Page 55 of The Mirror and the Curse

While Kai gently rubbed the horse’s ears, White let out a happy groan that made Eddi smile, her lips trembling. If only . . .

“What were you working on today?” Kai asked.

Eddi explained the out-and-backs, her strategy, and the results. “Do you have any suggestions?”

“I suggest you and White focus on agility. It’s the only area I think a few of the others might have an edge on him.”

“Jackrabbit?”

“Yes, and Arush and Abeo. Tirador and Ruggero could surprise you, but I think you have a solid estimation of your competition overall. White is the best of this current field, yet any one of them could take the race if you make a mistake.”

Eddi nodded, appreciating his input but mostly grateful for his company. “Any other advice?”

“Yes.” He pinned her with a direct gaze that gave her heart a jolt. “Don’t make a mistake.”

Eddi could only stare into his eyes until her brain processed his words. “Good advice,” she quipped back, a little late.

His quick smile revealed both dimples before he dropped his gaze and moved on, giving her a quick wave. “Just be sure you follow it for once.”

“Hey!”

That evening, several bonfires crackled on the lakeside, each one surrounded by resort guests. Some of the groups laughed and chatted or sang songs. Eddi couldn’t help wishing she’d followed Karishma’s example and excused herself from Raquel’s attempt to enforce bonding time, or, as Chay termed it, “mandatory fun.”

Rising quietly from her end of an overcrowded bench, Eddi moved to the far side of the fire, where she settled on the sand to lean against a bench instead of sitting on it, and avoided looking at the two people now across the fire from her. Tipping her head back, she soaked in the beauty of the evening sky, letting her mind replay that brief interaction with Kai. He didn’t hate her. They were still friends.

“Princess Eddi, what are you doing on this side of the fire?” A teasing voice snapped her back to the present, and she looked into Prince Emenike’s handsome face as he settled on the sand beside her. The bench creaked when he leaned against it.

“It got boring on the other side. I’m just reliving the practice today, thinking what I might improve next time,” she improvised.

He grunted at her response. “I’m scheduled to fly again tomorrow with the two other girls. Raquel insists we won’t end up sprinting to the finish line again.”

Eddi returned his amused grin but quickly looked away. Although the man had charm, she had no interest in becoming his latest conquest. After all, she did have a boyfriend. Who was seated across the fire from her. Talking with Raquel and apparently oblivious to his girlfriend’s desertion. Sure, there was distance between the two, and Fidelio wasn’t exactly flirting. But Raquel pushed all the boundaries of good taste in her attire and behavior.

Footsteps rounded the bench, and Chayton, still dripping from a swim, settled down on Eddi’s other side and stretched out his long brown legs. “Ah, bonding time. Only fire can separate us.”

“Ugh! You are cold and wet.” Eddi couldn’t shift away without bumping into Emenike, so she poked him in the side. With an unrepentant grin, he shifted.

“Missing Maria?” Eddi asked him.

“I asked if she could join us, but the boss lady nixed outside dates.”

“We should have rebelled,” Emenike rumbled.

“Still could. Want to go round up some girls?”

“Nah.” Emenike shook his head. “We should have rebelled when Karishma did. Brave soul that she is.”

“She had a good excuse. If my family were here, I would have ditched too,” Eddi asserted.

“Well, we’ll be your family, eh?” Chay’s shoulder bumped hers again. “That ought to earn us some ‘togetherness’ brownie points from our distant leader. So, tell us what really happened to you and White at the Sangiovese Stakes. Confession: Most of us thought you were only in the race because your daddy pulled rank and shelled out the entry fee. We know better now.”

Something in his tone, a hint of respect, soothed the tension Eddi had felt ever since that disastrous race.

“Yes, we do,” Prince Emenike agreed.

Eddi sat upright, crisscrossing her legs. “Um, it’s hard to describe, actually. White was flying strongly, then suddenly slowed down and looked for a place to land and take a nap. I was upset at first, but then I was so sleepy I didn’t care. He barely landed safely on a hilltop before both of us were out cold.”

Two lines appeared between Chay’s brows. “Sounds like a sleeping spell set to release at a certain time or location. Have you found out who did it?”

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