Page 38 of The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom 2)

Lara dragged him into one stall, then pulled him down. “Won’t be long,” she muttered.

Sure enough, shouts cut through the stone walls. “It’s them! They’re outside the walls!”

Peering through the slats of wood, Aren watched soldiers storm into the stables, the men taking the horses in the first rows of stalls and swinging into their saddles before galloping out the doors in pursuit of what Aren assumed were decoys.

“Now.” Lara rose, taking the reins of the horse in the stall and handing them to him.

He stared at the enormous animal. “I don’t know how to ride a horse.”

“Learn. And for the love of God, keep your hood up.”

Wary of the horse’s mouthful of teeth, Aren led the animal out of its stall, then eased the reins over its head. He stuck his foot in the stirrup, only his death grip on the saddle keeping him from falling as the animal lurched sideways.

“Hurry up!” Lara was already in the saddle of another animal, her hood pulled forward to hide her hair and face, baggy clothing giving bulk to her slender form. A bow was hooked over her shoulder, a stuffed quiver attached to the saddle. “I could use some more weapons,” he growled.

“Focus on staying in the saddle.”

Glowering, Aren sprawled over the horse’s back, barely managing to get his other foot in the stirrup before Lara slapped his horse on the haunches. Then they were on the move.

The horses’ hooves clattered loudly against the cobbles as they surged through the smoking gate, the uniforms and trappings on the animals convincing those manning the walls that they, too, were in pursuit of the decoys galloping into the city. Though if any of them were paying attention, they’d realize instantly Aren wasn’t a Maridrinian soldier. Not with the way he clung to his mount’s mane, bouncing wildly on its back, reins flopping uselessly in front of him.

The rioters in the streets dived out of their way as the group surged past. The women guided their horses expertly down the switchbacking streets. Aren’s mount followed the other horses, which was a mercy, because he hadn’t the slightest idea of how to direct it, his entire focus on not falling off.

“The harbor will be swarming with soldiers,” he shouted. “They’ll have the chain up. We’ll never get a ship out.”

“We aren’t going to the harbor,” Lara responded. “Trust that we have a plan, Aren, and focus on not falling off your horse.”

As if I can ever trust you,he thought, but further conversation proved impossible as it began to rain. The cobbles grew slick, but the women maintained the pace despite the horses’ struggle to keep their footing. Aren’s mount slipped, nearly going down, and his heart lurched, sweat pouring down his back.

Behind them, the palace's drum tower hammered out a message. The women cocked their heads, listening, and Aren grimaced at not knowing the code, though he suspected the crux of it was that their ploy had been discovered.

“Right on time,” Bronwyn shouted, and the group veered down a main boulevard, heading in the direction of the eastern gates, the horses galloping full out. In the distance, the sky burst brilliant as explosives detonated at the gate. Several of the horses shied, eyes wild, as the enormous boom split the air.

As the ringing in his ears cleared, Aren picked up the sound of clattering hooves and shouts. Soldiers converged on them from all directions, racing to intercept them before they reached the gates.

Drumbeats filled the air, and this message Aren recognized:Eastern gate under attack.

Ithicana.It had to be.

“Faster!” Lara called. “We need them to commit!”

The horses surged forward, the buildings on either side nothing but dark blurs, the rain now a blinding deluge. There were flames ahead, part of the gate on fire, the light illuminating dozens of soldiers lining the wall. And countless more soldiers below working to extinguish the blaze and secure the gates.

The drums tower at the gate rolled, repeating the same message. “They see us!” Bronwyn shouted. “They’re calling for reinforcements!”

An arrow shot past Aren’s face, another slicing across the haunches of Lara’s horse, the animal squealing in pain. Three more clattered against the walls of the houses, the only thing keeping them from striking true the darkness and the rain.

“Almost there!” Lara shouted.

The drum signal repeated, then abruptly cut off in the middle of a pattern. Next to him, Lara ripped back her hood, eyes on the roofline. Aren followed her gaze, picking out a shadowy figure on a roof ahead. The figure lifted a brazier, illuminating her face.Lia.

His friend and bodyguard saluted him once as they thundered past, then Lara reached down and snatched hold of Aren’s reins, hauling both animals to a halt. The other sisters did the same, the animals twisting and circling each other as the soldiers at the gate formed a line and their pursuers raced up behind.

Lia threw something to the street.

An explosion tore through the air, causing the horses to buck and plunge, Aren barely managing to hold on as another explosion split his ears a block farther on, hemming their group in on both sides and concealing them with smoke.

Three of the girls heeled their horses down an alley leading north. But his horse was heading in the opposite direction, Lara tugging on the reins and guiding him into an alley, Bronwyn leading the way, one of the other sisters holding up the rear.

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