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I whirl toward her.
She’s huddling on the sidewalk against a parked car. A large, gangly shadow creature looms over her, its giant clawed hands poised to strike. No way I’m getting there in time to stop it from hitting Paxton… there’s only one option.
An intense bolt of lightning instantaneously launches from my fingers.
My aim is true—it had to be. The shadow fiend arches its back in pain, resulting in its strike swinging wild into the side of the car rather than hitting Paxton.
As I dash forward, the unicorn appears amid a flash of golden-white beside her. Its eyes flare, glowing azure. The shadow creature recoils from her like a blood vampire shying away from the sun—and disintegrates into smoke.
I run over and scoop Paxton up. “Are you okay?”
Trembling, but nods.
A few doors open. People poke their heads out from their houses, looking around, no doubt having heard her screaming as well as my lightning bolt. Bet they think a transformer cooked itself or something. Heck, that sounded like a whole power substation just melted down. Somehow, they don’t appear to notice us standing right there in the open.
I glance at the unicorn.
She gives off a sense of satisfaction. Oh, nice. As pleased as she appears to be for concealing us and banishing the shadow creature trying to harm Pax, it also looks pretty obvious she’s tired. Being away from her home, using whatever power she did to destroy the shadows, all of it appears to be taking its toll.
And her presence here is only making things get crazier… I glance back at the house where a stabbing almost happened tonight.
“Pax?” I whisper.
“I’m okay. Just… scared.”
I brush her hair out of her face and look into her eyes. “We have to help her get home before someone gets hurt… or killed.”
Paxton hugs me. “Yeah. I know.”
The unicorn bows her head, seeming apologetic. She knows she doesn’t belong here, and seems to be sorry for causing problems. Does that mean she came here willingly? Did Paxton summon her or simply send out a message asking a unicorn to come visit and this one decided to answer? I guess it doesn’t really matter. Not like I’m going to ground Paxton for summoning a unicorn when she didn’t even consciously try to do that. It’s a confluence of things happening just right.
Or just wrong, as the case may be.
“C’mon. Let’s get back inside.”
“Okay,” says Paxton.
Under magical concealment, we walk with the unicorn back down the street to our house. The creature goes around the side to the yard while we head in via the front door. After a quick hug, Pax heads to her bedroom. Despite expecting it to be futile, I return to bed and once again lie there staring up at the ceiling.
Come on, Kingsley. Work your magic. I need some good news, soon.
Chapter Fourteen
The Long Way
Early the next morning, a text from Kingsley awakens me.
Not only is the boat ready for us at the marina, but Kingsley’s on his way here to pick us up in his truck. Oh, and horse trailer, too. Whoa! King of short notice, I suppose. Then again, I did tell him we needed to do this quick. And clearly he’d spent the evening putting this all together for us. Good man!
I hop out of bed and go wake everyone up.
We hurry through breakfast and make our way outside. Kingsley goes out the front so he can pull the trailer around back. I kind of feel like a member of a presidential (or celebrity) security detail as we escort the unicorn around the side of the house to the front. All I’m missing is the earpiece with the squiggly wire going into my shirt collar. Kingsley’s truck—an enormous black king cab—is parked there. It’s really fancy and shiny, completely opposite the horse trailer presently attached to it. That trailer looks like it’s been in use for decades. It’s clearly a rental.
Paxton pats the unicorn’s mane and explains to her about the concept of trucks and trailers and moving her to the marina so we can get on a boat. The unicorn does seem fearful of the modern technology, though she’s too sad and weak at the moment to offer much protest.
I’m sure if the world had enough magic in it, she could’ve teleported herself to the marina, or even raced there herself. Paxton would’ve had to stay with her, which means riding her. I wonder… would the unicorn’s invisibility have hidden her, or would people have seen a young girl flying by?
Bah. Bad idea, no matter how you look at it. It would be one thing if they had nothing but forest to ride through to get to the coast. There’s too much city and people in the way. Something tells me the unicorn would get hopelessly disoriented downtown.
