the barn to see Mystery. I’ll fit unpacking in there eventually. Though I am eager to go through the occult books I brought back with me. I couldn’t bring them all, but I left Thorne Hill with a sense of see you later instead of a goodbye.
Not trusting Romeo to be loose in the house while I’m napping, I scoop him up and cradle him against my chest.
“I missed you too, little guy,” I tell him with a kiss on the top of his head. My room is more or less ferret-proofed, so I let him stay out of his cage while I take a nap. I sleep for longer than I expected to and am all groggy when I get up.
It’s sunny out today, but the temp has dropped significantly. Still yawning, I get dressed in breeches and a t-shirt with a fleece hoodie overtop. I open a can of rabbit meat and both Hunter and Romeo come running. I plop a spoonful in Romeo’s bowl and close up his cage, and then give the rest to Hunter. I give him an extra hug goodbye and head to the barn.
“Hey, Anora!” Leslie looks up from Rose, the bay Standardbred she’s grooming. “How was your weekend getaway?”
“Hah, I don’t think I can really call it that. It was more of a business trip I guess?” I shrug. “But it was nice, actually.”
“Your aunt died?”
“My great-aunt, and yeah. I didn’t know her well or anything though.”
Leslie nods. “I’m about to take Rose out on the trails. Want to join us?”
I blink and see that dog-creature in the woods. Swallowing hard, I force a smile. If Leslie is going out, I’d rather go with her than have her be alone. I should have brought that dagger Aunt Estelle gave me. It’s not like I’m a weapons expert and know how to wield it, but having something to defend myself with in case I fall again would be reassuring.
“Yeah. I’m going to go grab Mystery and I’ll meet you outside.”
Two people are riding in the outdoor arena, and another horse is being worked in the round pen. I wave as I walk to the pasture, watching to see if Bob is going to slink out of the shadows but he’s nowhere to be seen today.
Mystery looks up when he hears the gate opening and nickers as he trots over to me. I turn, letting him rub his head against me before slipping on his halter. He has grass stains on his white fur but it’s too chilly for a bath today. I get him brushed and tacked up, and make sure to wear my helmet.
“How have things been around here?” I ask Leslie as we start out toward the trail. I run my hand over Mystery’s neck, trusting him to let me know if anything weird is going on. “No one has seen any other coyotes?”
“Not seen.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” I turn and look at her.
“I heard howling last night. Sounded like they were surrounding the barn. Freaked me the fuck out.”
My heart skips a beat. They? “There was more than one?”
“It sounded like it, for sure. I was the last one here and had just closed up the barn for the night, thank god. It wouldn’t have scared me so much if the horses didn’t react the way they did.”
“How did they react?” I ask slowly and look out at the looming woods. We should turn back now. It might not be safe out there, but if there’s more than one dog-creature and they’re coming up to the barn…it’s not safe either.
“They all spooked at the same time, like a full few seconds before I heard the howling. I know they can sense things better than we can, so the coyotes must have been a lot closer.”
“Shit,” I mutter. What the hell am I supposed to do? What’s out there isn’t a normal coyote. I know it. But I can’t exactly go around telling people what I saw. Well, I can, but they won’t believe me. “If the horses act nervous today, let’s just head back.”
“Sounds good to me,” Leslie says and gives Rose a reassuring pat. I’m on pins and needles the entire ride, which in turn makes Mystery nervous. But we don’t get attacked, and I consider that a win in my book.
“I’m going out with a friend for Margarita Monday,” Leslie says as we walk back to the barn. With the woods behind us, I finally