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Skye pushed herself up onto her pillows, trying to think about how best to say what she really le day He’sme badly, you know? Nobody’s ever treatedNot since Craig e first got together, and even then, it wasn’t like the way Balthazar treats h toface at that uess he has his reasons" Breathing out in frustration, Skye said, "I hate his reasons"

"I say jump him now and ask his reasons later"

Skye would have told Clehing too hard to get the words out

She was still thinking about Clementine’s advice the next Saturday, when she and Balthazar went riding again

"The sky looks like snow" Balthazar stared out toward the horizon, where the clouds were a low, even, pale gray "Good thing we’re riding today It’ll be a week or two before we could take the horses out again"

"You’ve gotten to like this as much as I do" Skye could tell by the lift of his chin, the way a smile played on his face, just beneath the surface

He patted Pepper out here--it’s reet too far away from"

"You mean, memories of your life?" That short time was all the life he’d had … only one yearelse, all the centuries in between--whatever they were, they weren’t living

"That’s part of what I mean," Balthazar said Then he hesitated, as he if he knew he shouldn’t say any ht otten too far away from in all those years alone, and the pleasure they took in riding together--and suddenly it was hard not to shyly look away

But she didn’t She kept her eyes on Balthazar’s face, and she could see the struggle inside hi to speak or to stay silent The cold wind picked up, whipping past so briskly that her cheeks stung and her ears felt nuh, if it ht finally take a stand for her--

--until Eb suddenly reared back, du her off her saddle

"Skye!" Balthazar reined in his horse, which was also shifting unevenly, then swiftly dismounted "Are you okay?"

"Fine" She adjusted her helh she’d landed hard on her butt, that was a pretty standard risk when riding horses "Eb, what got into you? That’s not like you"

Balthazar’s hand cupped her elbow as he helped her up "Take it easy," he said, looking down at her Suddenly that one small touch didn’t seem as simple, or as innocent And that war--