Ariadne smiled with giddy relief when the boy appeared. She could detect the faintest whiff of ozone around him, but he seemed perfectly nice. And the horse liked him. For some reason, she vaguely recalled once being told that horses were excellent judges of character. Although that could have simply been Aunt Lysia trying to convince a child not to be afraid.

She had, after all, taught Ariadne the fine art of lying.

At any rate, she nodded slightly. "I think I need all the help I can get," she admitted. "I've never been on a horse's back before."