Texas Slim carried a few mesquite logs from a nearby woodpile and tossed them in the pit. “Come on, fill up them plates, girls!”
“How’s it going?” Sierra stood near a long wooden picnic table laid out with biscuits, iced pitchers of lemonade, beans, salads, and condiments.
Emily filled a plate with salad, beans, and a burger. “Okay. Thanks for covering for us.”
“Someone is bound to find them,” Sierra noted. “We can’t keep them hidden in there.”
“I know. We’ll get them home soon,” Emily said as she went to sit next to David and Veronica. “I hope,” she added quietly.
Sunset streaks of bright orange, soft purple, and glowing pink shone with vivid clarity, set off by the dark blue sky. Stars danced overhead, reminding Emily of the magic web. Unicorns were the only animals that could actually run on the web, keeping magic under control and flowing to the right places. Without them, what would happen to all the magic from Avalon now flowing wild?
“Hey, now! What’s a cookout without some stories and singing!” Texas Slim crowed.
Sierra picked up a guitar. “I’ll start off with an easy one to get us all in a campfire mood.” She adjusted the blue woven shoulder strap before placing her fingers expertly on the frets.
Emily’s dad smiled and she grinned back, knowing he was thinking of the fun they’d had playing music together in Colorado—when they’d been a real family.
“She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes,” Sierra sang. Soon everyone joined in.
Emily noticed David and Veronica holding hands and laughing. To her surprise, she wasn’t upset. Her dad seemed genuinely happy. For the first time since she’d arrived, Emily began to relax.
“She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she—”
“SQUONK!”
Emily bolted up, startled.
“Emily, we have a problem.” Lyra’s voice popped in her head.
“She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she—”
“TOOOT!”
Sierra looked at her guitar strings, puzzled, then continued.
“It wasn’t my fault!” Ozzie yelled.
“She’ll be coming round the—”
“BeeP Beep.”
“She’ll be coming round the—”
“floohonk.”
“She’ll be—”
“Pffoooping.”
“round the—”
“toOOtle”
“when she—”
“BwAAP!”
What the—! Emily looked around at the chuckling guests. Those sounds weren’t just in her head. Everyone heard them!
“La LAAAA!”
“Whooo doggies, coyotes must be gettin’ hungry out there,” Texas Slim said. Something green scuttled behind the guests on the far side of the campfire.
What was that?
Something orange moving the other way caught Emily’s eye.
Holding her jewel, Emily sent a telepathic SOS. “Adriane!”
“I’m on it.” Adriane dashed after the green thing, Dreamer close on her heels.
Emily wondered why Dreamer wasn’t in the barn watching the— uh oh.
A glittering silver animal trotted after the mistwolf.
“Wonderful! Anyone else have talent they want to share?” Tex called out.
Zzzzap!
Kara yelped as diamond-white magic sparkled in the night like a miniature fireworks display. When the glittering light faded, her hair was a mass of curling purple ringlets.
“Cool, a magic act!” one of the guests exclaimed amid appreciative applause.
Gulping, Kara bowed. “And now for a disappearing act.” She dashed off, shaking her colorful head at Emily.
“Okay, we had a song and a—whatever that was—but now its time for ghost stories!” Tex announced.
Emily excused herself and ran to the barn. Pulling open the door, she gasped.
The unicorns were huddled in a big mass tootling and hooting up a storm.
“What’s going on?” Emily asked.
Something sparkled in the middle of the group.
Emily pushed her way through the unicorns. There in the center stood Dante, Boodle, and Spruce. No longer beige, their coats were sparkling silver, green, and orange. And upon their foreheads, swirling crystal glittered.
Oh no! Their horns had sprouted!
“How cool is this?” Dante swaggered as the unicorns proudly displayed their new horns.
A hay bale flew across the room. Adriane ducked for cover just in time.
A bright light surrounded Ralfie. When it cleared, his hide was a deep green, with bright brass-colored spots. His new horn shimmered with rainbow magic.
“I’m so handsome!” Ralfie puffed his chest proudly.
A perplexed Domino rose a few inches off the ground.
“Everyone! Stop!” Emily shouted. “Listen to me, do not use your magic.”
The unicorns all stopped.
“What happened to you?” she asked, shocked. “You’re all silver and orange and green!”
“These are our real colors,” Ralfie explained. “They appear when our horns grow in.”
“I thought unicorns were white,” Adriane said.
“How many have you seen?” Ralfie challenged.
“Two,” she admitted.
“Well, there you go,” Spruce said.
Suddenly bright lights flashed—horns were popping up like popcorn!
“Where’s Kara?” Emily was looking about frantically. “Kara?”
“Hey, where’s Calliope?” Dante asked. “And Mailai and Violet? And Electra? And Snowflake?
“Roll call—” Ozzie shouted.
“Not now, Ozzie!” Adriane yelled.
Hiding thirty baby unicorns that looked like colts and fillies was one thing. How long would it take for people to notice thirty bright rainbow-colored unicorns with real sparkling crystal horns?
“Come to the cabin!” Kara’s voice cried out in Emily’s mind. “Hurry! We have an emergency!”
“Everyone just stay here!” Emily shouted, running toward the door. “Let’s go, Adriane.”
HIGH-PITCHED SQUEALS split the air like a strangled trombone as Adriane and Emily barreled through the cabin door.
“Kara, are you all right?” Emily called out breathlessly.
“Hi.”
Electra, Daphne, Phoebe, Kalinda, Ruby, Dulcinea, Sibby, Zoey, and Celia were lolling about on the beds, pillows, and rugs, looking dazzling in shades of mint greens, ocean blues, lilac lavenders, and sunset reds. Their crystal horns twinkled with magic.
“Oh!” Emily stared.
“What’s the emergency?” Adriane asked.
“We need those extra towels,” Kara mumbled from the bathroom.
“What did she say?”
“I think she means these.” Emily lifted the pile of towels set on the dresser and opened the bathroom door—into a storm of bubbles. Violet and Clio were in the tub, splashing about in a bubble bath. Snowflake and Mailai were preening in front of the mirror.
Kara sat on the edge of the tub, comb in her mouth, styling Calliope’s mane and tail. The room was littered with plastic bottles of conditioner, shampoo, mousse, and hair gel. A blow dryer hung over the sink. Unicorn hair was piled on the floor.
“Cool, set them down over there.” Kara ran the comb through Calliope’s mane, carefully trimming the silky hair.
Emily gasped. “Calliope, you’re…” The unicorn’s hide had turned an incredible shade of pastel green, iridescent and absolutely gorgeous.
“Green!” Adriane finished.
“And so beautiful!” Emily added.
Calliope beamed. Her crystal horn swirled from her forehead, pulsing with bright pistachio sparkles.
“Stay still!” Kara ordered. The blazing star’s jeans and tank top were covered in shampoo, bubbles, and brightly colored unicorn hair.
Violet and Clio barreled out of the tub and started primping next to Snowfl
ake and Mailai.
“Your horns!” Emily exclaimed, examining the unicorns’ foreheads. “They’ve all grown! And look at you!”
True to her name, Violet had turned a beautiful shade of lavender, her crystal horn glowing upon her forehead. Snowflake had become a dazzling snow white, Clio an aqua blue, Mailai a sunburst orange. The rest of the female unicorns crowded in the bathroom door, proudly showing their sparkling horns to Emily and Adriane.
“You’re all so beautiful!” Emily exclaimed. “But what’s all this?” she swept her hand over the mess that started in the bathroom and now spilled all over the cabin.
“They can’t show up at the academy without looking their best,” Kara said, smiling.
“Kara would never let us jump across the web all dirty!” Electra declared.
“First impressions are very important.” Kara held Calliope’s head to inspect her handiwork.
“Absotootly!” Calliope agreed, nodding.
“Oh Emily, we’re so excited!” Snowflake exclaimed. “We’re going to make magic!”
“We’re really going to run the web!” Mailai squeaked.
Kara sniffled. “I’m so proud of my little girls, all grown up so fast.”
“FloooB!”
Clio’s horn burst with sapphire light as her magic sent a swarm of bath bubbles circling the room.
“Well, don’t just stand there,” Kara said to the other mages. “This is a par-tay! We’re styling!”
Adriane and Emily couldn’t help themselves. They got into the spirit and joined right in. Each took towels and started drying and brushing the shampooed and conditioned unicorns.
Laughing and giggling, the unicorns and three mages took over the entire cabin. Each unicorn was strikingly beautiful, their horns blinking like Christmas lights.
Suddenly, Kara put her hand up. “Wait!” Stroking her chin in deep thought, the blazing star surveyed the group. “There’s something missing.”
“What?” The unicorns checked themselves over.
“I know!” Kara leaped to the dresser and began rifling through her clothes. She pulled out several silk blouses. “These will do.” Holding up the scissors, she closed her eyes tight.
Emily and Adriane were shocked.
As they watched, Kara cut up her prized possessions into long strips.
“Now I’ve seen everything,” Adriane said, laughing. “Her jewel has driven her completely over the edge!”
“Didn’t hurt a bit,” Kara said, tying silk ribbons and bows in the unicorns’ hair.
“Kara!” Emily howled, rolling on the bed and doubled over in laughter. Violet, Dulcinea, Clio, Electra, and Phoebe fell over the healer, squealing in delight.
A knock at the door brought the group up sharp.
“Who’s there?” Emily asked, giggling.
“gah.”
“Come in, Ozzie.”
The door burst open—but the ferret was not alone. Fifteen boy unicorns tumbled over him, hooting and hollering.
“Hey!” Clio yelled. “Girls only!”
“Wow, Clio,” Dante said. “You look… nice!”
Clio blushed. “Really?”
“It was a mutiny!” Ozzie stood up and kicked Ralfie.
“It’s okay, Ozzie,” Emily said, breaking up in laughter again.
“Check it out, ladies!” Ralfie pranced about, proudly displaying his deep green hide with bright brass-colored spots.
“Ooo, Ralfie!” Daphne, Zoey, Mailai, and Dulcinea crowded around, admiring his gleaming spots and new, shimmering horn.
“Well, don’t you all look just incredible!” Emily said, walking about the room, inspecting the new horns. She caught movement out the window. “Where’s Riannan?” she asked, looking about the group.
“She won’t come in,” Clio huffed.
“Party pooper!” Spruce blew a raspberry noise.
“Say, you could use a little trim.” Kara ran her hand though Pollo’s silvery blue scruffy forelock.
“I want a mullet!” Ralfie tooted.
Emily nodded to her friends. “I’ll be right back.”
“Right this way to Kara’s unicorn beauty parlor!” The blazing stylist motioned to the bathroom. Ralfie and Dante took a flying leap right into the tub, splashing water everywhere.
“Boys!” Clio huffed.
Emily walked out into the cool night and breathed in deeply. The air smelled fresh and clean. Stars winked across the sky like diamonds. Luckily their cabin was set apart from the others, so no one could hear the party going on inside.
A unicorn peered around the cabin, head lowered, mane and forelock covering her face.
“Riannan?” Emily called softly. “Don’t you want to join us inside? We’re having a lot of fun.”
The unicorn turned her hornless head away. “No!”
“Then is it okay if I sit here for a while?” Emily asked.
“I guess…”
Emily sat on the front step. “What’s wrong, Riannan?”
“Everything!” The unicorn sobbed, dark eyes glimmering. “What if my magic isn’t good enough?”
“When you get your horn, I’m sure you’ll sound beautiful,” Emily reassured her.
“You don’t understand…” Riannan swished her nearly golden tail. “Everyone thinks I’m going to be the princess.”
“Princess?”
“One unicorn in each generation is a prince or princess,” Riannan explained.
Emily was startled into silence for a moment. She’d never heard of unicorns having princes and princesses. “You don’t know if it’s you or not?”
“Nobody knows until our horns are tuned.” Riannan flopped down next to Emily. “What if I’m not really special? I’m scared, Emily.”
The healer looked into Riannan’s deep, liquid eyes. Gently petting the unicorn’s neck, she began, “Not long ago, I found myself in a whole new place, with no friends. I was scared. More scared than I’ve ever been in my whole life.”
Riannan regarded Emily closely.
The healer smiled, then continued. “Then I met Adriane, and Ozzie, and Dreamer, and Lyra, and Kara. Through their friendship, I found strength I thought I never had. I love them so much, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them.”
Riannan leaned closer to Emily.
“And you know what I’m scared of most?”
“What?”
“I’m scared I’ll let them down,” Emily’s voice was almost a whisper.
Riannan hung her head.
Emily gently raised the unicorn’s chin. “But I also know they love me, no matter what I do or what mistakes I make. So I just keep trying to be the best healer I can be.
“It’s okay to be scared,” Emily continued. “But you’ll never know how good you are if you don’t try.”
Riannan nodded and pawed the ground.
“Princess or not, it doesn’t matter.” Emily hugged the unicorn. “We all love you just for who you are.”
Riannan thought for a moment, then stood and faced the cabin.
“I won’t let you down, Emily,” Riannan said softly.
Emily smiled. “Now, come on. Let’s get inside before Kara shampoos the entire ranch.”
Opening the door, they faced a tooting, bleating, cacophonous mess.
“Watch this!” Spruce yelled. “BeeHoobaWaaHaah!”
Pillows flew across the cabin, raining feathers everywhere.
“Laa LAAA!” others joined in. “SqEEONK! BleeeaH!”
“That sounds awful!” Riannan shouted.
Everyone stopped and stared at the unicorn.
“If we’re going to tune our horns, we have to work together,” she said.
Emily walked between the unicorns. “Riannan’s right.” She held up her rainbow gem and closed her eyes. The jewel sparkled, ringing with a clear musical sound. “Girls?” she nodded toward Adriane and Kara.
The mages each held up their jewels. Adriane’s wolf stone glowed bright as she hummed the note.
<
br /> “Nice, Adriane.” Emily turned to the unicorns. “Now you try.”
“TOOOOT!”
“BeeeBOP!”
“DOoWaaa!”
Magic shimmered and flowed up and down the unicorns’ horns.
“Very good!” Emily praised. “But technique is only one part of playing music. You have to feel the music from here.” She touched Riannan’s chest, over the unicorn’s heart.
“What you guys need is your own song,” Kara suggested. “One you can all sing together to focus your magic.”
“Hey, yeah!” Spruce blared a line of bouncing bass notes.
Dante and Clio added a flurry of syncopated toots.
Adriane pounded out the rhythm on Kara’s suitcases as she sang the first verse.
You're the rhythm that rocks
To the beat that never stops
Be the tick, be the tock
Be the rain as it drops
The unicorns cheered as Kara took the next verse.
You're the melody that soars
Fairy's wing, ocean's roar
Sing it low, sing it high
Let's go dancing on the sky!
Emily stepped in and sang the third verse.
You're the harmony that shimmers
Like a star, be the glimmer
As the sun gives moon light
Lift the song into flight
The unicorns all tooted and hooted, Emily conducting as everyone sang together.
When rhythm, melody, and harmony meet
It’s music by heart,
The magic complete
“Work it, girls!” Kara shouted. She raised her arms and shimmied as Clio, Electra, Dulcinea, Snowflake, and Violet danced alongside her, shaking tails and manes.
“Okay, now the boys!” Emily called out.
Dante, Ralfie, Pollo, and Spruce slid across the wooden floor, spinning and jumping, stomping and hooting.
The cabin was filled with the magic of music and laughter.
Notes wavered and settled into perfect harmony. For a split second all of the unicorns’ horns lit at once, perfectly in sync, voices all in tune. A rainbow arc of magic swirled above them, twinkling like stardust.
“Bravo!” The mages clapped.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The cabin door rattled as the magic faded.
Song of the Unicorns (Avalon: Web of Magic #7) Page 8