Page 54 of The Mirror and the Curse

“Not a clue. Every day since we arrived, he’s gotten less cooperative. I thought he would enjoy being here, but I begin to think bringing him was a mistake.”

Eddi focused on the big brown horse with affection and soothing thoughts. To her surprise, Ruggero rolled his eyes in her direction, and she felt a flash of . . . sadness. Loneliness.

“Stable your horses, and we’ll meet in the tack room. Thirty minutes,” Raquel called from somewhere behind them. Eddi saw Chayton and Prince Emenike head toward the barns, but Fidelio reined in Ruggero, who let his head droop.

Eddi moved White a little closer to Ruggero, trying to assure him that she wanted to help, but she sensed only that emptiness.

“Fidelio, does Ruggero have any special companions back in Vetricia?”

The prince gave her a cockeyed look. “Companions? You mean, like, horse friends?” When she nodded, he gave a half shrug. “Not that I know of. Racers don’t have time to make friends in the sky, and otherwise they’re in the stable.”

“Any fillies stabled near him?”

“Ha!” Fidelio tipped his head back to look at the sky, then rolled his head around to give her a look that stiffened her spine. “What? You think he’s pining for a girlfriend or something?”

“Well?” Eddi tried not to scowl. She almost disliked Fidelio in this cranky mood. “Never mind. Let’s go back.”

As White stepped out toward the stables, Ruggero moved up beside him, more resigned than angry now.

Fidelio chuckled again but answered her question, “Yes, we’ve got some racing fillies in the main barn. One in the stall next to his, I think. She’s a beauty, and fast. We plan to enter her in the maiden-filly race this year.”

“Here? Oh, that’s awesome!” Eddi beamed. “You should tell Ruggero—reach out to him with your heart as well as your voice. Tell him she’ll be here in just a few weeks, and then you’ll take them both home again.”

His deep laugh rang out. “Eduardi-babe, I love it that you’ve got romance on your mind, but . . . a horse? If he can win a few more races, we might retire him to stud, but for now he’s a racer. Your dad breeds flying horses. Surely you know—”

“Wild fterotá are monogamous,” Eddi explained as they passed through the pasture gate. “They mate for life and form family units. Ruggero is domesticated, sure, but he still might have that . . . that instinct to love and protect one special mare.”

Fidelio opened his mouth, but another voice spoke first.

“Are you seriously inventing romance stories for horses?”

Eddi cringed as Raquel walked up beside Ruggero, looking cool and lovely with her dark hair rippling loose down her back.

Eddi instantly felt rumpled and frizzy. “It isn’t wise to comment on a mere snippet of a conversation,” she snapped. “I’m not inventing anything.”

“Then do fill me in.” Without a word from Fidelio, Raquel slipped a headstall onto Ruggero, who looked downright depressed.

Eddi focused on Fidelio as he dismounted. “Ruggero isn’t happy,” she insisted. “I believe he’s homesick. You know him better than I do. If you would just try—”

Raquel laid her hand on Fidelio’s arm and burst out laughing while she held Ruggero’s lead rein.

Fidelio approached White, evidently trying to keep a straight face. “Eduardi-babe, the horse probably pulled a muscle or has a touch of colic. I’ll have my trainer check him out, I promise.”

His dark eyes twinkled as he raised both hands to lift Eddi down, but she shook her head and asked White to step aside. “Laugh at me all you like, but Ruggero’s not ill.” Rather than return to the stable with the two of them, she urged White into a canter, leaving them behind.

Once past the main barn she dismounted, and White followed her toward his stable. Sensing his contentment and a hint of self-satisfaction, she commented, “You did very well today, but we don’t dare slack off. The others are studying us and figuring out our weak points. And although I believe you’re the best horse and I’m the best rider, we do have them. Weak points, I mean.”

He nuzzled her shoulder, careful to avoid treading on her heels.

Since he already felt cool to her touch, she led him to the wash rack, stripped off his saddle band, and gave him a refreshing shower. By the time he had finished shaking out his glistening wings, she was soaked too, but she didn’t care.

Ruggero walked past with his groom. No sign of Fidelio.

Burning inwardly, Eddi slicked the water off her horse and combed out his tail while he dozed in the sunshine with his wings spread wide to dry.

“How did it go today?”

A strange feeling washed over Eddi, and a lump welled in her throat. Peering around White’s body and wings, she saw the horse press his face against Kai’s chest. “It went well, I think.”

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