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“Can we go faster?” Inez snaps at Preston as the hell jackals close on us.
“No,” Preston says, gazing at the approaching creatures with nothing more than mild curiosity.
“They’ll get to us before we hit the buffer,” Inez says.
“Well before,” Preston agrees, then raises an eyebrow at her. “They have come for you and Archie?”
“Yes,” she sighs. “The two with weapons are Orlan Stiletto and Argate Axe.”
“Ah,” he says with a hint of a frown. “I have heard of them.”
“Inez?” I whimper. “What are we going to do?”
“I have no idea,” she answers honestly. Then she looks at me. “Preston, are there any old rags that you could lend us?”
The steer reaches down, tears a strip of cloth from his robes and hands it to her.
“Thanks,” Inez says and passes it to me. “Wrap that around your face.”
“Why?” I frown.
“It will be better if Orlan and Argate don’t get a fix on you. That way they can’t hunt for you if we get away and you return home.”
“You think we’ll escape?”
She shrugs. “It always pays to think positively.”
As I’m covering my features, leaving only a slit for the eyes, the hell jackals race to the edge of the bank... and stop. They scream and spit at us, clawing the air with their taloned fingers, but don’t leap onto the boat, even though the river is narrow here and we’re close to shore.
Preston raises a hand and brings the boat to a halt, and we stare into the crazed eyes of the nightmarish hell jackals, watching spittle fly from their lips as they gibber and screech.
“Maybe it’s not the best idea to stop,” I whisper.
“I can concentrate better if we’re not moving,” Preston says.
The four people stroll up behind the hell jackals. Orlan and Argate are smiling. One of the others is a woman, and she’s focused on the beasts. Bulky binoculars hang from a cord around the neck of the fourth person.
“Him,” I groan, pointing. “I saw him further back the river, and he saw us.”
“You’re only telling me about that now?” Inez hisses.
“I didn’t think it mattered,” I cry. “He was standing on a rock. Then he jumped off and –”
“– crossed to the Born to summon Masters Axe and Stiletto,” the man with the binoculars giggles.
“We came as fast as we could,” Orlan says, “but didn’t think we would catch you before you departed this zone.”
“Luck, however, was on our side,” Argate says. “We even had time to summon our associate Clara and her pets.”
“A hell jackal handler,” Inez says sickly. “You didn’t think you could deal with me by yourselves?”
“We normally operate without backup,” Orlan says.
“But the river of blood was a concern,” Argate growls.
“Hell jackals are expendable,” Orlan says. “Nobody’s going to miss one or two if they slip over the edge of the boat during the struggle.”
“Not so loud,” Argate mock-whispers. “You might upset Clara.”
Orlan turns his attention to the incredibly calm Preston. “Master Steer,” he nods.
“Master Stiletto,” Preston replies, returning the nod.
“We have no quarrel with you,” Orlan says. “If you set the girl ashore, you can be on your way.”
Preston shakes his head. “I offered them safe passage.”
“You know who we are,” Orlan says quietly.
“I do,” Preston says.
“But you would cross us regardless?” Orlan presses.
“And our hell jackals?” Argate adds.
“It’s not my wish to cross anyone,” Preston says, “but I’m bound by my oath to defend those who travel with me, so I’d urge you not to board my craft.”
Orlan sneers but Argate looks troubled. “I’d rather tackle her on land,” he says.
“We have no choice,” Orlan shrugs, then narrows his eyes at me. “I wonder who her companion is?”
“Nobody,” Inez says quickly. “Just a fellow passenger who happened to be going the same way as me.”
“Then why has he covered his face?” Orlan asks.
“He’s incredibly ugly,” Inez says. “I was worried he might scare you.”
The killers laugh, then turn serious.
“Last chance, Steer,” Argate says flatly.
“Give her to us or face the consequences,” Orlan whispers.
Preston sighs. “I urge you not to do this. Steers are the servants of all. You should never involve us in your battles and force us to take sides.”
“We didn’t force you,” Argate says. “You made your decision and now you must die with it.”
“Unleash them, Clara,” Orlan says.
The woman waves a hand at the hell jackals. In response, they leap, and a second later all five are on the boat, yammering like demons and moving in for the kill.