When he realized I wouldn’t relent, his ears swiveled back in mock innocence a fraction before he lunged for the treat box.
“Luca!” I yelped and grabbed the box away just before he closed his mouth around it. “Are you kidding me right now?”
He chuffed and heeled the ground.
“Absolutely not. You can wait until I damn well feel like giving you a treat. Stars, I can’t imagine you tried this shit with Tarrin.”
Tarrin’s name on my lips stole away the levity, and the horror in my friend’s eyes as Nevander slashed his throat flashed in my mind.It was just a dream.I reminded myself.Tarrin is okay. I’m okay. It was just a dream.
Those words repeated themselves in my mind like the cadence of a soldier’s march—steady and relentless—as I absentmindedly gave Luca the damn treat and tacked him in silence.
He must have sensed the shift in me, as he didn’t test me with his usual antics.
Mounted, I stared across the foreign landscape now lit only by moonlight, knowing I had no idea where I was going or what I’d find. A bitter scoff escaped me as the sentiment from earlier echoed in my mind, and I knew in that moment—with more clarity than I possess on anything else—that familiarity and comfort were long-lost companions.
A strange peace settled over me as that truth seeped into my marrow, and I understood then that if these things no longer existed for me, I no longer had the luxury of informed decisions. No, only blind choices awaited me. Which was freeing in a way.
Smiling, I gripped the reins, leaned over, and whispered, “Let’s go.”
Luca didn’t hesitate before he unleashed the full might of his body, both of us delighting in the freedom.
Blissfully, nothing else existed as Luca found his stride.
With the sound of hooves digging into the lush land beneath us and my hair whipping in the wind, I released the reins, closed my eyes, and put my arms to the side, letting myself fly.
Each stride lightened my burdens until they were a mere feather that flitted away into the night. A choked laugh escaped me as happiness filled my heart; a genuine warmth I feared I’d never feel again.
We reveled in the tiny sliver of peace we’d found, both content to hold it as long as we could.
Eventually he slowed, pulling me back to reality as he fell into a trot before stopping, breaths heavy. We’d come to the end of the open valley, forcing us to choose between trudging through an unfamiliar forest in the dead of night, or turn back.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a treat for Luca. “Here,” I said and reached over, arm fully stretched.
Luca craned his neck, greedily took my offering, and then gave me a side-eye as if saying, “That’s it?”
“Fine.” I chuckled and obliged his request—two more times.
“Well,” I said, patting the side of his neck before sitting back in the saddle. “What do you think, Luca? You up for some completely irresponsible, one hundred percent irrational, could probably wait until daylight, but I don’t want to, exploration of a strange forest in a strange realm with no weapons or backup?”
He swung his head back, and I could have sworn he looked at my pocket, sizing up how many treats remained.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What—you’re not even a little curious?”
He looked ahead, then back, staring at the pocket again before he snorted.
“Atta boy,” I said and slid him another treat before prompting him forward. “Man, Tarrin and Eithan would have both our hides for this decision.”
Luca’s tail flicked, and for a moment, I thought he might change his mind. But then, with a step toward reckless curiosity, he took us into the unknown.
Chapter 7
Strings
As Luca crossed us over the threshold into the woods, I was surprised to find the familiar scents and foliage of home, and not that of the titanous rainforest which Caius had taken me through in search of the magical cavern that had inevitably landed us in the void. A simple realization hit me then. I’d seen summer as white beaches and exotic forests. But summer—and I supposed all seasons—wasn’t some destination, but rather a moment in time that was embraced by the land, like a mistress passing through, neither beholden to one another.
It wasn’t exactly like the Nettorian Mountains but familiar enough that my nerves settled. Taking our time, Luca clopped forward through the light brush as we followed a game trail, which had me wondering if the fauna would be as familiar as the forest.
Tall aspens danced in the moonlight on either side of us, their leaves chattering in the omnipresent breeze. I reached out to feel the papery bark beneath my fingers, missing the familiar sensation.
