Page 45 of The Mirror and the Curse

Yet the insecure thoughts persisted: Was Toressa pretty? Did Kai like her?

“Ugh! Get a life, Edurne Zuri,” she muttered to herself and escaped into the barn’s central aisle. Glimpsing Miria through an open stall door, she stopped to look in.

The brownie couple were hard at work, brushing a pony that visibly enjoyed their ministrations—eyes closed, lips twitching, ears drooping.

“Good morning, Miria and Howurl. Thank you for detangling White’s tail the other day.”

“We picked twenty burrs from that mess,” Howurl grumbled from his place on the pony’s rump.

“You’re welcome, Your Highness,” Miria said, balancing easily atop the beast’s withers. “Master Kai will be disappointed to have missed you.”

“I’m disappointed too,” Eddi admitted. “This place isn’t the same without him.”

“We’ll miss him something fierce if he leaves the resort.” Miria spoke sadly. “He’s been with us since he was a tiny boy. Always so friendly and hardworking.”

“Good with horses for a big ’un,” Howurl remarked.

“He’s truly gifted,” Eddi agreed.

“Not a fairy gift. It’s hard work, intuition, and a kind heart,” Miria corrected her. “And maybe some of his own magic.”

Eddi pondered their words as she walked away. When Kai spoke of taking a training position somewhere, she hadn’t allowed herself to accept the possibility. It was just a dream of his; she’d had plenty of those that came to nothing in the end. Having Miria bring it up punched a big hole in her denial. Kai wasn’t just dreaming; he was working hard to make his dreams come true.

“Eddi!”

The deep voice came as a blessed distraction. She easily recognized Fidelio’s tall form jogging toward her across a neatly mown bowling green. “Good morning,” she said as their paths intersected.

“Good morning, Eduardi-babe!” He bowed with a flourish. “Thought I might catch you here. How’s White doing?” He glanced past her toward the barns. “Finished flying him already?” A line appeared between his thick brows. “Did you have a lesson today?”

“Not today; it’s Sunday. But we did already fly. White and I are used to early-morning flights. What’s up?”

“You and I are up, so why not make the most of our time?” He gifted her one of his huge smiles, and she involuntarily returned it.

“What did you have in mind? The maze?” If he didn’t mind her smelling of sweat and horses, she certainly didn’t.

“Sure! We won’t have to dodge nannies and their charges if we hunt for it at this hour.”

He offered his arm, and Eddi took it. Fidelio was at his effervescent best, a good remedy for a troubled heart. As if by silent assent, they never once mentioned the Summer Ball.

It turned into a relaxing day filled with laughter, reminiscent of their childhood antics only without superfluous brothers. They did eventually find the maze, but no amount of determination helped them solve it. “It seemed so easy when Kammy took me here,” Eddi remarked in frustration when they finally dropped onto a shaded bench outside the tall green puzzle.

Fidelio’s legs sprawled out in front of him, and he stretched his long arms across the back of the bench while staring at the blue sky above. “It seems to enjoy thwarting us,” he grumbled.

“It really did seem that way,” Eddi agreed, flexing her bruised knee. “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it’s sort of sentient—the maze, I mean—like those topiaries I glimpse now and then.”

“I know I saw it close off one opening not far ahead of us.” He folded his arms and scowled.

Eddi patted his shoulder. “Gotta love a challenge.”

“Not when it’s rigged.”

He looked so much like the sweet yet moody boy she remembered. “Don’t take it personally. We’ll solve it another day. It wouldn’t mean as much if we didn’t have to work at it.”

He gave her a rueful look, his wide mouth curling up at the corners. “Thanks, Miss Pep Talk. Got any ideas for the rest of the day?”

“We could start planning for when the rest of the racers arrive next week. We have permission to use the tack room in the main barn and all the maps and charts of the mountains.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could call them back. She’d hoped to have a private talk with Kai at their first meeting after the ball, not encounter him in Fidelio’s company. “But that could wait until tomorrow or the next day,” she added hurriedly.

Too late. Fidelio’s eyes had brightened, and his sulky smile transformed into a real one. “Great idea! Why wait? Let’s go check it out.”

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