Hunted

put the horse’s hoof down, patted her rump affectionately, and said, “That is how you leave here and get to the abbey quickly. On horse back, which, in my opinion, is the best way to travel anyway.”
    “The idea has merit,” Darius said. “But how do we escape? Surely the Raven Mockers won’t let us ride out the front gates.”
    Lenobia smiled. “Perhaps they will.”

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    CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

    “That is an insane plan,” Aphrodite said.
    “Yet it just might work,” Darius said.
    “I like it. It’s kinda romantic, with the horses and all. Plus, it’s the best plan we have,” Damien said.
    “It’s the only plan we have,” I said. At Lenobia’s raised brows I hastily added, “But I like it, too.”
    “The fewer horses you take, the easier it will be for you to get away unnoticed. I suggest you ride double,” Lenobia said.
    “Three is definitely sneakier than six,” Erin said.
    “But how are we going to get Dragon and Anastasia in on it?” I said. “We definitely can’t all go walking over to the fencing room or Anastasia’s class. And I don’t want us to split up.”
    Lenobia’s brows went up again. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of this, but there is something many of us use, called a cellular telephone. Believe it or not, Dragon and Anastasia each have one.”
    “Oh,” I said, feeling like a moron.
    Aphrodite rolled her eyes at me.
    “I’ll call them and fill them in on their part of the plan. Those of you wearing skirts—you need to change. Zoey can show you where the extra riding habits are kept in the tack room. Take anything in there you might need,” Lenobia said as she hurried toward her office.
    “I’ll tell Dragon the diversion will start in thirty minutes.”
    “Thirty minutes!” My stomach clenched.
    “That should give you plenty of time to change and put bridles on three horses. You won’t be able to use saddles. That would be too obvious.” Lenobia disappeared into her office just as Damien said, “No saddles? I think I’m going to be sick.”
    “Join the crowd,” I said. “Come on,” I told Aphrodite and the Twins, “You need to change out of those short skirts. And who the hell wears stilettos in an ice storm?”
    “They’re boots, ” Aphrodite said. “And boots are proper winter attire.”
    “Three and a half inch stiletto boots are not sensible footwear for winter,” I said, leading them to the tack room and the riding clothes hanging neatly there among the other tack.
    “Fashion-impaired geek,” Aphrodite muttered.
    “Agreeing,” Shaunee said.
    “For once,” Erin added.
    I grabbed three bridles and shook my head at my friends. “Just change your clothes. There are riding boots in that closet. Avail yourselves of their use.”
    “Avail?” I heard Shaunee say as I marched out of the tack room.
    “Girlfriend has been hanging around Queen Damien too much,” Erin said.
    I slammed the door.
    I wasn’t sure what other two horses Lenobia would choose to go with us, but I knew Persephone would be carrying me, so I hurried toward her stall. Darius had moved over to one of the high stable windows and was busy stacking hay bales on top of each other. Obviously he was going to give us a weather and Raven Mocker check.
    “Uh, Z, may I have one little word with you?” Damien said.
    “Sure, come on in.” I went back to Persephone’s stall, grabbed the currycomb, and started giving the mare a quick wipedown.
    Damien stayed in the doorway. “Here’s the thing—I don’t really ride.”
    “Well, that’s not a problem. I’ll do the hard part. You just sit behind me and hold on.”
    “What if I fall off? I’m sure she’s a perfectly nice animal.” He sent a little hello wave to Persephone, who was still happily chewing her hay and not paying any attention to Damien. “But she’s also big. Really very big. Humongous, actually.”
    “Damien, we are about to break out of school, run for our lives, and then try to banish an ancient immortal and a vamp High Priestess gone bad, and you’re stressing about riding behind me on a horse?”
    “Bareback. Riding bareback behind you on a horse,” he said. Then nodded. “Yes, yes, I am stressing about it.”
    I started giggling and had to lean against Persephone because I was hurting myself. Okay, here’s the life lesson I’ve really been learning: If you have good friends, no matter how much life is sucking, they can make you laugh.
    Meanwhile, Damien was frowning at me. “Just so