Sabin leads me down the stairs and out to the garage. He straddles an ATV and motions for me to get on. I keep my distance from him so he can keep it classy and respectful, exactly what he accused Valen of not being the last time I was on an ATV. We drive out of the garage and hang right, driving in a direction I haven’t explored yet.

“Is it safe to leave our barrier, with what just happened?” I yell to him when I realize how far out we are going.

“Yeah, we’ll be entering another protected barrier right away so no worries.”

The telltale tingling sensation of magic sweeps over me when we leave our barrier and enter the new one. I breathe a sigh of relief when my magic doesn’t spaz out and do anything crazy.

We ride for a while before the trees start to clear to make way for green manicured lawns. We drive in the direction of a huge building, and I suddenly remember that there are stables on the property next to the paladin.

I can’t contain the excited squeal that tumbles out of me when I realize where we’re going. Sabin laughs. We stop next to the building, and he turns off the ATV.

“I take it you know where we are?” he asks with a dimple-filled smile.

I nod my head excitedly.

“Should I interpret your girly squeal as an indication that you ride?”

“I’ve never ridden anything, but I’ve always wanted to.”

I wait for Sabin to call out the innuendo, but he just smiles.

“Good to know.”

The stables are pristine. The stalls are enormous with intricately carved wood and iron doors, and it’s incredibly clean. It’s clear these horses are living in the lap of luxury. I don’t know how many stalls we walk by before Sabin stops. He grabs a rope and opens a door. He motions for me to step in behind him and I follow obediently.

“Hey there buddy," Sabin coos. “You down for some exercise and a little showing off?”

He clips a rope to the halter of a humongous gray horse, and then casually hands the rope to me. He walks out of the stall, leaving me all alone, and I’m stunned that I’m now standing here without any additional instructions. I hope this horse is happy to stand around because if it wants to go anywhere, I doubt my puny little self and this rope are going to stop it.

“Hey there gorgeous," I say, getting fresh and planting a kiss on its nose. “Aren’t you quite the handsome devil.”

I duck a peek to confirm that handsome is an appropriate descriptor, and he lets out a snort of agreement. I chuckle and start to run my fingers up and down both sides of his neck. He brings his head down level with my chest and leans into me.

“Oh, you like that do you, some good scratches.”

The clop of hooves fills the air and Sabin reappears outside the door leading another horse.

“It’s good to know your spell affects males of all species and not just casters," Sabin teases me, gesturing to the horse cuddles I’m currently receiving.

I wag my brows. “Careful Captain, or you might be next.”

Sabin mumbles something under his breath, but I don’t catch it.

“Follow me.”

He jerks his chin toward the entrance and starts leading his horse away. With Sabin’s help, I coax my huge horse out of his stall, grateful that he’s a good listener because we both know he could take me out if he wanted to.

My horse’s huge frame is wrapped in a stunning dark gray color, with light gray dappling on his front legs and butt. His mane and tail are a beautiful contrasting white-gray. He looks so unique and regal.

“What’s his name?” I ask, awe clear in my voice.

“That’s Darcy," Sabin calls over his shoulder, as we round the front of the stables. “And this is Bennet.”

His voice has the same fondness that I heard when he was talking to Darcy earlier, and I catch a curious blush that creeps into his cheeks. He shows me how to brush the horses and then disappears to get their tack. I brush Darcy and then Bennet as Sabin makes several trips back and forth to get everything we need to ride.

Bennet is just slightly smaller than Darcy but not by much. Where Darcy is dark, Bennet is light making them opposites in a way. She’s light gray everywhere with dark spots all over, except her face. Her hair is black, and she has black stocking-like marks on all of her legs.

I trace the patterns in Bennet’s fur with my eyes, as I stroke long lengths down her sides and back. I freeze when it dawns on me why the names sound so familiar. Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennet. I laugh, their owner must be a Pride and Prejudice fan.

“No one cares that we’re taking these horses?” I ask as Sabin starts to organize everything he’s brought out to put on the horses.

“They’re mine. I board them here.”

I jerk my head in Sabin’s direction, completely shocked at his revelation. Sabin is the Pride and Prejudice fan?

He gets Darcy kitted up and talks me through everything that he’s doing and why. He helps me climb up on Darcy’s back, and I get a quick crash course on how to handle him. I run my fingers through Darcy’s mane and watch as Sabin hooks a rope to Darcy’s halter. He walks us into a paddock and gives the rope in his hand some slack.

“Alright Vinna, I’m going to have you and Darcy ride for a bit in here so you both can get used to each other. I’ll help you get a feel for some different speeds on him, but if it’s too much too fast, just pull on the reins, and he’ll stop. Okay?”

I nod my head, and Sabin teaches me how to click my tongue just right to make Darcy move. His gait is smooth and slow, and it’s surprisingly easy to get comfortable up on the back of this giant gray Andalusian.

“Tell me about how you came to be the proud owner of these two beautiful horses?”

Sabin shrugs. “Some people save up for a car or something like that, but I saved up for these guys. I bought Darcy first when I was twenty, and then Bennet a year later. I’ve always loved animals in general but especially horses, and I always knew I wanted a pair.”

“Did you name them or is that pure coincidence?”

A blush creeps up his neck, and it tells me everything I need to know.

“You’re a romantic!” I exclaim, my voice laced with shock and accusation.

“Don’t say it like it’s something dirty," he scoffs. “Is it so hard to believe?”

I stare at him thoughtfully and mull over that question. I have my opinions about Sabin and how he acts, but I haven’t the slightest clue about the why behind what he does. I have no idea what makes him who he is. I think about that and realize that it changes the lens that I see Sabin through in a surprising way.

“I don’t really know you. So, no, it isn’t hard to believe," I admit. “Solve the mystery then and tell me about yourself, Sabin Gamull.”

I pat myself on the back for remembering his last name, then lean over and actually pat Darcy on his neck.

“Well, Vinna Aylin, I’m twenty-six, same as the other guys, but you know that already. I’m a Paladin Conscript, but you know that, too," he smiles at me cheekily. “What you may not know is that I’ll be the first in my family line to become a paladin.”

“I did not know that. How do your parents feel about that?”

“They were surprised at first, but they’ve always been supportive. I think they were more shocked when my reading showed that I had strong elemental magic, instead of Spell magic like they assumed I would have.”

“Why did they think you’d have Spell magic?”

“Because the entire coven has Spell magic, and when both biological parents have the same magic it’s incredibly rare that the child would have something different."

“I thought covens were made up of casters with different magic, for balance or something like that?”

“No, only paladin covens are built that way. Outside of the paladin, casters can build covens however they want to. Covens like my family’s aren’t rare at all.”

Darcy snorts and flaps his tail around like he’s participating in our conversation, and I chuckle.

“Are you ready to pick up some speed?” Sabin asks me, and I nod eagerly.

Darcy begins to trot when Sabin clicks at him again, and I find myself suddenly bouncing around. Sabin walks me through how to find the rhythm in Darcy’s faster gait and how to use my body to work with the rhythm instead of against it. The ride smooths out, and I’m able to let go of the horn of the saddle, no longer feeling like I might fall off.

A huge smile takes over my face, and I look over to find Sabin has the same happy smile and pride shining in his eyes. He’s lighter, more carefree in this moment then I’ve ever seen him, and I can’t lie, it’s hot as fuck. I shake off my hungry thoughts and focus on what we were talking about before.

“If your coven isn’t paladin what do they do?” I ask.

I’ve only really been exposed to ways of the paladin so far. I’ve visited in town. I haven’t given much thought to the various types of magic that other people have and what they might do with that magic.

“They own and run a spell shop in town."

“Oh, that’s cool….” I’m quiet for a minute. “I know you said shop, but I’m totally picturing a rickety cabin-like building with a small fire and a bubbling cauldron sitting over it. Are there rows of dusty shelves that are filled with bottles and jars containing weird ass shit?”

Sabin laughs. “No, nothing like that. Picture more Bath & Body Works, but everything’s a spell or potion. My family members are some of the strongest Spell casters in Solace.” His statement isn’t boastful. It’s just matter of fact like he’s telling me the trees are green. “Some people come in to order bespoke spells from them, and then there are the generic spells available to purchase anytime.”

“Like what?” I ask excitedly.

“There are things for healing and illness.”

I turn to him confused, and Sabin answers my curious look.

“Not all casters have access to a healer, and some can’t afford one even if they have access. What Ryker can do is special, and we’re lucky to have him,” he explains. “Healing and wellness spells are the most popular, but other spells range from dying your hair, to birth control, to spells that help you study. If you can think of something, there’s probably a spell for it.”

“Excuse my ignorance here, but I would’ve thought that all casters could spell. I thought it would be a staple of magic in general, or maybe that’s me falling back on what I picture about witches, and let’s be honest most of that comes from the movie Hocus Pocus.”

Sabin laughs. “I love that movie.”

“Right, it’s a Halloween staple.”

“Damn straight it is,” Sabin agrees, and I can’t help but smile.

I adjust myself in the saddle and run my fingers through Darcy’s mane as we continue to trot around the paddock.

“When it comes to Spell magic, I’d compare it to cooking. Some nons can cook, some can’t, and then you have your master chefs. The ones who are so talented and innovative that people will pay anything to consume their creations. Spell magic is like that.”

I smile at Sabin and his comparison. The image of a dusty room with a cauldron bubbling over a fire fades away, and I picture a state of the art kitchen with cauldrons bubbling over an enormous gas range, in its place.

“I’d love to see their shop sometime,” I blurt out, not thinking through the fact that I’m inviting myself to meet his family.

“I’d love to take you. I’m going to up the ante again and have Darcy canter. It will be faster but feel a little smoother than his trot. Just remember to find the rhythm and use your legs to move into it. Okay?”

I give him a thumbs up and do exactly as I’m told. A trill of giddiness flows through me as Darcy and I move faster. I have a couple oh shit moments in the beginning, but eventually, I figure it out. This experience is incredible, and the feeling I have right now as Darcy and I flash around the ring is joyous and liberating. I can feel some of the armor I always wear slip off and my defenses lower.

“So what about you? What was non-life like? What did you want to be when you grew up?” Sabin asks me.

Darcy slows down to a walk, and I pat the side of his neck appreciatively.

“It probably sounds weird, but I never really thought about it when I was younger. I was quiet and skittish, and honestly just trying to stay out of Beth’s path as much as possible. We moved around a lot, so I never really got my feet underneath me.

“I had Laiken until she learned that things went better for her with Beth when she stayed away from me. That was pretty much how it went until Beth kicked me out. I met Talon a couple of weeks later, and then everything changed for me.”

“How’d you meet?”

I snort a chuckle. “I ran up on his car when I was trying to escape this group of guys who were chasing me. I had never been in a fight before that day, but I knew it was only a matter of time being homeless and a girl. I carried a rock around with me, ready for whenever it happened, and then I ran into this group of guys. They wanted my backpack and other things.

“I knocked two guys out and broke a third’s nose. I surprised the shit out of myself, but there were still four left. I had magic, even though I had no idea that’s what it was back then, but it was so inconsistent and unreliable. I knew I was in trouble with those odds, so I ran for my life. I thought I was fucked as the guys closed in on me, but next thing I know a big SUV was rounding the corner and out tumbled four big scary dudes.”

“Is that what that rock is on your shelf? I noticed it on the first day I met you. It made me curious,” Sabin asks.

“The very same one. My lucky rock. Talon taught me how to fight for real, so I’ve never had to use the rock again, but it’s a fucked up memento of when my life got better, so I’ve kept it.”

Sabin pulls on the rope in his hands and Darcy walks toward him. He stops, and Sabin rounds his side and looks up at me.

“I’m sorry that’s what things were like for you.”

I stare into his fathomless green eyes, not sure what to say.

“It wasn’t all bad. Talon showed me what I was capable of. I found myself. My strength and my magic did the rest. I wouldn’t change any of it, even if I could.”