his blood. But even the cretins of Hell had to serve a master.
I rose a hand to the horse and Hilarion watched me closely.
“Enough now,” I told him.
Hilarion tossed his head, displeased, but obeyed my command. I didn’t believe he could understand English, or even Russian. But he was intuitive enough to know the shift in my tone, the warning timbre to my voice.
It had been my tone that had been instrumental in training him. Even today, in his adulthood, Hilarion listened to no one but me. Whenever I introduced him to a new rider, I had to be there or risk Hilarion going ballistic.
Only once before had his trainer tried to adapt him to a new jockey without me. It had ended in two broken noses and three sprained arms, but Hilarion had walked away just fine.
“He’s more trouble than he’s worth,” Roman pointed out.
“Funny,” I mused. “Many told me the same about you.”
5
Elena Falcone
When the sun rose the next day, I was already awake.
I pressed myself up against the window’s cold panes, searching the garden for movement. Some part of me ached to escape the bedroom and venture outside. I needed to feel the dirt beneath my feet, calm down my senses and brain after a stressful and restless night’s sleep.
But I didn’t dare try. If I was caught, I could find myself in danger—or worse, small talk. [S3]
The guest room was nice, but I hadn’t realized how much I had left behind until I had been tossing and turning in the sheets. Not only was it weird not falling asleep to the sound of Thaddeo’s snores, but the absence of my books and clothes had made me feel awkward and out of place.
I was so itching to leave the room that I could almost burst from my skin.
I wanted to read or write something or just take off into the woods, letting the earth take me into its arms.
The word agitated came to mind, bouncing around my brain.
Then in the underbrush, between the trunks of the trees, was another slither of movement. I caught sight of a huge hairy behind before the creature disappeared into the greenery.
It had to be a dog of some kind, though the size indicated it was a wolf or bear. Whatever lurked in the woods had had my attention all night. When I couldn’t sleep, I had sat by the window, trying to be as close to the garden as possible, and spotted a few furry beasts stalking in the shadows.
As the sun had risen, the creatures had grown less active, meaning my chances of seeing exactly what was lurking in the shadows was reduced by the minute. If one just stepped into the golden morning light, then I would be able to see what I had been watching for hours…
A knock at the door caused me to startle.
“Elena,” came the familiar voice of Danika. “Would you like some breakfast?”
My stomach gurgled.
I had barely touched the food Danika had brought me the night before. However, if I saw the meal prepared in front of me, I would eat it. My body needed it.
Couldn’t very well find the cure on an empty stomach, could I?
I opened the door for Danika. By her feet, so large she nearly came up to Danika’s knees, was Babushka. She assessed me coolly, her bushy tail swaying behind her.
“She’s been at your door all night,” laughed Danika. “I’m surprised she didn’t murder you.”
It was said in good humor, but the words made me tense. “You and I both.”
Danika caught my reaction and her face softened. “Oh, Elena, I’m so sorry. I know it’s only been twenty-four hours.” She patted my arm comfortingly.
She was referring to the death of my husband, but that wasn’t why I reacted.
Konstantin is not going to lay a hand on you, I told myself rationally. The reaction from Chicago would be too severe. Plus, he needs you to cure Tatiana.
“I’m not upset. Just jumpy,” I told her.
“I can’t say I blame you. I remember my first night alone with these men. To be fair, I was a bit younger than you, but still it was pretty tense…” She trailed off, her eyes blurring slightly as she disappeared into her mind.
I knew a post-traumatic stress episode when I saw one and lightly pressed her arm, so not to startle her. “What’s for breakfast? Danika?”
Danika blinked, coming back to Earth. “Oh, sorry…” Despite being pale, she gave me a bright grin. A part of me wondered