Page 22 of Where Broken Wings Fly

Killian’s smile flipped even higher as he waved me forward, all five of us entering the barn as one.

~

Growing up, my mum used to take me to the barn. For several years it was my life, all-consuming as I spent every free minute in the saddle or slumped over in a stall. Years passed of my skin never losing that dirt-and-oil scent of the four-legged beasts, and no matter how many times my clothes went through the wash, hay always seemed to find itself into the very threads.

Which was all to say when I stepped into that barn, the smell nearly took me to my knees. Not because I hated the smell, but because of the very opposite. It was home and warmth and serenity, all wrapped into the rustling of straw beneath hooves and the muffled munching of muzzles.

Killian stopped at the fourth stall on the right, where a tremendous grey head popped out. The silver steed let out a short greeting at the sight of Killian, then pushed his muzzle into the pixies chest and nearly sent him flying.

“This is Gaoth,” Killian said as he placed both of his hands on the velvet of the horse's snout, pressing his forehead to the stallion’s.

My hands were trembling as I approached him, but everything melted from me as my fingertips grazed the short hairs between his eyes. “He’s beautiful.”

Gaoth let out another snort and a short whiny, making Killian chuckle. “He says so are you.”

I was prepared to let that go as a joke, until Gaoth squealed and kicked out at the front of his stall.

“Easy, Gaoth,” Killian laughed, “caraid?”

Having heard the same term only a day prior, it shouldn’t have been a surprise when Gaoth shoved at Killian’s chest once more and followed the motion with another snort.

“Wait…” I narrowed my eyes as I looked between the two of them. “You’re not… talking to him, are you?”

“Of course I am.” Killian scrubbed at the whorl of hair between the stallion's eyes, which blinked closed as he was mesmerized by the action.

“Y-You can talk to animals?”

“No. The animals can talk to us, if they choose to.” Niamh popped her head out from the stall beyond Gaoth’s. “It is a great honour to have a creature choose you to partner with, let alone speak to.”

Now I wanted to fall to my knees. Not because of the reminiscence but from shock.

“We’ve got one more thing to show you, Olivia.” Killian looked overly thrilled with himself as he finished loving on Gaoth, finally opening his stall door and simply expecting the stallion to follow him. Which, of course, he did.

“What?” I gulped as he led the two of us out of the barn, halting in the clearing.

“Step back,” Killian warned and I listened, leaping away from Gaoth’s side.

I was glad I did.

Because the stallion of four legs and a silvery coat soon became much more. Two feathered wings burst from either side of his shoulders, fluttering in the air for a moment as a feather or two knocked loose and floated down to the ground. He tucked those winged limbs against his body, let out a snort of moist air, and followed his grand revelation with the protrusion of a glistening horn from his head.

It was getting harder to believe this wasn’t a dream.

I nearly collapsed as all of the blood rushed from my head — where it was going I’d never know. Killian leapt towards me and grasped both of my shoulders, laughing to himself as he balanced me back over my feet.

“This is a joke, right?”

“No.” Killian continued to cough out laughter as he moved to Gaoth’s side and pulled himself up and onto his back with ease. “Are you coming?”

Fear constricted my heart as I took cautious steps towards Gaoth. He watched me with wide, black eyes until I halted at his side. “I’m supposed to get up there, somehow?”

“I’ll help you up.” Killian leaned over his one thigh and narrowed his eyes at me. “Once he gives you the go ahead, of course.”

I looked back at Gaoth, his long wisps of white lashes tickling his own skin as he blinked at me.

How am I supposed to know what the go-ahead is?

“You have to ask him for his partnership, Olivia.” Killian smirked at me, knowing I had no idea what that meant. “Repeat after me?”