“Please,” he said in a soft, breathy whisper, offering a hand.
Something in his expression made me yield. Not my anger—that would not be soothed so easily—but my resistance.
Ignoring his hand, I looked past him, taking in the beautiful creatures that currently served as his backdrop. Swallowing, I said, “Horses don’t like me.”
“You’ve ridden before?” He seemed surprised.
“I’m not sure you could call it riding, but yes, I’ve been atop a horse many times. I just don’t tend to stay on them.”
Amusement danced in his eyes, and he chuckled. I couldn’t help myself as a smile tugged on my features too. “It’s not funny,” I said.
“Well, it’s lucky you’re riding with someone who’s been around horses since birth. And if experience alone fails us, I have other methods to calm them.” It took me a few heartbeats to understand his meaning, the implication. I’d never seen him use spellcraft to manipulate emotions, but I supposed it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it and tucked the detail away for later. There were more important matters at hand—like how I was going to stay on the horse.
“Okay,” I said with a sigh.
The remaining vestiges of tension lifted from Thaddeus as he twisted to face the stallion Tarrin had dismounted. He motioned for me to approach the massive beauty.
“What’s his name?” I asked, readying to stroke its side.
“This is Tarrin’s horse, Luca,” he answered with deep fondness.
“Hi, Luca,” I said, tilting onto my tiptoes to reach as high as I could to brush my hand down his neck in one long stroke. “I’m Nyleeria.”
Luca was a striking pinto, his coat a patchwork of light and dark reddish-brown markings woven together. His broad chest resembled a white field of untouched winter, a stark and welcome contrast to the warm tones gracing the rest of him. The markings on his legs gave the illusion of two elegant stockings in the front, paired with more modest socks adorning his hind legs. His tail, a shade darker than the auburn that painted his body, flowed gracefully behind him. Completing the mesmerizing tableau were his eyes—deep wells of topaz that seemed to harbor keen intelligence.
“What is he…” I assessed, mentally calculating. “Sixteen hands?”
A tug of a smile. “Seventeen,” Thaddeus said, unable to keep the pride from his voice. He looked at me, mischief glinting in his eyes. “Someone should teach you how to measure, lest you get certain details wrong.” He winked.
I rolled my eyes, and in that moment, I forgot to be angry.
The soft rhythm of Luca’s steps was therapeutic. Despite being astride such a powerful creature, his gentleness surprised me. I couldn’t help but attribute it to Tarrin’s evident prowess in horsemanship. I supposed five centuries of equestrian experience had to count for something. My earlier misadventures with horses made me wonder if they could sense my latent powers. Perhaps Luca, accustomed to immortals and the intricacies of spellcraft, was simply unphased by such things.
As we journeyed, the landscape transformed seamlessly from vast open fields, peppered with signs of agriculture, to serpentine trails that cut through dense groves of aspens. The gentle murmurs of creeks and streams became familiar interludes, their waters shimmering as they wound their way across the land.
The farther we rode, the more a nagging sense of familiarity slowly crept in until our destination was unmistakable—we were heading toward my family’s cabin. Swirling memories and emotions fought to surface, but I pressed them down, unwilling to give them the oxygen they craved.
Since mounting, silence had lain thick and heavy between us, so at odds with the companionable quietude I’d grown accustomed to with Thaddeus. As we rode next to each other, I caught him stealing glances and could feel his eyes upon me for most of the ride.
I ignored it, ignored him. I wasn’t about to discuss anything with him while mounted. I’d made the mistake of not marking my surroundings in the Summer Court, and I wouldn’t make the same mistake as we traveled lands I hadn’t crossed before—at least not while conscious, anyway. This must have been the path they’d taken that day, the day when my family—the day we met.
Clearing the trees, I took a breath, captive to what lay before me. Spanning far and wide was a crystalline lake nestled at the base of the mountains, as if the peaks themselves cradled the majestic body of water in the palms of their hands. The teal and blue hues of the lake were so vibrant and surreal they seemed borrowed from an artist’s palette, and its surface captured the snowcapped range’s reflection like a canvas across its pristine surface.
“Beautiful, no?” I jumped, not realizing Thaddeus had dismounted and now stood beside me, offering a hand.
I accepted the help and shifted down Luca to the rocky shore that teemed with rocks in soft blues and greens and purples. The gravel churned under Thaddeus’ footfalls as he tended the horses.
Feeling chilled, I untied the sack he’d left at my feet and smiled inwardly as I found a folded sweater. Slipping it over my head to shield against the crisp air near the glacier-fed water, I silently thanked Ava for her kind consideration.
Returning, Thaddeus leaned into me, and I flinched away before realizing he’d just wanted to relieve me of my bag.
Shock, hurt, and confusion crossed his features, but he didn’t say a word as he took the rucksack and stepped away, holding my gaze.
I grimaced inwardly, and a tight knot of anxiety settled in my stomach. I didn’t know what to say or why I’d reacted so viscerally. My anger had softened as we’d crossed the lands, and I knew we’d invariably work through what happened, but my body reacted in a way my mind couldn’t comprehend.
Feeling a complicated mixture of confusion and regret, I caught his gaze and said, “I’m sorry.”
A sad smile joined the other emotions still written on his face as he made to take my hand in his. The impulse to retreat surged through me, and with every fiber of my being, I forced myself to stay put. His eyes softened when he realized I’d grant him access.
