Orion waited for everyone to arrive before stepping up to the door. Ariel was the first to arrive, trotting up excitedly, while Marmalade held up the back of the group, carrying Laci and Knight in her arms. The mansion had everyone impressed at first sight. Its baroque designs spilled down every eave and frame; every part of it was intricately crafted. He opened the heavy oak doors, and the group drifted into the parlor.

  The opulent room featured a beautiful fountain front and center, with three carved alabaster horses at its center, water flowing down their cascading manes. Marshall immediately draped himself upon one of the chaise lounges and fell asleep.

  “I suppose he’s seen enough for one day,” Marmalade whispered.

  Orion turned the corner and discovered a great ballroom, with a grand piano and red velvet curtains long enough to cover someone’s entire lawn. He walked down the polished floors gracefully, feeling like an adored king. Even the ceilings were stuffed with detail, a fresco style painting of two angelic horses taking center stage.

  Doctor Greg peeked around the open door. “Orion, you must come see this.”

  He followed Greg down the hall to a well-fitted infirmary. There was an office, private rooms, a pharmacy, clean beds for patients, and most importantly, a thick book Greg was holding. It seemed to be a work in progress, the pages sticking together and some spare ones falling out.

  “This is incredible. It’s an old book of medicine, written by a doctor of the time. Cirrus, according to the cover,” he said.

  “I knew Cirrus very well. There was no doctor more capable than him,” Onyx told Orion. “He had a talent with the hotbloods, too. Turned them from frightening hellbeasts to functional horses.”

  Orion let his hoof graze over the yellowed pages. “I could help cure Laci.”

  Onyx snorted loudly and tossed his head in jest. “Orion, son, you can’t cure a hotblood. They are hotblooded until they die, and some time after that too,” he said. “It’s not a disease, you can’t fix her. But you can help her and understand her.”

  Marmalade walked in and put Laci on one of the beds, carefully brushing her forelock from her eyes. Orion put down the book to look after her. He thanked Marmalade, and she went on her way.

  “How long will it take for her to wake up?” Greg asked.

  “Who knows? You’re the doctor,” Orion pointed out.

  “I know next to nothing about magic, Orion. I’m going to read this book cover to cover, and I will only have scratched the surface.”

  Orion ran a hoof down Laci’s neck, smoothing out the ruffled hairs. “It will probably only be a few more hours, but I don’t know the extent of the damage. I didn’t see her rampage, only the aftermath.”

  Greg took his glasses off and set them on the desk. “I know you’re probably sick of sleeping, but I’ve got to get some rest. Unless you need anything.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “No, go ahead. You should,” Orion said. “I’ll look after Laci.”

  …

  Miracle laid in the unfamiliar bed completely still, waiting for sleep to come. Her whole body was aching from exhaustion, but she could not rest. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw bloody carcasses or agents chasing her. The copper burn on her neck still throbbed.

  A horse screamed in the hall, and Miracle shot up out of bed. She heard crashing sounds outside her door as the horse struggled. Cautiously, she opened the door.

  Rune was sitting on the floor breathing hard, and there was a bruise down his face where he had struck the wall. Eliza sat by him, gently stroking his neck and whispering to him to calm him.

  “Is everything alright?” Miracle asked.

  “Oh, sorry to wake you. He’ll be okay, he just can’t sleep,” Eliza said.

  Miracle rubbed her sore neck. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t sleeping either.”

  Eliza helped Rune to his feet and started walking toward the stairs. “Why don’t you come with us? We’re going to see Orion.”

  Rune was strangely quiet, and he jumped at nothing all the way to the infirmary. Eliza had to steady him to keep him from getting in another accident.

  “What should I do about Rune?” she asked Orion.

  His ears swiveled nervously as he watched Rune, who was constantly twitching. His head would droop from tiredness, he might even drift off, then a vision would take him by surprise and he would throw his head up again.

  Orion’s face was visibly distressed. “I don’t know if I should, you know..”

  “Oh, Orion. That was not your fault,” Eliza said. “You can’t let that stop you from helping him now.”

  “You’re right. I’ll do it,” Orion said. “But his mind will be strong. Bring him to bed and get him to at least calm down, then I will come.”

  She slowly walked Rune out again, talking softly to him.

  “Miracle, shouldn’t you be asleep too?” Orion asked.

  She sighed. “I tried, but I can’t.”

  “That’s alright. Come with me to help Rune, then we’ll put you to bed properly,” he said.

  Upstairs, Rune shrieked loudly and backed away from Eliza, terrified of something no one could see.

  “Shh, Rune. Easy,” she comforted, reaching for a lock of his mane to steady him.

  He began to relax, and she led him into bed. He was still for a moment, but soon began to jerk his head up at random.

  “This is as still as he will get,” Eliza whispered to Orion.

  He carefully placed a hoof on Rune’s trembling shoulder, but hesitated to let his power flow through. Rune’s mind was there for the taking, but its energy was strong and chaotic, and it would take a decent effort to calm it down. He slowly ran his hoof down Rune’s neck a few times, and on the last pass, let his magic put him to sleep. Eliza tucked the covers over him neatly, and kissed him on the cheek. She looked back at Orion and smiled softly.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Orion walked Miracle back to her room, and she climbed into bed. He rubbed her back softly, but did not have to use a bit of his magic to get her to sleep.