Mystic Tide (Horse Guardian) Read online

  She sighed and moved silently away from the shack. A large stone sat a few yards from the doorway, and she lowered herself to the ground in front of it, leaned back, and pulled her sleeping bag over herself. From here, she could watch the doorway, while at the same time, be hard to spot, because she was sitting in the boulder’s moon shadow. It was the perfect place to station a guard, and even though it was probably an unnecessary precaution, she felt better knowing she’d be ready – just in case someone came along.

  Erin waited. She stared at the lump that was Robert, silhouetted against the moonlight streaming in the doorway, and searched for a clue that told her he wasn’t sleeping. He didn’t seem crafty enough to pretend he was asleep, but she couldn’t be sure. And if he was actually watching her, she guessed he’d eventually give himself away, by either moving or making some sound of exasperation. Or he was simply sleeping. There was only one way to know for sure. She had to wait.

  Erin huddled on her side, wrapped her tied arms around her knees in a vain attempt to keep warm, and pretended to sleep as she watched him possibly watch her. Some part of her mind caught the sick humour of the situation. Maybe they were both lying there in the dark, staring at each other, waiting for the other to show they weren’t asleep.

  When Robert finally did move, Erin’s heart lurched in her chest. For a moment, she couldn’t catch her breath. But all Robert did was roll onto his back. His mouth fell open and loud snores poured out, one after the other in a slow, gargley procession. They didn’t sound like fake snores either. They were far too guttural for fake snores.

  Erin wasted no more time. Moving as quietly as possible, she sat up, pulled her knees to her chest, and reached down to work on the ropes at her ankles. She was surprised that Nicole had tied her ankles without retying her hands behind her back in an attempt to stop her from loosening her own bonds. Obviously, both her kidnappers were too tired to think straight. Not that it would have worked even if Nicole had retied the ropes. Erin was sure she could’ve squeezed her body through the loop created by her arms – one of the benefits of being flexible.

  Within a couple of minutes, her ankle ropes were untied. Erin moved on to her wrist ropes, grabbing at the first of Nicole’s knots with her teeth. Nicole’s two knots were easy to undo, though Erin’s mouth and jaw were beginning to ache by the time she had them undone. Then she came to Robert’s knot. The man was much stronger, and therefore his single knot was a lot tighter. Methodically, she worked it with her teeth, loosening it here, pulling it there. She could feel the minutes ticking by, each one an additional weight on her shoulders. She had to free herself and sneak out of the hut before her dad got too close, before he put himself in danger as well. He wouldn’t know that Robert was lying just inside the door.

  Though he’ll hear Robert’s snores, she reassured herself. The realization didn’t comfort her much. Nicole could be anywhere outside, and all she had to do was yell to Robert to wake up.

  Erin grimaced. She couldn’t believe how much her teeth hurt. But she had to loosen the large knot. She was so close to freeing herself. She took a firm grip on the rough coil in just the right place and jerked back.

  “Ow, ow, ow,” she couldn’t help but whisper and jammed her fist against her mouth. Her teeth felt like they were going to fall out of her head! But she’d felt the rope slip a tiny way through the knot. She was sure she had. She had to keep at it, no matter how much it hurt.

  After the pain subsided a bit, she squeezed the knot between her teeth again, and this time tugged gently. It was enough. Her last valiant effort had dramatically loosened the knot. A minute more and she was free of her bonds.

  With her eyes locked on Robert’s open-mouthed silhouette, she removed the baseball cap from her head, left it and the rope on the ground, and guardedly rose to her feet. She edged along the wall toward the door, her eyes probing for any movement, any sign that the man was waking up. At least she knew now he wasn’t faking sleep. He would’ve jumped up the instant she was freed from the rope, if he was. No, Robert was resting peacefully. Now she just had to get outside without waking him – and she had to pray that Nicole wasn’t outside staring at the doorway.

  Closer, closer to the door. Her back scraped against the stone wall and she froze at the soft sound.

  Move, she commanded herself, when Robert didn’t stir. Move. In agonizing slow motion, she inched past Robert’s head and then along the wall toward the door. Silently. Silently. One careful step after another.

  Finally, she was beside the door. Her body trembled and her breath was shallow with fear. What would she find outside? Would she see Nicole in the darkness? Luckily, the moon was now bright in the night sky; otherwise there’d be no chance at all of locating the woman. Erin forced her gaze from Robert’s gaping mouth and closed eyes, and slowly turned to face the doorway. She gripped the rock wall to steady herself, and leaned sideways to look out of the shack.

  A form leaned sideways from the outside at exactly the same moment, like a mirror image. Erin almost screamed she was so shocked – but mercifully, her longing to escape was stronger than her astonishment. She didn’t scream. She didn’t step backward onto Robert’s prone form.

  “Please, do not be frightened. I have come to help you.” The voice was as soft as the night breeze, as delicate as wildflower petals. “Talent and I have come to help you escape. Now, follow me.”

  Nicole ran. As fast as she could, she ran. The creature was behind her, running as fast as she was. Without looking back, Nicole could sense its intent, could feel the tremble in the earth as it leapt along. It was a terrible thing, this creature pursuing her, but Nicole wasn’t afraid. She’d had this dream before, and as always, she felt exultant, untouchable. There was no way the creature would ever catch her. She was running faster than she’d ever run before. The ground flew past beneath her fleetness. The wind streamed past her head, looking like blue and gray threads of light. She could hear the murmur of it in her ears.

  But that wasn’t right. The wind was supposed to whistle and shriek as it blew past, or at least it had every other time she’d had this dream. But this wind was soft. Serene. Peaceful.

  Nicole shifted in her sleep. On the edge of her consciousness, she realized she was cold. Then she became aware that she’d fallen asleep in the most uncomfortable chair she’d ever encountered. Hard edges dug into her shoulder blades. A rocky spur was jabbing her in the back.

  Groggily, she opened her eyes. Where was she? Why was she outside? Oh yes, they were on the Irish Burren. She was carrying out her kidnapping plan. Robert was attempting to be of some use, if his actions could be called helping.

  However one question wasn’t answered. Who were the two people running away in the moonlight?

  Erin ran after the strange girl, doing her best to ignore the stabs of pain from her blistered feet. She tried to get a glimpse of the girl’s face, but all she could see clearly was her golden hair. It caught the moonlight like a glittering cape, swishing and swaying in front of her as they ran. Erin was sure she’d never seen the strange girl before – so how did the girl know she needed help? How had she found Talent? Even if she discovered him wandering the Burren, she wouldn’t have known he was Erin’s horse. She wouldn’t have known his name.

  “Wake up, Robert!” The cry ripped through the night behind them. “She’s getting away!”

  The older girl spun around and took Erin’s wrist in a gentle hand. “You must go ahead. Talent waits for you in that direction.” She pointed. “I will distract our pursuers.”

  “But how will you…” Erin gasped and took a quick step backward, jerking her wrist free. The moonlight was shining full on the girl’s face now, making her skin glow pale and her eyes glisten – and her eyes were the color of amber!

  “I am not the one to fear,” the stranger said, insistently, urgently. She seemed desperate that Erin believe her.

  And Erin did. “I… I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m sorry,” she stammered. “But be carefu
l. Robert’s very strong and Nicole is plain mean.”

  “Do not worry about me. You must get away. Now run!” Her tawny eyes widened as she looked behind Erin. Nicole and Robert must be quickly coming closer.

  “You should come with…”

  “Run!”

  Erin ran. As fast as she could, she ran. Moments later, light flashed behind her, light so bright that her own shadow became coal black in front of her and she had to slow down. She couldn’t see where her feet might land – in a crack between the rocks? On a jagged stone? But thanks to the blonde girl, Erin knew it was probably okay that she was moving a bit slower. The kidnappers wouldn’t be after her yet. The flare was so bright it had probably blinded them, for a few precious seconds at least. If only it could stop them long enough for her to get completely away.

  But even if she escaped, what about her rescuer? What would happen to her? Wouldn’t she be in even worse trouble than Erin had been? Wouldn’t they be furious at the girl if Erin got away?

  Slowly, the glare behind her faded and night resumed its soft moonlit glow. Erin ran faster as her eyes adjusted to the dimming light. She could hear sounds of a struggle behind her, and then, horror, footfalls thudding after her. The step was booted and heavy and very, very fast. Now she could hear laboured breathing coming closer and closer. It had to be Robert!

  A dark form pulled from the night in front of her, and she heard something else: the clanging of metal horseshoes on stone. Talent! She could see him now, cantering toward her in the moonlight. His hooves rang loudly on the natural pavement and his fiery mane flew about his high head and elegant neck like starlit silk. Erin had never seen anything so welcome, so beautiful, as her lovely Talent at that moment. Her hero! She had to get to his side before Robert caught her, well before, so she’d have time to climb into the big hunter’s saddle.

  But wait, she couldn’t see a saddle in the moon’s light. Had the strange girl untacked him? She could see no bridle on the finely etched head, and if the girl had taken the saddle off too, how was Erin going to get on the tall horse?

  She needn’t have worried about it. Five yards short of Talent, the hand came down on her shoulder. “No!” Erin shrieked. She tried to twist out of Robert’s grasp, but there was no escape. Talent stopped and half-reared a few yards away, uncertain of what to do.

  “Hold still now,” Robert said, his voice infuriatingly calm and reasonable. “I’m not going to hurt you.” His massive arm twisted around Erin’s middle and lifted her off the ground, then he started carrying her back toward the hut. A moment or two later, Erin heard Talent following them.

  “You have to let me go.” She pounded on his arm to no avail. The man didn’t even flinch. She would have to try something different, maybe even something she’d learned from Siobhan’s psychiatric ramblings. Robert didn’t seem like a cruel person. Maybe she could appeal to his better nature – before they reached Nicole and she was able to influence him.

  “Robert, you know that kidnapping me is wrong, don’t you?” Erin said breathlessly. He hesitated, but didn’t answer her question. She continued. “It doesn’t matter if you get money for me. You’re not going to enjoy it. You’ll feel too guilty. I can tell you’re not a bad person.”

  No response. Time to try another tack. “Do you have a sister, Robert?” Erin felt him stiffen and his gait slow further. “How would you feel if someone kidnapped her?”

  The man stopped. “But I can’t let you go. What would Nicole say?”

  “Why does it matter? You’ll be doing the right thing.”

  “But she… You don’t understand.”

  “I might,” Erin said with as encouraging a voice as she could muster.

  “Nicole is my sister. Our parents abandoned us when we were kids. She’s the only family I have.”

  A disastrous setback. But still, her words had affected Robert; he obviously felt bad about kidnapping her. Maybe, there was still a small chance. “If I ride away on Talent, she never needs to know you let me go,” Erin said quickly. “She’ll just think I reached Tallie before you caught me and that I galloped away.”

  “But then I’d have to lie to her. I can’t do that,” Robert said firmly. The moment he started walking toward the shack again, Erin knew she’d lost. There was no way he was going to free her against Nicole’s wishes. And there was no way she’d ever convince Nicole to let her go. That she knew for certain. She had one chance and one chance only of freedom – Talent.

  “Tallie!” she screamed. “Tallie, help me!”

  Immediately, the soft hoof beats in the dark turned to clanging metal as Talent trotted the few yards separating them. Robert whirled around so fast that Erin felt blood rush to her head. Talent’s white-socked forelegs flashed in the moonlight as he reared above them.

  Then Erin was flying backward, still firm in Robert’s grip. “Tell it to go away,” he shrilled, and for the first time since she’d met him, he sounded frightened. “Tell it to back off!”

  Talent’s front hooves met the earth, and he walked toward them, his head out straight and his ears flat against his skull. When he realized he couldn’t reach Robert without hurting Erin, he reared again. He came down and sparks exploded toward the two humans. Then he went up again, whinnying and snorting.

  “Go away!” Robert yelled again.

  “Tallie,” croaked Erin, feeling like a rag doll. “Help me!”

  Talent stopped for a moment, as if confused by Erin’s quiet tone, and Robert took the opportunity to back a few more yards toward the hut. But Talent wasn’t about to let Erin go without a fight. He screamed, trotted toward them, and went up on his hind legs again. His front hooves churned the air above their heads.

  Robert tried to back up again, but tripped – and Erin went flying through the air.

  Her head struck stone and for a moment, she felt overwhelmed with a horrible immensity of pain.

  Then everything went black.

  The first thing Erin became aware of was pain radiating through her skull. She gasped with the agony of it. Wished she could black out again.

  Then a soft muzzle touched her arm. A gentle whinny resonated around her.

  “Tallie,” she whispered. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up. Dizziness pushed her down onto the cold stone again. The horse whinnied, encouragingly, and bumped her with his nose. He was telling her to get up. And no wonder – she was on the ground. And it was the middle of the night. And her head felt like it was splitting open! What on earth was happening?

  “Nicole! Nicole!” A man was shouting. “Come help me!”

  Robert! Everything came back in a sudden, horrid rush. She was being kidnapped! Talent and a strange girl had come to save her. And unless she could get on her feet, right this moment, she would be recaptured!

  “Tallie, help me,” she whispered and reached up. Talent lowered his head, nickered softly. Erin clutched his mane. “Pull me up, buddy.”

  Slowly, Talent raised his head, pulling Erin to her knees, then his silky mane slipped through her rubbery fingers. She clutched at his forelegs for a moment, gasping with pain. She’d never known such agony! With one feeble arm she reached up and touched her head. A massive lump was forming on the right side of her skull. No wonder she felt so terrible!

  But it didn’t matter how awful she felt. She had to stand. She had to climb onto Talent’s back! She had to escape! With a gallant effort, she pushed upward with her legs – then tipped sideways and fell heavily.

  She could feel herself spiralling into the darkness again. “I can’t, Tallie,” she tried to whisper. She wasn’t sure if she was actually speaking or just imagining it. Her ears were ringing too loudly to hear her own words. “But they’re coming. You should run. Go get Dad. Bring him…”

  Then darkness consumed her once again.

  When Nicole heard the horse trot away into the night, she turned back to the pale girl. Let Robert take care of the kid. She wanted to figure this one out.

  The teenager was su
ch a dainty creature, almost otherworldly, and with all their surveillance and observation of Erin in the days before her kidnapping, they hadn’t seen the girl once. She wasn’t the sister, that was for sure, or one of Erin’s friends that they’d seen. Was she a more distant relative? Or a stranger who noticed something didn’t seem right out on the Burren and foolishly decided to be a hero?

  She grabbed the blonde girl’s shoulder and turned her over. The exposed face and arms were very pale, as if she rarely saw the sun. Her hair seemed drained of color. Nicole searched the ground around the still teenager. Where was the burnt out flare? That flare had been the oddest thing of all. It made the light seem to come from the girl herself, and not from anything she held in her hands.

  And there was the fact she had collapsed, too, falling down for no reason whatsoever, after the flare finally died. It was all very confusing.

  Nicole held her fingertips to the girl’s throat. There was a slight flutter beneath the skin, a faint pulse. So she was alive. She hadn’t dropped of a heart attack or anything like that.

  Nicole scowled into the night. What were they going to do with her? It was bad enough that the kid knew Nicole’s name. But now this one too, had seen her and could possibly identify her.

  This job was becoming more and more complicated all the time!

  The pain returned as Erin slowly became conscious again, but this time she felt a little more aware. She opened her eyes to see Robert approaching her, but no Talent and no Nicole. With a groan, she sat up and looked around. If only Talent had understood her and gone for more help. Her dad or the police would be best.

  Robert grabbed her arm and gently hoisted her to her feet. “Are you okay?” he asked as he held her upright. “I’m sorry I dropped you.”

  “You threw me,” Erin whispered.