Cricket snorts, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
“AHH!”
I jolt so hard, I lose my balance and fall straight on my ass with a painful thud. Cricket swishes her tail just as poorly covered snickers sound behind me. I turn to shoot a glare at Aurelio.
“Stop that! I’m trying to conquer a lifelong fear!” I snap.
“There’s no reason to be afraid of her. Cricket would never hurt a fly,” Aurelio says.
He walks over to his horse, spreads his arms wide, and hugs her from the side of her neck. She simply snorts half-heartedly, flicks her ears, and goes back to grazing. I stare at Aurelio with wide eyes.
“Are you crazy?” I question.
“Probably a little. But not when it comes to horses.” He gestures for me to join him. “Come on, you can hug her, too.”
“Um, no thank you. I don’t know how you can do that without fearing for your life. I’ve seen people trampled by these beasts.”
“Excuse you! Cricket is not a beast!” Aurelio scoffs, feigning hurt like I’ve punched him in the chest. “She is the sweetest, most gentle being on the planet, and most horses are even gentler than her!”
“They kick people hard enough to kill them,” I say, deadpanning.
“So? People can punch hard enough to kill one another, but we don’t go around committing murders just because we can. It takes a lot of stupid to get a horse to kick you.”
My stomach churns uneasily, but I finally take the leap of faith and join Aurelio at Cricket’s side. He detaches himself from her side, patting her shoulder where he’d just been.
“Come on, you can do it. Give Cricket a hug. It’ll make you feel better.”
“Why are you trying to make me feel better, exactly?”
Aurelio shrugs. “You seem uptight. Horses are wonderful de-stressors.”
I refrain from punishing him for the nonchalant insult, instead going right in for the hug. I wrap my arms around Cricket’s side, leaning my head against her neck. I hold my breath, prepared to jump away at a moment’s notice.
But unexpectedly, I feel myself relax. I sink into her side as I listen to her heartbeat, strong and steady beneath her skin. I can feel every one of her muscles tighten and relax as she shifts her weight. She’s warm, too, like a heat charm, but not so hot that it’s overwhelming. A small smile works itself across my face.
“Okay, maybe this isn’t so bad. But she’s still terrifying.”
“Well, you’d be the first to be scared of her. She’s kind of a big baby,” Aurelio laughs, patting Cricket’s side.
I pause, feeling another surge of bravery. I reach out to touch Cricket’s nose, but I freeze halfway, a jolt of fear rooting me in place. Terror locks up my limbs until I can’t move. Cricket turns her head ever so slightly to look at me, and it’s game over. My courage is gone. I’m stuck.
“I’ve got you,” Aurelio says.
Without warning, he gently takes my hand in his own and guides it to Cricket’s nose. My eyes widen as I feel how soft the hair is here in her face. Cricket blinks at me, almost appearing confused, then slowly moves her head to rub it on my shoulder. I suppress a surprised shriek and hold my breath until she moves her head away.
“That—was—terrifying!” I squeak.
“Alessia, you confuse me,” Aurelio chuckles quietly. “How can you be fearless when facing grown men in swordplay and leading an entire country, but more terrified than a toddler standing beside a horse?”
I freeze once again, but this time, it’s not because Cricket’s scaring me. This time, I’m stunned into stillness by the sound of Aurelio’s soft baritone in my ear. His hand is still on mine, and my back is pressed against his chest. I felt his chuckle vibrate against my shoulders. The heat from his body is making me dizzy. It scrambles the words in my head until forming coherent sentences requires concentrated effort.
“I…I’m not terrified. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammer.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid of things you don’t understand,” Aurelio whispers.
There’s that deep baritone again. It sends a shiver down my spine. I’m suddenly feeling very weak at the knees. If I don’t stop this soon, this runaway train of strange, new sensations is going to derail, and I have no idea where it’s headed.
“Aurelio. You’re too close,” I say.
