Page 107 of Lady Knight and the Thief

Torren chuckled, then leaned forward in the saddle. “What are ye wagering, Lass?”

“What are you proposing?”

Torren waggled his eyebrows. “How about that demonstration?”

Cypress rolled her eyes, but Torren did not miss the flush that spread across her cheeks and down her chest. “Incorrigible.”

Torren laughed with his head turned toward the sky. “I’m joking, Lass. Loser cools down the horses?”

“You’re on, Thief,” Cypress drawled, then her horse surged forward.

Torren spurred his own mount to follow, eyes fixed on the wild cascade of Cypress’s hair and the sound of her laughter filling his senses.

Torren could hardly think straight.

They were racing toward an unnamed destination, but somehow, Cypress had aimed herself straight toward the circle Torren had intended to go to for a brief rest before entering Grethnah.

His horse ran faster and faster, but no matter how Torren urged Raindrop on, she couldn’t catch up to Cypress’s mount. Torren’s mare came within touching distance of Cypress’s– but onlyjustbefore they breached the Faerie ring.

“Ha-ha!” Cypress whooped and directed the horse around the circle in a victory lap.

Torren chuckled and directed his horse to do the same rather than bringing the mare to an immediate halt.

“Seems you won, Lass.”

She scoffed. A smile burned bright across her face when she said, “As if you ever had a chance at beating me.”

“Oof, easy now. Don’t get too cocky.”

Cypress laughed and swung smoothly from the saddle, her foot finding the ground with practiced ease.

Torren tracked the graceful arc of her leg all the way down.

“Oh, be quiet and cool the horses down, yeah?” she said with a smile and threw him her reins.

Torren wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t think straight.

“And what will her majesty be doing in the meantime?” Torren asked while he dismounted.

How had he gotten into this mess?

The Hound appeared with a greatwhooshof her wings and landed in one smooth motion. She slammed into the ground, using her large claws as anchors.

Again, Cypress smiled. “I’ll be talking to the house-sized Hound that’swaymore intelligent than you’ve ever given it credit for.”

Torren blinked. “And what will you be discussing?” He asked while he rubbed the back of his head.

“Asking her nicely to stay hidden while we’re in the human lands,” Cypress said, and bounced off toward where Deja had sprawled.

Torren could distinctly rememberthiscircle being much smaller, once.

He shook his head and went about removing saddles from the horses. Then, he meticulously checked them over for injuries and their hooves for stones.

When finished brushing them down, Torren removed the horses' harnesses and let them graze in the tall, verdant grass inside the circle.

Thanks to the race, they reached the other edge of the boundary early. Their short planned rest could now be much longer.

They had time to eat, maybe even take a nap.