Page 67 of The Book Reader
We step outside, and the first thing I notice is that the moon is light blue; maybe that is why it’s lighter? The silver swirls from earlier are gone, and there are still no stars.
“Where are the silver swirls, Gaelan?” I question. Gaelan comes over to stand behind me and wraps his arms around me, kissing the side of my neck.
“It’s the first moon, so it’s kind of like daytime, just in a demonic way,” he laughs and nips my neck before pulling back and walking us over to the dock. When we arrive, Gurt is standing by the boat, waiting for us. As he sees us approach, he bows and steps back, letting us board.
“How are you, Gurt?” I inquire.
“Well, my lady, no one has tried to cross my river today, so it is good,” he explains before bowing and vanishing—I’m starting to realize that Gurt might not be a daemon of many words.
After stepping into the boat and sitting down on the plush cushions, Gaelan moves to sit next to me and takes my hand. I lean against him and let the light sway of the boat soothe me. “What’s on the agenda for this tour today?” I ask, curious.
“We’ll stop in the market for something to eat and a picnic, then we’ll take the Hell -horses into the meadow… there’s a little spot I want to show you.”
“Hell-horses? As in something Hades would ride?”
Gaelan chuckles. “Same form, just more fire and rage.”
I bite my lower lip as butterflies fill my stomach. Gaelan laughs. “It’ll be fine, I only have two and both of them belong to—” He stops talking and looks away from me. I reach out to touch his cheek.
“Gaelan?” He turns to look at me. “I don’t remember any of my lives before, and I’m not sure I ever will, but it’s okay if you tell me stuff; it might help.”
His eyes soften. “I know, my Rose. I’ve just spent a lifetime trying to find you again. It’s going to take me a moment, that’s all.”
I lean forward and kiss him. “I’m not going anywhere, not this time.” Something that looks an awful lot like sadness crosses Gaelan’s face, and it breaks me a little. “How many times have I said that before?”
“Every time,” he whispers.
His voice is thick with emotion. I want to soothe him, to help ease the burden he carries. I want to tell him everything will be okay, but the little I know of my past, I think it might be a brutal stretch, so instead I squeeze Gaelan’s hand.
“Both of them belong to us?” I change the subject back to safer territory.
“Yes, we got them as foals, I hand-reared them when you…” He pauses, taking a deep breath. “…left,” he finishes.
“They mean a lot to you?”
“Never let me down in battle, and they remain loyal to both you and me.”
I frown at him. “What do you mean?”
“Shadow won’t let anyone ride him; he’ll walk next to Midnight and me.” He smiles. “He’s been waiting for you.”
“Midnight is yours too?”
“Yes, she also can’t wait to see you.”
I’ve never seen a Hell-horse before. I’ve read about them in books and seen news reports when one was spotted topside, but they’re said to be rare. I honestly didn’t think the stories were real; I just thought they were another way for the supernatural to scare humans, but I guess I was wrong.
The boat comes to a stop, and Gaelan stands, holding out his hand to help me out. As soon as my feet hit the docks, the boat starts drifting back toward the castle with Gurt nowhere to be seen.
Gaelan walks us toward the village market. Last night it was busy, but now it seems even busier; more shops are open and even more people are walking around. I can’t help looking at each person more closely and notice the colors of their eyes—all different colors, all different kinds of supernaturals—and I tighten my hand around Gaelan’s. He looks down at me before leaning to whisper in my ear.
“Don’t worry, Ari, all the supernatural’s here must be checked before they’re allowed in the village, and no one is permitted to the castle port; it’s warded, so it’s tough to find.
“Why are they here?” I ask.
“They come to trade and buy things, just as humans do top side. We are also permitted to trade in other sections of the underworld.”
I watch as daemons shuffle in and out of shops and market stalls, their hands full of bags and odd things like stones and charms I’ve never seen before. “You look after your people well from the looks of it; everyone seems happy,” I muse.
