Ariel made no effort to hide her pouting face as they wandered through the woods. She couldn’t believe Orion had forced her to go all this way for a lost cause of a mare.

  “My legs hurt,” she complained loudly.

  Orion ignored her and pushed through the brush. She rolled her eyes and followed behind him, unenthused. What was the point of this mission? Even if they somehow managed to free Laci, she was far beyond help. Frankly, Laci didn’t deserve anything Orion did for her. He practically jumped in front of bullets for her, and she didn’t even seem to care.

  It made Ariel feel insane for all the time she’d wasted in the Arabian show ring, prancing around rabbits who graded her meticulously for the way she looked. Drenching herself in baby oil every morning since she was four months old. Binding her tail in a tailset for days on end so it would stand straight. Practicing her show trot with a whip stuck under her chin and a chain strung across her face. No matter what she did, she would never measure up to the lucky fillies from the best families. There wouldn’t even be pennies left for horses that looked like her.

  Laci, on the other half, had everything handed to her. She was born into a rich household, had perfect grades, marketable talent. All she had to do was hold it together for a rabbit to sit on her and she could’ve been a champion show jumper. Instead, Orion had to step in and play savior for a horse that didn’t want or need his help, while Ariel rotted in a tank.

  Her head shot up to the sound of rustling in the bushes. “Someone’s here,” she stammered.

  Everyone watched the woods intently, forming a tight circle. Ariel squeezed against Marmalade, trying to make herself appear smaller. She watched as a black form in the woods approached them, but no one moved an inch.

  “Can’t you see it? It’s right there,” she said, pointing to the woods.

  Marmalade stared into the bushes in confusion. “I don’t see it.”

  The figure raised its head, and Ariel recognized her immediately. She was the horse from the painting on the wall in the purple room. Orion had said her name before, but Ariel could not remember it. She backed away cautiously.

  “Are you alright?” Marmalade said, her brow furrowed.

  Ariel stood motionless while the black Arabian wandered around her. “Who are you?” she demanded.

  “It’s alright. I think it is her ghost,” Orion said, putting a hoof to her shoulder to steady her.

  “Who are you all supposed to be?” the black mare said callously.

  Ariel stared at her blankly, leaning back on Orion and panting fearfully.

  The mysterious Arabian snorted at her. “What are you scared of? I’m dead.”

  The mare drew backwards a few steps, and Ariel’s tense body softened slightly. “Who are you?” she asked.

  “Rhapsody. Queen’s left hand, Keeper of the Hotbloods,” she said, disinterested.

  Ariel cocked her head in confusion. “Don’t you mean right hand?”

  “The right hand implies a place of holiness. So no, I don’t mean the right.”

  The black mare’s demeanor bothered Ariel. She was flat and cold, with a haughty gaze that cut right through you. She seemed unconcerned with Ariel’s anxieties. She waited for Ariel to say something, unaffected by awkward silence.

  “Well, Rhapsody, I’m Ariel,” she managed.

  Orion pricked his ears excitedly at her words. “Your ghost is Rhapsody? Thank Epona! What amazing news!”

  “What for?” Ariel and Rhapsody said at once.

  “She knows Sultan, and all the hotbloods. The ancient texts say so. She’ll be able to help Laci,” Orion said excitedly.

  Ariel and Rhapsody both stared at him in utter disappointment.

  “If you want to know about Sultan, you’re a few thousand years too late,” Rhapsody mused, rolling her eyes.

  “Don’t worry. I really don’t,” Ariel said.

  “Good. Her Highness knows I’m not opening that can of worms ever again.”

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  “What did she say?” Orion begged.

  “She doesn’t know about Sultan. I don’t know what you read,” Ariel lied.

  Orion’s face fell. “I thought I was onto something.”

  Onyx blasted into the world with a massive swath of black smoke that obscured everyone’s vision. He pounded his hooves to the ground loudly when he landed. His ears were flat back against his head in irritation.

  “Rhapsody!” he yelled.

  “Son of a-I am not dealing with this, Onyx. I didn’t die to babysit Sultan’s spawn from the afterlife,” Rhapsody complained, refusing to leave her ghostly form.

  “I know you’re probably talking about evading your responsibilities. Come out this instant,” he barked. “That’s an order from your Bestower.”

  Rhapsody sighed and tapped Ariel on the shoulder. “You might want to give me a doorway. Or don’t. I don’t actually care.”

  With another dramatic puff of smoke, Rhapsody whisked her form into the living world. She stretched her legs out, her soul finding its way through her body.

  “What do you want, Onyx?” she groaned.

  “This young gentleman is in search of his filly friend, Laci. She’s a hotblood and a descendant of Sultan. I figured the least you could do, as an expert on the subject, with no other obligations, would be to help him decipher her,” he said.

  She snorted. “Not interested.”

  “For Epona’s sake, Rhapsody! He has no idea what he’s doing with hot horses and neither do I. Give him something to work with,” he pressured.

  Rhapsody took a long breath. She thought she’d never remember Sultan after all this time, but in the afterlife, nothing is forgotten.

  “Fine. You want my advice? Listen carefully.”

  Orion looked up at her earnestly, as if he was about to take notes. It was kind of annoying to Rhapsody. She was merely a dead horse, not a deity. She could respect the other chestnut draft standing behind him, who looked like she probably had better things to do. Being worshipped felt plain awkward.

  “I take it you already know Sultan as an assassin, correct?” she asked.

  Orion nodded solemnly.

  “He is-much more than that, truly. Every hotblood is. They are very passionate and loyal horses. There’s almost nothing they will not do for you if you earn their trust, but that’s the catch,” she said.

  The Friesian looked at her confused.

  “It is nearly impossible for a hotblood to trust. They are the most terrified creatures on the planet. They live in fear all their lives. That is why they are so unpredictable and dangerous. Sultan is no different. He is the way he is because he is scared, and because he was taught to kill.”

  “What am I supposed to do? How do I stop him?” he said.

  She thought hard. “Well, you have the advantage that he’s tied to his link. If you put her to sleep, you’ll send him back through the gate. If you see him, I’d just take out Laci. It’s not worth it for the living to fight him. He can’t die twice.”

  “Okay, that’s good to know. What should I do with Laci? How can I get her to trust me?” he asked.

  Rhapsody started laughing, and put a hoof to her forehead. “Oh, stallion. How do you get any horse to trust you? It takes a long time.”

  “I think what he’s trying to say is, do you have any advice for how to take care of a hotblood? I mean, aren’t you a hotblood keeper? What do they like, what don’t they like?” Marmalade offered.

  Rhapsody nodded. “There’s a real question. Be patient with her. Rub her down with cold water when she’s finished working. Get her to run off as much energy as you can. Make sure someone keeps watch while she rests. Don’t be too loud or move too suddenly around her. Reassure her, don’t let her walk all over you, but don’t be harsh. I could write a book about it.”

  Orion sighed. “That’s a lot to remember.”

  “Sure it is, Friesian. That’s why Arabians were usually chosen to be keepers. We’re a bit more...attentive. And that’s why Onyx sucks at his job.”

  Onyx switched his tail in annoyance. “Rhapsody, just because I was never as good with hotbloods as you were doesn’t make me ignorant.”

  Knight tossed his head up in distress. “Can you two quit fighting? I think it’s a little late to solve all your issues.”

  She rolled her eyes again. “Even Cirrus figured it out. You were just too thick-headed to keep Sultan from trying to kill everyone.”

  Marmalade looked at Knight. His face had gone blank, and his ears hung loose, but he was breathing heavily. She sidled up to him and slowly tucked his neck under her head, blowing gently.

  “Leave each other alone,” the Suffolk growled.

  “Rhapsody, you were a loyal member of the nation that taught him to do that. End of discussion.” Onyx disappeared back into the void.

  “What a coward. That’s why he never made it very far with Sultan,” she said.

  “What do you mean by that?” Ariel asked.

  “Hotbloods can pick up fear and weakness easier than anyone else. If you have a single doubt in your mind, you’ll be fresh meat. You have to have the nerve to stand up in front of a bloodthirsty, charging, two thousand pound killing machine and tell it off. Onyx couldn’t handle that. As soon as things get messy, he just puts it to sleep and worries about it later,” she criticized. She turned to Ariel. “If you haven’t any more need for me, I’ll be on my way. I wouldn’t want to drain your powers to the bottom.”

  She passed back through the gate and vanished cleanly.

  “Well, that was...interesting,” Orion said, eyes wide.

  “You know, Ariel, I think you and that black horse have a lot in common,” Marmalade said.

  Knight smiled discreetly. Ariel flattened her ears and frowned.