Free Heir of Earth (Forgotten Gods) by Rosemary Clair Page A

might, mocking the grandeur of the estate below.
    He stood back up, winking at me before he continued whistling down the road to the enormous stone pillars guarding the entry.
    I skipped along at his heels, peppering him with question after question about the never present DeLaney family, who owned the spectacular spread, and the foals who were sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars in-utero and shipped to every corner of the globe as soon as they were weaned.
    He flicked on the light, clucking through his teeth when we entered the old stone barn. Unable to believe my eyes at the magnificent menagerie of horses turning in their stalls to greet us, I stared open-mouthed and dumbly as Phin walked over to pet the first warm muzzle. I had hit the summer job jackpot!
    After a quick introduction to the horses—each curious nose sniffing my pockets for treats— I was even more awe-struck than before. The last stall we came to was the largest, and right beside Phin’s office door. In the shadows of the corner an enormous jet-black mare stood silently, swishing her tail at flies.
    “This is Hannah. She is due to foal any day now,” Phin said. Her huge belly was swollen with the eleven months of gestation she had already endured.
    “Poor girl, she’s about to bust,” I said as Phin quietly entered the stall. He gently touched her side and slid his hand over the slick coat toward her hip, letting her know where he was moving. She flinched at the unexpected touch, but then cocked her back hip and propped the hoof up on its edge, in the typical way horses rest their hind ends. Phin bent at the waist and looked under her belly, back at the large udders between her legs. “Yep, that milk should be coming in soon. Looks like you will get to help us with one of the babies.”
    “Me? I get to do that?” I squealed a little bit at the prospect of helping with a delivery. Hannah startled and turned her enormous head to me, obviously not very appreciative of my shrill tone. “Sorry, Hannah girl,” I pleaded to the majestic mother to be.
    “Phin?” A voice echoed down the empty hallway. Phin and I were both in the stall rubbing on Hannah.
    “Lucas, we’re in with Hannah. Come on down here. I want to introduce you to Faye.” Phin walked over to the stall door and held it open for me to pass through.
    Out in the hallway a figure walked towards us. As he got closer I could make out curly sandy blonde hair and the slightly awkward gait of a boy about my age. He was tall, towering over Phin and myself.
    He stopped in front of us and tossed his head to the side, moving some of the blonde curls out of the way so I could get a good look at his face. He had sweet looking eyes hiding behind wire-rimmed glasses. His shape was lean, but I knew he had to be able to pick up a bale of hay by himself to work at a barn, so he couldn’t be weak.
    “Lucas, this is my niece, or cousin? Wait a minute. I know you call Rose your aunt, but isn’t she actually your cousin?” Phin pushed his hat back on his head and eyed me curiously.
    “Um, yeah,” I answered suddenly embarrassed. “She’s my cousin, you’re my cousin. I just always called you guys aunt and uncle.” I looked at the ground, feeling the familiar flush creeping in to my cheeks.
    “So, Lucas, this is my cousin-niece. She is staying with us this summer and will be exercising the horses. Faye, this is Lucas. He does all the heavy lifting and feeding around here to save an old man’s back.” A hand reached out toward me and I knew I had to look up to greet him.
    “Nice to meet you,” Lucas said.
    I was beyond relieved to see that the same crimson color I felt on my face was spread just as plainly across Lucas’ face and neck too. “Hey,” I said, and felt myself smiling before I could be embarrassed further. I shook his hand and we shared a little laugh, recognizing a friend in each other.
    “Would you two tomatoes stop it and get to work. There’s no time for that at my