Chase was standing out in the parking lot in the brusque cold, snowflakes drifting and settling on his mane. Gabriel seemed distracted. He’d been complaining of a headache since that morning, and Chase decided to have a little mercy on him. After all, he had turned out to be somewhat useful. A sleek silver horse box rolled into the lot, and he nudged Gabriel’s shoulder.

  “Look sharp,” Chase reminded him. “These rabbits are made of money. If they don’t like you, they’ll make sure no one will.”

  The rabbit driver swiftly hopped out and opened the back doors, then untied a thin bay horse. He was wrapped up like a package in a blanket, sheepskin halter, and shipping boots. The sporty stallion trotted off spryly, stretching his legs to release the tightness from the journey.

  “Thank you so much for coming out, Clem. This is a great help to the horse I’m working on. I know you’ve got a busy show season,” Chase said warmly.

  The lop-eared rabbit patted her stallion on the neck firmly. “Oh, Chase! You know how much I love catching up with you.” She led her horse off to get him ready.

  “How’d you get a nice show jumper like that into a practice with Laci?” Gabriel whispered.

  “I cashed in a few favors,” Chase drawled. “It helps that Beau used to live here.”

  Gabriel gasped. “Beau was trained here?”

  “You bet. He was a nightmare to work with when Clem imported him as a three year old. Wouldn’t even set foot near a jump. I practically had to tear his limbs off to get him over,” Chase explained.

  “I’d never guess that, looking at him now,” Gabriel replied. “He’s nothing short of a national treasure.”

  Another shiny stallion stepped off the next trailer, a white doe rabbit holding him by the chain on his halter. “Chase! Nice to see you again,” she said.

  “Gina! Glad you could make it,” he replied, following her into the building.

  She pawed his velvety muzzle, which made him jerk his head away. It wasn’t uncommon for rabbits to touch it, but that didn’t make it any less infantilizing.

  “I couldn’t have stayed away. I imagine you’ve done incredible work on that mare already. It’s an honor to be the first to see her,” she said, undeterred.

  “Sure,” he said, trying to regain his confidence. “I figured you might have your eye on her. You’re one of my most loyal customers.”

  She laughed. “Oh, I’m not in the market for a broodmare. It took some convincing, but Julius is finally warming up to the mare I bought for him last month. I hope to have a foal by her soon.”

  Gabriel swallowed awkwardly and glanced at the red stallion she was leading. He looked like he was trying to disappear.

  “Oh, but Laci’s no broodmare. She’s magic all on her own,” Chase gloated. “Speaking of which, Gabriel, would you make sure she’s ready to go? Wouldn’t want her to be late for her own party.”

  Gabriel brushed the dust off Laci’s side. He dabbed the blood off her nose with a wet rag, but it didn’t take long for the stains to return. He sighed and tacked her gently, moving with her as she fidgeted with tension. His heart was pounding as he put the bit in her mouth, but she accepted it without fighting. After a few last-minute adjustments of her braids, Gabriel led her out to the ring.

  She snorted with surprise at the sight of unfamiliar horses in the ring, trotting around in circles to warm up. The jumps were set up higher than usual, in a challenging course Laci had only ever seen in elite jumping rings. She started analyzing the course immediately, counting strides in her head and estimating distances. She could visualize every turn, take-off and landing just by looking at it.

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  Fennec swung a leg over and gathered the reins excitedly. “I hope you’re in the mood for a little competition,” he said.

  Chase lined up the three horses on the far end of the ring, just outside the course boundaries. “Laci might be in training, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a very capable mare. Don’t hold back at all. I want her to realize how she compares to a real champion jumper, not some local crop of foals from Norfolk.”

  Clem volunteered Beau to go first, and she spurred him into a strong canter. Gabriel had been waiting to see what one of Chase’s finished horses looked like, and he wasn’t disappointed. Beau had the whole room’s attention as he went through the course flawlessly, gliding over jumps taller than draft horses as if they were little sticks. Something was off about him, though. His eye was tented with pain, and his mouth gaped open from the constant pressure of the bit. Over the first jump in a line of verticals, his knees hung too low and knocked down the heavy pole. Clem beat him with her whip to try to get him going faster, but he couldn’t recover, and hit the next two jumps in the line. She kept spurring his sides and pulling sharply on his mouth for the rest of the course, driving him over the final jumps.

  “One minute, thirteen seconds. And only twelve faults. Well done, Clem,” Chase said. “That’s no simple course.”

  She dropped her reins and slapped the sides of his neck approvingly. “He could’ve done better, but it’ll do.”

  “Let’s see how Julius takes it,” Gina said, kicking him out of line.

  Laci stared at him as he trotted off. He was hot and quick, with a huge combination bit strapped to his head to restrain him. He was frightened of Chase, ducking away from him choppily. Gina gripped the reins like the edge of a life raft.

  “Foolish rabbits,” Sultan trilled. “They have no chance against you.”

  Though Julius had the impulsion Beau lacked, he sacrificed his finesse. His takeoffs were rushed and too close to the fences. Gina could barely hold him back, even with the chain saw bit in his mouth. He managed to clear a few jumps, but knocked down the whole line of verticals and an oxer.

  “One minute, six seconds. Sixteen faults,” Chase told her.

  “It’s because he’s away from home. He’s not normally this wired,” Gina defended.

  Fennec, who had been getting comfortable atop Laci, put his feet back in the stirrups and pushed her forward. “Let’s show those stallions how it’s done, shall we?”

  She slid out of position, her trot seeming to float above the ground a few inches. Sultan followed by her side, tossing his head with excitement.

  Clem jumped down from her horse and lit up a cigarette.

  “You’re not supposed to smoke in here,” Gabriel said discreetly.

  She blew the smoke in his face and giggled. “I make my own rules, colt.”

  “Clem, would you put that out and stop bothering my assistant? This ring is basically a tinderbox,” Chase asked her.

  She took another long drag. “We might be business partners, Chase, but make no mistake. I don’t take orders from a horse.”

  Gabriel could’ve sworn he saw a little magical glow emit from Chase, but it faded too fast. His ears flickered, but he didn’t dare pin them back. He took a poised breath and tried to bury the feeling.

  Laci kicked up the footing as Fennec rode her by. She took the first jump at a good pace, taking the reins from him and finding her own takeoffs. They started making a loop around the corner, and he tried to pull her back into five strides. She shoved her head forward and made the distance in three.

  “Holy-Chase, where have you been hiding this thing?” Gina exclaimed.

  Laci’s strides ate up the course. Blood flew from her lips and nose like rain. Fennec tapped her with the crop to try to get her going even faster, and she switched her tail in anger. They were almost at the line of verticals.

  “Stop hard in front of this line and ditch him,” Sultan said. “He needs to know that you can’t be messed with.”

  She pondered his advice, but memories of Chase beating and dragging her were filling her head. He was looking right at her with his forever unapproving gaze, crawling over her like an insect. Ultimately, she forced herself to keep jumping, but her head was pounding from the noise and pain.

  Chase squinted at the clock as she cleared the last fence. “Fifty-six seconds, clear round.”

  Gina and Clem’s mouths were agape.

  “I told you she was special, didn’t I?” Chase said, taking Laci’s reins.

  At his touch, she kicked out sideways and tried to pull her head free from his grip, letting out a shrill scream. Fennec jumped from her unsteadily, shivering with anxiety. Chase smacked Laci across the chest, and her eyes rolled back to the whites.

  “Once I get her head on straight, she’ll be something to look at,” he said.

  Clem nodded absently. “What’s the starting bid for her again?”