the stables and check on the horses,” he instructed. “Make sure that none of them were hurt.”
Alfonso looked annoyed, but he didn’t argue. He nodded to his father and left the room.
“Well, one good thing has come of this,” Roberto sighed. “At least we know for certain now that Vega has the colt.”
“Does that mean we can call the police?” Issie asked.
Roberto shook his head. “I wish that were the case, but we still have no proof that the colt is yours,” he said. “Vega has branded it with the mark of his stables — if anything, the colt now appears to be even more his property than he was before.”
“But Storm isn’t his!” Issie looked pleadingly at Avery. “Tom, we have to do something. I can’t leave Storm with Vega.”
“Issie, Roberto is right,” Avery said. “Vega currently holds all the cards. If we go to the police now they won’t believe us. It’s our word against his. We must wait until the time is right…”
“When?” Issie said. “When will that be? After Vega has used the
serreta
on him, the same way he did to Angel? That man is a monster — and he’s got my colt!”
“Isadora,” Roberto cautioned, “I know how much you love your colt, but your impetuousness today has already got us into trouble. Now I must ask you to wait. Let us decide what to do.”
“I’m sorry…” Issie was taken aback. “I wasn’t trying to cause trouble… I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt…”
“I know that,” Roberto said gently. “But for your own safety, Isadora, please, let us handle this. I do not want to see anything happen to you.”
Issie looked around the room at Francoise and Avery. They were both silent, which Issie took as a sign that they were in agreement with Roberto.
She felt hot tears pricking at her eyes.
Great
, she thought,
now it’s all my fault, and to make it worse I’m going to start crying like a kid in front of everyone
. “You know,” she said, trying to focus on the plate of cakes in front of her as the tears blurred her vision, “I’m not very hungry right now. I think I’m going to go to my room for a while.”
Issie left the living room, shutting the door behind her. She stood outside, pausing for a moment. What was she going to do now? Roberto had made it clear that he thought fighting to get Storm back was futile, and Avery and Francoise seemed to agree with him. Still, did they really expect Issie to sit back and do nothing while Vega had her colt?
What else could she do, though? Issie was halfway around the world, without her friends or her family. If shewas home then she could rely on Mystic turning up to help her. But here, in Spain? She was on her own. In fact, she had never felt more alone in her entire life.
Issie slumped back against the cool stone wall of the hallway just outside the living room door. She let herself slide down the wall until she was sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her knees. She couldn’t just stay here at the hacienda and do nothing!
She reached a hand to her throat and felt for her necklace. It was a friendship necklace, the sort where the heart splits in two and you keep one half and give the other half to your best friend. Francoise had given her this necklace. Issie wore her half of the gold heart on a gold chain around her neck. The other half of the heart was attached to Blaze’s halter. Issie never took the necklace off. She liked to reach up and touch it sometimes, to remind her that no matter where she was, her heart was always with her mare, back in Chevalier Point.
Issie shook her head. That was what Roberto didn’t understand. Storm wasn’t just any colt, he was Blaze’s son. She loved him with the same passion that she loved Blaze. And now Storm needed her. She wasn’t going to let him down.
Filled with determination, Issie was about to pushherself back up off the floor and head up the stairs to her room when she heard voices coming from the living room. It
Alfonso looked annoyed, but he didn’t argue. He nodded to his father and left the room.
“Well, one good thing has come of this,” Roberto sighed. “At least we know for certain now that Vega has the colt.”
“Does that mean we can call the police?” Issie asked.
Roberto shook his head. “I wish that were the case, but we still have no proof that the colt is yours,” he said. “Vega has branded it with the mark of his stables — if anything, the colt now appears to be even more his property than he was before.”
“But Storm isn’t his!” Issie looked pleadingly at Avery. “Tom, we have to do something. I can’t leave Storm with Vega.”
“Issie, Roberto is right,” Avery said. “Vega currently holds all the cards. If we go to the police now they won’t believe us. It’s our word against his. We must wait until the time is right…”
“When?” Issie said. “When will that be? After Vega has used the
serreta
on him, the same way he did to Angel? That man is a monster — and he’s got my colt!”
“Isadora,” Roberto cautioned, “I know how much you love your colt, but your impetuousness today has already got us into trouble. Now I must ask you to wait. Let us decide what to do.”
“I’m sorry…” Issie was taken aback. “I wasn’t trying to cause trouble… I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt…”
“I know that,” Roberto said gently. “But for your own safety, Isadora, please, let us handle this. I do not want to see anything happen to you.”
Issie looked around the room at Francoise and Avery. They were both silent, which Issie took as a sign that they were in agreement with Roberto.
She felt hot tears pricking at her eyes.
Great
, she thought,
now it’s all my fault, and to make it worse I’m going to start crying like a kid in front of everyone
. “You know,” she said, trying to focus on the plate of cakes in front of her as the tears blurred her vision, “I’m not very hungry right now. I think I’m going to go to my room for a while.”
Issie left the living room, shutting the door behind her. She stood outside, pausing for a moment. What was she going to do now? Roberto had made it clear that he thought fighting to get Storm back was futile, and Avery and Francoise seemed to agree with him. Still, did they really expect Issie to sit back and do nothing while Vega had her colt?
What else could she do, though? Issie was halfway around the world, without her friends or her family. If shewas home then she could rely on Mystic turning up to help her. But here, in Spain? She was on her own. In fact, she had never felt more alone in her entire life.
Issie slumped back against the cool stone wall of the hallway just outside the living room door. She let herself slide down the wall until she was sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her knees. She couldn’t just stay here at the hacienda and do nothing!
She reached a hand to her throat and felt for her necklace. It was a friendship necklace, the sort where the heart splits in two and you keep one half and give the other half to your best friend. Francoise had given her this necklace. Issie wore her half of the gold heart on a gold chain around her neck. The other half of the heart was attached to Blaze’s halter. Issie never took the necklace off. She liked to reach up and touch it sometimes, to remind her that no matter where she was, her heart was always with her mare, back in Chevalier Point.
Issie shook her head. That was what Roberto didn’t understand. Storm wasn’t just any colt, he was Blaze’s son. She loved him with the same passion that she loved Blaze. And now Storm needed her. She wasn’t going to let him down.
Filled with determination, Issie was about to pushherself back up off the floor and head up the stairs to her room when she heard voices coming from the living room. It
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