Page 119 of Beyond the Faerie Gate

Scrabbling for something to hold on to, my hands find her mane and cling. Even in the midst of my panic, I have the oddest moment of sympathy for the poor horse as she whinnies again, trying to side-step away.

“Let go.” Drystan’s voice brokers no disagreement, but my hands are fused into the horse’s mane. “Rose, let go.”

Eventually, I have no choice. The mare rears again, and I’m not strong enough to hold myself on.

I sail over her neck and into the open air. A second of nauseating weightlessness gives me just enough time to draw in a breath, but my half-scream is cut short as gravity returns in full force.

Iron bands wrap around me for a second, twisting me in midair, before I crash to the ground.

Only it’s not the ground.

The ground doesn’t cough.

The ground doesn’t smell like smoke, horses, and leather.

I roll off Drystan, scrambling to my knees as he wheezes and coughs on the hard earth. He flops onto his side, dragging in a rasping breath. His amber eyes search for the horse, who has somehow managed to free herself and retreated to the far side of the paddock.

“Are you okay?” I gasp, still breathless.

Maeve and Titania flock to the two of us, but I shoo them away with a wave of my hand.

Drystan flops back onto his back, eyes sliding closed as he sucks in a hitching breath and curses.

“Broken ribs,” Titania murmurs, staring at him.

I don’t question her assessment. In fact, I’m surprised he hasn’t broken worse.

“I figured as much,” he snaps, not opening his eyes.

“Thank—” I cut myself off, chewing at my lip. “Do you… do you want me to find a healer?” I ask, hesitantly.

“No.”

I reach for him, then recoil, floundering. “You saved me.”

He huffs out a breath, then winces. “You are not riding alongside the Hunt.”

“Good idea,” I hasten to agree. “I’ll just sit it out. Cheer from the sidelines. Do…”

“You’re riding with me.”

I drop back onto my butt, grimacing. “Surely the horses the Hunt uses are used to spirits?”

“So was that mare,” Drystan retorts. “She’s Winter Court bred, but it didn’t mean shit because dead Nicnevins throw off a fuck ton more energy than regular spirits would. No. I’m not risking you summoning your guides and falling out of the sky.”

Thank Goddess for that, I think, only to feel guilty at the last second.

I should be eager to master horse riding. I can’t expect Drystan to ride with me wherever I want to go. He’d almost certainly take issue with that.

“But I need to learn,” I dutifully protest. “And Titania was there at the parade, but none of those horses got spooked.”

“The only horse she approached then was Blizzard,” Drystan grumbles. “And he’s not just a horse.”

I bite back the obvious follow up question about what Blizzard is just as Lore pops into being beside me.

“You aren’t supposed to be scaring her,” he snaps at Drystan. “And how the fuck are you teaching her to ride while lying on your back? If it’s that kind of riding, then you should’ve invited me.”

I blink at him. “What… nevermind.” If Drystan’s groan of irritation is anything to go by, he probably meant something provocative. “Don’t be mad at Drystan. It was my fault I got scared.”

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