Page 56 of My Queendom for a Horse

I try to lift my dad, but it’s hopeless. He’s not a huge man, but I’m a tiny woman.

Of course Aleks scoops him up like he’s a rag doll and carries him easily. “Keep up,” he barks.

I do.

I’m nearly through the door when one of the men notices us. “You can’t leave. We know where you live.”

Aleks freezes, and spins on his heel. His smile is absolutely terrifying when he says, “I know you on a molecular level now.” He tilts his head slightly. “You’re only alive because she begged for your life. If you touch her, or her despicable father, or if you even think about touching them, I’ll bury you so deep that no one will ever find your corpse again. And then I’ll do the same thing to your family, your friends, and everyone who shows up at your funeral. Am I clear?”

The light isn’t great, but it’s good enough for me to see when the man wets his pants.

Aleks takes that as a yes.

When we reach the parking lot, I realize that we have my car and my dad’s.

“Aleks,” I say.

He turns to face me.

“How’d you like to drive?”

He’s silent. “I think you should let me drive you home.”

“I was thinking you could bring my dad’s car.”

“I’ll come back for it.”

“The farm’s three miles away,” I say.

He shrugs. “I’ll come back for it.”

I don’t argue with him. I’m too tired.

He drives us home, quite well, actually. He picks my dad up carefully from the back seat and carries him inside. Then he turns to me quietly, and says, “Can you come closer?”

I take two steps until we’re only inches away, and he places his hand on my shoulder. “I need your permission for this.”

“For what?”

“I can heal your dad, if you want me to.”

“Heal him?” The hope in my voice is absurd.

“He’s badly injured, and when he wakes up, he’ll know just how badly. My earth powers let me heal things—not entirely, but they can speed things along quite a bit.” His eyes meet mine. “You get angry about things, though, and I want to make sure you’re alright with it.”

“Is there a cost?”

His smile’s sad. “There’s always a cost, but this time, the cost is something I can pay.”

“What does that mean?”

“It just wears me out,” he says. “It’s alright, I swear. I recover quickly.”

I study his face for a moment, sussing out whether his words are truthful. It feels like they are, but I’m tired, and I want to believe him. “Do it.”

Another slight swell of energy, much smaller, and then the same popping sensation, and my dad gasps.

“He’ll sleep through the night,” Aleks whispers. “And wake up exhausted in the morning.”

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