Dydra had no sense of how long they had been riding. Time blurred into the rhythm of hooves and the roar of rain. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Leonard's torso, her face pressed against his back as though letting go—even for a second—might send her slipping into the storm.
Then, in the blink of an eye—
The world shifted.
The black stallion vanished from the rain-soaked path, reappearing within the castle stables as if the storm itself had swallowed them and spat them out elsewhere.
The sudden stillness was jarring.
Dydra slowly pulled back, her blue eyes widening as they darted around in disbelief. The pounding rain was gone, replaced by the muted sounds of the stable. For a moment, she simply stared, trying to steady her breath.
Leonard, however, did not linger.
He dismounted swiftly, then turned and gripped her by the waist, lifting her down with ease.
