Chapter 6 #2
I kissed his cute little head so hard he stumbled backward, and turned toward the outside before he could change his mind or call Manus.
He had to trot to keep up. I felt electricity snapping over my nerves as I stepped into the grass.
It was nothing like what we experienced with Doran on the docks yesterday, but I felt it down low in my belly and my hand went to the source of that power.
I smothered the urge to rip off my boots and walk barefoot in the grass.
I’d have time for that later. For now, I was drawn to the forest and moved quickly to be in it.
I hesitated just at the edge of the manicured yard.
“Go on, it is where you belong.” Hogan caught up to me and shooed me with his hands. “Just not long.”
“I know. I feel it.” And I did. I stepped slowly into the trees.
They were a mix of pine, oak, ash, and every other tree I had ever seen, and some I hadn’t.
The morning light spilled through the canopy and danced around me.
I felt alive, alert and strong. I started running in joy.
My blood was pulsing in my ears, the sound pounding in my head.
Hogan couldn’t keep up, but I didn’t care.
I just ran. I had no trouble with the tangle of roots and broken, dead limbs.
I moved carelessly through the forest, in it, part of the wildness of it, part of the energy that made it a living place.
An energy I would have never felt while living in the human world.
It was exhilarating, humbling, and freeing.
I came to a small clearing and stopped to take a longer look, as if called by an unheard summons.
On the far side, tucked behind a small blooming dogwood, was a fawn.
The tiny white spots on her back twitched as I slowly moved toward her, but she stood her ground.
Stopping a few feet from her, I held out my hand.
A noise came from behind me. Damn it, Hogan.
The tiny doe turned and ran off into the forest. I spun around to scold Hogan for interrupting—and there in front of me, standing bold and brilliant in the little clearing, was one of the great white horses.
He stepped gracefully on huge hooves toward me, lowered his head to my hand and tried to grab my fingers in his lips.
The leathery feel of them tickled my skin and silky strands of luxurious mane teased my wrist. He pulled away smoothly, moved over to a large stone at the side of the clearing and stretched out his rear and front legs, parking out to lower his back.
Sure of his intentions, I stepped on the stone and lifted myself quite ungracefully onto his back.
He stood proud and tall as I centered myself on his muscled withers and ran my hands over his lustrous coat.
“Keena, that’s not a good idea,” Hogan warned, stumbling over a root and into the clearing.
The horse took off in a gentle canter through the trees.
I could hear Hogan’s voice drifting after us but not his words.
The mighty horse moved so smoothly that branches were always just out of reach.
The feel of his muscles under my legs and the wind in my face was invigorating.
There was no fear of falling, only exuberance.
I held tight to his mane and clutched his sides with my knees.
We ran on and on until I could see crashing waves in the distance.
The animal slowed to a trot and snorted from the exercise. I rubbed his shoulder and murmured thanks to him as we stood watching the waves on the empty shore.
I felt a tingle of nerves from the horse right before he spun around and reared. I tried to gain purchase but slid backward off his rump, landing in a painful pile on the ground. I covered my head to protect it from his hooves as he reared again and then galloped back to the forest.
When I managed to catch my breath and look up, Kendrick, Dema’s Vamp consort, stood looming over me. Shit.
“Well, I see you’ve met the ceffyl-dwr, Keena.” He spat my name. “You shouldn’t be wandering the forest alone. You never know what you might meet.”
As his sneer turned to an unnerving smile, I did a backward crabwalk away from him and tried to get my feet under me. He followed my movements and lunged. With fangs exposed, he fought to grab my throat.
I managed to drive a fist into his chin and roll away from him.
My pulse was racing, my training kicking in, but he was too fast and got a hand on my arm before I could right myself.
His other hand gripped my chin, pushing my face to the side.
He was going in for the kill. So frightened that I forgot all my techniques, I could only think to knee him as hard as I could in the nuts.
It worked.
He let go briefly and I tried to run back into the forest. I was swiftly halted by his fist in my hair, the pain making me squeal.
I reached for his hand as the searing pain of ripping hair pulled me backward to the ground.
Kendrick fell to his knees, straddling me, his hands holding mine down in the sand.
I struggled against his grip but the hold was too strong. Dark eyes filled with rage held mine as he pulled his lips back, hissing, to expose his fangs. I screamed and tried to break free again. Useless really, against his strength, but I tried anyway.