outraged at such a comparison. But everything had changed the second I’d fallen out of my body. I had changed. Maybe long before that.
Now I only said, “I’ve always had a special connection with her. Whether it’s magical in nature, I have no idea. Amabel never displayed any magic—beyond what Agnë is now insisting is mind-reading. But she must like you, if she’s letting you ride her. Before now, she never allowed anyone but me to.”
“So maybe she’s letting me ride her, like she did Agnë, because she knows we’re helping you.”
“That would still mean she knows she can trust you. Whether that’s magic or not, it’s indisputable she is quite intelligent.”
As if to demonstrate, Amabel slowed down without being prompted at the top of a sharply sloping road, carefully trotting down its treacherous slide, finally in direct pursuit of our target.
Now I saw it clearly, it was a lot larger than I had initially thought. Almost as wide as the narrow road it was tearing through, it had a gleaming hide, the dark, oily green of a bog.
Robin moved his arms from around me as he reached for his bow, and I felt the absence of their heat, suddenly remembering what it had felt like to be cold.
Robin stretched behind me, elbow going through my back, legs crossing mine through my phantom dress as he brought the arrowhead near my face.
I felt him exhale as he let the arrow fly, shooting past with an ear-splitting whoosh.
It hit the bull right in the back of its neck—and only bounced off its skin.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The bull bellowed, its hooves gouging the cobblestones as it spun to face us. Steam poured from its nostrils as it bent its massive head, lethal horns aimed at us.
It was going to run us down!
“Amabel, run!”
Just as Amabel responded to my tug and veered into a sharp turn, Robin leaned over me, briefly fusing with me as he shot another arrow directly between the bull’s eyes.
Like the last attempt, it didn’t break the skin. This time I saw the arrowhead crumple before the shaft clattered to the ground.
Amabel galloped back up the road, with the bull literally tearing it up as it chased after us. I screamed for the people who’d ventured out to run and hide again as Robin twisted to shoot more arrows at the bull, to no avail.
He finally yelled over the cacophony of hooves, “It’s like I’m throwing paper darts at a wall!”
“Those arrows Theseus gave you must be ineffective!” I yelled back.
“Good point. Let me see—ow!” He hissed and flapped his hand, a streak of blood running down his palm. “No, they definitely work.”
“Did you just stab yourself with that arrow?”
“Just a tiny slice. I had to test its sharpness, and it was either on myself or on a passerby.”
“But if they work, this means—AH!” A hard collision from behind made Amabel neigh sharply in pain, and stumble forwards.
Robin flew off Amabel with the impact, going right through me to slam onto the cobblestones. I could do