My love for animals knew no bounds. One soft butt of its bony snout against my palm, and I smiled. “Hey, handsome. I heard you’re taking us to town. I hope you don’t mind.”
The ghostly horse butted my hand again and emitted throaty dinosaur-like rumbles.
“What’s his name?”
“He doesn’t have one,” Fane answered. “None of them do.”
“That’s sad. Everyone deserves a name.” I refocused on the horse. The skull face reminded me of one of my favorite video game characters and gave me an idea. “I’ll call you Ghost. Is that okay with you?”
The horse moved his head up and down and hooved at the grass.
“If you’re finished, can we load up and go?” Fane asked, annoyance clear in his tone. “At this rate, it will be nightfall by the time we return.”
“Okay, okay, I’m going.” Not wanting to agitate him further, I patted Ghost once more, then walked over to the carriage.
Lake helped me up into it and sat beside me, while Fane sat in front and took the reins.
Seraphina placed a hand to her mouth and whistled. Two more of the ghostly stallions materialized and trotted over. She and Borus seated themselves in the saddles and took position behind the carriage just as it jolted forward and started moving down the path.
A pond glistened several yards from the road with colorful wildflowers growing along the bank.
“I wonder what a demon town will be like,” I whispered to Lake, envisioning a market with horned merchants selling vials of poison, blood, and lethal tonics. Weapons too. Lots of weapons.
“We’ll find out soon,” he answered in an unmistakably excited tone. His fluffy ears perked up as he admired the surrounding mountains.
It occurred to me then that this was Lake’s first time doing anything like this in years—being around other people in broad daylight. Riding in a horse-drawn carriage. Being in the open without fear of what would happen if someone saw him.
The sun shone on his face, and the wind rustled his silver hair. He closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh, cool air. A soft smile touched his lips.
He doesn’t have to hide in this realm.
The realization was enough to make me cry, but I blinked back those tears. I’d cried enough over the past few days.
The carriage rolled along at a steady pace. Ghost whinnied and flicked the matted remnants of his black tail, while the other horse—who I’d named Ash—trotted silently alongside him. Lake held my hand and continued to smile at our surroundings. Buildings soon appeared ahead of us, peeking through the trees lining the dirt path.
Lake’s grip trembled.
“It’s okay,” I reassured him, knowing where his thoughts took him. “You’re safe here, remember?”
“Habits are hard to break,” he said. “For most of my life, I’ve never been able to… I’ve always needed to stay hidden.”
“Not anymore,” Fane said over his shoulder, ushering the horses toward the left. “Just wait and see.”
Moments later, we reached a stable. Fane halted the carriage and hopped out of it before releasing the horses from the harness. With a tender expression, he fed a carrot to each horse, then spoke to a woman. She allowed Ghost and Ash into a fenced-in field. The two pranced forward side by side, emitting those dinosaur-like sounds mixed in with neighs.
My eyes returned to the woman. Red and white ears poked through her hair. A demi-fox. Sensing my attention on her, she gave me a curious smile before going on her way. At least she didn’t seem uneasy around me like Fane did.
Seraphina and Borus dismounted and set their horses free in the field as well before following us from the stable. We made our way down a narrow alleyway. Noises sounded up ahead: the chatter of voices, the clank of carts, and the normal bustle of a lively marketplace.
Fane stopped before we reached the corner and sneered at me. “Can I trust you to be on your best behavior? The people here live in peace. If you cause any trouble, the guards behind you will strike you down.”
I gulped.
“Don’t threaten him,” Lake said, grip firm on mine. “Evan’s heart is kind. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
Fane eyed me. “I hope for your sake your mate speaks the truth.”
We then turned the corner and entered town square. And I gaped at how… well, normal it seemed.
