Horse Stone (Book 1 of Ilyrian Series)

Chapter 42

"Good afternoon, Miss McCormick," Dr. Weiner said the next Tuesday when I came for therapy. He smiled, but I could see the concern in his eyes because I hadn't really said anything during our last two meetings. "How are you today?"

"Good," I replied, even though I wasn't. I sat down in the seat that I normally occupied and tucked my feet against my body. I waited for Dr. Weiner to sit down in his seat with his clipboard and raised an eyebrow when he didn't.

"What?" he asked, cocking his head and studying me. "I thought we would try something different. Now, are you going to come, or are you going to sit here while I do what I have planned?"

Warning bells went off in my head, and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. I had no idea what this male was planning and wondered if he had even told my father what he was planning on doing for today's session.

It had been a week since I started therapy, and I could honestly say that I hated it. I hated trying to talk about myself to a male, who wouldn't even know the difference. I hated trying to get something out with no troubles, but it didn't work.

Dr. Weiner smiled and cocked his head. "Your father knows," he said. "I had made sure that I had his permission to take you somewhere." He gave me a pointed look, and I looked down. "Your father cares about you. You do know that, correct?"

I hesitated but nodded my head. "Where are we going?" I asked. I licked my lips and stood before I walked over to him. I still had those warning bells going off in my head, but they weren't as loud as they were before because my father knew where he would be taking me.

"You'll see," he replied. He cleared his throat and licked his lips before he gestured for me to go ahead of him. "Has the medication been working for you?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes," I replied and walked out of the room with him at my shoulder after he had closed the door. I glanced at the pudgy man beside me and then looked in the way that we were going. "I haven't had as many of those spells like I had in the past."

Dr. Weiner nodded and looked relieved. "Good, good," he said. He cleared his throat and stuck his hands into his pockets. "How are things going in the barn?" he asked. "Have you made any progress with Shadow?"

I shrugged. "Some," I replied. I felt relieved because this was one of the few things that I was comfortable talking to him about, even though there were times when I wanted to call Shadow "Vanar" and not the name that they had given him. "Not enough to put a bridle or saddle on him, but enough that he stopped being a brat when I placed some of my weight on his back."

He nodded. "Is he gaining any weight?"

"He is," I confirmed. "He is finally at a healthy weight. Serena is pleased with the work that I had put in with him because he is "back to his normal self" as she likes to put it." I shrugged. "I think he is and will always be a brat."

He chuckled. "Have you tried riding him bareback?" He glanced at me and frowned when I shook my head, no. "Why not?" he asked.

"He doesn't trust me enough for that," I replied. "And I respect his boundaries, so I am not going to push him that hard."

"You should," he said, and he pursed his lips in annoyance. "You're running out of time, and you need to be able to ride him."

"What?" I asked and looked at him. I furrowed my brows and cocked my head. "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

Dr. Weiner stopped walking and looked at me. His whole face was pale, and his heart pounded hard in his chest. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet while he looked left and right, not meeting my gaze.

"Dr. Weiner," I pressed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ummmm nothing, nothing," he replied, his voice soft. He cleared his throat and pulled at his shirt collar. Sweat appeared on the edge of his forehead, and he still didn't look at me. Again, he cleared his throat and gestured for me to continue walking, and I did but with a small huff. "I didn't mean anything by that."

I set my jaw and cleared my throat. I had a feeling that something bad would happen if I weren't able to ride Vanar soon, but I had no idea what. I made a mental note to either ask Adrian or the book to see if they would tell me, but deep down, I had a feeling that they wouldn't.

I huffed and rolled my eyes but knew better than to push, especially since Dr. Weiner didn't know that I knew about them and Ilyrian. "So, where are we going again?" I asked, changing the subject, and he let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Somewhere you feel safe," he replied. He shrugged and grimaced. "I do not know if this will help you open up or not, but I hope that it will."

"Somewhere I feel safe," I repeated, and he nodded. "Can I take a guess?" Curiosity filled my body, and I wondered where he thought I felt safe.

There were a few places that I felt safe, and I had no idea if I would open up in them or not. I had no idea what he was planning, and I prayed that whatever it was, wasn't something bad.

"Be my guest," he replied and gestured for me to say something.

"My room?"

"Funny guess, but no," he replied. He looked at me and smiled. "I don't think your father would like it if I went into your room."

I nodded because I had a feeling that he wouldn't either. "The barn?"

"No," he replied.

I frowned and furrowed my brows, wondering where else I felt safe. Besides those, there wasn't anywhere else that I felt safe, not including some of the school rooms, one where a certain male had to be out of. "The library?" I asked.

"Nice try, but no," he said. He stopped in front of a door and looked at me. Hesitance filled his eyes while he grinned, and I wondered what he was thinking and wondered if he thought he had made a mistake or not.

"Ok, I give up. Where are you taking me?"

Dr. Weiner cleared his throat and shifted. "I know that you love to paint and draw," he said, putting his hand on the doorknob. "So, I thought that this might help you open up." And with that, he opened the door and revealed what he had in store for us.

I peeked into the room, and all I could do was gasp.