The Lanuus birds fly around but haven't chirped since I've been home. How long did I sleep? I feel rested. I can't recall the last time I had nightmare-free sleep. In fact, I can't remember anything I dreamt about. I was afraid the Orb would make me sleepwalk and stuff again, but I slept great.
"Is it time to wake?" Carfron asks. He sits up, as clean and neat as when he went to sleep. "Why is your hair like that?"
I put my hand to my head and feel the tangled lump in the back that's sticking straight up. "I'm going to the bathroom. If I promise not to leave, can you please stay out here?"
"I will sit here until you return."
"Thank you," I say again. What's made him so agreeable this morning? I'm not investigating. I'm just happy to have a few minutes of privacy.
When I step out, he's right where I left him. "I like that you're not on my heels anymore. I don't appreciate being followed."
"Today, you fly," he says in such a way I'm not sure if it's a command.
"Is that a question?"
He looks up out of the corner of his eye as if he's thinking very hard. Then he says, "Today, are you flying?"
"No!" I say, slamming the door to my closet. I slept in my clothes last night because I didn't want to change in front of him. I check to make sure he's not in here and dress fast, but he leaves me alone.
A knock at my bedroom door means that it's time to get to work. We'll see if Carfron's right. Will I be flying today?
I leave my closet and find Jonah on the sofa across from Carfron. We eat our breakfast together while Jonah asks all the same questions he did yesterday. Yes, Carfron's still here. No, he hasn't told me why. When he's caught up, he says, "It's interesting that he wants you to fly."
"I'm not ready. I know the council and everybody will make me, but I don't think I can. I've never dealt with death before. I never had anything in my life that could leave me. I understand that Lenox was a pet, and a lot of people died," I wave a hand at Carfron as if acknowledging him makes my next statement not so awful, "But I can't get over losing him. I feel broken and alone."
"Agatha, you're being too hard on yourself. Lenox was the first one you ever felt safe enough to love, and he loved you back. Soulful, unconditional, two-sided love. You should mourn that. It's sad."
"But I'm the reason he's dead. It's my fault."
"No, it's Stratagor Ziras's fault. It's the Grucht Leisck's fault. It's the dragon's fault. It's no one's fault. It was a tragedy, and it could not have been avoided."
"You're wrong. I didn't have to stay. I believed Stratagor Ziras. I went to Rhomstead. I took Lenox there. It's my fault." My heart is racing. I wish I could inflict a physical wound to myself that could match my emotional one. My guts are screaming, but I can't produce a single tear.
"Agatha, look at me." I've never heard Jonah use such a stern tone. It frightens me and grabs my attention. "Stratagor Ziras is a liar. He lied to you. You never had a choice. He tracked you to Rhomstead. Had you gone off course, even a little, you would've discovered how much of a choice you didn't have."
"Then why did he give me the Orb."
"Honestly?"
"Yes, let's try that."
"There could only be two reasons. He never thought you would escape, or he did something to it."
That last part makes me look at Carfron. Could he be working for Ziras? "Carfron would be a great spy. Do you think that's why he wants me to fly? So I can get recaptured by Stratagor Ziras."
"I don't know. You're going to find out, though. They're working out the plan now."
"They're not going to tell me anything, are they?" I was never included in the decision making before, but now, I'll be totally in the dark. Anything I know, Carfron knows.
Jonah answer the last question by making a grim face.
"I don't want another pegasus."
"Well then, you're going to have to thank Levise when you see her because she insisted that you not have one. Finding a new mount caused some political debate because no side wants you to use the other side's traditional mount, which is how you got a pegasus in the first place."
I groan. "I thought the fighting would lessen once Galia arrived."
"Oh, it did. But there are more parties involved than just the elves and the faeries. It took them a long time, but I think you'll like their decision."
"What was it?"
"A hippocampus."
"Isn't that a brain or something?"
"She's in the uniquestrian center if you want to meet her."
I don't, but then my curiosity takes hold. I have to at least see what a hippocampus is. I don't have to like her.
Jonah, Carfron, and I are in the stables within minutes after finishing breakfast. Levise meets us in one of the far paddocks. Are we this far away from everything because I have another man-eating beast?
"I am ecstatic that the council decided on one of these," Levise says. She's giddy, which is a word I would've never used to describe her before. "I've always wanted to work with them. Agatha, these are reserved for royals only. And even then, they're hard to get. I can't believe Rockutte gave one up."
"Counselman Laius had a lot to do with it. He has some pull with the Rockutish, but it wasn't easy," Jonah says.
The paddock is empty, and so is the surrounding countryside. I look up, nothing there either.
"She's on that cloud over there," Levise says. "So shy. I just love her."
I don't want shy. I want scary and fearless. I want my boy back.
Levise whistles. We look up and wait. A pegasus jumps from the cloud, and my heart drops to my feet. I was clear when I said no pegasuses. I drop my gaze, and Jonah nudges my shoulder. I lift my eyes to the sky just to be polite. It's closer now. The enormous feathery wings and long dragon tail are clear indicators that this is not a pegasus.
She's gorgeous though, cotton candy pink on top with florescent pink on the underside of her wings. She flies with such grace and is incredibly fast. She lands a few feet from Levise in mere seconds.
I don't think the hippocampus walks much or stands, for that matter. She only has two little bird legs in front, and her tail spirals around her on the ground, like a cat. This is how she sits. I've read about some bird species that don't do much walking. I guess this is similar to that.
She has a feathery unicorn front, a vivid white head, chest, and two front legs. Stunning pastel pink wings with a touch of fuchsia showing through and a gorgeous dragon tail that reminds me of the afghans old ladies make with a bright hot pink stripe down the center, light pink and white snakeskin swirls on the side and neon pink spots highlighting specific scales. The tip of the tail is an explosion of pink feathers in every hue imaginable.
"Wow," is all I can think to say. I want to add, It's so pink! But everyone is excited, and I don't want to ruin the moment, but she's really pink.
"I know, right," Levise says. She almost giggles. "I never would've suggested it, but you're gifted with animals. I knew this would work!"
"I'm not..." I halt my automatic response. I am gifted. I need to accept it.
I can feel the hippocampus's nerves. She's not frightened, just alert. She's not at all like Lenox. She nickers the same way unicorns do. "Are these part unicorn?"
"Yes, a unicorn and a terpy dragon," Levise says.
I touch the hippocampus's extra-long feathered neck. It's not as long as a giraffe's, but it's a lot more snake-like than a unicorn neck. I run my hand over what I thought was a mane, but it's a run of thick down, white on top and pink underneath. When I touched her, the mane stands up in a flashy crest that would put any cockatoo to shame.
"You're adorable," I say softly. She smells my arm. I rub a finger over her velvety nose. "What's her name?
"Gritcheeana."
I smile and run my hand down her face. "I'm going to call you Gretchen. Is that all right with you?"
Gretchen doesn't complain, so I guess we're good. "That horn could use a good scrubbing. You can't like that."
"I'm not sure we can get the gold off, "Levise says. "It's part of the breeding that the horn be plated. It's meant to last."
"Well, I don't want to hurt her or anything so leave it, but I think horns should be natural."
I turn my attention back to Jonah when something occurs to me. I turn to Carfron. "Why don't you ever stand next to him?" I ask, pointing to Jonah.
I catch Levise's confused look out of the corner of my eye. "Oh, sorry, I have an imaginary dead guy following me everywhere. His name is Carfron."
"Oh," Levise says, her giddiness gone.
Carfron doesn't answer, so I prompt him.
"Well."
"I stand next to him."
"Do it now then."
Carfron walks over to him. "I stand next to him," he repeats
"Okay, stay there."
He takes a deep breath. His eyes look pained. When Jonah turns in his general direction, he leaps away.
Gretchen also jumps. I'm not sure who made who jump, but neither of them should've been able to scare the other.
"Careful, they're skittish creatures," Levise says.
"Could you sense anything?" I ask Jonah.
"No."
"He doesn't like being near you."
Jonah frowns but doesn't comment. I'm not allowed to know if he knows anything because whatever I know, Carfron knows. But I'm concerned that Jonah may know something and isn't telling me.
"Do you want to ride her?" Levise asks.
"No, not now. I have the feeling I'll be flying soon enough," I say. The truth is, I would love to try, but I don't want to be seen on a pink horsey thing. It's embarrassing. Whoever heard of a Knight on a pink steed?