Page 21 of Rainshadow

Maureen shrugged. “Maybe,” she said. “Or maybe there is something dangerous on the island, like Blythe says.”

“Why are you talking to Blythe? You hate Blythe,” Flora snipped, reminding her mother of her long-standing dislike of the gift shop owner since the end of their friendship.

“I don’t like her,” Maureen admitted. “She’s a weirdo. But she came to me, told me there is evil on the island, and you’re in danger. At that house.”

“Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

“Because I don’t believe her, so there was no point in scaring you. And we need the money.”

Flora stared at her. “You would let me stay there even if you thought it was dangerous, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course not,” Maureen said, but they both knew that it was a lie.

Flora came in to work late the next day, in the early afternoon, and found Mars looking unwell in his stall. He was leaning, breathing heavily, dripping foam from the mouth, and his eyes looked dull.

“What’s wrong, boy?” Flora asked, stepping into his stall and running her hands over his neck and flank. She felt a raised welt on his chest, near his slow-thudding heart. She picked at it for amoment, and found fresh-dried blood. She found no other signs of injury.

“What are you doing?” Sylvia’s voice shocked her.

“Oh my god.” Flora gasped and her hand shot to her chest. Her heart was thumping. “Sylvia.”

Sylvia looked at her, looked at Mars. “Get out of there.”

“He’s sick.” Flora drew closer to the horse.

“He was unwell. I’ve already had a vet come look at him this morning. He was injured, and he’s in pain, but he will be alright.”

“When did a vet come out here?” Flora asked, thinking there wasn’t an equine vet that could come to Anderson Island without at least a day’s notice.

“Early this morning.”

“He still seems sick, maybe you should?—”

“What right do you have to question my care of my own animal?”

“I just?—”

“You are such an infuriatingly typical horse girl, so sure you have some special connection with horses, even other people’s horses! It’s all in your imagination, Flora! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Sylvia, I just?—”

“You just think you know better than me about something I’ve devoted my entire life to? I know that he is not well. I have already involved professionals. I don’t need some teenager?—”

“I’m actually twenty?—”

“Shut up! Oh my god!”

She had never seen Sylvia so exasperated. Her cheeks were pink, and she seemed genuinely furious, even though Flora just wanted to help.

“Why are you so upset? I just?—”

“Why am I upset? One of my horses is sick and you’re here, always here, questioning me!” Sylvia’s neck was flushing, she was so angry. Flora thought she looked older and uglier than usual.

“I’ll go,” Flora said.

“Take Bane with you,” she said, composing herself. “Let him into the yard.”

Flora nodded, then slipped out of Mars’s stall and into the tack room, where she grabbed a lead.

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