Statera - The Balanced One

Chapter Six

The O'Connell Estate:

My heart was pounding in my chest like a convict on the run. I steadied my breathing, closed my eyes, and released Keitan's hands. We'd only arrived at his family's estate a short while ago. It all started normal enough with small talk and strolling through the stables. I'd related to Keitan's love for horses by telling him about my palomino, Tilly, back in Washington.

Standing behind the stables, I knew the time to show and tell had come. I backed away from Keitan until I knew I was a safe distance away. When I opened my eyes, Keitan wore a curious smile.

"What are you doing?"

I sighed deeply to steady my rioting nerves, saying, "Just wait—you'll see."

Closing my eyes to concentrate, I let myself remember the last time Tilly and I rode. I envisioned the movement of Tilly's muscles, the sound of her hooves beating against the ground, the softness of her mane brushing against my face, and the wildflowers that scented the air. When I heard his surprised gasp, I knew there was no going back. Slowly, I lifted my heavy head to sneak a peek at what I was sure would be an expression of shock or fear—anything but the ear-to-ear grin he was wearing.

"That's what you're so worried about? That's not so bad? Haven't you heard the legends surrounding this town's history, Zor?" Keitan said, half laughing.

I pawed the ground with a hoof, tossed my head to the left, and felt my mane flare out. When he started laughing, I knew everything was gonna be fine. Closing the distance between us, I rested my head on his shoulder.

I wished I could have talked at that moment, but I knew it didn't work that way. So instead, I concentrated on my human self and shrunk back to my natural form to wrap my arms around him.

Planting a kiss on the top of my head, I felt the vibration of his voice when he spoke.

"See, Zor, that wasn't so bad, and I'm still here.

The anxiety I'd felt was washed away in a wave of relief, and I couldn't help the smile plastered on my face. I'd thought he'd be revolted, but he wasn't even shocked. It made me wonder why. But that was only one part of my three-part show—the biggest portion. The other things didn't exactly have the same shock factor changing into an animal did.

"Keitan, I'm not done sharing yet. I only led with this because I thought it was the most unbelievable."

"There's more?" he asked, and for the first time since our night began, he finally donned a look of shock.

"The morphing is a trait passed down from my dad. I also inherited two abilities from my mom's lineage."

"Is a horse the only animal you can turn into?"

The question struck me as odd, but I answered anyway. "No, I can turn into any animal."

He looked disappointed. But when he asked his next question, it caught me completely off-guard.

"You can't do what your aunt can do with animals, can you?"

He actually seemed worried. How on earth did he know about Di's ability. My shock at him knowing about Di's secret must have shown on my face.

He quickly said, "It's a long story. We can get to your abilities in a minute if that's okay? Let's take a walk, Zor."

He took my hand and led me away from the stables and into the cool night air. We walked until all that could be seen was pasture. The ambient light from the house was completely out of sight, and the stars popped like silver glitter on black felt. It would have been the perfect romantic setting if not for my harried emotions and his sweaty palms.