Page 47 of Embrace the Serpent

Something was happening. The carriage shimmered under me, like light catching on dust.

Our bluish horses turned brown, and the carriage became identical to those the huntsmen drove.

Another shimmer, and there were three pearly blue carriages. The curtain fluttered open in the next one, and there was another Serpent King and another me.

The road was wide enough for two carriages side by side. We overtook one of the huntsmen’s and then were overtaken by the other.

Rane was playing a life-size game of cups.

As we came up on the fork in the road, we went straight, and the huntsmen went down the other paths.

The Imperial Guards split up to follow each carriage. I counted ten guards on horseback following us. More followed Rane’s carriage. I held my breath as he outpaced them, until the trees grew too thick, and he was gone from view.

The guards behind us unsheathed their weapons. The Serpent King sucked a breath through his teeth.

An arrow thunked into the siding beside the window. An inch to the right, and it would’ve gone through and hit me.

My voice came out shrill. “What did you say about them not hurting us?”

“I should’ve torn that scroll from his hands and read it myself,” the Serpent King said. “Something’s changed, and I don’t know what it is. It’s my fault for playing nice. Stay down.”

He opened the door. It swung wildly in the wind, and he climbed up next to the driver.

A guard drew close, one hand on his reins, the other holding a sword.

The Serpent King unwrapped a metal belt from his waist. He flicked it, and it became a flexible length of steel. A whip-sword.

Arrows peppered the side of the carriage.

I dropped to my knees, crouching in the footwell. Grimney was excitedly peeking out the window. I grabbed his foot and dragged him down with me.

The Serpent King’s voice commanded, “Get off the road!”

We crashed through the woods. A shriek of branches scraping the lacquer. Thumps on the roof, of trees dropping seedpods and what might’ve been a small monkey, judging by the agitated screech. A bump threw me into the air and I landed hard on my knees. I clutched Grimney, bracing myself.

The carriage bounced and rattled to a stop.

The Serpent King tore open the door. “Are you all right?”

Crouched against the seats, I nodded. His hair was windswept, but he looked unhurt.

“Something’s changed. Stay here, stay hidden.” He paused, then shook his head. “You’ll be fine.”

He shut the door carefully. The driver had an arrow sticking out of his arm, but he went with the Serpent King, back the way we came, through the path of broken branches and crushed foliage.

“Yes,” I said to Grimney. “We’ll just stay here. That’s a lovely plan.”

The mist seeped into the carriage, bringing with it the smell of wet, damp earth. From outside came strange noises, a mocking sort of chittering, mournful trills, and cackling shrieks. They’re just lovely birds, I told myself. Lovely little bugs and lizards.

Then they all fell silent.

Footsteps. Creeping ones, tentative and sneaking, stopping whenever a twig or seedpod crunched underfoot.

The horses screamed.

The carriage door swung open. A square-jawed man, an Imperial Guard. “I found her!” he shouted over his shoulder. “She’s alone!”

I screamed and kicked out, connecting with something hard that snapped.