Chapter 13 #2
I closed my eyes and tipped my face up, the sun bright and warm, as promised, and the air fresh and crisp. “He’s just enthusiastic. It’s actually really sweet that he’s so proud of his home.”
Tap nodded his agreement as we turned down the path that Seir had indicated would take us to where others lived. The dirt trail widened a little, clearly very well-traveled. Before long, a cabin with another building next to it came into view.
I was too busy staring at the incredible stained-glass window at the front of the structure as we got closer to notice the massive horse grazing in the yard. We were a few paces away, when it suddenly lifted its head and looked right at me.
I froze.
“Pleasure to see you again, Jacks,” Tap said calmly, one of his hands coming to rest on my shoulder. “He’s bound to Merry. He’s a friend.” As I stared, the horse bowed his head as though in greeting.
“Hello.” My throat was tight, but I managed to speak after what felt like a very long moment.
Hello, little Nephilim.
I stared at the beast, and he stared back. I couldn’t help speaking aloud as I worked through my confusion. “Wait. Did you …?”
It’s a neat little trick, he answered in my head, but doesn’t work on everyone. Have you never spoken with a creature this way before?
“Only one. I thought … I thought I’d imagined it,” I confessed aloud.
Well, I’m flattered then. Welcome to our glade.”
I cleared my throat. “Th-thank you. It’s a lovely place.”
You’ll find you’re well cared for here, Jacks assured me. He stared back as I glanced around, every single set of eyes fixed on me. I burned with embarrassment, though logically I knew I had nothing to be ashamed about. These are good people. You can trust them. You have my word.
“Alright, Phin?” Tap asked, but I couldn’t respond to him. I was too caught up in the conversation happening inside my head.
“How did you …” I cut the question off, but the horse was unbothered and knew exactly what I was asking.
Their nature is irrelevant to who they are as people, how they behave.
Their goodness. Though I’d bet you already figured that out, yes?
I nodded stiffly. As for the other thing …
I see you, youngling. Do you see me? As I watched, the ghosts of wings appeared at his sides.
I gasped. Ah, you do! Not even my mistress can see them. It’s truly my honor then.
“Phin?” Tap took a shoulder in each hand, holding me steady and sending my pulse racing. “Jacks? Would you mind including me in your conversation?”
The horse bobbed his head. Apologies, I meant no harm. I was just welcoming her. Not every day an angel wanders through. At that, he turned away and loped into another patch of grass, tail flicking behind him.
“He wasn’t causing trouble again, was he?
” a female voice asked. I looked over to find a woman with bright red hair approaching from the direction of the cabin.
“He looks innocent enough, but he really does enjoy giving a good fright. I have to check around the corners of the house every morning before I walk around or else I get a surprise.” The horse nickered and wandered even further away.
She laughed. “See? He’s not denying it, cheeky devil.
” She opened her arms and gave Tap a brief hug.
“Lovely to see you out and about,” she teased, reaching out a hand to me. “Hello. You must be Phin. I’m Merry.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Sorry about Jacks. I think he gets bored sometimes. With only me to talk to most of the time, he’s got to find other ways to entertain himself.
” Her head tilted. “Though I will say, Seir does okay, and Jacks and Coltor have come to an odd understanding, so they communicate fine, when they want to. But he’s got a lot of free time and nowhere to channel his energy.
Aside from scaring me, that is.” Her volume increased for the last, and the horse made a noise that sounded a lot like laughter.
“It’s okay. I’ve just never had that happen before.” It was true enough.
“Oh, that first time can be a bit rough. I remember very well.” She gestured toward the building next to her cabin.
“Would you like to come have a look? It’s finally finished inside, and the greenhouse is all glassed in.
” There was a general agreement that we would, and she turned, leading us down the trail.
“You grew the starberries?” I asked.
Merry turned around, beaming. “Yes! That was a wonderfully successful experiment. I wasn’t sure the seeds would take given that they aren’t earth native, but they have done so well, and in a very short amount of time.
Remind me before you go, I’ll send more with you.
We can barely keep up with how much fruit we’re getting.
I’ll likely have to make some jam. Not that I’m sad about it, they’re delicious.
” Merry mounted the stairs and took us inside the secondary building, my breath catching as I took in the lovely space.
The office was arranged like a cozy living room, the size similar to that of the library she’d helped with though without the incredible height.
Off the back was the greenhouse, and as a result the rest of the space was warm enough from the concentrated sunlight that I shrugged out of my coat.
Tap reached over to take it, adding it on top of his own folded over his forearms. As I looked past him, I saw that Seir, who was last in, had propped the door open with a carved wooden cat for a doorstop.
“There are several things I’m starting off for Rylan. They haven’t yet figured out where they want the new garden. It’s difficult because it needs such special preparations but I wanted to get the seeds in soil before …”
My ears began to ring as I recognized several of the plants. Memories came in bits and flashes, panic taking hold despite my intentional slow breaths and the reassuring mental chant I started out of reflex.
This was not then, here was not there. I was fine. Nothing like that would ever happen to me again.
But it made no difference. I was not stronger than the wave of numbness that crashed over me. I glanced at Tap as my fingertips went numb and I lost all control of my muscles.
His panicked face hovered over me as I fell to the floor.