Page 45 of The Stallion & The Tigress
He came upon two more riders leading lamehorses, neither of whom recalled seeing Sahar that morning either.A nagging dread took hold in his belly and would not let go.Hepushed Zolotoy as hard as he dared, cursing her for riding outearly and alone, cursing himself more for letting her.
He passed another rider on his horse, andthen one more as he made the aide post.At least he was not thefurthest behind.It was mid-afternoon, so he would be able to makethe night’s camp in time, barring any other mishaps or foolishmistakes on his part.
“When did Princess Sahar ride through?”heasked.
The two guards manning the post looked ateach other and shook their heads.“She hasn’t,” the older one said.“Not yet.”
“Are you certain?”The nagging dread inAleksi’s belly began to stir.
“We haven’t seen her,” the same guard said.“We wouldn’t missher.”
“Or forget,” the younger guard added with agrin.
“She’d never cheat and bypass this post,”Aleksi said, more to himself than to the guards.“I was the last toleave camp this morning, and I haven’t passed her on the road.”Thepit in his belly grew.Unless she was hurt or hiding somewhere.Herounded on the guards.“Who else hasn’t checked in?”
The guards recited their list.Yago, Taweel,and the Jackal weren’t on it.
“One of you needs to ride to the palace,”Aleksi ordered.“Now.”
“Swallow.”
Sahar spit the wine mixed with the oil ofdream flower back at Yago, and was rewarded with the sting of hisbackhand across her cheek.At least he slapped her on the leftcheek this time.The sinister Wolf had slapped her on her rightcheek so many times throughout the day that the swelling wasbeginning to hinder her sight out of that eye.
“I said swallow, bitch.”
Yago grabbed her by the hank of her braid andyanked her head back, knocking it against the trunk of the tree shewas tied to, forcing her mouth open.Sneering down at her withcruel anticipation, he held the skin of tainted wine over her mouthand poured it down her throat until she was forced to swallow, ordrown.
She choked down what she could as the restspilled down her neck, soaking into the growing stain on herwine-soured tunic.She knew it would be a short time before hervision began to blur and her mind to wander, but at least it wouldnumb the tender bruising on her face and the stinging pain whereher wrist ties rubbed her bruised and chafed skin raw.
She’d woken a little before dawn, gagged andtied and strapped into her saddle astride Lasair, who was being ledby a tie-line to Tor, Yago’s black stallion.As her vision and hermind cleared, she saw that Taweel and the Jackal also traveled withYago, one riding ahead of them and the other behind.Her body achedalmost as much as her head, but every time she was beginning to seeand think more clearly, Yago would drug her, which made itimpossible for her to get her bearings.The day’s journey had beena hazy memory of blurring trees, Lasair’s bobbing head, and Yago’sstinging slaps.It was night now, and she was able to make out thebear constellation rising to the north as she watched her captorsmake camp, concentrating on anything and everything the threeprinces said or did.
“Smart,” she said, taking advantage of thefact that they had not replaced her mouth gag, and that her wordsstill came to her for now.“No fire for those coming after me tosee.Weasels and curs are known for their slyness.”
“Who do you think will be coming after you?”Yago said with a sneer worthy of his namesake.
“Aleksandr,” she said without hesitation,without doubt.“Aleksandr will come for me.”
Yago laughed, low and sinister.“That bastardwill not be coming after anybody ever again,” he said.“We dosedhis wine with enough dream flower to kill a horse.”
“No.”It was all she could think, all shecould say, and if it were not for the tree she was tied to, shewould’ve sunken onto the hard, damp ground in a hollowed, bonelessheap.“No.”
“Oh yes.”Yago was practically preening.“Wedosed both of your skins with dream flower, and several of theother riders’ as well.They all slept like babes in their cradleswhile we took you and made it look like you left on your own.Evenif the bastard survived, which is unlikely, he would’ve beenchasing after you in the opposite direction, thinking you still inthe race.He won’t realize anything’s amiss until he makes thenight’s camp.If he makes the night’s camp.With Aleksandr andMunir gone, thanks to me—”
“What do you mean, thanks to you?”
“That log did not come loose of its ownaccord.”
“You murderous pollution of a cur,” shehissed.
“Save your breath.”Yago knelt down andcinched the rope tighter around her, grinning as it bit into herskin.“There is no one left to come after you, not in time to saveyou.The other riders will not worry themselves over your absence,and it’ll be three days at least before they make the palace, andanother three days to pick up our trail from last night’s camp, ifthey’re able to find it.By then you will be well on your way.”
“To where?”
“To my father’s palace.”
So, she was to be a hostage.“They’ll realizethat you and your slavish dogs are responsible for mydisappearance.”
Yago’s thin lips pulled back into a slow,smug, self-satisfied smile.“We are counting on it,” he said.Heleaned in close to her.“By then, it will be too late for you, asit is too late for your Aleksandr.”
