Dagger's Point

Chapter Eight

There is a party at Green River and I have been invited, a celebration over the wins from last weekend's races. Everyone seems to be there, from the grooms, to the exercise riders to Ivan and Conan. My eyes find him first as I stand awkwardly in the doorway, I don't know any of these people, at least not enough to go up and start a random conversation. I am not searching for him and his purple scar, instead I am looking for Bea, though she is nowhere to be found.

If she isn't here then there is no reason for me to be here. Disappointment is thick as I turn to leave, ready to head home and visit with Ty.

"It's Ollie right?" The voice comes right over my shoulder and I know it instantly; Conan. I turn back to the party, eyeing his dirty jeans and the hands that linger in his pockets. Everything about him is soft and calming in a way.

"Yeah." I smile, though I don't know why, nothing that he has said should warrant one.

"This is a pretty crazy party." I know he is grasping at things to say, to try and keep the conversation going and I appreciate his effort, but I am tired far beyond dealing with the noise that comes from the writhing and partially drunk crowd.

"I've been to crazier."

"That doesn't surprise me." A ghost of a smile is on his lips, eyes finding mine.

"Do you want to go somewhere else? This is too much for me." I hope that he can tell I have no other intentions than to get away from the party, as the noise has begun to hurt my head. He steps out into the rest of the barn with me, looking over his shoulder at Ivan who stands talking with Bea. I frown, she must have just gone up to him.

"Lead the way oh fearless lion tamer." I can hear the smile in his voice and something warm flushes inside of me.

"Only if you tell me where the gold is." We are out into the cool night, everything is damp from the dew, but still I can hear the loud talking and yells from the party. Sighing I turn towards the track, it is far enough away that it should be quiet.

"Are you taking me somewhere to murder me?"

"How'd you guess?"

"You look like you want to kill someone."

"I do not."

"You do, trust me."

I sigh, a loud sound that I can feel all the way down in my toes. I know that he is probably true, ever since I had put Ty back into his stall the anger has been building.

"Sorry."

"We could talk about it if you want." He sounds tentative as we sit on a bench near the track, long shadows snake across it, and even in the dark it looks like a living thing.

"But we don't know anything about each other."

"I'll go first then. My name is Conan Arthur, my dad works as a trainer for Green Oaks and I have basically grown up there."

"My name is Oleander Brooke, my dad is the trainer over at Oxford and I have grown up riding dressage horses."

He doesn't say anything and for a long moment I am afraid he is going to leave at the mention of Oxford, as that seems like a name that evokes a certain set of feelings in people.

"I should've guessed Oxford. You look the type."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I am offended, turning my bitter frown on him.

"That you hold yourself a certain way."

"You're making that up."

"You caught me." Me chuckles then, a deep sound that is met with the high trill of a bird singing in the distance.