into his breast. Another scream and he turned, before bucking out with his powerful hind legs. The kick landed, punching a huge gash in the other horse to match the rips and scrapes from his previous attempts. The enemy animal reared, screaming his pain.
“Mesasha!” A large hand reached into Shanti’s line of sight as the Graygual toppled from his horse, a knife sticking out of his ear. She grabbed the hand and allowed Cayan to hoist her up as she slashed with her mind, cutting into man and animal alike, taking down anything near her horse. He might be an asshole, but he was her asshole.
“Are you hurt?” Cayan asked as he threw her over his saddle and turned his horse toward the city.
She realized, belatedly, that another round of fighting had kicked off near the downed man on the other side of the city. Kallon had understood. He was fighting off the enemy to get to the fallen sentry.
“No. I don’t know. How’s my horse?”
“Hurt. He’s following us. Do you feel any pain?”
Shanti bounced and jostled, lying awkwardly across Cayan’s lap with the pommel digging painfully into her side. Her breath came hard, and her right thigh pounded.
“I’m okay. Probably.” She bent to try and look behind them. It was a futile effort. “How hurt?”
Cayan’s irritation was overridden by his anxiety. She felt his large hand on the center of her back before the horse picked up speed. Her body bounded on his lap, sending waves of pain through her middle.
“We have to go faster!” Lucius yelled from beside them.
“I can’t go any faster with her like this,” Cayan said. “And I can’t stop to right her. We’ll make it.”
“That grab was poor planning.” Shanti’s words came out as little more than a collection of grunts.
Shanti felt the enemy, chasing them back toward the city. Only a few were mounted, and she seared the minds of horses and riders at the same time. Screaming sounded behind them.
“Save your strength!” Rohnan yelled.
“For when? After they’ve caught us?” Another collection of grunts.
“We’ll make it,” Cayan said again. More hooves passed within Shanti’s sight before Cayan’s horse slowed. Shouts and voices grew louder as Cayan’s horse went through the partially opened gates.
Once inside, he stopped his horse and helped someone take her down off the saddle. She looked up and felt a rush of relief as the limping and bleeding Bloody Bastard trotted forward, his head hanging and his sides heaving.
“See to my horse!” she cried.
Someone ran forward, only to flinch back as the Bastard tried to take a bite out of the man’s shoulder.
“Damn you, you stupid animal.” Shanti felt like slapping him, but under the circumstances, that might be a little abrasive. Instead, she put a hand on his neck firmly, hoping he knew that she would slap him if she needed to. “Let someone help you.”
“That animal doesn’t understand you, you know.” Sanders marched up with a hard expression. “Gates are all closed. Archers are positioned on the walls. Everyone made it back in.”
Cayan gave Shanti a long look, no doubt trying to ascertain if her stance meant she was in pain. It did.
“I’m fine,” she said as someone hesitantly stepped closer to the Bastard. She paused long enough to make sure the horse would allow treatment, before she moved away with Cayan. “That came out of nowhere. How was that possible?”
“I don’t know,” Cayan said, rage lining his voice. “We’ve heard nothing about their approach.”
“The Graygual with the knife in his ear had five stripes.” Shanti checked her weapons, making sure she had everything. “I didn’t expect Xandre to engage so soon.”
“I saw two others with three stripes,” Sanders said, surveying their surroundings as they walked.
Up the street people bustled, rushing for the hold that would hide them away from attack. It wasn’t impregnable, and not everyone took refuge there, but if a small number of the enemy made it over the walls, most of the city people would be safe.
“They didn’t have any larger units able to break into the city,” Cayan said as they rounded a corner and headed to the practice yard where the majority of the army was getting prepared. “I was in front of the largest horde of Graygual, and I didn’t even see a battering ram.”
Like ghosts drifting out of the mist, Shumas jogged in from the sides, falling in behind Shanti, awaiting direction. The three large cats moved among them, sleek and deadly. Shanti noticed Sonson up ahead, his flare of