I am grateful. All I know is the pain he caused eats at his soul even now, driving him forward.”
“An ancient monster is its own particular kind of horror.”
“He felt and caused much torment,” Yorbel agreed.
“You must regret looking so deep into the well of depravity,” Gissa said. “Can I assume you will not go plunging your soul into any more kehoks? If the emperor-to-be acquired one such beast, he’ll want more. You won’t be reading all their souls too, will you?”
Yorbel was able to answer this vehemently and honestly. “Absolutely not! I have done all the kehok reading I ever intend to do in my lifetime. There is nothing that could persuade me to stare into that brand of oblivion again.” He didn’t intend to even go near the stables until this was all over. His part in this was done.
Gissa smiled. “Good. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about you, then. Stay safe within these walls, Yorbel. You are exactly the sort of augur Becar needs in difficult times.”
Her sweet vote of confidence felt like an arrow striking his heart. Rising, he walked her to the door and thanked her again for saving his plant and taking on his responsibilities while he was absent. “I believe it will be a long while before I travel again, even outside of this room.”
“I’m very happy to hear that.” Rising up on her tiptoes, she lightly kissed his cheek. “We all missed you and are happy you’re home.”
He closed the door behind her and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the smooth wood. If we win the races, then Gissa’s soul will be safe.
And if we don’t win . . . If they started to lose, if the plan began to unravel, if the secret leaked, if anything at all went wrong . . . then I will tell her—and all the high augurs—the truth.
It’s a lot of pressure to put on a kid, Tamra thought.
Arms crossed, she watched from beside the track as Raia guided the black lion through the turns. The lion built speed on the straightaway. He had so much strength and power in his muscles that he seemed to be reaching out and yanking the earth beneath him, then throwing it behind him. But as he neared the turn, he slowed, only slightly. Any other observer might have missed it, but not Tamra.
She knew it was fear—Raia’s fear, about all this—that was slowing him. “Dig into the turns!” Tamra called. “Embrace them!” The turns could be an asset if you approached them the right away. The lion needed to throw himself into them as if they were a pole they could swing around, but he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do it if his rider held him back. “Use them to power you forward! You want the turns! Turns are your friend!”
Leaning forward, Raia and the kehok raced toward the next turn. This time, they didn’t slow—and the lion lost his grip. His hindquarters whipped out, and Raia screamed as she and the lion skidded sideways and slammed into the wall of the track.
Beside Tamra, Lady Evara gasped.
“She’s fine,” Tamra said, and vaulted over the track wall. She landed in the sands and winced. Shouldn’t have done that, she thought. She half strode and half limped across the track to where Raia was checking over the lion for any injuries.
“He’s not fragile,” Tamra snapped. “And neither are you.”
“What am I doing wrong?” Raia asked.
“You see the turn, and you hold back—you see it as another obstacle to victory, instead of seeing it as a tool you can use. A lot of kehoks lose speed on the turns. If you can gain speed, you’ll leave them choking on your sand.”
“But if we don’t slow—”
“He has to dig in harder on the turns. Plant his paws and push off. Think of a swimmer reaching the end of a pool—how does she switch directions?”
Raia’s eyes widened as she understood. “She bends her knees, twists, and pushes.”
“Exactly what you need to do.” Placing her hands on Raia’s shoulders, she turned her to face the track. Across the sands, Lady Evara was cooling herself with a gilded paper fan. “See the turns as walls you can use. Want the turns, because they’re where you can gain the advantage.”
Raia smiled. “Got it.”
She mounted her racer again and guided him back onto the track. Tamra backed up to the wall and ducked through the gate rather than trying to hop over it. “Do it again!