Chapter 13
Thirteen
Zephyr
Two days later, Michelle and Sofia were settled in Khush and Dustin's guest room, while their bedroom upstairs now looked more like a hospital room. I'd managed to find everything on the list Michelle had given us, and now the previously open, airy room was crowded with medical equipment.
I knew Dustin hated it, but also understood that it was necessary. He was getting antsy since he was due any day now—his official due date was yesterday—and everyone in the whole Sanctuary seemed to be waiting with bated breath.
"That baby is going to be so spoiled," Keoni murmured, a grin on his face, and I hummed in agreement.
Supe babies were rare, and we'd never had one in the Sanctuary.
While I knew there were supe children out there who needed guidance, who lived with no knowledge of their heritage and what they were, I'd never been able to track them.
Adult supes were much easier to find, maybe because a lot of supe kids didn't know how to use their powers, and my spells could only track magic use.
A lot of the Sanctuary residents had probably never seen a supe baby of any kind, so Khush and Dustin's baby would be very welcome here. Everyone was eager to see them.
Footsteps drew my gaze toward the woods, and I watched Draven walk out, the braid in his beard appearing somewhat singed—not for the first time, unfortunately.
"Keoni," he said, then turned back around. "Come with me."
Without waiting to see if Keoni did as he asked, he left the way he'd come.
Keoni and I shared a look, then followed after Draven, though I could guess where he was leading us.
The braid on his back hung all the way to his knees, and it swung with every step he took.
I took Keoni's hand in mine, and he grinned at me before linking our fingers.
We reached a large metal shed, and Draven pushed aside the curtain and stepped inside.
I had to let go of Keoni's hand since the doorway wasn't wide enough for us to walk through together, and he followed after me, then stopped short when his cart was still outside.
I realized he was afraid of knocking into something, and figured it might be better if he stayed like that.
"What's up, Draven?" he asked, and Draven ignored us as he walked over to a small stool.
On it sat a folded pile of material of some kind.
It looked like a net, made with white and silver threads.
The white threads shone like silk, while the silver ones gleamed like metal. It was beautiful, whatever it was.
Draven picked up the pile, then walked back to us, placing it on a wide bench before us. He carefully put away all the little bits of metal on the bench, then unfolded the material and spread it out on the bench so we could finally see their shape.
There were two of them, two identical pieces that looked like stockings, with two long straps at the top that had buckles at the end. A small silver button sat on the spot where the belt joined perpendicularly to the end of the stocking on both of them.
"What—what's this?" Keoni asked hesitantly, though I could tell he had an idea. He just didn't want to hope. Suddenly, I was glad I'd followed him.
Instead of answering him, Draven turned to me. "Zephyr, come here."
Wishing he'd answered Keoni's question first but knowing he was enjoying the suspense and would say nothing until I did what he wanted, I stepped forward. He pointed at the silver buttons on the stockings, and said, "Push some magic into those, until you feel them reach capacity."
Puzzled, I pressed the tips of my right index and middle fingers to the silver, realizing at once it was the same metal that Draven had used to make my arm. My magic recognized it too, and filled it quickly. I did the same with the other one, then stepped back.
Draven nodded to himself, folded the stockings back up, and then picked them up and held them out to Keoni.
"I've been working on these for a while, but with everything that was happening around here, it took me longer than I'd hoped," he said, his voice soft in a way it rarely was.
The last time I'd heard it, he'd said something similar as he'd shown me a beautiful metal arm that could work with my magic without hindering it or me.
"They—I can—these will," Keoni stuttered, looking overwhelmed as he took the stockings from Draven, and I placed a hand on his back, rubbing gently. He glanced at me, eyes wide and looking just like he had all those years ago when I'd offered him a safe place, a home.
"Once you put them on, slide the buckle in place, then press both silver buttons at once.
Zephyr's magic will allow them to connect with your mind, and you'll be able to use them to make your hind legs move just like you move your front legs.
You won't have to consciously think about it.
They'll need to be recharged by Zephyr every three days.
You can do it more often if you want, but never wait longer than three days, or they'll stop working and you could get hurt. "
I wouldn't let that happen, ever. I'd make sure to charge them every day, just to be safe.
"I—thank you, Draven. Thank you so much," Keoni murmured, still looking overwhelmed, and Draven gave him a rare smile.
"The cart was always supposed to be temporary, Keoni. I'm just sorry it took me this long to get it ready."
Keoni shook his head, then handed the stockings to me before awkwardly leaning forward, knees bent. He pulled Draven into a hug, and let go before Draven could smack him for it.
"Thank you!"
Then he backed out of the workshop, pulling me after him. "Come on, Zephyr. I wanna try it on!"
"Thank you," I murmured to Draven, and he waved me away, his eyes soft.
I followed Keoni, and he led me to his cabin. I hadn't been there in a while, and I was surprised to see how bare the place was.
Keoni must've noticed because he smiled sheepishly. "I kept knocking over everything, or running into things."
I nodded in understanding as he stopped in the middle of his living room and gazed at the pile in my hands. He looked excited and nervous, and I stepped closer, cupping his cheek with one hand. "Ready?"
He hesitated, then nodded, and I handed him the stockings before moving toward his cart.
Keoni
My heart raced as I turned my head and watched Zephyr detach the cart from my body.
"I think it will be easier if you lie down on your side," he murmured, and I did as he asked, lying on my side as he worked on untying the strip of cloth that kept my back legs strapped to my belly so they wouldn't get twisted or hurt.
I couldn't feel them, but I imagined that if I could, they'd be sore as fuck from being tied up all the time. As he unwound the strap for the last time, my legs flopped to the ground like dead weight.
He took the first stocking from me, and I held my breath as he slowly slid it over my leg. My hind legs were slimmer than my front legs, and I wondered if that would make me look weird. As long as I could really walk, I didn't care.
Fuck, I was going to be able to walk. On all four legs. Shit.
Once he'd pulled it all the way to the top, he had me flip over so he could do the same with my other leg. Then he slid the buckle in place so the stockings wouldn't slide back down. That done, he met my gaze, full of warmth and assurance. This would work.
Wouldn't it?
I took a deep breath, then nodded, and he pressed his fingers to both the silver buttons, then pressed them simultaneously.
Nothing happened for a long, long moment, and I blinked, confused. Had Draven gotten something wrong?
"Why—why isn't anything happening?" I asked, ignoring the lump that suddenly rose in my throat.
Until yesterday, I hadn't even entertained the idea of being able to walk, but now that Draven had said I could, it would break my heart if this didn't work.
Zephyr stared at me for a moment, a frown on his face. I could see his mind whirring as he thought.
"Maybe we should call Draven," I said, and his gaze fell to my back legs, his brows furrowing.
"No, wait. Try to stand up."
"What? I can't, Zeph. I can't feel anything."
"Just try it," he pressed, and I sighed.
"Fine, but I'm telling you, nothing's cha—" I stopped talking as I realized I was—I was standing.
I was standing on all four legs, for the first time in my life.
"Zephyr," I murmured, my voice breaking as my eyes filled with tears.
"Shh," he murmured as he hurried to my side. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug, and I buried my face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent as my heart raced hard enough to leap out of my chest.
I was standing on my own four hooves.
"Do you want to try walking?" Zephyr murmured in my ear, and I nodded quickly.
Zephyr took a step back, then reached up to wipe my tears away, both his thumbs equally gentle against my skin.
He took a few steps back, then waved me toward him, like I was a baby taking my first steps. In a way, I supposed I was.
Taking a deep breath, I moved my front legs like I would usually, and my back legs followed. A gasp slipped from my lips as Zephyr beamed at me, and when I reached him, he pulled me into a kiss.
I poured all my excitement and joy into the kiss, knowing that if it wasn't for this man, none of this would've ever happened. I'd probably be dead by now.
Instead, I was here. In the arms of someone I loved, in a home full of people who cared about me, walking. I never imagined I'd be able to walk without my cart.
When we separated, Zephyr's cheeks were flushed, and I was sure mine were no better. His blue eyes were soft and warm as he gazed at me, and I beamed at him.
"Come on, I want to run. I never could run properly with the cart," I said, and Zephyr chuckled, but didn't protest as we headed outside.
Most of the people were off doing their chores, so it was just us in the Forest. Khush and Dustin—as well as their new houseguests—were inside, and probably wouldn't be coming out anytime soon.
Everyone would see it at lunchtime anyway, but I wanted to enjoy it on my own for the moment. On my own with Zephyr, of course.
"I'm gonna run to the exit and back," I declared before doing just that, and I grinned as the wind tangled through my hair. I'd never run this fast because my cart would always pick up more speed than my legs and then I would fall or crash into someone. But now, now I could run. Really run.
Once I'd made a circuit of the Forest, I returned to Zephyr, who had a wide smile on his face as he watched me, his eyes twinkling.
"That was fun! Oh! You should get on my back! I could give you a ride," I said, and his eyes widened.
"No, thank you," he said with a laugh. "I'm pretty sure it's taboo to sit on a centaur's back."
I blew a raspberry at that. I didn't give a fuck. Zephyr was my mate, and I'd give him a ride if I wanted to.
"Come onnnn," I whined. "It'll be fun! Pretty please?"
Zephyr sighed, rubbed at his face with his palm, then relented with another great sigh.
"Fine. But don't let anyone see."
"I promise!" I agreed eagerly, and with great reluctance, he hopped onto my back.
I took off with a whoop, and Zephyr laughed as he wrapped his arms around my waist, holding on as I ran as fast as I could.
"Okay, stop, stop," he said after a few minutes, sounding breathless, and I slowed to a stop.
He slid off my back, a smile on his face, and I grinned.
"Wasn't that fun?"
He rolled his eyes but didn't deny it, and I hopped around in place, not wanting to stay still.
I could walk. I could run. I felt like I could do anything.