Kyara's Beginning (Kyara Book 1)

Chapter 20

The day went past too quickly for Kyara. She worked as if in a dream, not really comprehending what she was doing. She was dreading what would happen that night, and was vainly racking her brain, trying to work out how she could avoid it. The only one she came up with – and one she couldn’t do – was to bring Helios to her owner. She refused to do that, though. He was her partner, and if her owner had him, then they would be separated, she knew.

Near midday, she began to make her way inside, when a cry from the far paddock alerted her. Curious, she swam outside, and saw with alarm that it was Helios.

Helios!

He tossed his head, and then his ears went flat against his skull as one of the grooms came too near. Come, he demanded. You won’t get hurt then.

She sighed, and looked around. You are sure?

Yes. Come!

She sighed again, and double checked that no one else was near her. Then, she swam closer, as if she wanted to try and catch him. Helios allowed her to come close, and she looked around again in time to see her owner appear. She closed her eyes in despair, but Helios nuzzled her.

Don’t worry about him, he said. He’ll never find us.

Ace swam outside at the cry, and saw with shock that it was the golden colt. He watched as he tossed his head, seeming to beckon someone closer, and realised that it was Kyara he wanted. She swam towards the colt, and laid her hand on his shining side, just as Jonathan came up next to Ace.

“What are you waiting for?” the magi demanded. “Catch him!”

Ace looked at him in astonishment, and then nodded. He turned back, mouth open to call to one of the grooms, and stopped. The pair had disappeared, almost into thin air. Beside him, Jonathan was furious.

“Find her!” he ordered. “Find her, or one of you will take her place.” He spun around and stalked back inside, and Ace found that all the grooms were looking at him.

He sighed, and nodded wearily. “Find her,” he said. “You know he’ll do it.”

~*~