Briar Rose (45 page)

‘No more hate,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘We start over, tonight. You and me. Our folks will just have to catch up.’

Briar reached out to touch his cheek, her hand cold and shaking. He caught it in his own and kissed it.

‘I’m glad you’re here,’ he said. ‘I missed you.’

That shy smile he loved came alive again. It was so sweet and innocent, though he knew she had a tough streak that toppled tyrants.

They drew together. He had meant the kiss to be gentle, but it seared their flesh. It didn’t end there, but built in strength until he felt his lungs would burst.

The instant the kiss ended he felt empty again. No, not entirely. Briar’s eyes shone with happiness. With desire. All of it was for him.

He bent over and kissed her delicately on the tip of her nose. ‘I’d best go get ready.’

She refused to release him and the next kiss was deeper, stronger, filled with so many promises. When they broke apart, Joshua smiled.

‘Wow. That was amazing.’

‘You get another one like that when you win,’ she said coyly.

‘Promise?’ he said.

‘On the Rose family name.’ Then she grimaced. ‘Sorry.’

After a quick peck on Briar’s cheek, he returned to Arabella to prepare for what lay ahead. As Briar walked away, she kept sneaking glances at him, her eyes full of love. It made Joshua
feel like a giant. For once, his heart and his mind were in total agreement: he was going to win this race no matter what it cost.

‘Move that white candle over a bit the other way,’ Lily instructed.

Reena did as she asked, her knees more flexible than her great-gran’s.

‘That’s good,’ Lily said. ‘Tonight I’ll do the summonin’. Just know, we can’t help the boy. It’s his race.’

‘You have to do something to even the score,’ Briar insisted.

‘Nope, we don’t. That would be cheatin’.’

When Reena looked up, Briar caught something in her friend’s eyes.

I know that look.
Reena wasn’t one to step back and let things go, but then neither was Lily, not when her great-granddaughter’s life was on the line. Briar bet they had a
plan cooked up, but why weren’t they telling her about it?

‘If Joshua hadn’t made it back from the curse, there would be no race. So what happens if we don’t call up this spirit?’ Briar said.

Lily was shaking her head even before she’d stopped talking. ‘Reena and the boy made a deal and that meant Rawlins was gonna be freed one way or another. The Dark Rider would see to
that. It’s best we try to control how that happens.’

Joshua, meanwhile, was patiently checking each of Arabella’s hoofs. He’d cleaned out a bit of gravel from one, then reassured himself that the saddle was well secured. In his own
way, he was fidgeting. All Briar could do was gnaw on a fingernail.

‘We got company,’ he called out.

In the distance the glare of headlights illuminated the dirt road. As the pick-up drew closer, Briar and her friends melted back into the shadows, Joshua keeping a firm hand on the horse’s
bridle.

Would the vehicle roll right over the crossroads, destroying all their work? Why wasn’t Lily trying to warn them off? The truck slowed, stopped, and then backed up. Instead of going south,
it turned right, heading into town. As it passed, its lights caught them for a brief moment, making Briar blink.

‘Only crazy fools are out here this time of night,’ Lily muttered.

You mean like us?
‘Why didn’t they come down here?’

‘I had Reena put a little something on the road to send them in the other direction,’ the old woman replied, smiling. ‘Works every time.’

More magic.

Lily hobbled back to the very centre of the crossroads and double-checked Reena’s preparations. She nudged something with a toe of an orthopaedic shoe and then nodded her approval.

‘Good job,’ she said, and her great-granddaughter smiled at the rare compliment. To Briar, the roots and herbs and little strange things made no sense. Maybe some day she’d
have Reena explain it all.

‘Do we need to turn round this time?’ her friend asked, her own voice thicker now.

‘No need. He knows who we all are.’

Even me?

Lily began to sing an old Negro spiritual, deep and resonant, even though her voice was frail with age. Briar could feel the power brushing across her skin, raising the hairs on the back of her
neck.

‘This is it,’ Joshua whispered. He was standing beside her now and his hand took hold of hers. ‘No matter what, you’ll still be my girl?’

‘Forever.’

‘Then it’s all good,’ he said. After a hasty kiss, he was up in the saddle.

Briar gently caressed Arabella’s velvety nose, then went up on tiptoes to whisper in the horse’s ear. ‘Run fast. Keep him safe. Don’t get hurt, OK?’

The ear twitched as the horse bobbed its head, just like she understood.

Maybe she does.

The centre of the road began to quake, causing Lily to retreat. Though the magical stuff remained in place, the earth melted, and swirled like a whirlpool. Out of the centre of the swirl rose a
spectral horse built of greyish black smoke, and, seated on it, a figure clad in mismatched clothes from another time. A thick noose hung round his neck.

‘Oh my God,’ Joshua murmured. ‘Lily was right.’

The ghost of Jebediah Rawlins edged his horse off the crossroads, then came to a halt, his gaze never leaving Reena’s great-gran. ‘I know yer blood. Yer one of those old witch
ladies.’

‘My father’s great-great-grandmama helped ya be born, Rawlins. She saw the mark of Cain on ya then, but didn’t tell no one. That was a mistake.’

The ghost spat. ‘So ya say.’ His obsidian eyes moved to Joshua. ‘That the nag yer gonna ride, Quinn?’

‘Sure is,’ Joshua said, keeping a firm hand on Arabella’s bridle as she danced around, spooked by the ghost and his unearthly mount.

‘Hear me, Rawlins. Do this race proper,’ Lily said, ‘or there will be hell comin’ yer way, do ya understand?’

The haint reared back in brittle laughter, the kind that seemed to flay at Joshua’s skin. The sound sent Arabella skittering sideways, nostrils flaring.

‘Ain’t any different from the hell I’ve been livin’. People been ridin’ over my grave since the day I was hung. Some even pissed on me.’

‘You sold out the town to Sherman’s raiders. What did you expect?’ Briar called out.

He zeroed in on her, making Joshua wish she’d kept silent.

‘I figured there had to be a Rose here.’ He grinned. ‘It was me that made sure that Elmer died that day. One bullet was all it took. Couldn’t have him bringin’ no
more rebels to the fight, could I?’

Briar’s mouth fell open. ‘
You
killed him?’

‘Sure nuff. He had his eyes on a girl I fancied. Name was Emmie. Fine little lady. Course she didn’t like my kind.’ Rawlins laughed again. ‘When I’m done, there
won’t be any of yer families left in this county. I will find every one of them and I will kill them.’

Joshua glared. ‘How’s about you shut the hell up and we race?’

His mouth earned him the ghost’s fury, which was exactly what he’d hoped.

‘Ya Quinns were never kindly to us Rawlins. Said we was white trash, but I know yer no better than me and I’m gonna prove it.’ Rawlins adjusted himself on the horse. ‘So
where are we goin’? We racin’ to Atlanta and back? Is it still on fire like I heard tell?’

Joshua shook his head. ‘We are running south on the road to where the ford used to be. There’s a footbridge there now. Go over that and then back up the other side of the river to
the road that goes to Bliss. The finish line is here at the crossroads.’

‘The hell it is,’ the ghost growled. ‘I ain’t no damned fool. I’m not goin’ anywhere near this place again.’ He pointed at Lily. ‘Not with that
old witch around. She’ll just try to bind me again and I won’t stand for that.’

Joshua gave Lily a panicked look.

She shrugged. ‘Smarter than I figured him for. Then it don’t matter now.’

‘OK,’ Joshua began, then sighed. ‘Whoever crosses the river first at the bridge wins.’

The ghost nodded his approval. ‘It ain’t gonna matter where we race cuz I’m gonna beat ya.’ He leaned forward on the horse. ‘When I’m free, I’ll be sure
to treat
yer
family real special, Quinn. It was them that put this noose round my neck.’

If I’m lucky, we’ll do it again.

The course Joshua had picked was one he knew intimately. Over the years, he’d gone for hundreds of rides on that very stretch of ground, starting a couple years after he’d nearly
drowned and Briar had been made off limits. Out here he could cry without anyone seeing him, and that way no one would make fun of him. Luckily his dad had understood.

Now this very same course was a matter of life and death, for all of them. When he’d checked the route earlier in the evening, there was a small pine tree down close to the ford but
he’d made no effort to shift the obstruction: Arabella would sail right over it. She loved to jump, and so did he.

He stroked the horse fondly. ‘Easy, girl. I know it’s scary, but we’ll get through this.’ Arabella stomped nervously. She wasn’t liking the ghost one bit and his
smoke-coloured mount looked as if it had been sired in hell.

Joshua glanced at Briar, to gain strength, and maybe to say goodbye. His distraction proved an error. With a rebel yell, Rawlins kicked his horse and took off down the road.

‘You bastard!’ Joshua shouted.

Arabella took off at a gallop, ears back and legs stretching. She lived for speed and that was the danger. They were racing at night and any little hole or tree root could send her crashing to
the ground. The recent rain wasn’t helping the situation as clumps of mud flew from her hoofs.

To his dismay, Rawlins remained in the lead as they reached the first curve, one of two before the footbridge. It was clear the ghost knew this path just as well as he did.

Slowly Arabella began to gain ground as Joshua kept his profile low to cut the wind drag. The longer she went the more her pace evened out and soon she was eating road with every step. The pride
hit him head on – this was the most magnificent animal he’d ever ridden, and she was doing all the work.

‘Good girl,’ he called, though he doubted she could hear him with the wind blowing past them. In the distance, the faint figure of the ghost appeared in front of him.
‘We’re gaining!’ he shouted. Could he win after all?

As if his words were a spur in her side, Arabella picked up speed. She hated to lose and maybe, with some horsey instinct, she knew the stakes were far higher than bragging rights.

The first curve came and went, leaving behind the side road that led to the old bridge. As they angled closer to the second curve they drew neck and neck. Rawlins was whipping his mount and
Joshua swore he saw fire coming out of the horse’s mouth.

Oh my God.

The ghost glowered at him and the whip came his way, barely missing his eyes. Joshua instinctively dug in his heels and Arabella responded. The second curve was just ahead and beyond that, the
downed tree he’d found earlier.

Behind he could hear swearing and the cry of his opponent’s horse as Rawlins applied the whip even harder. The curve came and went and then Joshua was sailing over the pine like it
wasn’t even there. Arabella didn’t land solid, but regained her footing and kept moving. Joshua leaned down, worried that she’d injured a foot, but there was no further break in
stride.

‘That’s it, girl. You go!’

And go she did. The last stretch to the river evaporated in what seemed to be a heartbeat. Joshua had to rein her back to make the footbridge – it was fairly new, only eight feet wide, and
he didn’t want her to take it full gallop. The horse fought him, loving the speed, but he took control.

Just as Arabella’s hoofs hit the ground on the far side, Rawlins came tearing up behind them. Joshua gave his horse a sharp kick and she took off on the path that led back up the river. He
didn’t let her go, it was much narrower than the road, more treacherous.

When he looked back, Rawlins was right on his tail and gaining. On instinct Joshua ducked as something bright flashed towards him as the ghost’s shimmering sword missed him by inches.

‘I’ll have ya yet, ya little rat!’ the man cried.

Then they were neck and neck again, and his blade shot across Joshua’s forehead. Joshua gasped in pain. Arabella shied in fear and stumbled. His grip faltered and he was off her back and
flying through the air before he had a chance to right himself. He hit the ground hard, and rolled, the breath knocked out of him.

Rawlins’s laughter mocked him. For a moment he feared the ghost would run him through before he could rise, but instead the fend spurred his horse and thundered down the path.

Joshua swore as he climbed to his feet. Using his shirt sleeve, he wiped blood off his face. To his relief, Arabella stood a short distance away, panting, her eyes wild. He walked up to her
slowly and patted a sweaty flank.

Swinging himself up into the saddle, he kicked her in the flanks. The race was lost and he knew it. Now it was a matter of protecting Briar and the others from the ghost’s wrath.