Kit Bridges stood at the door of TK’s empty stall.

He’s gone, she thought.

Lady Covington had warned Kit that if she didn’t ride TK and compete in school equestrian functions, TK would have to go. “An unruly horse in the stable is both a hindrance and dangerous, to say nothing of the fact that no one is riding him,” she had said.

So Kit had struggled to overcome her fear of riding, and she had succeeded. She had developed a relationship with TK, and she’d discovered that he wasn’t unruly. Well, he definitely was, but not because he was a bad horse. He just had a more sensitive temperament than most horses. He had needed someone who understood his quirks.

That’s where Kit had come in.

She had made amazing progress with TK after enduring weeks of peer tutoring with the seemingly perfect Elaine Whiltshire. She’d learned to ride TK through a dressage test, and after intense practice, she’d managed to guide him through a jumper course as well. She had struggled to catch up to the skill level of her peer riders at The Covington Academy for the Equestrian Arts, and she had tried her best to compete as required in the past weekend’s House Cup competition.

But she had failed. After all her hard work, TK had balked, badly, at the very first jump. She’d almost gotten herself severely injured in front of the entire House Cup audience when he reared up in a panic. Because of her, Rose Cottage had lost the House Cup to the boys of Juniper Cottage. Because of her, the entire school’s standing in the BSEA (the British Schools Equestrian Association) was now much lower than Lady Covington wanted. And because of her, TK had been taken away last night, just as Lady Covington had threatened.

Kit stared at his empty stall, numb with grief. TK was so much more than just a horse to her. He was her friend. He was a rebel, like she was. He had his own special way of doing things, and she had formed a bond with him that was so unusually strong that even she didn’t understand it. But she could feel it, even now that he was gone. They had taken him away despite the fact that she needed him and he needed her.

Kit had lost so much in the last year, starting with the death of her mother. She and her dad had moved all the way from Montana to England in an attempt to start their lives anew, and though all the changes had presented their own difficulties, the move had proven to be a good one.

But now TK was gone, and Kit felt that horrible emptiness, that deep agonizing heartache, all over again.

Footsteps approached. Arms reached out and wrapped her in a warm hug. “How are you feeling today?” her dad asked, gently pulling away so that he could see her face. Kit’s father, Rudy Bridges, had been hired as the school’s equestrian supervisor, but to Kit’s dismay, he had been unable to stop Lady Covington from banishing TK. Lady Covington owned and ran the prestigious riding school. She was the headmistress. Her word was law, and even Rudy, the strongest and most loving man Kit had ever known, couldn’t change that.

Kit tried to smile. “I want to know what our plan is.”

Rudy thought about it. “Well, it’s Monday. That means omelet bar day. I’d recommend the bacon and peppers. Then after that you have Latin class —”

“I’m talking about TK. How are we going to get him back? What’s the plan?”

Rudy pursed his lips and silently pulled Kit into another hug.

Kit nudged back. “Why are you giving me the double hug?”

In her experience, the double hug never meant good news. She searched his eyes, hoping to see that spark of cowboy rebellion that meant he was willing to fight for her and TK against all odds. Rudy was the best dad in the world, Kit’s champion and protector. Whenever she needed him, he was there for her. But the spark she hoped to see in his eyes wasn’t there. She saw just one thing, and she didn’t like it: sympathy. “No . . .” she said, not wanting to believe the truth. “Dad!”

“TK is dangerous,” Rudy said. “He’s unpredictable. Those are just facts.”

“Mom always called you dangerous!” Kit exploded. “And you’re definitely unpredictable! But we didn’t ship you off to who knows where!”

“I know this is tough, kid. TK was a really important step —”

“He’s not a step! He’s my horse!” Kit tried to keep her voice from breaking as she added, “He’s my friend.”

“Kit, there will be other horses.”

“You’re supposed to be the one person who is always on my side!”

“I am,” Rudy insisted. “I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but we’ll be okay.”

“Oh, you seem just fine already,” Kit said. “Thanks!” She stormed out of the stable, her hands balled into fists. She had only one option left, so she decided to go for it. She stalked through the courtyard, across the field, past the practice arena, into the main school building, up the stairs, and straight to Lady Covington’s office.

Barging through the door, she targeted her rage at the female figure standing by the window with her back turned. “You had better sit down because I have a lot of things to say to you! Sitty-downy things that —” Kit stopped dead as Sally Warrington, one of Covington’s English teachers, turned around. “Oh. You’re not Lady C.”

“Definitely not,” Sally agreed, folding her arms, “and I think that may be to your advantage in this situation. Why don’t we sit and take a moment to collect our thoughts?” Sally, who was always one to maintain decorum, calmly indicated two chairs.

Kit plopped down into one of them, too startled to argue. Maybe it was a good thing that Lady Covington wasn’t there. If she had been, Kit would probably be expelled already. But now Sally was going to get the full brunt of Kit’s anger. Kit knew that wasn’t fair. The really awful part was that, at that moment, she didn’t care.

“Perhaps a slightly calmer approach?” Sally went on as she lowered herself into the other chair. “Take a deep breath —”

“I’m already breathing, see?” Kit snapped, panting in demonstration.

“Goodness,” said Sally as Kit felt her cheeks flush from the flood of too much oxygen.

“Okay, now I’m a little light-headed,” Kit had to admit. “But that’s good! I want my head to be nice and light! That vampire is not going to know what hit her —”

“Good morning,” came a proper-sounding English voice. “Am I late for a meeting in my own office?”

Sally stood up respectfully as the headmistress entered. “Uh, Kit and I were just discussing . . .” She trailed off, forcing a small, stiff smile.

Kit wondered what Sally could possibly say to save the situation. She was a sweet young woman who cared deeply for her students, and her standards of behavior were high. But even if she risked a fib, how could it mask Kit’s choice of words? It was pretty clear by circumstances who vampire had been aimed at . . .

“We were just discussing a series of graphic novels we enjoy,” Sally suddenly resumed. “About immortals. And . . . now . . . Kit was going to go.”

At any other time, Kit would have burst out laughing. Instead, she looked up at Sally in irritation, then over to Lady Covington as the headmistress asked her, “Is that true, Katherine?”

Kit opened her mouth to speak. No words came to mind.

“Well, spit it out,” said Lady Covington. “This awkward silence, although a surprising change for you, is interfering with my very busy morning.”

That did it. The headmistress seemed to enjoy constantly reminding everyone of how importantly busy she was, as if nobody else in the world was doing anything important or busy. Fine! Kit thought. If you’re so doggone busy, then let’s cut to the chase! “Where is TK?” she demanded, jumping to her feet. “I followed your schedule! I held up my end of the bargain!”

Sally quickly interjected, “I think what Katherine means is —”

Kit didn’t want to hear it. The time for polite manners had ended when the vampire headmistress had taken TK away from her. “I can’t believe you got my dad on your side,” Kit said. “That I did not see coming. You’re good, Lady Covington, I’ll give you that. But you can’t take away my dad and my horse!”

“Isn’t it lovely that the students can feel comfortable enough to express their inner thoughts?” Sally offered in an apparent attempt to soften the situation.

Kit ignored her. I’m up to my neck now, she thought, so I might as well see it through. “Where. Is. TK?” she repeated.

“What time is it?” Lady Covington responded, casually glancing at her watch. “Eight thirty. I expect he’s already in France.”

“What?” Kit cried.

“He’s been sold.”

“To who?”

“To whom,” Lady Covington corrected her. “To a lovely German family with a holiday home in France. There’s plenty of land, and he’ll be properly broken.”

Broken? You mean his spirit will be destroyed! He won’t be TK anymore! Kit found herself switching from anger to pleading. “His performance in the ring was my fault,” she said. “He was in a mood, and I wasn’t listening!” Silently, she added, That’s what Elaine told me, and according to you, I’m supposed to learn from Elaine, so listen to me, please!

Lady Covington did not listen. “He has been sold,” she said. “My decision is final.”