Orion came into Glacier's room, and found him sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. His ears were drooping loosely, and his shoulders were tense.

  “Where is Laci?” Orion asked.

  Glacier did not respond, just kept his eyes fixed forward.

  Orion sighed. “She’s like a daughter to me. I know you don’t want to tell me, but we both know if someone is trying to break her, it won’t end well.”

  Glacier put his head in his hooves and laughed. “If I had any idea where that mare was, what makes you think I would ever tell you? Let’s get one thing straight. You have no idea what having a daughter is like if you think Laci even comes close.”

  “You have to know something, Glacier. Does Jersey ring a bell?” Orion ventured.

  “I already told you, I don’t know where she is,” Glacier said flatly.

  Orion walked back toward the door and put a hoof to the knob, but did not turn it. “I didn’t want to ask Ashley for a favor, but you leave me no choice.”

  Glacier’s ears tipped slightly, but he was otherwise unmoved.

  Ashley entered with all the pomp of a show horse. Glacier was looking at her fearfully now, nostrils flared. She came right beside him and paused, hoof hovering over the crest of his neck.

  “This is your last chance to talk. Make it easier for both of us,” she said.

  He twitched, but refused to say a word.

  She grabbed him tightly and her eyes rolled back. His body hung limp in her grip as she leafed through his memory. The front of his mind was full of old memories of her. She picked one up.

  He watched her float in a blue tank like a dead fish. He was standing square and proud, and he looked so much different. Darker in color, muscular, fit for riding.

  “You’ve done well, Glacier. How would you like a permanent position in the department? We could use you as an advisor,” the horse next to him said.

  Glacier laughed nervously. “I wouldn’t be any good at field work.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. I merely want your expertise,” he assured.

  Glacier looked over at Apollo, who was standing nearby. The king nodded.

  “I’d be willing to give it a try. It would be an honor,” Glacier said.

  Behind the glass, Ashley’s body shivered, startling Glacier. Her ears flickered for a moment, but she soon drifted off again.

  “Is that normal?” Glacier asked.

  “It should go away once we’ve calibrated the tank properly. We’ve never attempted this for long-term containment before,” the other horse explained. “There’s other technology in the works, of course. Scientists are already calling with new machines and protocols to test on her. They claim there are magic inhibitors that could be of interest to the H Project. I’ve put it all on hold for now, but if you think it would be profitable, I’d consider their offers.”

  Glacier walked around the side of the tank slowly, staring at the Arabian. She had been nearly impossible to catch. Her magic had a way of flying under the radar. Letting her out even for a few tests was risky, but with the other fugitive horses yet to be contained, it could be worth it.

  “I’ll leave it up to you. If the testing can be done safely and help us capture the remaining horses, I don’t see why not.”

  Ashley let go of the memory, trembling with pain from watching it pass by. She searched his mind for the missing link, and stumbled upon the image of him sitting by the phone. She carefully enticed his mind, ungluing the memory from the claws of secrecy until she could hear it.

  The phone rang, but Glacier hesitated to pick it up. His head hung low from exhaustion, and it was pitch black outside the window. The clock on the wall read 3:21 AM. The phone rang for the third time, and finally, he reached over and answered it.

  “Glacial Divinity,” he said, trying desperately to sound more awake.

  “Hello, my name is Naturally Priceless, or Nathan. I’m representing the Equine Rehabilitation Unit of Jersey, Pierceton,” a chipper voice said on the other end.

  “Sorry, I think you have the wrong number. Not interested,” Glacier said, already moving the phone back toward the receiver.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Are you sure? We have an offer regarding a horse of interest in your community, Laci of Lebanon. I understand your team is in the process of getting a hold of her?” Nathan continued.

  Glacier looked at Apollo, horrified. “Who gave you this number?”

  “The ERUJ has its ways, sir. In any case, we’d like to do you a favor and take the mare off your hands,” the horse said.

  Glacier stifled a laugh. “You want Laci at a rehabilitation center? I don’t think you know what you’re asking.”

  “I assure you we do, sir. We have nearly a decade of experience handling horses with supernatural abilities, death counts, and mental conditions. I promise she will be right where she belongs here,” Nathan said proudly.

  Glacier’s jaw dropped at his words. “Look, whatever you’ve got going on up there sounds great, but I’ve been dealing with issues like these for twelve years, and I seriously doubt Laci can be rehabilitated. Maybe some of the horses associated with her, but not her. I already have plans for her.”

  “I understand. If you ever change your mind, feel free to contact us. We have a generous offer set aside for her,” Nathan coaxed.

  “What kind of compensation would you be handing out for a horse like her?” Glacier said, perplexed. He put his hoof over the speaker for a moment. “This horse is out of his mind,” he told Apollo.

  “Two million dollars. A horse with Laci’s track record would be a great publicity opportunity for our company,” the horse said.

  Glacier’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. “I’ll consider it. When I have her secured in hand, I will let you know.”

  “Thank you, but there’s truly no need. We can send out our expert officers to assist in her capture and transport. You can change your mind any time between now and when she boards the truck,” Nathan offered.

  “That would be excellent. We could use more experienced help. No promises on keeping her. I have to consult the board,” he said rapidly.

  He could see the cash on his desk already, and imagined what power it would give him in the community. Not only would he have saved Norfolk from the plight of Laci, he would have a considerable sum of money to contribute to a riding school project, a foal park, or even competition venues. Anything that would benefit the horses and his mission would do. Ashley nearly gagged at the display of greed.

  “My pleasure. We’ll have our team out by six this morning. Talk to us anytime. We’d be happy to give you a tour of our facility if that helps with your decision,” the businesslike stallion on the phone responded.

  “A tour would be nice. Where can I find you?”

  “89 Silvertine Road, Jersey, Pierceton. Bring an ID and tell them Nathan sent you, if you decide to stop by,” the horse said.

  Glacier jotted down the address on a notecard and hung up.

  “What were they on about?” Apollo asked.

  “They want to pay us two million dollars to detain Laci for us. They think she has a chance at being rehabilitated. I think they’ve gone mad,” he explained.

  Apollo stamped his hoof on Glacier’s note. “Why on Earth would you entertain an offer like that? It’s ridiculous.”

  Glacier leaned back in his chair, undisturbed. “Relax. There’s no way I’d let Laci go with an organization like that. I’m only keeping the information in case one of the other horses is suitable.”

  Ashley slowly loosened her grip on Glacier’s mind, and exhaled deeply. She started to return to the present, and her head hurt from straining herself. She let go of him and sat on the bed, breathing hard with her hooves on her lap. Glacier nearly fell on the floor, but recovered.

  “Any luck?” Orion asked, quickly positioning himself between her and Glacier.

  “I found it. 89 Silvertine Road. Jersey. Pierceton,” she gasped. “I don’t know if that’s where she really is, but it’s a start.”

  “Neither do I. You all put a bit of a roadblock in that deal by sticking me here,” Glacier said, miffed.

  Ashley spooked at the sound of his voice and jumped off the bed into Orion, who caught her and steadied her with his arm to calm her down.

  “Sorry,” she told him.

  “No, it’s fine. Let’s go,” Orion said, hurrying her out.

  “Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be? You rip my memories out of my head and just leave me here alone? You two are insufferable,” Glacier complained.

  “You don’t leave us with much of a choice,” Orion shot back, closing the door behind him.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked Ashley right away.

  She had sat on the floor and was leaning against the wall, her skin shivering nervously. Her eyes were sharp with tension and fear. Orion knew Glacier had to have something to do with it. He slowly sat down next to her, putting a hoof onto her shoulder and rubbing it gently.

  “Come on, Ashley. Say something. I know he’s bothering you,” Orion pried.

  She took a long breath. “It’s nothing. I just saw a memory that reminded me of when I was imprisoned. That’s all.”

  Orion gasped. “Glacier knew you were imprisoned from the start?”

  “Apparently,” she whispered. “He authorized all those experiments on me. And the others.”

  “What experiments?” Orion asked.

  “You didn’t know? Orion, how do you think they figured out that copper inhibits magic?” she asked.

  “They tested it on you?” Orion exclaimed.

  “Not just me. Knight took the brunt of the load. He was their favorite to test on, because he broke very easily under pressure,” she said.

  Orion stood up. “Do you want tea? I’m putting hot water on.”

  Ashley nodded slowly.

  Before he reached the end of the hall, Miracle popped in from behind the corner. “Orion! I was looking for you. Come see what Daphne’s done,” she said excitedly.

  They went down to the infirmary to see a very proud Daphne, flagging her tail and trotting around next to Marshall. He was standing on his own, and Greg was behind him, smiling brightly. Orion came over and looked at Marshall’s formerly injured leg, which had been patched with new skin. The hair covering it was lighter than the rest, and gently glowed in the soft light of the infirmary.

  “Well done, Daphne. Your magic is very impressive for a little filly,” Orion said, crouching down to her level.

  “Thank you,” she said shyly, still holding her tail high.