West Flows by Hannah Steenbock

Author:Hannah Steenbock [Hannah Steenbock]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hannah Steenbock
Published: 2022-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

West slept very little that night. Kara looked concerned but there was nothing the mare could do.

There probably was nothing West could do, either. Except to try and run away, and that might cost Jeko his life.

Because Denal would believe that Jeko had deliberately circumvented his spell. Or broken it, and no Priest would tolerate someone with the power to break a spell.

This could not end well.

And there was no way to get a warning out to Saya either. Jeko didn’t even know about the invasion, so he couldn’t tell Goha. And either way, it would be too late.

He swished his tail, not just unhappy but heartbroken. This was how his life would end, and it would destroy Jeko eventually, as well.

When dawn crept around, he felt miserable and hopeless.

As usual, Jeko arrived to work on the string of mules, brushing them, checking them, and talking to them. West watched him, and something about his movements was subtly wrong.

Yes, he was still under the spell.

Not that he had really expected anything else, but he had been hoping.

Finally, Jeko came to him. And his rider didn’t look at him, didn’t really talk to him, just went through the motions mechanically.

It alarmed West more than anything else.

When Jeko lifted the lead rope, to thread it through the ring on his halter, he jerked his head away. A moment later Jeko was stalking him through the paddock, and West’s fear grew even more.

“Onyx! Stop that!” His rider’s angry bark tore at his heart.

Trembling, he stood and let Jeko attach the lead rope, guide him outside the paddock and tie him to the rail. Not much later, he was saddled. Jeko held the bridle to his head, and he refused to take it into this mouth.

No, he didn’t want any of this, he didn’t want Jeko to take them to their deaths, and yet he knew that all he could do was to delay the inevitable.

Jeko slapped him hard, for the first time in his life as a mule. “Onyx! Behave yourself!”

The threatening voice was real, West thought, but it wasn’t the real Jeko. He could tell from the strange look in his rider’s eyes. They were almost empty, huge and staring.

He nudged him, his heart heavy, hoping to reach the real Jeko.

Instead, his rider pushed one thumb into his mouth, pressed down on the gums and forced West to open his mouth. A heartbeat later, the bit was between his teeth, and the bridle had been pulled over his ears.

West noticed another man coming out of the house and recognized Megusi, the rider who had guarded the end of the caravan. He called out to him, and Megusi walked over to them.

“Morning, Jeko. Where are you going this early?”

Jeko swung up on West’s back before answering. “The Pyramid.”

Megusi stared. “With Onyx? Are you crazy?”

Jeko glared at him. “Orders,” was all he would say.

“Then leave Onyx here. If those Priests get a hold of him…”

West nudged Megusi, blew his nose at him, trying not to tremble.

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