Chapter 3 - The Ghost of Sterling Manor
The tension in the air shattered like glass.
Julian’s suave composure cracked for a fraction of a second. His eyes narrowed into slit-like daggers. "The child is traumatized," he barked, turning to his men. "She's hallucinating. Secure her immediately! Use non-lethal darts if the horse reacts!"
"Touch her and you die!" Silas roared, suddenly swinging his heavy iron branding tool through the air.
Silas Vance was no saint—he was a greedy, hardened rancher—but he was no child murderer either. The realization that he had been standing feet away from a mastermind who murdered a family lit a violent fire in his gut.
Before the guards could draw their weapons, Lily bent down and whispered a single word into the black stallion’s ear—a word in an ancient language that sounded like a whistling wind: "Velo."
The stallion snapped.
With a deafening scream, the horse exploded into motion. It smashed through the heavy wooden perimeter fence as if it were made of matchsticks. Splinters flew everywhere as the 1,500-pound beast leapt into the driveway, lunging directly at Julian’s security team.
One guard fired a taser, but the thick leather blanket draped over the horse’s back absorbed the prongs. The stallion swung its massive hind legs, kicking the front grill of the lead SUV, caving the engine block in with a terrifying metallic crunch. Airbags deployed with loud pops.
"Get in!" Silas screamed, grabbing Lily by her waist and hoisting her into the cab of his ancient, battered Ford F-350 dually truck parked near the barn.
Silas slammed the truck into gear, stomped the gas, and plowed straight through the side fence of his own ranch, spinning tires and spraying mud over Julian’s men.
Through the rearview mirror, Silas watched in horror and awe as the black stallion didn't flee into the woods—it galloped at full speed alongside the speeding pickup truck, keeping pace with the speedometer as it climbed past 50 mph.
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"Where are we going?!" Silas yelled over the roar of the V8 engine, glancing down at the little girl sitting quietly in his passenger seat.
Lily looked out the side window at the running horse. "To the place where my father hid the red key," she said, her voice eerily hollow. "Before Julian burns it down too."
