Curses and Thunder: Sweet Briar Series Book 1 by April Gaisford

Author:April Gaisford [Gaisford, April]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Jasmin

Snow is life now. The ground has been covered for two solid weeks. There is no more fresh snow. It's gross and dirty and filled with leaves. This is the part of winter I can do without. It's never going to end. Call me dramatic, but I'm ready for either a good pile of fresh snow, so I can justify hiding in my room or for it to all be gone and the heat to come back. That's all I really want. All this gross stuff makes me restless.

I'm going to the stables today. My hope is that Vesper is also restless, and I can take him out for a bit. Finn is lounging with Clem in the library. I'm glad they like doing that, but I need a break. I need to do something else. I trudge through the slush toward the stables. I realize this may not be ideal riding conditions, but I'm getting out of the castle regardless.

An odd moaning sound comes from one of the stalls in the stable. I'm worried one of the horses is injured, so I rush toward the sound. I find the stall the noise is coming from, pushing through the door in a rush. I'm stunned by what I see. Tomas and Zander are lying on a pile of hay. Tomas is on top with his hand under Zander's pants. Zander's hands are under Tomas's shirt. Their lips are red and swollen. I stop where I am, unsure how to react to this situation. Zander and Tomas look back at me at the same time. Tomas jumps up, moving away quickly. Zander jerks in reaction to Tomas's quick movements like he’s hurt.

Tomas's eyes are wide, darting around the stall, looking for an exit. I hold my hands up to him, trying to relay that I'm not a threat to him. He's not in a good emotional state to react safely right now. I want to stop him from having another fit, but I'm unsure how to address this situation. He's gone from one emotional extreme to the next. Zander finally rolls over, sitting up in the hay.

"It's not what you think, Princess." Tomas is nearly shouting, nervous about being caught. For many people, it could be a severe situation to be caught in. I reach out to Zander, offering a hand to help him up. He stands next to me. I ask if he's okay. He says he is, dusting his pants off and adjusting them to fit correctly again. Tomas watches us, still alert and aware of everything around him. I sidestep toward the stall door, wanting to block Tomas in the stall but not wanting him to realize that. I don't want him to run and spook the horses. I eye Zander, who is watching Tomas. He is concerned, but it's more than just worry about the horses.

"How long has this been going on?" I nod toward Tomas. Maybe if I don't make a big deal of it, Tomas will calm down.

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