Gavin stopped by one of the stalls, reaching in to pet his chestnut’s muzzle. “Do you like horses?”
I eyed Gavin’s stallion, who stamped a hoof and arched his imperious neck. “I’m afraid I haven’t spent much time with them.”
“That’s too bad.” Gavin bent, rummaging for something in a box near his feet. Finally, he handed me a stiff brush. “Here. He needs to be groomed before I saddle him again. Want to help?”
“Why not?” I slipped my gloves into my pocket. “What do I do?”
Gavin showed me how to grip the brush, sweep it firmly against the horse’s hide, and place a hand on his rump when I moved behind him. We worked in companionable silence for a few minutes, me brushing the stallion’s sleek chestnut neck and Gavin using a sharp implement on his hooves.
“Earlier,” Gavin interrupted. “Did you say you didn’t know how to ride?”
“Not unless you count the village mule in the Dusklands.”
“I’m afraid if we’re going to be friends, that won’t do.” A sly smile creased Gavin’s face, as though a delightful scheme had just occurred to him. “Shall I teach you?”
“Um.” I backed away. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s a two-thousand-pound beast with sharp hooves and gigantic teeth?”
“Don’t listen to her!” Gavin whispered, placing his hand over the stallion’s ears. “He’s also impeccably trained. It’ll be fun, I promise.”
“No.” I shook my head and glanced down at my gown. “Even if I wanted to, I’m hardly dressed for it.”
“That’s an easy fix.” Gavin’s eyes sparked with wicked humor. He dropped to his knees in the dirt, grasped the hem of my skirt, and pulled. The gown tore past my knees with a rasping pop, exposing silk stockings tied with ribbon and a pair of lacy bloomers. My jaw dropped open and outrage seared my veins with a flare of excruciating heat.
I clenched my fists and glared at Gavin, but he was already laughing, his head thrown back with mirth. A bar of low sunlight caught the threads of kembric in his hair and gave him a radiant halo, and I suddenly couldn’t remember what I was so angry about. I began laughing too—laughing so hard I doubled over and clutched my stomach, harder than I’d laughed in what felt like spans.
Gasping, I wiped a kohl-stained tear from the corner of my eye. “Do you know how expensive that dress was?”
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Gavin promised. “Now get those ruffled legs up onto this horse!”
I shook my head, but Gavin covered my hand with his and showed me how to grasp a handful of mane at the horse’s withers. He wrapped one hand around my waist while the other cupped my exposed knee. He lifted me astride the huge stallion. My heart throbbed in panic, and I clutched at the reins looped long around his neck, but the horse didn’t so much as shift his weight.
“There.” One of Gavin’s hands still rested on my stockinged knee, sending a burst of heat singing toward my stomach. “That’s not so bad, is it?”
“What am I supposed to do now?” I gritted my teeth.
Gavin grinned. “Try not to fall off.”
He grabbed the horse’s bridle and led us out into an exercise yard behind the stable. I clutched nervously at the pommel of my saddle, trying to pay attention to Gavin’s string of instructions—elbows in, knees tight, heels down, shoulders back.But ultimately, the rolling rhythm of the horse’s easy gait relaxed me. I settled in, almost beginning to enjoy myself as we looped around the enclosure.
Gavin eased the stallion back toward the barn. “Your seat actually isn’t half bad.”
“Say that to my face.”
His face cracked into its habitual expression of surprised jollity, and I couldn’t stop a broad smile of my own.
Scion, were we havingfun? I’d almost forgotten what that felt like.
“You know, I didn’t know what to expect when I first met you,” he admitted. “I was fully prepared to be in awe of you.”
“Awe?” I cocked my head, trying not to take offense at the implication that he clearlywasn’tin awe of me. “Why?”
“You stood up to Severine, and won,” he said plainly. “The most I ever defied her was refusing to die when she tried to assassinate me.”
A tang of metal scraped the back of my throat and kept me quiet. Severine had murdered almost a score of our illegitimate half brothers and sisters after she took power, to consolidate her claim to the throne and prevent any upstart usurpers. Like me. LikeGavin.But she’d failed—I’d returned to defeat her, and take from her what she’d sought to prevent any of us ever having.Power.
