Page 94 of Kentucky Nights
“Whoa. Whoa. Juliette. It’s alright.”
With a high-pitched neigh, she bolts. Juliette runs straight for the barn. Her reddish black mane drifts in the breeze with every gallop. She’s gorgeous. She has some healing to do, but that’s alright. That’s what the ranch is for.
Oklahoma raises his hand to stop the other employees from coming forward with any animals, a silent signal that has them stop in their tracks. Both of us jog to the barn to see what she’s doing.
She’s kicking Romeo’s stall, whining to get to him.
“There’s no way I’m this lucky,” I say to myself. “My horse got turned to stone by Cemetery Ophids, and only his Beloved can bring him back.”
“Wait, the horse you were on at the rodeo? I just saw him. He was fine. Interesting, he’s a vampire.”
“Another story for another time. I’ve been devastated about him. I decided to save every animal I could, so he had a chance. I never thought it would be the very first horse I brought home.”
He slaps my shoulder. “Fate’s funny like that.”
I unlock Romeo’s stall, hoping Juliette is the answer.
“You want to meet Romeo?” I don’t open the door to his stall just yet.
She swings her head up and down.
“Be gentle with him. He’s stone.”
The hinges creak as I open the door.
“His name is Romeo? No wonder you were excited when you heard her name.”
I smirk. “Romeo and Juliette is the love story that’s always remembered, right?”
“If you want to call it a love story. It’s sad to me.” Oklahoma frowns.
“If anything happened to my mate, I’d make sure death was quick because living without her isn’t an option. Romeo and Juliette’s story is beautifully heartbreaking, and I hope these two”—I point to the horses—“don’t have the same ending.”
Juliette nips at Romeo’s jaw. When that doesn’t work, she rubs her face across his and licks his cheeks and nose, whimpering for him to awaken.
“Come on, Romeo. Come on,” I beg, staring at his statue without blinking for far too long.
The stone cracks and veins down his body.
“Yes! Come on, Romeo. Come on. You can do it. Come back for Juliette. She’s waiting on you like many others. Come on, come on.” I take my hat off, slinging it off to the side to run my fingers through my hair.
I’m anxious. I need this to work.
Another crack forms down his leg, small pieces of stone crumbling to the floor.
“Looks like it’s working,” Oklahoma says. “Congratulations. I’m glad you got your horse back. I’m going to start putting the others in the barn unless you have other directions.”
“That’s fine.” I stretch my arm out to shake his hand. “I hope to see you back on the circuit one day.”
“Afraid I’m not going back. My teammate and best friend died. I have no interest in competing again. I’m happy with rescues.”
“You’re doing a good thing. When you’re done, come get me. I still need to talk to you about something.”
Oklahoma nods, giving me a small two-finger salute. He jogs out of the barn to start helping the others.
The stone falls in big heavy chunks, showing his onyx hide. His coat changes by having life breathed into him again. From dull to pools of ink in the sunlight, he’s coming back to me. The stone veins down his back, breaking the curse that was cast upon him. Little by little, Romeo is breaking free.
More stone shatters onto the ground.
