Page 119 of My Queendom for a Horse

And I can’t just watch. Now that I love him, I can’t stand and watch while he tries—and possibly fails—to kill the men who locked him in a horse’s body and stole his ability to use his magic.

They’re all so intent on hurling things at one another that they don’t even seem to notice me. Actually, that makes me wonder. Why isn’t every person within a hundred yards running over here? Where are the paramedics, the police, and everyone? I slow down for a moment and look around. There are people milling around over by the main racetrack, and beyond that, there are loads of people near the main barn.

None of them are even looking our way.

One of them must have cast some kind of, I don’t know, cloaking spell or something.

But if they did, why can I see them?

It only makes me more determined to force my way to where they are and even up the odds a bit, even if my only aid comes from distracting the bad guys. I’m a dozen feet away, when I decide it’s time to alert them to my presence.

“Hey, losers,” I say in Russian. “If you think Aleks is scary, wait until you see what I can do.”

All three of the men swivel toward me. Aleks’ eyes widen and his mouth dangles open. The other two men, who look almost the same age—early thirties?—grin maniacally. And then they fling their fireballs and lightning bolts right at me.

So much for distracting them.

I clench my hands and close my eyes, expecting to be fried and fricasseed. I am a complete moron, and if I weren’t about to die anyway, Aleks might kill me.

That’s my last thought.

Or it should have been my last thought. Except, when the fire and lightning hit me, nothing happens.

The two guys look as confused as I feel. They shake their hands and then fling more fireballs and lightning bolts at me. This time, I watch intently as they simply disappear when they get near me.

They start to swear, loudly, in Russian.

And then they turn tail and run.

Aleksandr glances over at me in distress, and then his eyes follow the men.

“Go after them,” I say.

I regret my reassuring command almost as soon as I make it. He didn’t seem to be doing that well against them by himself. Why did I send him after them?

“Wait,” I shout. “What about John?”

That distracts him, and they duck around a corner. It only takes me a few moments from there to convince him to let them go.

“They could return anytime,” he says.

“You better keep me with you, then,” I say. “Apparently I’m like a magical vacuum.”

I expect him to laugh, but he just frowns.

“I’m kidding,” I say.

“I’m not sure what you did, zaychonuk,” he says, “but that was clearly some kind of magic.”

I swallow.

“You’re connected to this somehow,” he says. “And I think it’s time we do whatever it takes to figure out how.”

Whatever it takes sounds ominous.

I’m not someone who ever wanted to be magical. I never wanted to fly, or to own a unicorn, or to perform spells with my magical wand. Mirdza’s the one who liked that stuff. I’m the kind of person who wants both feet solidly on the ground. I want a nice home, some cute kids, and a husband who makes my friends jealous.

I’d be fine with a huge castle, or whatever, but I really want nothing to do with the lightning bolts and the fireballs.

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