"Is that what the mythological gave you?" Jason asked as all three of their gazes landed on the flower.
Eva held it in front of her eyes. "It seemed important to him."
"Never seen anyone grow flowers on their head. Let alone pluck one and give it to someone else." Drake's gaze moved from the flower to Eva's face.
"What do you suppose it means?" Jason asked.
Eva rubbed the flower's stem between her fingers, twirling the shaft and watching the petals rotate. "I think it's a symbol of friendship."
That's how it felt to her, anyway. A token exchanged with pure intentions.
Taking advantage of their preoccupation, Caia extended her neck. Her teeth chomped closed on the flower before Eva or anyone else could react.
Caia chewed loudly, smacking her lips as if to say the flower was delicious.
Eva sputtered, her gaze going from the pitifully empty stem in her hands to her too-stupid-to-live horse.
A choked sound escaped Jason as his shoulders trembled suspiciously. "Well, it appears Caia just ate your token of friendship."
Drake leaned toward Jason, staring at the horse like she'd committed an unspeakable act. "You don't think she'll die from this, do you?"
"From a flower?"
"Itisthe Highlands."
Jason made a little nod as if to concede the point. They all knew the Highlands reputation—though usually it wasn't the flora that was likely to do you in. No, that honor went to the many dangerous beasts lurking around every corner.
"I'm more afraid the mythological will come back. How do you think he'd feel if he knew the horse ate his head flower?" Jason muttered.
Drake touched the sword at his side in reassurance.
Eva threw the now bare stem on the ground, crossing to Caia and grabbing the horse's jaw.
"Spit it out, you daft thing. Spit. It. Out. Right. Now."
Caia tried to tug her face out of Eva's grip, but the human was far more stubborn than the horse expected.
Eva forced Caia's head down, not caring when the horse's eyes rolled, showing the whites around them, or the way her lips peeled back to reveal teeth that were clamped stubbornly together. Eva stuck her finger into the space between Caia’s front teeth and molars, pressing down on the tongue to make the mare open her mouth.
Only to find the flower gone. No evidence of its presence at all.
All that mattered now was the fact that Caia had eaten the unknown flower. A flower that Eva could tell held some type of strange power that could KILL her STUPID horse.
That was to say nothing about the fact that Jason was right. How would the mythological feel if he knew that the flower, something that was quite literally a part of him, was consumed so presumptuously?
None of which Eva could bring herself to care about if her friend, the sister from a different species, was harmed.
"Caia!" Eva shouted, losing patience.
Caia half spun, knocking into Eva and nearly toppling her to the ground. The force of the blow loosened her grip on Caia as the horse pulled her head out of reach.
Caia backed away and stopped, her legs splayed, a look of defiance on her face that Eva recognized. One that meant no amount of bargaining or threatening would force Caia into compliance.
It was the look that said she'd dug in and blood would spill before she gave up.
Caia's tail whipped back and forth behind her, showing her fury as horse and horse mistress engaged in a standoff.
Finally, Eva relented, letting out a huff. "Fine, but don't think I'll shed a tear when you keel over. You're on your own, my dear. Completely and totally."
