“Then…the years of the Madness…”

“Are the years in which the god of death and passage involves himself. He offers gifts in exchange for blood. The gift will come at the start of the race. Command it well.”

Your heart is pounding. The Madness is something you’ve always dismissed. It’s only happened four times in the history of the Races. The odds were against it until Mother invited the fickle god into your year. Now everything feels like it’s slipping from your grasp. The Madness will bring events you cannot predict or control. Those under its effect have won the Races easily, but others imbibing on his power have lost the Races just as tragically. Your jaw clenches as you realize the risks Mother’s created with her meddling.

It could ruin everything.

“Others will benefit from this?”

She nods. “The Madness will seek more deals tonight. He favors no one.”

“Then you are a fool.”

Your mother flinches. Even you are surprised by the venom in your voice. She has invited chaos where you had created order, but what is worse is that she treated you like a child.

“Think,” she replies desperately. “Who is the one rider the Madness will never help?”

Realization washes over you. The burning rage fades ever so slightly. You know that she’s right. There is one rider that no Ashlord deity would ever consider helping. The only rider who belongs to a group of people who refuse to worship any of the pantheon.

“Adrian Ford.”

Mother nods. “We’re not in front of the cameras now. Be honest with yourself: He’s the greatest threat you will ever face. Before he joined, I would have never dreamed of inviting the Madness. It’s possible you could have won. Consider the spirit another tool in your arsenal.”

The final realization hurts most of all. She didn’t trust you to win on your own. The daughter of champions, destined to follow in their footsteps. It doesn’t matter that you’ve won every single amateur race or that you train harder than she ever did. At the end of the day, your mother thinks that Adrian Ford could beat you.

Driven by that unnamed fear, she might have ruined everything. It takes effort not to shout at her or to dismiss her coldly. The die has already been cast. There’s no fighting it now.

Your voice is iron. “Tell me what will happen.”

“The spirit that comes will want one thing from you: freedom. It has lived its entire life bound to the gods in the world below. The Madness transferred that ownership. It is bound to you. All you must do is make a deal with it. Offer freedom in exchange for victory.”

You nod to her. “And then what?”

“Then you ride, sweet girl. Use the spirit wisely. Beat the Longhand.”

She pauses meaningfully before taking your hand.

“And win the Races.”

Chapter 18: Whisper