A small side door of the stable opened. “I thought I heard voices.”
I recognized Emily from Compass, and I’d seen pictures on the Internet of her, with Logan, of course. There were also numerous videos of her working with some dangerous horses. I’d only watched one, but it was really impressive. The horse had reared up right in front of her, yet she had been so calm about it. She had a quiet strength about her, and I imagined she needed that strength with Logan. He was intense and a famous lead singer in a rock band with tons of fans. Mostly girls.
“Savvy, nice to see you again. It’s so great you and Kite have reconnected.”
“How is Lucifer?” Killian changed the subject.
“As well as can be expected.” Her smile faded. “It will take time before he’ll trust anyone again. What he did to him….” She glanced at me.
“She’s welcome to hear anything you have to say,” Killian said. “She knows Seamus is an ass.”
Seamus Kane wasn’t a father of the year, and he was the first person I’d considered may not have any good bits, and that was only from a brief encounter.
Her eyes curiously landed on me then shifted back to Killian. “Seamus put some severe wounds on him. They’ll heal, but his spirit… I don’t know, Kite. It will take a lot of time.” She lightly touched his arm. “At least he has that chance now. You’ve given him that.”
Killian nodded.
Sounded like Emily had an abused horse, and Killian’s father was responsible. What I didn’t know was how the horse came to be in Emily’s care.
Killian’s hand slid down my back as his eyes shifted to me. “Savvy, why don’t you go in the stable and visit the horses.”
“Only Lucifer is inside. He’d love a visit,” Emily said. “Apples are in a bin across from his stall.”
“Yeah, sure, of course.”
I walked toward the stable doors and just before I went inside, I glanced over my shoulder at Killian and paused. His face was void of expression.
Nothingness. No inhales or exhales. No swallowing. No stiffening of the spine or jaw or fist clenching.
Stillness. Complete and utter stillness.
Was this what he did with the anger? Put it behind a wall of numbness? He had to be furious at his father for abusing a horse.
Killian had been a fighter, but he protected the kids who needed it, and now being older, I wondered if there’d been a reason for his vigilance to protect those who were weaker. What drove him to do that? Why was he so angry?
My eyes adjusted from the sunlight to the shaded barn. I took in the wide cobblestone aisle, which was cleaner than my kitchen floor, and high ceilings that had skylights throughout. The stalls were large and currently empty of horses. When I inhaled, it was to the scent of shavings and freshly cut hay.
As I strolled down the aisle, I noticed all the stalls had half doors at the back of them as well as the front and it offered a heavenly cross breeze.
I stopped when I saw the horse in one of the stalls.
“You must be Lucifer,” I cooed.
Smiling, I approached his stall, but the minute I saw his body, my heart dropped. There was an extensive bandage-like cast on his front legs and welts on his rump and side so deep, they cut into his skin.
His head hung low and he didn’t even acknowledge me.
“Hey, boy.” I leaned over the half door as I wasn’t brave enough to actually go in the stall with him.
His body quivered once and he bobbed his head, eyes flicking to me for a brief second. They were wonky and lazy, so I guessed he was on some kind of painkiller.
His lower lip was so relaxed it flopped when he’d bobbed his head.
I reached my hand out so he could smell it. I was uncertain the protocol of approaching horses, but it was what I did with dogs.
He didn’t object, so I stroked his velvet muzzle then up to the white star on his forehead, tracing the swirl with my finger. His head lowered farther, and I continued to softly talk to him as I patted his face.
“You’ll be okay. I know you will. Emily will take care of you.” Tears welled in my eyes at this magnificent horse so broken and beaten. “You’re a good boy. You know that?” I said.
“He knows,” Killian said, coming up behind me.
I hadn’t heard him, too absorbed by the horse.
Lucifer’s lip made a popping sound as he attempted to shut his mouth a few times before giving up and letting it dangle loosely again.
Killian moved in beside me and reached over the stall door to stroke Lucifer’s neck.
His thigh brushed against mine and goose bumps rose on my arms. “Why doesn’t he have a mane?”