"That's why," she whispered to herself.
She'd thought it strange no one had mentioned this being. If there had been even a whisper of his existence, there was no way the Trateri would have taken a chance and settled here.
It was because the mythological was nearly impossible to spot. His camouflage damn near perfect.
"We need to tell the others," Drake said, joining them. His gaze was direct as he focused on Eva. "Should we be worried?"
She shook her head. "I didn't get the sense that he was a danger."
She kept the rest of what she sensed to herself, not wanting to sound crazy.
After a lifetime of pretending to be normal, she wasn't quite used to people knowing about her strange gifts. She struggled to accept that they wouldn't turn on her once they knew the true extent of what she could do.
It was why she held part of herself back—even with those she'd come to call friends.
"Is that what the mythological gave you?" Jason asked as all three of their gazes landed on the flower.
Eva held it in front of her eyes. "It seemed important to him."
"Never seen anyone grow flowers on their head. Let alone pluck one and give it to someone else." Drake's gaze moved from the flower to Eva's face.
"What do you suppose it means?" Jason asked.
Eva rubbed the flower's stem between her fingers, twirling the shaft and watching the petals rotate. "I think it's a symbol of friendship."
That's how it felt to her, anyway. A token exchanged with pure intentions.
Taking advantage of their preoccupation, Caia extended her neck. Her teeth chomped closed on the flower before Eva or anyone else could react.
Caia chewed loudly, smacking her lips as if to say the flower was delicious.
Eva sputtered, her gaze going from the pitifully empty stem in her hands to her too-stupid-to-live horse.
A choked sound escaped Jason as his shoulders trembled suspiciously. "Well, it appears Caia just ate your token of friendship."
Drake leaned toward Jason, staring at the horse like she'd committed an unspeakable act. "You don't think she'll die from this, do you?"
"From a flower?"
"It is the Highlands."
Jason made a little nod as if to concede the point. They all knew the Highlands reputation—though usually it wasn't the flora that was likely to do you in. No, that honor went to the many dangerous beasts lurking around every corner.
"I'm more afraid the mythological will come back. How do you think he'd feel if he knew the horse ate his head flower?" Jason muttered.
Drake touched the sword at his side in reassurance.
Eva threw the now bare stem on the ground, crossing to Caia and grabbing the horse's jaw.
"Spit it out, you daft thing. Spit. It. Out. Right. Now."
Caia tried to tug her face out of Eva's grip, but the human was far more stubborn than the horse expected.
Eva forced Caia's head down, not caring when the horse's eyes rolled, showing the whites around them, or the way her lips peeled back to reveal teeth that were clamped stubbornly together. Eva stuck her finger into the space between Caia’s front teeth and molars, pressing down on the tongue to make the mare open her mouth.
Only to find the flower gone. No evidence of its presence at all.
All that mattered now was the fact that Caia had eaten the unknown flower. A flower that Eva could tell held some type of strange power that could KILL her STUPID horse.
That was to say nothing about the fact that Jason was right. How would the mythological feel if he knew that the flower, something that was quite literally a part of him, was consumed so presumptuously?
None of which Eva could bring herself to care about if her friend, the sister from a different species, was harmed.
"Caia!" Eva shouted, losing patience.
Caia half spun, knocking into Eva and nearly toppling her to the ground. The force of the blow loosened her grip on Caia as the horse pulled her head out of reach.
Caia backed away and stopped, her legs splayed, a look of defiance on her face that Eva recognized. One that meant no amount of bargaining or threatening would force Caia into compliance.
It was the look that said she'd dug in and blood would spill before she gave up.
Caia's tail whipped back and forth behind her, showing her fury as horse and horse mistress engaged in a standoff.
Finally, Eva relented, letting out a huff. "Fine, but don't think I'll shed a tear when you keel over. You're on your own, my dear. Completely and totally."
That was a lie.
Eva had no doubt she'd be utterly and totally devastated if anything were to happen to the daft creature.
Especially something as preventable as eating questionable flora that originated from a powerful creature's head.
As the horse responsible for finding Eva and subsequently leading her to the Trateri, they shared a bond. One totally unique to the two.
Some might even say they shared a fate. An inexplicable thread binding them together that neither wished to sever.
With Caia had come Ollie, a herd master who'd been responsible for the mare. When he'd offered to take her with him, Eva had accepted. In her mind, people who treated a runaway mount as gently as he did Caia couldn't be all bad. No matter what rumor and stories about the Trateri claimed.
Eva believed that encounter had saved her life. Chances were, she'd be long dead if she'd remained in that forest. Alone and vulnerable to those who hunted there.
They'd been inseparable ever since. The horse acting more like an overzealous guard dog than a mount.
Which was why if something ever happened to Caia, Eva was sure the resulting fallout would be catastrophic. She fully expected there to be tears. Rivers of them. Enough to fill a thousand lakes.
Not that her horse seemed to appreciate that, if the bored expression on the idiot equine's face was anything to judge by.
The sound of hoof beats drew her attention from Caia's poor judgment. Drake stiffened for a moment, before relaxing at the sight of the rider and horse thundering across the meadow toward them.
Eva squinted, recognizing the mount long before she did the woman.
While not unique, the pretty bay with her black mane and tail were distinctive enough for Eva to know the rider, even at this distance.
Fiona. Someone Eva considered a friend—though how that happened was still a mystery to her.
Fiona's expression was guarded as her gaze went from the three of them to their surroundings, taking note of the lack of other horses and the fact they were far from where they'd said they would be.
"Anything wrong?" Fiona's hand hovered near the hilt of her blade.
"All is well," Drake replied.
Fiona grunted, not looking entirely convinced as she scanned their surroundings.
Her jaw flexed, making the three parallel scars that ran along it more prominent. Surprisingly, those old battle marks did nothing to detract from her appeal. Rather they enhanced it, promising an interesting experience for any brave enough to tempt the rapids.
Finding nothing, Fiona focused amber colored eyes on Eva, her expression fierce.
"You're needed."
Eva straightened, sending the other woman a questioning look.
The bay tried to sidestep, picking up on her rider's heightened emotions. Fiona soothed her with a pat on her neck.