But the toddler? He had a shot.
“Hold on,” I said to him as he clutched the pommel of the saddle.
Tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump.
“Go.” I released the rein and shoved the bay horse’s neck. “GO!”
The horse didn’t need more encouragement. He flew into the trees while the toddler clung to the saddle.
Tha-thump-tha-thump-tha-thump —
“Agh,fuck!”I screamed as a hand fisted in my hair, lifting me clean off my feet. My body smashed against the black horse’s rolling shoulder. “Let go!” A burning pain shot along my scalp.
The rider released my hair for a split second. But then his rough hand closed around the back of my neck. His long fingernails slashed into my skin, drawing blood.
My feet flailed, helplessly, several inches off the ground.“Let go!”
The rider had an iron grip. No matter how hard I thrashed and dug at his hands, I couldn’t break free.
The forest whirled around me, trees rushing by in a blur as the horse galloped.
The rider pulled me up and up…
“So much flesh,” he grumbled. “You’ll be a fine meal.”
“Excuse me?”Did I hear that right?
I’d definitely heard that right.
The rider dragged me past the horse’s shoulder, clearly intending to sling me over the saddle. Like I was his prize.
Or, more accurately, hisdinner.
I battered my legs against the horse’s side, howled, curled my fingers into claws, and dug my nails into whatever flesh I could find. I probably looked like a damn gremlin. And when the rider reached for me with his other arm, I wailed and sank my teeth into his hand. His skin felt like a pumice sponge. Still soft, but also rough and gritty. The dark blood tasted like overcooked asparagus when it hit my throat.
“Bitch!” The rider drew his bleeding hand back and pummeled me across the face.
I nosedived into his crotch (eech) as the horse screeched and smashed into the ground. Its ass flew up in the air in a full somersault. The rider whizzed over his mount’s neck.
And I went with him.
It felt like being launched on a roller coaster: my body zooming at a million miles an hour while my stomach stayed behind. Normally, I lived for that kind of thrill. But now…
I crashed to the ground with so much force, my bones rattled. The breath rushed out of my lungs. White spots exploded in front of my eyes. I couldn’t move. Or breathe. Couldn’t do anything but stare at the dark canopy of trees overhead.
The rider landed beside me, although he recovered much quicker. He rolled over, fisting his hand in my hair, holding me down. My scalp burned. I’d have bald spots when this was all over.
AssumingI survived.
A few feet away, the black horse squirmed on its back, all four legs straight up in the air. With a strained, hollow grunt, the animal righted itself and got to its feet. But the reins were tangled around its forelegs. The poor thing was stuck. Every time it took a step, it yanked on its own mouth.
The horse’s harsh, almost panicked bellow filled the air.
The rider didn’t seem to care.
He crawled on top of me, his hands groping my chest, nose buried into the side of my neck. He inhaled once. Twice.
“You creepy motherf—” I screamed, freeing a hand and ramming my thumb into his freaky white eyes. He reared back with a curse. I gritted my teeth and held on, digging my finger in. I wanted to make his eye gosplat.
