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It’s at this point I notice Maple sitting atop the unicorn’s head. Not sure where she came from, but hey… I’m not about to turn down a little more help. The sooner we get this critter back to where she belongs, the better.
Kingsley opens the back end of the horse trailer.
“Can I ride in there with her?” asks Paxton.
“No way,” I say at the same time Kingsley says, “Nope.”
“Aww.” Paxton stares down.
“It’s not safe.” Anthony shakes his head.
She gestures at the unicorn, who is presently staring at the ramp with suspicion in her glowing blue eyes. “Why is it safe for her and not for me?”
This is the part where I try to figure out a way to say it’s not as big a deal if a horse gets hurt as it would be if a person does without setting off a storm of crying.
“It’s a horse trailer. It’s not a people trailer,” says Tammy.
Ooh. Nice. Thank you, Tam.
“She’s not a horse.” Paxton folds her arms.
Dammit. I chuckle. “It’s illegal. If someone sees you in there while we’re driving, they’re going to call the police.”
“She can hide us.” Paxton smiles.
“Sure, and all the other drivers on the road don’t see our entire truck and someone hits us.” Kingsley gently picks Paxton up and carries her around to the side door of the truck before setting her back on her feet. The pink lights in her sneakers flicker.
“Aww. Okay.” She reluctantly climbs up into the back seat.
The unicorn finally decides to trust this contraption and steps up into the trailer.
Kingsley secures the gate as if he’s done this before. Huh. Maybe he has. Guy’s been around for a while, after all.
Soon, we’re all loaded up in the ginormous pickup and on the way. Good grief, this thing is so big I could live in it. Guess he didn’t want to take a chance at not having enough power to pull a unicorn in a trailer. Just out and buying a truck like this on the spur of the moment is pretty crazy to me. It’s not like Kingsley’s hurting for money, but still. I’m guessing he’s been thinking about getting one for a while and this just gave him an excuse to do it. Makes more sense for him anyway than doing what other rich people do and buying tiny overpriced supercars. He couldn’t fit in a Lamborghini or Ferrari. At least with this thing, he’s got some elbow and leg room.
Whatever. As long as he’s happy. What good is having tons of money if you don’t get to enjoy it sometimes?
“You forgot shoes,” says Anthony in the back.
“No, I didn’t.” Paxton pokes him.
“Not you. Tammy.”
My eldest daughter sighs. “I didn’t forget them. I chose not to bring any. Debated skipping clothes entirely and just going straight to the leaf dress.”
“You are a nut,” says Anthony, laughing.
“Oh, come on, Ant.” Tammy yawns. “You know there’s no way in heck this is going to be a simple ‘giving Pax’s friend a ride home’ situation. Something insane is going to happen. I’m going to end up needing to shapeshift and clothes are just one more thing to worry about losing. And my sneakers are new. I only got them last month. Don’t want to lose them in the freaking ocean.”
There’s gotta be a connection with great supernatural power and a seeming contempt for clothing? Case in point: I turn into Talos: boom, naked when I change back. Kingsley turns into a werewolf: boom, naked when he changes back. Tammy shapeshifts into an animal form: boom, naked when she changes back. Anthony calls on the Fire Warrior: boom, naked when he changes back. The only real difference is Tammy doesn’t usually rip everything she’s wearing to pieces… unless she picks a big animal.
Makes me think the universe considers clothing to be against nature. Is it some sort of manifestation of humanity’s attempt to distance itself from natural things or arrogantly rise above being primitive? Or am I still too tired to think straight?
We start talking about our immediate plans. Drive to the marina, meet this Angus guy, get on his boat… and sail. Or whatever it is you call it when a ship travels without wind power. Do they still call that sailing? Or is it still called ‘cruising’ even though it’s not a cruise ship? I dunno.
Oh, by the way, Queen Maple is completely enamored with this truck. I think it’s the first time she’s ever been inside a motor vehicle. She’s like a six-year-old, opening every little compartment, pushing every button, that sort of thing. It’s kind of funny to watch her expression of awe each time she experiences technology—especially when she takes the air conditioning vent at full blast to the face. Poor little faerie clings to the vent slats with all her might, her body flapping like a flag in the wind for a moment.
Soon after she goes flying off the AC vent, we all scream in shock when she somehow opens the retractable moon roof and gets sucked out of the truck. An instant after she disappears, a soft thud comes from behind. Except for Kingsley—who is driving—we all spin to look out the back window.
