Red Hood's Revenge

briefly with Naheer before fleeing. Naheer took a deep breath and grunted something to Talia.
    “Ka hiran,” Talia said softly. Then she kicked him in the face.
    “Talia!” Danielle started forward, but Snow moved between them.
    The blow knocked Naheer into one of the stone support pillars. He staggered forward, moving right into Talia’s follow-up kick. Talia moved close, fist cocked back to strike, but Naheer raised his hands. He wiped blood from his mouth and muttered something in Arathean, then slumped to the floor. His eyes closed.
    Talia grabbed the spear and club he carried, tucking the latter through her sash before mounting her horse.
    “What did he say?” Danielle asked.
    Snow grinned. “His exact words were, ‘Nice kick, Princess.’ He should be safe. His nephew will say we broke free and overpowered him.” Snow climbed onto the roan. “We’re out of time, Talia.”
    Already Danielle could hear shouts from within the mansion. She climbed onto the gray horse, then called for Faziya. After much urging and reassurance, Faziya allowed Talia to lift her up and pass her to Danielle. Danielle held Faziya with both hands, keeping her steady on the saddle and guiding the horse with her words. The horse shied away from Roudette, nickering in alarm.
    “What about the gates?” Danielle asked.
    “Stay behind me.” Talia kicked her horse forward. “Snow, give me Father Uf’uyan and his friend.”
    Snow yanked the pouch from her belt and tossed it to Talia, who snatched it from the air.
    “Can you reverse the spell on them?” Talia shouted as she urged her horse across the courtyard. An arrow thudded into the dirt. Three men rushed forward from the gates.
    “Sure,” said Snow.
    “Do it!” Talia hurled the pouch through the air at the closest of the guards.
    Danielle winced with sympathy as Uf’uyan and Yasar ripped through the pouch. They hadn’t completely changed back to their natural forms when they crashed into the guards, but they had grown enough. Guards, priest, and naga lay groaning on the ground. Talia’s horse leaped over them all. Talia jumped down, running to the gatehouse. Moments later the gate swung open.
    “Now aren’t you glad we spared them?” Danielle asked.
    “Keep going,” Talia yelled. Roudette had already bolted through the gate the instant it was wide enough. Snow followed, but Danielle lingered in the gate. In the yard, Talia stood facing the mansion, spear in one hand. She stepped to the side as another arrow buried itself in the ground. She raised her hands, as if challenging them to try again.
    A shadow rose atop the wall at the edge of the garden. Jhukha.
    Danielle narrowed her eyes. An instant later, an owl flew through the fairy’s head. A falcon followed. Neither bird did any true harm, but the fairy stumbled, drawing his form back together where the animals had dispersed it.
    Talia shouted and waved her spear. She dodged another arrow, then turned to run, leaping onto her horse and following Danielle onto the road.
    “You want them to see you,” Danielle said. “This was part of your plan.”
    “ ‘Plan’ might be an overstatement.” Talia bent low as she urged her horse into the streets. The wind swallowed half her words as she passed Danielle and Snow. “The Wild Hunt wants me. If I simply disappear, they’ll raze Jahrasima to find me. The best way to protect Jahrasima and the temple is to make sure Rajil knows I’ve left the city. What Rajil knows, Zestan knows.”
    “Dangerous,” Danielle said, but she was smiling.
    “That depends on how well Roudette’s cape works.”
    Faziya was shaking in Danielle’s lap. The jackal squirmed and peered back at the mansion.
    “Stay with me,” Danielle said. “A little longer and I promise you’ll be safe.”
    Danielle bent over her horse, allowing Faziya to bury her head in the folds of her cape. Danielle did her best to keep up as the others raced through the streets. People and streets blurred past. The peal of bells made her jump. She urged the horses to greater speed, trusting Talia to know where she was going.
    “Almost there,” Talia shouted.
    Up ahead, Danielle spotted a bridge similar to the one they had crossed when entering the city. Had it really been only a single day? Armed men moved to block their path.
    “Keep going!” Talia brought one foot onto the saddle, then the other, until she crouched on the horse’s back. Raising her spear in one hand, she leaped from the horse and