“Svana,” Josie said softly. “It’s alright. It’ll come out. Please. Let me check you. I think you hit your head.”
I touched my hair. “I did?”
She leaned in to study my eyes. “Hmm… How many fingers do I have up?” She held up her hand.
“Four, if you count the thumb.”
“Good,” she said, smiling.
Willoughby arrived with Ice in tow; he half-bowed his head to the Sword. “Cyrus.”
Evergreen cleared his throat. “Well, since you’re all here you might as well come in.”
He started toward the path that led us to the front door of a modest cottage. Ice shoved her nose into another patch of plants and Willoughby clicked his tongue at her, scolding her for ravaging it.
“That’s not yours!” he said.
Cyrus laughed. “It sort of is.”
“What?”I asked.
“The mint,” he said. He nodded at the house. “It’s sort of hers, isn’t it?”
“Are you suggesting thehorseowns the cottage?” Daniel asked.
I scowled and he squinted.
“DidIhit my head?” Evergreen asked.
“What?” I knit my brows. I looked closer at where we were–a new location. We’d never taken the route in all our rides, and it was the opposite way of everything else.“Who’shouse is this?” I asked.
“Mine,” he said. He unlocked the door and stepped in. “Though I wasn’t expecting guests; you’ll forgive me for the mess.”
There wasn’t a mess. The home was quaint but larger than the others I’d seen in town bearing the same type of architecture. The roof was smooth with darker accents, and there was a long, sturdy fence around the side and rear yards– one that mighthold a horse or two easily. In the back, there was a barn, and inside, everything was as flashy as his attire. He had crystal bookends on the shelf.
“I’ll get you something to drink,” he said. He dropped the bag he’d been carrying by the door. “Is water alright or would you prefer tea? What about you lot? Not sure what else I have. Just got back.”
“Tea’s fine,” Josie said. She touched Daniel's arm, and he agreed.
“You live here?”I asked.
There were flowers in a vase but they had wilted. His settee was red. There was a blanket neatly folded over the back of it. Awoman’stouch.
Cyrus nodded. Once he had put on the kettle, he turned to inspect my face. The moment he touched my jaw, I stumbled back. He tried to catch me but I refused.
“Am I missing something?“ he asked.
Then I smacked him, completely possessed. I sent my hands to cover my apologetic gasp, then shot thembackout in front of him to pat the air.
“I’m so sorry!” I cried. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Evergreen. I’m sorry!”
Awkwardly, Willoughby moved Josie to the door and he suggested they go outside, and I… I counted the breaths I took until I managed to reply.
“I don’t know why I did that,” I said pathetically. A high-pitched sort of wail followed. “I’msosorry!”
Cyrus pressed his fingers to his cheek. He said, “That’s not exactly a welcome home.”
“What?” I asked, angry again. “Welcome home? You write me afoursentence, impersonal letter, signed ‘regards’and you expect a welcome home? You didn’t even tell me where you were! You?—”
