“Your words do not make any sense.”
“I couldn’t stay yesterday…and…I wanted to be here, to watch you, when you rode her again.”
My face flushed. Then I whispered to him, “She’s healed.” It came out more like a reassured question.
He offered me his hand once more. “Yes.”
“When did you heal her?” I asked quietly.
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter. When?” I pressed, my tone unsteady yet firm.
He let his arm hang at his side once more. “That night, the day when you were—when I…”
Why was the Ice Prince stammering?
“After you came here for the first time?” I continued for him. Our eyes locked.
“Yes.”
But he hated me back then.
Instead, I found myself saying, eyes teary, “I knew she seemed better. I was sure she did. You—you…all this time. I wish I’d known.”
“I—I wanted to tell you, I really did. But I swore not to reveal my healing powers. Then I was hoping for you to ask, but it seems that you have settled for a bargain instead.”
“I couldn’t just ask.” He had given me—us—so much already. He was what kept us well-fed and safe. I just stared at him, unblinking.
“Ready?” he asked, lifting his arm once more.
“Yes!” I finally breathed, wiping away a fallen tear with the back of my hand before reaching for his.
I could tell that Cinnamon was just as excited as I was. She remembered what the saddle meant, what me on top of her back meant. I guided her to the paddock. We moved around its perimeter, slowly at first. Then I loosened the grip on her reins, and we moved at a slow and steady gallop, and then…then I clicked my tongue and nudged her side, quickly wishing that I had my hair loose—that I could feel it dancing in the wind.
I let out a breathless laugh, almost hysterical, at the semblance of flying.
I cried and I laughed because she was healed, and…she washealed.He healed her.
“I’m not even going to ask if you two had fun.”
I let out a giggle, cheeks blushed with thrill. I still couldn’t believe this was all real. I feared I would wake up from such a lovely dream. There were so many days when I was certain, hopeless, that she would never be able to run again. And now—now, she could.
“It was perfect.” It truly was. “I wish I didn’t have thisterribleheadache, though.”
Aegir helped me dismount. “Let me,” he said, his voice low.
I gave him my back.This is it.Tears lined my eyes. Aegir rested his palms on my head, eight of his fingertips brushing my forehead, both thumbs at the middle of my crown. My chest swelled the moment I felt his powers moving like soft ripples of comfort that wrapped around my scalp. My fingers went to my necklace, and I squeezed my eyes shut, willing his powers to heal my head, to bring back my memories.
“So?”
“What?”
“Your head. Is it all right now?”
“Yes—yes, thank you.” My gaze remained anchored to the floor. Did this failed attempt mean that I couldn’t be healed? Would the powers of the Water Priestesses even work on me? Or perhaps the injury was beyond healing now, after all this time. I needed answers. “So, how do your powers work? Do they heal all kinds of injuries?” I asked.
“Yes. Well, almost. There’s one limitation. Two, actually.”
