Dedalus started striding to the door. “Go get ready. I’ll see if our sisters have anything helpful.”
* * *
Wearing my old skirt, leggings, cloak, and jerkin—the only clothes I’d actually brought to the castle—I followed Ivodar out across the snow-dusted paths tothe stables. The storm last night had only dropped the smallest bit of snow everywhere.
Dearan had gone ahead of us and was chatting with someone else who was holding ropes on two horses. Once I looked away from the fae and focused on the two horses, I froze.
This was going to be a problem.
Dearan waved. “Come on. We’ll introduce you while we wait for Dedalus and the girls.”
I forced my feet to move under me, but stopped again when we were five feet away. Both horses were huge, but the bigger one was so tall I couldn’t even reach his shoulder.
Dearan rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t think about the strength differences in humans and fae. Most of us would jump to get on these horses, but we can give you a hand.”
Ivodar walked up to the smaller horse, which was still too tall for me to climb on top of, and started stroking its side.
The bigger horse stared at me, like he was reading my soul. “I’m… not sure horses are such a great idea,” I whispered.
Dearan patted the bigger one. “This is North Wind. He knows he’s carrying you. Come say, ‘Hello.’”
I shook my head. “I think we should… walk.” Or walk through the shadows like Bylur, if I could figure out how to use the key. But that was even more scary than the horses. “Yes. Walking sounds good.”
Dearan laughed. “North Wind is bigger than any other horse. He was Bylur’s personal horse, so he’s interested in helping you get him back.”
I couldn’t look away from North Wind, but I couldn’t ride him either. “Dearan. I’ve never ridden a horse. And I don’t think one this size is a good place to start.”
Dearan stopped laughing. “Never?”
“No!” I squeaked. “And he could throw me off with a twitch, and then I’d break a leg or my neck, and never see Bylur again.”
“That’s an overreaction, Auria,” he said. “But there are good reasons for taking him.”
“Oh?” I couldn’t think of any.
“Yes.” He waved at both horses. “Some horse lines, like the ones these two are from, have unicorn blood in them. North Wind is incredibly smart, will understand you if you talk to him, and can run much farther and faster than normal horses without tiring. Plus, he belonged to Bylur. He’ll like you because of your connection to him.”
The other fae stepped closer. “These are the only horses at the castle who can run all the way to the border without stopping.”
“And then you’ll be sore for weeks.” I knew that voice. I spun around to see my best friend.
“Brielle!” I’d been so focused on the horses, I hadn’t noticed her come behind me with Orla, Dedalus, and Kusan.
Brielle wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. “I can’t believe you didn’t send someone for us the instant he got taken away!”
Orla hugged us both at the same time. “But I’m glad you sent Dedalus before you left!”
Their sweet friendship had made my life here so much more full, and with the three of us squashed up against each other, more tears tried to push through my controls. I squeezed my eyes shut and hugged them back. “I’ve wanted to tell you, but it wasn’t my secret. I’m so glad you aren’t mad at me.”
“Oh, posh.” Orla swiped at her eyes as she let go of me. “You’ve just been trying to save Bylur. We wouldn’t be mad about that.” She tugged a bag around her shoulder. “And we have things to help.”
Brielle shoved a ring into my hand. The same one I’d returned to her last night. “This ring has summer magic in it. That’s a rarity for winter fae. You should be able to trade it for almost anything in Kerebos—they’re so far from the summer courts that they value magic with heat or fire in it more than fae here do… and we like it a lot.”
My eyes burned, but I refused to cry anymore. Instead I sniffed and hugged her again. “Thank you.”
She sniffed too. “Of course. You just stay alive out there.”
Orla set her whole little bag into my hands. I opened it up and saw three peaches. “Fruit from the summer realm. It’s a long story, but these are my lastones. Just like the ring—trade them when you need help. They’ll get you more than you expect.”
