Page 7 of The Mirror and the Curse
“Did he? I mean, he’s a sweet horse—especially for a colt his age—but I’ve never been sure if he really likes me.”
Kai’s lips tipped up at the corners again. “Oh yeah, he does.”
Working hard to sound professional, Eddi asked, “Would you teach me to communicate with White?”
“Me?” He let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Please?” she begged.
“I can’t teach something like that in a matter of minutes, Eddi.”
“Of course not.” Her determination grew. “I’ll be at Faraway Castle for the summer, starting in a few weeks, and if I could bring White with me . . . Something like this could make all the difference! Would you help me prepare him for the Faraway Castle Cup race? I’ll pay you the going rate for a professional trainer,” she added.
When he only stared at her, his eyes looking dark and inscrutable from this distance, she rambled on in an uneven surge of words. “I’ve trained him the best I can, and I think he could have won today if not for . . . you know. I train him using methods you taught me ages ago, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished I could pick your brain. I’m sure I’ve missed important things.”
Was he pleased? Insulted? Or trying desperately to think of a polite way to refuse the request of a princess? When they were kids, Kai had talked almost as much as she did, but now? Reading that stoic face of his was like trying to solve a mystery without any clues. “Okay, I’ll pay double—no, triple!—if you teach me how to readyourthoughts and emotions.”
A flicker that might have been amusement crossed his face. “Not a chance. I was just thinking there’s an old barn we could convert . . .” He broke off, then said, “I’ll teach you and White to connect . . . At least, I’ll try.” Before she could celebrate, his dark brows drew together, and he held her gaze. “But I’m not convinced you need my help preparing for the race. Eddi, you won the Cup last year on a borrowed horse, and from what I saw of White today, he’ll soon be winning races.”
“I know, but I really want him to win this year’s Cup race. He’s got the talent; he just needs the focus.” She begged with her eyes the way she used to when they were kids. “I need this, Kai. Please?”
She caught a twinkle before he looked away. “Nice try. I’ve been onto your wheedling tricks for years now.”
“But you want to help me and White, don’t you? Think about it. I’m offering you the chance to broaden my understanding.” She raised one brow.
“You’d be wiser to offer me an attainable goal.”
Stifling a laugh, Eddi intensified the pathos in her puppy-dog eyes but resisted the impulse to clasp her hands at her breast. One step too far, and the humor would die.
Kai dropped his gaze and shook his head, but his smile betrayed him. “Fine. I can take an hour now and then to work with you. Early mornings, before breakfast. Is two days a week enough?”
“Yay! Thank you.” Eddi sounded casual while performing internal handsprings. “Could we do three the first week?”
“Three the first week, then two, as needed.”
“Thank you so much, Kai. I promise you won’t regret this.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” His dark brows drew together again, and thick lashes hid his eyes as he stood up, reached into a pocket of his uniform . . .
Wait. Uniform? “Are you working here on the pickup crew?” she asked.
“Unofficially. Remember, I was never here.” He jotted notes on a pad, tore off the top sheet, and descended the slope to offer it to Eddi. She accepted the paper, which held a phone number, a mailing address, and the wordsArrangement to hire Kai Longthane as race trainer. “Ask for Geoff Bryant when you call,” Kai suggested. “He’ll handle everything.”
Eddi looked up in time to catch a genuine smile. “See you in a few weeks,” he said.
The next thing Eddi knew, she was alone in the garden with her sleeping horse and her double-timing heart. Sometimes she forgot Kai could do things like . . . vanish.
She stared at the paper again, her lips forming the name, Kai Longthane. Had she ever heard his last name before? His handwriting had an old-fashioned flair, elegant and easy to read.
Feeling shaky, she climbed the slope to sit beside White, who lay with one wing stretched flat on the uphill slope, the other half-furled. His eyelids twitched, and his gray lips drooped, showing his big teeth.
White was magical, yet he was real.
So was Kai.
No. The thought made her sniff, irked with herself. Kai was a lot of things, but “real” only to a point. They’d been friends for years, and he’d never once mentioned his dwarf heritage until after—
The two-tone sirens of emergency vehicles jolted Eddi out of her brief fatuity, a reminder that her parents, the race officials, and everyone else had no idea what happened to her. Her dad must be running rampant by now.
