Page 53 of The Mirror and the Curse

Her friend’s opinion only verified what Eddi already knew. Becoming his “official” girlfriend hadn’t changed a thing. Eddi set her jaw. “Do you think he’s in love with her?”

Ianthe screwed up her face and tipped her head back and forth. “Maybe? I think he’s half scared to death of her, to be honest.”

Eddi nodded glumly. “She’s intimidating.”

“What’s more, I don’t think you’re in love with him. You almost never look happy when you’re with him.”

Eddi sat bolt upright. “But I do love him! He’s . . . I mean, he’s so sweet and tries so hard to please me.”

“Except when he doesn’t.”

“He’s learning. I mean, we’re awfully young yet. We’ve got a lot to learn about being in a relationship.”

Ianthe gave her a pitying look, brows high. “Eddi? You’re really smart, but sometimes I think you’ve got no more sense than a cinder sprite.”

Eddi slumped over, elbows on the table. “I can’t just give up on him. We plan to get married someday, after he finishes school.”

“You’re off to a pretty rotten start. But it’s your business. I guess you’ll figure out eventually whether it works. And meanwhile, you’ll be flying those winged horses with him. And Raquel. When do you fly again?”

“We’ve got a practice endurance race tomorrow, my first that includes Ruggero and Fidelio.” Eddi tried to put some energy into the words, but it didn’t work. “White is ready, I think.”

She knew he missed flying with Flurry. She did too. Very much.

Ianthe shook her head. “Girl, I don’t know what your problem is, but you’re a mess.”

Forested slopes and rocky ridges flashed past below, and sunlight flashed on the wings of three fterotá flying not far ahead. “Okay, fella.” Eddi spoke aloud while crouched over White’s neck, knowing he would “hear” her with his mind, not his ears. “We don’t want to pass them all this time, but let’s give ’em a glimpse of what you can do.”

She immediately felt his response, a burst of power from his core to his wings that sent him creeping steadily up on the other horses. This practice outing was an endurance builder consisting of three out-and-backs to the Hammer, a distinctive granite formation atop a mountain three miles southwest of the starting field. The first out-and-back had been a warmup; they’d flown the second at speed; and the third was supposed to be a cooldown. Raquel, who had taken charge of nearly everything connected with their training schedule, insisted that no competitive matches should take place until the week before Race Week.

Ha! Good luck with that. Eddi knew Chayton, Emenike, and Fidelio would never be able to resist letting their horses race today, with the Cup just over two weeks away. Sure enough, the pace gradually increased as they approached the Hammer for the third time.

White followed Ruggero, Jackrabbit, and Abeo, Emenike’s roan stallion, around the Hammer, sneaking up quietly while they focused on each other. Eddi knew Ruggero well—the stallion was powerful and fast, but he had lost a wingbeat or two in endurance since last year, and she sensed that he lacked his former drive to win. The other two horses were built for endurance, tough and lean. Eddi had been watching them during sprints, calculating their acceleration. Both were nimble and talented, but she felt sure White could take them both at the end of a longer race. No one else believed a horse of his size and weight would have the staying power over distance, and Eddi knew she could use that misconception to her advantage.

To her surprise, Abeo pulled out in front with Jackrabbit on his tail. Seeing Ruggero shake his head, Eddi suspected Fidelio was attempting to hold him back, to follow Raquel’s plan. But the horse had a will of his own. Those two were still bickering when White swept past them. He caught Jackrabbit next, and the two flew neck-and-neck to the landing field, arriving seconds after Prince Emenike. One after another, the fterotá wheeled and landed, puffing but relaxed.

Chayton Thunderbull whipped off his helmet and gave Eddi a suspicious look. “Your colt isn’t sleepy anymore. He’s got jets.”

Eddi laughed. “He can move when he wants to.”

Chay’s stoic face revealed little. Was he amused or irked? She couldn’t tell.

Prince Emenike trotted his stallion up beside White and nodded in his friendly way. “I have wondered if your colt might surprise us. He does not look like a distance flyer at first glance, but with that chest, he must have great lung capacity and powerful acceleration. A truly magnificent creature.”

Eddi realized then that she had no chance of fooling these competitors and companions. They all recognized White as a serious rival.

Some distance away, Ruggero and Fidelio walked the perimeter of the practice field, and Eddi knew by the prince’s posture that he was irked. “I’m going to check on those two,” she explained before moving off.

“Ruggero isn’t happy,” Chay was saying as White trotted away. Eddi frowned. She’d had the same feeling about the big brown fterotó since a day or two after he arrived.

Fidelio glanced her way as White approached. “Hey,” she called. “You two all right?” Before the prince could answer, Ruggero laid back his ears and flashed his teeth.

“Whoa! Hey, what is your problem?” Fidelio shouted at his horse.

“It’s okay; we’ll just give him space,” Eddi commented as White sidled away. When she asked her horse’s opinion, he clearly did not want to approach the stallion.

“Sorry,” Fidelio said, his expression grim. “He’s in a foul mood.”

“Any idea why?”

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