Page 83 of This Dark Descent
“Kira?”
Her head snapped up. “Here!”
Talyana’s face appeared over the edge of the ravine. She lowered to her stomach and hooked her toes over another root, leaning over the edge to reach for Mikira.
Mikira flung up a hand, their fingertips brushing. The root loosened again, dropping her a few inches closer to the water. “I can’t reach you!”
Talyana unhooked her toes from the root, leaning deeper over the edge, but they were still too far. Mikira didn’t have any strength left; either she grabbed Talyana’s hand now, or she wouldn’t be able to hold on any longer.
“Try again,” Talyana urged. “I’ve got you.”
Mikira glanced at the crashing water, then downriver to where a group of sharp rocks jutted each way. She took a deep breath and lunged. Talyanacaught her hand and pulled. Mikira tried to find purchase with her feet, but it was no use. They were both slipping.
Something seized Talyana’s shirt from behind. A massive force pulled her backward, drawing Mikira with her over the ledge a moment before their hands slipped apart. They both lay panting and limp in the mud, Atara standing over them like a guardian, her nostrils flaring.
“Hells,” Mikira breathed as Atara lowered her face to hers, huffing hot air against her skin. Gren was nowhere to be seen. Either he’d thought her incapacitated, or Talyana’s arrival had chased him off.
Talyana was already on her feet. She seized Mikira’s hand, pulling her up. “The race. You have to go.”
But Mikira only shook her head, gesturing at Atara’s injured shoulder. “There’s no way I can win now. And you—You lost when you stopped to help me. I’m so sorry, Tal.”
“You don’t know that yet!” Talyana grabbed her bay’s reins and shoved them into Mikira’s hands. “Take my horse.”
“I can’t! I can’t win on an enchanted horse.” The words pulled something loose inside her. She seized the fraying threads, shoving her emotions down. She couldn’t lose it now. There had to be another way.
Atara nudged her and tossed her head, the clearest indication she ever gave that she wanted to run.
“You’re hurt.” Mikira’s throat closed. At full strength, Atara could easily make up the time, but her shoulder was matted with blood, her breathing heavy even at a standstill.
Atara whinnied and nosed her harder.
“I don’t speak horse, but I’m pretty sure she wants to race,” Talyana said, though she regarded the horse with a strange look.
Atara neighed again, pawing at the ground with her injured leg to show its strength. Indecision warred inside Mikira, but she couldn’t just give up. If Atara wanted to run, they would run.
“Okay.” She swung up gently into Atara’s saddle, wary of her extra weight.
“Only a few more than ten racers are still in it,” Talyana said. “You only have to beat out the last few.”
She’d have to pass them before they were in view of the finish line. If Rezek saw her making that kind of comeback, it would only confirm his suspicions that they’d cheated somehow.
Talyana swung up into her own saddle. “I’ll interfere with as many of them as I can.”
Mikira reached across to squeeze her arm. “Thank you, Tal.”
Talyana smiled. “Thank me when you win.”
Mikira sent Atara straight into a gallop, Talyana close on their heels. If Atara’s leg pained her, she forced her way through it. She wasn’t as swift as usual—Mikira hadn’t realized how accustomed she’d become to the golem’s unnatural speed—but she was still incredibly fast, and Talyana’s bay struggled to keep up.
They came upon a small group racing at an unenchanted speed, likely horses with only an endurance charm. Talyana rode into their way, heading off the horses and forcing them to swing wide.
“Come on, girl,” Mikira whispered as she felt Atara wane. Even with an endurance enchantment, three miles was a lot to ask at a full gallop. It was an impossible ask on an injured leg, yet the hope that had turned to vapor inside her when Atara fell slowly came surging back.
Atara hadn’t given up, and neither would she.
With the injury, they couldn’t take the bridge back, and had to slow down to cross the Grey. Some of the horses they’d passed caught up to them, more than one charmed for surefootedness that saw them quickly across the river. They hit the far side at the same time as Mikira, but when she sent Atara back into a gallop, they surged past.
She heard someone curse as Talyana cut across them again, zigzagging her horse to keep the others from advancing.
