Sighing, she led them out of the coach and into the blistering heat. The winds whipped about them. Pulling at her hair, at the clothing covering Lalo’s body. He hissed.
“Do we need to go back?” she called over the gusts.
“No. I’m fine. I’ve never been better,” he yelled back.
“Has anyone ever told you that you are a terrible liar?”
“Once or twice.”
She smiled into the wind. “They were right.”
Slowly, they made their way toward the horses. Fighting against gusts determined to claw off his defenses.
Carolina brought his hands to the gelding’s back. “We have no saddles; can you ride without?”
“I haven’t the slightest clue.”
She snorted and helped him up. It was an awkward, embarrassing affair where he accidentally smacked her in the face with his boot, but he got up, nonetheless.
Quickly, she ran over to her mount, which was tethered to his, and clambered onto the beauty’s back. “Hold on, Lalo.”
Carolina clicked her tongue, and the horses began to move. Sluggishly at first, building speed when she knew he wouldn’t fall. Before they gained ground, she needed to ensure his coverings would hold when they took off at full force.
They started to trot, and a corner of the cloth loosened, revealing the warm brown skin on his neck. He let out a shocked yell.
“Should we stop?” she hollered.
“No! Keep going. The faster we enter the woods, the better.”
He held on to the horse’s mane with one hand and shakily tried to conceal himself with the other, but the fabric loosened even more. He let out a string of curses. Words even Carolina had never used.
Her eyes went to the horizon, to the forest slowly edging closer to them.
“Do you smell that?” Lalo asked. “Is that sulfur?”
Carolina’s eyes snapped to either side of them. A cloud of dust bloomed to her left where the canyon blocked them in. Rocks tumbled down the granite wall from high above. She searched the spot from which they had come. Her stomach pinched with horror, and she gasped.
“Shit.” She flicked the reins. “We must go faster!” she called out. “Hang on!”
Carolina dug her heels into the horse’s side, and they raced ahead. Her gaze kept flicking to the canyon walls, and her heart thundered inside her. At least six wolves clambered down the rocks. Six! But when she squinted, she could see there was something different about them. Something otherworldly. Monstrous.
And they were making quick work of descending the cliff face.
Lalo cursed again. His covering was truly coming undone. Even with the horses’ hooves pounding over the dirt and the wind biting at their faces, she could hear the disturbing hiss of his flesh burning.
But they couldn’t stop now. The wolves would easily pin them here. At least in the woods, she wouldn’t have to worry about Lalo’s skin melting away.
A sharp howl coming from one of the beasts broke through her thoughts. It was louder than any wolf she’d heard before and so deep she felt it in her bones.
She jerked her head back. The monsters were catching up. Her horses were going at a full sprint but couldn’t outrun them.
“Come on,” she urged her mount. “Just a little bit farther.”
Lalo chanced a look back and gasped. “Chupasangres!”
“What in the hells are those?” she shouted.
She snapped the leads harder, praying the carriage horses could move faster.
