Yauri didn’t speed up as the rider gained on us. Not knowing who was following, my instinct was to tell her to push her horses to their limits. However, the rider behind us wasn’t pulling wagons, meaning they would be faster. Increasing our speed might delay their catching us, but the trip to Casi was several nights.

  We also had nowhere else to go. The road between Palla Cahua and Casi didn’t fork. A thick forest of trees lined both sides. To the left, the wall around Mallma rested on the other side of the trees, about two shots from the road. A trip to the right through the forest would take several nights before reaching a village. Neither was an option.

  Eventually, they would catch us.

  “Should I get back under the hay?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “There is no hay on this wagon, and I don’t see how you’ll switch to the last one while we’re moving. Stopping will look suspicious.” She paused. “When they catch up, we’ll talk our way out of it. If they question you, tell them you started working for me recently.” She raised her eyebrows. “Instead of Tye, what should I call you?”

  “Necro.”

  She grinned. “Tough sounding name, Necro. Have you considered something more common?”

  “When I stood watch, I was always suspicious of someone with a common-sounding name.”

  She ran her hand through her hair as she thought. “That actually makes sense.” She glanced back again.

  “If we keep looking back, will they know we’re up to something?”

  “Sort of like the name thing, not looking back will look suspicious. Anyone transporting goods keeps an eye on those approaching or passing. If I’m behind someone, and they aren’t studying my movements, I wonder what they are trying to hide.”

  I glanced back. “Looks like more than one rider.” Judging from the additional puffs of dust, the initial rider was in front and had three others trailing behind. My gut twisted. Even though I couldn’t make out her features, something about her silhouette and posture made me think it was Avian. Did she steal a horse and is now being followed? If her, what options did I have? The pursuers could be Lar’s lackeys. Yauri likely wouldn’t agree to attack them. Even if she did, leaving them alive wouldn’t be an option, not for her. Allowing them to tell their story back at the village would make Yauri an accomplice of the Bandits of Palla Cahua. Showing them her hand and becoming an outlaw wouldn’t be a wise decision. Yauri made wise decisions.

  My other choice was to do nothing and let Avian ride by us. She wouldn’t have to stay ahead of them all the way to Casi, just until nightfall. They will need to protect themselves from the cold. A fidi would feel uncomfortable in the cold of night, but their blood wouldn’t stop flowing. She could slip away while they sheltered from the frigid night air. My heart sped up. She wasn’t the slip-away type. Instead, she would hunt them at their camp. Kill them in their sleep.

  Glancing back, I got a better view of the leading rider, confirming it was Avian. She was much closer, closing the gap faster than I expected. The only way to spare the lives of the men following her was to get them to give up their chase.

  I glanced at Yauri. She was the key to solving this problem. All of Palla Cahua realized how important she was to our small village. Only she could get them to stop chasing. “That’s Avian behind us. I’m not familiar with her pursuers.”

  Yauri clenched her jaw. “Will she give us away?”

  I shook my head. “But she will end up killing them.”

  “Sounds like their problem.”

  “Three more bodies from the so-called Bandits of Palla Cahua. Each one makes it harder for me to make my case to the capital.”

  “And if we stop and attack, you will still have your three bodies.”

  “What if we take a different approach?” I leaned over the side of the wagon, staring at the wheel. “We can make it appear that the wheel broke in a pothole, and you were thrown from the wagon. You could act as if your injuries are inside, so only a potion will save you.”

  She grinned. “There’s no way for them to confirm injuries on the inside. The closest gothi capable of providing healing potions is back in Palla Cahua.” She shook her head. “But we have two other wagons. Won’t they just insist I ride with one of them?”

  “They think Casi needs these supplies now. Turing back will delay the delivery. Tell them we will fix the wheel and deliver the supplies. They can bring you back to the gothi.”

  “What if Lar rides with them? Won’t he recognize you?”

  I shook my head. “Lar’s a coward. He wouldn’t put himself that close to a Brigand assassin, not with only two additional men.”

  Yauri nodded, then whistled three times. The first two were quick bursts, while the third was drawn out. She must have developed some sort of code with her other drivers. Perhaps she just warned them she was going to do something.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  I drew my sword and then leaned over the side to strike the wheel.

  Yauri grabbed me by the back of my leather armor and pulled me toward my seat. “I prefer to not suffer an actual injury. They are still far away and have limited vision due to the dust Avian is kicking up. I’ll stop abruptly, then lay in front like I was thrown. You break the wheel when we stop. Make it look good.”

  She shouted a command to her horses. They slammed their hooves into the dirt. As the wagon careened to a stop, I lost my balance and fell over the side.

  Yauri chuckled as she leaped forward and landed in the dirt. She rolled in the dust for a moment, getting herself coated.

  I struggled to my feet, and stuck my blade between the spokes, pushing the hilt until the wheel fractured.

  Avian barely glanced at me as she rode past.

  Yauri put her hands around her midsection and twisted her face into an expression of pain. For a moment, I thought she had hurt herself jumping from the wagon. But she flashed me a quick grin, letting me know she was just convincing in her faking.

  I jumped out onto the road and waved my hands.

  The three riders came to a stop. They wore linen instead of uniforms. For a moment, I wondered if they were knights, as Mallma knights often sported linen instead of armor. When in battle, they drank a potion provided by the royals, which made their skin as tough as any armor.

  The front rider, a larger man with black hair, held out his hand to signal his partners to stay behind him. A blond-haired woman, wearing a dress too formal for riding, studied our faces while the third rider glanced over his shoulder, scanning the area as if expecting an ambush.

  Yauri’s face went from displaying pain to being blank. She pushed herself up from the ground.

  “Are you hurt, my lady?” The man with black hair said. His well-maintained skin and fresh-looking clothing made him look more like a royal than a fighter. If not for a scar running from his mouth toward his ear, I’d have thought he never experienced a battle.

  “Nothing that won’t heal on its own, Mace,” Yauri said.

  I glared at her.

  She ignored me, asking instead, “Who do you hunt?”

  “A spy. Brigand we think. We caught her lurking outside our meeting,” Mace said. He glanced at the wagon. “You will understand if we can’t stop to assist with your repair. You appear to have adequate labor.” He grinned.

  “I do.” She nodded.

  “We’ll be on our way then. Take care of yourselves.” He stared at me with icy eyes. “I wouldn’t want something horrible to happen to you.”

  Realizing I still held my sword, I sheathed it. Were they upset that I had it out? Why did Yauri give up the ruse so easily? Who were these yaksha?

  As they rode by, the blond-haired woman locked eyes with me. Her dead stare reminded me of soldiers returning after spending too much time on the battlefield. It contrasted with the soft, feminine features of her face and her long, well-maintained flowing hair. Was she a fighter or a lady?

  I continued to watch as their horses picked up speed.

  As they rode off, Yauri scrambled to her feet. “You don’t have to worry about Avian killing them.” She brushed the dust off her uniform. “Mace, Omar, and Lirit are more dangerous than a battalion of soldiers.”

  “Who are they?”

  “Enforcers for a secret group of Void Wigons.” Yauri’s hand trembled as she moved it to her mouth. “For the fright of the forgotten, what have you gotten me involved in?”

  I shook my head. “I know nothing of them.”

  “After my men fix the wagons, I’m going back to Palla Cahua.” She shivered. “I won’t make enemies of those three monsters.” She looked me up and down. “I suggest you get over that wall and put as much distance between you and Mallma as possible.”

  “What about Avian?”

  “They’ll catch her and force her to talk.” She peered down at the ground. “After she tells them all about you and your friends, they’ll harvest her for ingredients in their twisted spells.” She crossed her arms. “There’s nothing we can do. If we tried to fight them, they would drink a few potions and rip through us like we were toddlers.”

  “I can’t just let them hurt her.” I clenched my jaw. “She’s my friend.”

  Kiri and Sani emerged from the hay. After shielding their eyes from Patra, they stared at us.

  “Friends come and go,” Yauri said.

  “I’m also bound by contract to escort Avian to the portal. I made a deal with a Rasmun named Layla.”

  Her eyes widened. “Why would you agree when completing the task isn’t a certainty? And with such a notorious Rasmun.” Yauri paused. “When your friend passed, I noticed her tongue slip from her mouth. Is she a fidi?”

  I nodded. “I should have told you.”

  “Layla is a fidi.” She ran her hand through her hair. “You don’t think they are related, do you?”

  “Avian said she was not.” I shook my head. “But I get the feeling they aren’t telling me the entire story.”

  “Facing those three Void Wigons is a death sentence. But so is breaking a contract with a Rasmun.” She thought for a moment. “You have one chance to save your friend and your own neck.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “There is a Rasmun back in town. Not as regarded as Layla, but they should know his name. Fetch him and have him travel with you to intercept the Void Wigons. If they fear anyone, it is the Rasmun.”

  “We won’t be able to ride all the way to Palla Cahua, convince the Rasmun to join us, and still catch them.”

  Yauri dug through her bag, pulling out four vials. “These will make the horses faster.” She paused. “You didn’t get them from me. Tell the Void Wigons that you paid to ride with me, but stole my horses when you saw your friend being chased.”

  Giving me the potions confirmed she wasn’t a True Blood Wigon. Did she trust me enough to share this secret? I wanted to ask her about the Naser Wigons and how they interacted with the Void Wigons, but I didn’t have time to satisfy that curiosity. “Kiri, you will need to head back to Palla Cahua and convince the Rasmun to come with you. He should be able to scare the guards to let you both leave town.”

  Yauri brushed dust from her clothing. “They won’t let her into town. She will have to enter through the forest, which will be dangerous for a horse on a speed potion.”

  “Tie the horse to a tree, then enter town on foot,” I said.

  “She won’t be fast enough on foot,” Yauri said.

  But I knew a way for her to be faster on foot than any horse. “I hate to ask you to do this,” I said to Kiri.

  She glanced at Sani and sighed. “What if...” She stomped her feet. “Do you realize how dangerous it is for me to drink more in such a short time?” She crossed her arms, then sighed. “I’ll do it for Avian.”

  Sani pulled out his dagger and sliced his hand, offering it to Kiri.

  While Kiri drank of his blood, I pulled the apprentice from under the hay and tied him to a horse. After feeding his horse a potion, I fed another to mine, then jumped on. “I’ll catch up to the Void Wigons and stall them.”