Wednesday Briefs: Unicorn Quests Chapter 23

Tinn’il took one look at the mist and withdrew inside my cloak. I glanced over my shoulder. “Londe?” His horn was glimmering, but he was calm.

“I don’t sense anything.”

Anything evil, he meant.

“Are we going in there, Papa?” Colete asked. She was leaning on Londe. He hung his head over her healing withers, gently nosing her cheek.

“We have to, Tera says. This is the way to Tinn’il’s family.” I didn’t want to take my family through the mist, but I couldn’t leave them behind unprotected either.

“I keep telling you I’m not your enemy,” Tera said. She pushed her hair out of her face, frowning at us.

“So you say.” Londe eyed her. “A person who was friendly might have tried speaking with me before they stole a Being under my care.”

“I didn’t steal him!” She shoved her fists on top of her hips and faced Londe. “I was rescuing him.”

“From the Beings who had already rescued him from the ones who actually kidnapped and might have hurt him. He hasn’t been able to tell us, but no young that age should be away from their family, so we were trying to find them. Because we care. Because we don’t harm other Beings. Did you really think we were doing something evil to him?”

“I couldn’t take the risk.” She glanced at me.

“Enough.” I slashed my hand through the air. “I’m tired of going over this. We’re taking Tinn’il home.” Through a mysterious mist, apparently. “Let’s go.” I raised my eyebrow at Tera. “After you, of course.”

She sighed, letting her arms drop to her sides. Exasperation that I wouldn’t let her continue to try and defend her actions? That I kept Tinn’il away from her? That I forced her to go ahead of me? That she couldn’t use her magic on us unaware?

Nope. Didn’t care what her frustration was for, as long as she did what I said.

Mist should be cold.

This was warm. It curled in tendrils around my legs and arms as soon as I stepped onto the trail by the lake.

‘Wasn’t the mist on the end of the trail?’ Londe asked me, sending the question mentally.

‘Yes, and it shouldn’t be warm.’

“Is this your magic?” I asked Tera.

“No. This is not mine. My magic is fire.” Her hair was curling about her face and she looked distinctly uncomfortable, her arms folded inside her cloak. Maybe her discomfit was more about the mist and her magic than us. The tendrils curled around her legs and then up her body, obscuring her just a few steps ahead of me.

Then she disappeared.

“Tera?”

She didn’t reply.

The mist had grown into a solid wall. I spun, looking for my family. They were gone too. “Marces? Colete! Londe?” I sent out the call mentally as well, but there was no answer. What was this? My breath sped, and my hands shook. I wanted to draw a weapon, but what could I use against mist?

This was magic. It had taken my family.

I touched my side, but Tinn’il was still huddled inside my cloak. Damn it. All I wanted to do was take the poor young home, but I’d put my family at risk yet again. My stomach roiled.

“You may pass, protector.”

“Who said that?” I spun again, looking for the source of the voice that chimed around me. It seemed to come from all directions at once, the fog distorting the sound and masking the speaker.

I took a step, and the warm moisture clinging to me and obscuring my vision abruptly disappeared. There was Tera, standing beside the lake with both hands up facing my mate who had both our young behind him. Londe was pawing the ground, his horn glowing and lowered to point straight at her chest.

“Where is he?” Londe thundered.

He could be so forceful. Love and regret washed over me. “I’m here.”

Londe whipped his head toward me. “What happened to you? Where did you go?”

“Nowhere. The mist just got really thick. You disappeared.”

“No we didn’t. You did.”

“It was the magic. It was verifying your intentions. Judging your—”

“Soul?” I interrupted. I scoffed, turning away. “Whatever. Another thing you didn’t tell us, obviously. Let’s go.” I wanted to be done with this and away from this devious witch.

I stroked Marces and Colete’s mane’s, and Tinn’il came out to touch noses with them. They would miss the little guy.

Just beyond the lake was a flower covered mound. Furry Beings popped out of the ground. They were both like and unlike Tinn’il. Two rushed me who had his face, but their bodies were much larger. They stood upright and reached my chest where the locus was vibrating in excitement.

“Tinn’il!”

“My son!”

“Daddy!” Tinn’il squeaked when his father grabbed him. He nuzzled the female. “Mama.”

The chittering and squeaks were incomprehensible, to me at least. I back to my family, leaning against Londe’s shoulder. Marces and Colete both close, and I stroked them, remembering that moment when we’d been reunited. The relief had been indescribable.

I gazed around us. There were some little ones scampering around the adults looking on. None were as small as Tinn’il, though.

Just how young was he?

Tinn was holding Tinn’il. His little ears were sticking right up, and his father never stopped crooning. Serai finally looked away, though her hand stayed on Tinn’il’s back, stroking him. “Thank you for rescuing our son.”

“I’m just glad I could help.”

“The mist passed you, so your intentions were truly to only help him, and us. Do you know how rare that is?” Serai asked.

I shrugged. “He’s a young. Young should be protected at all costs.”

“Even if his magic could restore yours?” Tera asked. “I can sense it’s broken. You’re supposed to be a unicorn.”

“I would never steal magic from a child,” I refuted, aghast.

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Carol Pedroso

Julie Lynn Hayes