“Is it a stone bruise?”Feroz asked, thoughthey all four of them knew the answer.
Aleksandr nodded.“Afraid so.”
“Damnation.”
“We can make a soft boot out of your saddleblanket,” Aleksandr said.“It will get you to the next aidestation.”
“Might as well,” Feroz grabbed the blanketfrom the ground and pulled out his blade, “since I will be walkinghim there.”
“I have some twine in my pack,” she offered,silently thanking Ratter, who had made sure she was prepared foranything that could befall herself or Lasair.
“Thank you,” Feroz said.
She turned to get the twine and stopped.Yagoand Taweel were standing between her and the bedrolls, and behindYago, the Jackal stood over her bedroll with his back to them.Sheheard something drop with a soft thud and then the Jackal turnedaround and walked up to the other two princes.
“What were you doing there?”she asked,craning her neck to where she could see the bedrolls.Nothinglooked amiss, and her wineskin and saddle bags were right where shehad left them.
“What are you doing here?”Yago demanded.Hetapped his riding whip against his thigh as Aleksandr stepped up toher on one side and Munir the other.
“We are helping Feroz tend to his horse,”Aleksandr answered.“What’s it to you?”
“If he asks for aide, he must drop out of therace,” Yago insisted.
Beside her, Aleksandr stiffened and his handfisted, and though his short blade lay tucked under his bedroll, hestill wore his waist blades, as did Munir and the three princesstanding before them.
“We know the rules, Prince Yago,” she saidbefore any of the men could escalate the situation.
“We are more likely to follow them than anyof you,” Aleksandr added, doing exactly what she’d hoped toavoid.
“Are you insinuating that I, a royal prince,would cheat?”Yago asked, clearly affronted.
Aleksandr’s laugh was short and harsh.“I amnot insinuating anything, you royal worm, I’m saying itoutright.”
“Both of you cease your arguing and posturingat once,” she snapped.“If you begin a brawl, we’ll all be out ofthe race.”
“It would almost be worth it,” Aleksandrgrumbled, but he stood back half a step and relaxed his fistedhand.
“Good bastard,” Yago jeered.“Listen to yourmistress.”
Sahar placed her hand on Aleksandr’s forearm,and felt the corded muscles flex and twitch.“If you know what isgood for you, Prince Yago,” she said, holding back a scoff.“Youwill walk away now.”
Yago sneered and slapped the whip into thepalm of his hand, and beneath her fingers, Aleksandr’s arm tensedand hardened.
“There is no need for a fight,” Ferozentreated, palms up.“I am dropping out of the race for my horse’ssake.I wouldn’t do him a further injury.”He stared pointedly atthe whip in Yago’s hand.“Something you would not understand.”
Yago’s sneer twisted into a snarl as heraised his whip at Feroz, and then his hand stopped mid-strike,grasped in Aleksandr’s iron grip.
“Don’t you dare,” Aleksandr growled intoYago’s reddening face.Yanking Yago’s arm down, Aleksandr wrenchedthe whip from his hand and broke it in two over his thigh.He threwthe pieces into Yago’s belly.“Don’t ever dare raise a whip to anyperson or beast in my presence again.”
Sahar shook her head in disgust.“My fatherwas right about you,” she told Yago.“You can’t be trusted.”
“You thinkhecan?”Yago jerked hischin at Aleksandr.“Ask him why King Asad went to his room thenight before the race.Ask him what your esteemed father promisedhim to watch over you during this race.To let you win.”
She laughed in Yago’s face, and then shelooked at Aleksandr’s.
“Is this true?”
Aleksi glanced around at the quickly growingcrowd of riders.“This is neither the time nor the place,” hesaid.
