Prologue
Her heart was racing. She couldn’t tell when last she’d been this excited, her skinny limbs trembling both from her exuberance and the unforgiving cold.
The time was drifting toward winter, when Cassandra would be forced to bundle up in countless layers, sit before the fireplace in the drawing room, and pretend she was reading.
She hated this time of year, preferring the summertime when she was free to roam outdoors as much as she wanted.
Before long, she wouldn’t get another chance to do this until the snow melted away.
That spurred her legs on, even though she was already beginning to regret not bringing a coat.
She’d remembered her riding gloves in her haste, not bothering to take a candle.
She knew the hallways as well as she knew herself.
It would be no issue finding her way downstairs and out the back door in the dead of night.
Cassandra couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she raced down the staircase, her steps light enough to keep her silent. She jumped down the last couple ones and didn’t bother lingering to find out if her heavy thud had woken anyone. She was already racing out the back door.
Frigid wind hit her square in the face. It brought tears to Cassandra’s eyes, but she kept going even as she shivered. Cassandra’s steps slowed as she drew closer to the stable and once she was inside, she took a moment to savor the warmth inside.
“Bindie?” she called, the air cold enough for her breath to be visible.
A neigh sounded deeper within the stables. Cassandra grinned. Even though it had only been a few weeks, she’d already developed quite the bond with four-legged animal.
She made her way to Bindie’s stall within seconds.
The pony on the other end lifted her brown head at Cassandra’s approach, her hair shimmering under the moonlight shining through the high square window behind her.
Even though Bindie was smaller than the other horses, she was still taller than Cassandra.
That had been daunting to Cassandra at first, but now nothing about this pony frightened her.
“Did you miss me?” she whispered to the steed and the pony snorted in response. Taking that as an affirmative, Cassandra grinned as she quickly slipped into Bindie’s stall and mounted her.
“Let’s go.” Cassandra eased her forward, carefully.
She knew she shouldn’t be doing this. Her mother always warned her never to go riding alone.
But Cassandra was ten-and-three now. Surely the fact that her parents had gifted her this pony for her birthday meant they thought she was a proficient enough rider?
Cassandra shook off the feeling of uncertainty that came over her as she led Bindie out the stables.
Once they were out in the open, Cassandra let the pony fly.
She knew how to handle her, knew how to rein her in and let her loose.
She savored the wind blowing through her hair, though it stung in its coldness.
Within seconds, she left behind the trepidation, forgetting why she’d hesitated in the first place.
Before she knew it, they’d raced past the invisible line her riding instructor always cautioned her not to pass. The land became too uneven, she would warn. You are not ready to handle such terrain.
“Bindie, slow down,” Cassandra yelled over the roar of the wind in her ears.
Bindie did not such thing. She continued, delving into the copse of cedar trees that surrounded the small pond Cassandra liked to frequent with her governess.
“Stop, Bindie!” she screamed as branches flew too close to her face.
Suddenly, Bindie listened, skidding to halt right in before a massive root jutting out of the earth. The next moment, Cassandra felt herself become as light as air.
And when gravity took control, the ground rose to meet her.