Page 149 of The Throne Seeker

She gave him a firm nod. “Wish me luck.”

Before Roman could stop her, she escaped, slithering back into the crowd, strutting towards Moretti, who was still in the same spot talking to the four men who surrounded him.

Moretti had no idea what was coming for him.

CHAPTER 61

The stares Rose attracted as she walked through the stables made her self-conscious. Perhaps Roman had been right to second-guess her choice. But it was too late to back out now. She tucked away the insecurity and held her chin high, pretending to admire the beasts.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught one of Moretti’s friends openly staring at her with approving eyes. As she neared, he leaned toward Moretti, whispering something in his ear.

Moretti’s gaze flickered to her, then back to his friend, and then snapped back to her.

Rose did her best to pretend she didn’t see any of it, her eyes lingering on the black beast. But then, ever so strategically, she met his bright blue eyes.

She kept her face uninterested, letting her eyes roam over him, assessing his worth. Then, without offering anything else, her eyes abandoned his and she continued to walk, fully aware his were still locked on her.

“Excuse me, miss,” a deep voice called behind her.

The faintest smile of victory pulled at her lips. She slipped it off before she spun around.

“May I be so bold as to ask for your help?” Moretti asked, flashing her a razor smile.

“What help would I be, exactly?” she asked, keeping her voice smooth and lush.

“Help settle a debate between me and my colleagues,” he explained, tilting his head to the four men behind him.

Rose took a few lazy steps forward, folding her arms. “And what debate is that?”

“I was hoping you could tell me what I ought to do about this sleipnir.” He cast his gaze up to the giant dark beast. “He’s turned out to be quite the handful. Trampled his rider to death this morning, I’m afraid.” He spoke so casually it was as though it was nothing more than an inconvenience. “Which puts quite the damper on this fine race people have paid good money to see. We’re debating whether to let another rider race him or to take our loss and kill the beast. You see, they’re afraid he’s too wild to tame.”

Kill it? Her eyes flashed. “What doyousay?”

“I’d like him to live to see another day,” Moretti confessed, showing mercy. “Sleipnirs are quite the investment, you see—finding them, training them, breeding them. But my friends—” he glanced over his shoulder at them, “—aren’t convinced a rider will take him due to his history. I find my hands are tied if that’s the case.” His gaze came back to her. “I am curious to hear what you, as an unbiased third party, would have to say on the matter.”

She shifted her eyes to the beast, ignoring the four men’s leering stares as she stalked past them up to the sleipnir’s stall for a better look, determined to keep her face devoid of the fear that was clamoring inside.

She looked up into the beast’s dark, coal eyes, staring back at her, expecting to see a wild, untamed fire, but she found nothingbut a puff of smoke. Her attention turned to the sleipnir’s powerful body, marked by scars strewn across its abdomen.

“These scars. What are they from?” she asked.

Moretti tilted his head, his interest piqued by the question. “They’re from the riders training them, of course.”

“With?”

“A sharp rod.” He didn’t hide the fact, nor look ashamed.

She hid her disgust. “It’s no wonder he trampled him,” she said, her voice hardened, forgetting she was supposed to be witty and charming.

The sleipnir blinked as it shifted its snout towards her, its ears twitching.

Moretti raised an eyebrow. “It is custom. Every sleipnir is trained this way.”

“Just because it’s the way things are, doesn’t mean it’s what should be.”

Truer words were never spoken,a soft foreign voice spoke in her mind.

Her eyes whipped to the sleipnir, doing her best to hide her shock as she said,Can you hear me?She spoke to it in her mind like the sea beast and the phoenix.