Shadow of the Phoenix by Rebecca Harwell

Author:Rebecca Harwell [Harwell, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781635551822
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2018-05-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“You’ve never ridden a horse before, have you, Nadezhda?”

“Not everyone in Storm’s Quarry had a courtier’s upbringing, you know,” she snapped at the smugly grinning man beside her. Her gaze, however, remained fixed on the beast in front of her.

Horses were a rare sight in Storm’s Quarry. The space and upkeep they required made them a luxury only a few in the fourth tier could afford. Not only that, but their size made them far more of a nuisance on the narrow city streets than anything, and as someone raised in the lowest tier of the city, Nadya had only ever caught glimpses of the creatures as they pulled carriages that carried the wealthiest of the city’s elite.

The midnight gelding that stood before her looked nothing like the sleek mounts of the fourth tier. His coat was rough and shaggy, his mane clipped short and braided. Bits of wild grass speckled his fur. He raised his head from the sparse grass only once to blink at Nadya with liquid black eyes before returning to his meal.

She hadn’t expected the size. The creature’s shoulder stood at height with her head, and though she knew her strength could match the rippling muscle in front of her, her knees felt a bit weak.

The small trading outpost they had stopped at was a solitary place, its handful of thatched-roofed buildings nestled in the grasslands right beneath the foothills of the Stygian Mountains. Over the tall scraggly peaks of those mountains lay the Kingdom of Wintercress. Without a guide or knowledge of the terrain, it would be foolish to cross them alone, and so she and Levka were headed west toward the Brine of Lazuli. Or at least, they would be, once she had mounted her horse.

“You aren’t frightened of a horse, are you?” Levka swung himself up into the worn leather saddle with graceful ease.

Nadya bit her lip. “Of course not. I just don’t think it’s necessary. I can keep pace with a horse.”

She had never raced against one, but her nivasi blood gave her speed far greater than any normal person. The black gelding flicked his tail lazily, as if agreeing with her.

Levka laughed. “You think you can. Maybe for a few hundred paces you could keep up, but these creatures are bred for stamina.” He stroked the tightly braided mane of the chestnut mare. “We would leave you behind within an hour.”

The not-so-subtle taunt gave Nadya the courage she needed to spring upward, swinging her leg over the beast’s back. The horse didn’t flinch at all. Nadya tried not to squirm as she settled into the saddle. It was higher than she had anticipated, and her stomach lurched a bit when they started to walk, then trot. Eventually, Levka goaded his horse into a light canter, and Nadya closed her eyes and sent up a prayer. She tried to let herself be swayed into calm by the repetitive movement, but her mind was too distraught to listen. Several hours into their

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