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And there’s Malvern and David Prince, the head grooht on his part

Out here, the screa from all around us It vibrates in every raindrop, throbs in the clouds overhead It’s a howl like veno promise This storm has driven the island mad

Corr jerks and hauls at my arm I see his hooves leave the cobbles and return, but I can’t hear the sound of the scream, loud as if it’s in my head It’s meant to travel miles underwater

I yank Corr’s halter to catch his attention, and then I haul his head down next to rin; it’s not a Corr I like seeing My pulse races despite every year we’ve spent together He’s a monster With one hand, I press those teeth away fro my lips, I keen into his ear It’s lower than the screa closer

Corr is distracted His lips are pulled far, far back froh to hurt, and again, I huroan at the end

Malvern lifts his shotgun, looking at so I can’t see in the dark and the mist

"Corr!" I shout Rain creeps into ain to hi capall uisce is unbroken It cannot get any louder

And then, finally, Corr begins to keen as I pro, so that I feel it in the lead rope I hold So I feel it in the soles of rows and widens to a groan, a growl, a roar like the wind against the buildings The sound fills the yard and rolls out through the rain It’s a territorial battle cry, a threat, a statement: This land is already mine This is my herd

The other scream diminishes in the wake of Corr’s hohich ascends to fill the space that’s left behind The o ith fear and I know the horses in the stable are worse for it Corr’s pure, high scream is no different from the scream it replaced -- except this one I can stop

I listen and listen to be sure that Corr’s cry is the only one One of my eardrums, the one closest to Corr, merely hisses But my left ear hears no other contender

Now I hold Corr’s halter in a tight fist and presscounterclockwise Corr’s scream falters I press my lips to his shoulder and whisper to his rain-soaked skin

The night falls silent My right ear still hums, a radio tuned to an empty frequency Malvern and Prince look at ether Inside the stable, the kicking has died down

The rain strea left in the world Across the yard, Malvern gestures shortly to ht that Malvern stands in

Malvern’s eyes flick froht

"Have you changed your mind yet?" Malvern asks me "No"

Malvern’s tone is dis"

I’m not sure I believe him

CHAPTER FORTY

PUCK

As Finn predicted, the storht and a day, and by the end of that rainy day, we’re able to retreat back to our house I’m relieved because I’d rather run barefoot in the Scorpio Races than try to sleep in Beech’s narrow haer to return home because he left his capall uisce in the care of his family across the island and he’s not certain hoell they’re doing I think that I’d like to meet To a water horse left in their care while Tohbors It’s not exactly like asking your mother to put out a tin of chopped one I know I must’ve met Tommy’s parents at some point -- I must’ve met everyone on Thisby at some point -- but I cannot accurately place theination Mr and Mrs Falk both have Torant his, while I’m at it Two brothers and a sister The sister is ho, we are ready to strike out The boys are so ain, but I h her halter, creating reins so that I can ride her bareback after them

The door to the house sla Gratton has come out to stand by me Her arms crossed, she watches silently as I curry off Dove’s shoulders

"Thank you again," I say finally, because I need to say so

She doesn’t reply, just lifts her eyebrows, like a nod without the head movement "There’s still a lot of people who don’t want you on that beach"

I try not to feel angry at her "I told you I wasn’t going to be talked out of it"