7

“The Grievol,” Javan shouted. “It’s free of the trap.”

Cramer grinned and stuffed Eden’s book underneath the blanket tied at the back of her saddle. “See? Told you, it was time to go.” He smacked the horse’s rump.

As one, all three horses lurched forward.

Eden gripped the reins as the horse beneath her soared over the landscape. Fighting not to be left behind while the mare raced ahead. She held on tight and tried to catch her breath. With a sparing glance over her shoulder, Cramer’s cabin faded against the night then disappeared.

To her right, Javan and Raissa fared no better with their mounts. Never had she ridden a horse this fast.

Trees blurred past as the wail of the Grievol grew fainter.

Darkness greeted them, and Eden clenched her teeth. The horses did not slow their pace. As much as she wanted to stay and fight, avenge her father and mother against this thing, she knew she didn’t stand a chance. Even with Javan and Raissa working with her…it had taken her father and his sacrifice to save them.

With the monster loose, she could only speculate that her father was dead. Grief sunk into her middle and she doubled over, nearly losing her purchase on the horse. The speed so dizzying that she closed her eyes tight.

“I’m going to lose my meal,” Raissa whimpered.

“Is there any way to stop these? We’ve been riding for hours at this speed.”

“Cramer didn’t explain. I thought these were like his other horses until they galloped.” Eden said into the blackness because she couldn’t see the others.

“Stop, or I’m going to be sick.” Raissa moaned.

A yelp sounded behind her.

“Tell them to stop,” Raissa shouted. “And they’ll make you crash t…” Her sentence faded towards the end.

“Stop.” Eden and Javan said in unison. With Raissa’s warning, they held tightly to the reins, Eden squeezed her legs tighter in the saddle.

The world went from blurry to smacking into them with sharp colors and lines in a flash. Eden felt dizzy and if she hadn’t hung on, she’d have landed against a maple tree that loomed before them.

Javan climbed from his mount and glanced around.

But there was no sign of Raissa in the distance or anywhere. “Where is Raissa?”

Dismounted, they walked their mounts back towards where they’d last seen her.

“These horses travel so fast,” Javan pushed a vine out of their way, “she could be miles from here.”

“Maybe we should ride back?” Eden didn’t want to leave without Raissa. The girl had helped her. Together they might could learn enough about magic to fight the Greviol and find this Isle of Shadows the book mentioned.

Thundering hoof beats boomed and a blur of Raissa appeared before them. “Didn’t know how far you rode ahead of me.”

“We’ve spent the last mile or so searching for you.” Eden grabbed the horse’s reins.

She shrugged and dismounted. “Perhaps we can rest for the night? It’ll be dawn in a few hours.”

After removing the saddles and bridles, they allowed the horses to graze. Too dark to check their coats for spurs, or their hooves for damaged shoes.

Eden rolled out her bedroll. All of her muscles so sore and tired she didn’t think she’d be able to move if she didn’t rest. In order not to draw attention, they agreed to no fire. Instead, they huddled together.

* * *

Morning dew coated Eden’s hair and she shivered despite Javan and Raissa’s warmth on either side of her. Eden’s mare      stomped a hoof as though saying they’d slept long enough.

With a groan, she rose and then trudged over to the horse. She brushed her hands over the coat and mane, satisfied that the animal was in good shape and ready to ride.

When she bent over to examine the horse’s shoes, she frowned. The horse wore no shoes. She checked the other leg, but the hooves were hard like stone or steel.

Cramer would have to explain next time she visited him. Bad enough these mares galloped faster than the wind and longer than any horse she’d ever known.

What had he bewitched the animals with?

Quickly, Javan and Raissa followed her lead. Giving each other a look after checking their horses’ hooves. “Magic,” Raissa nodded.

They ate their pears and the leftover bread from their packs.

“We’ll need water soon.” Eden dribbled a little of her water from her canteen into her palm for the horse to sip.

“Javan?” his cousin whispered his name like they shared a secret and Eden felt left out of their circle.

He smiled, and then closed his eyes.

At first, Eden was about to question what he was doing, when he sniffed the air. Was such a thing possible for him to find water as Raissa suggested, without searching?

Moments later, he opened his eyes and pointed west. “About two days ride-but with these mounts, maybe by noon?”

“Excellent.” Raissa hiked her saddle up to her mare’s back. “Too bad you can’t smell food—or at least which direction the closest town is.”

“Still finding water from such a distance is amazing.” Eden beamed. “You will have to teach me that trick.”

Javan winked and warmth spread across her cheeks.

After they mounted, they rode.

When the sun blurred above them, each instructed their horses to stop when they reached water.

Eden wiped her sweaty palms down her skirt as she followed Javan and Raissa to a gurgling river. Hopefully, she’d get used to the horses’ pace.

But more than anything, she wished they were at the Isle of Shadows so she would not have to ride anymore. She imagined it to be a place of protection and learning. Where Damned lived without fear. How marvelous it would be to be able to wield magic and not fear the council condemning every little thing.

“Watch him work.” Raissa winked at her when they paused at the river’s edge. They dismounted and let the horses graze and drink nearby.

Instead of waiting with them, Javan continued until the water swirled around his trousers.

He held his arms out with palms up, and the water churned. Then a huge fish flew out of the water and into his arms.

As if fish did this every day, he turned and tossed it to Eden.

She let out a curse and dropped the fish onto the bank.

“Don’t tease her. We’re hungry.” Raissa squinted up at the sun. “Must be past noon.”

With a smile, he turned back to the water and held his arms out again. When he had a fish for each of them, he stomped out of the water.

“Tonight, I’ll fish again for us.” Javan nodded.

“What about your clothes?” Eden asked. With the cold nights, he’d be too chilled for them not to have a fire.

“That’s easier than the fish. I asked for volunteers for our meal.” He waved an arm and the water pooled from his clothes, leaving them dry.

“Let’s cook these soon, so we don’t ignore their sacrifice.” Raissa held the three fish by their tails.

“Sacrifice?”

“Yes. Javan refuses to eat any meat unless the animal willingly offers itself for his meal.” Raissa flopped the fish onto the grass beside a bolder. One by one, she picked up a tail, and then smashed their heads against the bolder until they did not move anymore.

She sliced the fish scales off then gutted them. “Often, he’s gone days without eating anything but bread.” Fish scales covered her hands and trousers catching the sunlight. “Do me a favor, get a fire started? These will be ready to cook soon.”

Eden gathered up sticks and dumped them in a pile. She searched and found rocks by the river to place a barrier around the fire.

Since she had no kindling, she grasped two sticks and rubbed them together. At least with their swift horses, they need not fear the Greivol or even the council members finding them so soon.

Javan plopped on the ground beside her. “How long are you going to do that?”

“Until I get a fire going.”

“Why don’t you use magic?”

She stopped the rhythmic scraping of a branch against another. “I-I’ve never used powers before yesterday. What if I catch the field on fire or worse?” Like, conjure up another Greivol.

“Never mind.” Raissa marched up behind them, holding the fish staked onto a small branch. She thrust the fish at Javan to hold. Then she grasped up a twig from the ground. With her brow furrowed, she glared at the stick. Moments later, a tiny flame curled one of the leaves and she used the flame to light other branches.

“Not enough fire to cook these.” Javan waved the raw fish at her.

She tossed the blackened branch among the others. “Watch.” With her wave, flames ignited all of the branches.

“You made fire.” Eden smiled, a bit envious that these two used magic so easily. She’d heard rumors that some places on the outskirts of town had little council involvement. Easy enough to hide things when the elders did come for an occasional visit.

“I don’t really. Just a flame, and use air to liven it up.”

“How did you learn?” Eden asked.

Javan and Raissa exchanged a look. “Our aunt taught us and a few others here and there until we were sent to your town for the binding ceremony as it had the nearest council.”

Sitting, Eden hugged her legs to her chest as the fire cooked their meal. She thought of her mother and the hateful things the creature said to her.

How she wished she’d never found the cursed book. But would she rather be free, than chained like a slave to the Council? Was that wrong? To wish for freedom and not the oppressive yoke of others? Numbly she ate her cooked fish while Javan and Raissa chatted. When she was finished, she sat staring at the fire until Raissa snapped her fingers in front of her face.

“Are you with us?”

“W-what?”

“Your book. I’ve called your name thrice to ask if I may see it.”

“Oh, sorry.” She pushed up and trudged downstream where their horses grazed.

After she removed the book from her pouch, she thought to toss it into the water and never see it again.