The music continued to spin them around, but when they stopped, she was plastered against him and stroking his cheek, tracing the scar with her finger.
Once silence fell around them, Ystella straightened and smiled. “Thanks for the dance.”
He was stunned and aroused, and it showed on his face, but he gave her a little bow.
She inclined her head and saw some of the other ladies leaving. As quickly as she could, she joined the women leaving the party. She tried not to look back, but the sudden exodus had left her dance partner buffeted by women. It wasn’t a horrible place to be, so she made her way to her truck and got in, getting out of the parking lot before any of the chattier ladies could block her path.
The whole way home, her body could feel every part of her that had been touched. She had been touched a lot.
She caught herself smiling several times on the way home, and there was still the mark of the surprisingly good time on her lips when she took off her shoes and tiptoed through the living room. Playing hide and seek with the stranger had been fun, but the exhilaration of the dancing when her feet left the floor had not only been risqué but adorable. It wasn’t a feeling she would be able to repeat; however, it had been fun while it lasted.
The light clicked on, and she paused with her shoes dangling from her fingers.
Her grandfather was sitting in the easy chair, and he looked at her expectantly. “Well?”
She sighed and walked over to the sofa nearest the chair. “Well, what?”
“Did you dance?”
She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. “I did.”
“Oh, ho! That is quite the expression. So, when do we meet him?”
Ystella shook her head. “You won’t. I don’t even know who he is. He’s not local and not even a horse.”
Her grandfather paused and then grinned. “Your grandmother is going to go ballistic.”
“I know.” She rubbed at her temple, making the headband rock against her skin.
Her grandfather flexed his fingers, and she could almost see the claws that were just above the arms of the recliner.
“Do you want him?”
She cocked her head. “I am not sure.”
“Did anyone notice the glow you have around you lately?”
Ystella stared at him. “Grandpa, I am not pregnant!”
“Not that, moron. I mean the extra shifter magic you are putting out lately. Flowers bloom behind you when you walk around in either form.”
If she hadn’t been sitting down, she would have fallen on her ass. “You know?”
“Of course. Well, the feline side of your family anyway. We could tell when you stopped smelling like prey and started to smell like spring.”
She blinked away the tears that threatened to ruin her makeup.
He leaned forward and took her hand. “So, what are you?”
She learned forward and whispered it in his ear. The booming cackle of his laughter shook the house.
Chapter Three
The family meeting was done in their pyjamas. Ystella sat on the couch, and she cleared her throat.
Her grandfather chimed in. “Ystella has something to tell everyone. Sorry to wake you, but this is something you need to know.”
Ystella blinked as everyone renewed their focus. Her father gave her an encouraging smile and elevated his thumbs in support.
Her mother cocked her head. “What is it? Oh, did you find a mate?”
The others leaned forward in excitement.
“Um, no. I didn’t find my mate. What Grandpa and I were talking about is that I am not normal.”
Her sisters snorted.
“I mean really not normal. I may look like a horse, but I am something else.”
Her family looked remarkably unsurprised.
Her mother smiled. “What are you dear?”
Ystella sighed. “Some kind of unicorn.”
Her sisters squealed and ran up to her, removing her headband and staring at her forehead.
Yvell frowned. “Where is it?”
Ystella blinked. “Where is what?”
“Your horn?”
Her mother came over and looked at her daughters. “The same place your hooves are.” She trailed her fingers across Ystella’s skin, and she looked at what they uncovered. “What have you done?”
“A lot of makeup and quite a bit of sanding. The plate glows under my skin, so I grind it down every few weeks.”
“Does that hurt?”
Ystella looked at her mother’s concerned face. “It does, but I thought it was better to hide it. It wasn’t something that I was comfortable with. Are you okay with this?”
“You are my daughter. You make me proud, as do my other children. You are a delight to myself and the family.”
Ymira murmured, “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Ystella chuckled. “Neither would I. I try to be a productive pain in the ass.”
Her mother sighed. “How long does it take your horn to regrow?”
“Two to three weeks. I will just look normal until then. I have to say, you are handling this much better than I thought you would.”
Her sisters looked disappointed. Ymira pouted, “That long?”
“Oh, I could rush it, but it hurts and makes a lot of noise, magically.”
Her mother leaned back. “Why is that a problem?”
“I am not a white and gold unicorn, Mom. I am a horse with a glowing metallic horn. Flowers sprout where I step, and I can taste the waves of wild magic all around me. Those senses are numbed when I shave the horn down, but I can still feel the magic that is looking for me. I don’t know what they want with me, but the shifter council has been trying to find me for months.”
Her father frowned. “What?”
“They are sending tendrils of magic out here and looking for me. I don’t know why, but they have stepped up their efforts.”
Her father asked, “Do you want to be found?”
“No. I am not ready for it.”
He nodded. “Then, we—as a family—will keep your secret to ourselves. No one outside this room will learn of it. Is everyone clear on that?”
Her sisters nodded, her mother nodded, her grandfather sat back in his chair and gave a slow nod.
“So, no one tells grandma. Right?”
Everyone got the same expressions of horror and nodded together. “Right!”
When Grandma showed up for a breakdown of what happened the night before, the herd scattered, and the bobcats went to check their territory. Ystella was stuck facing her mother’s mother alone.
Bryt Hist was a formidable matriarch and a terrifying grandmother. As a horse, she wouldn’t hesitate to kick or bite if you got out of line. Her discipline wasn’t too far off as a human.
The morning room was bright, and Ystella brought in a tea tray with an assortment of snacks for sweet or savoury tastes.
“So, Ystella. How was the party last night?”
Ystella braced for the interrogation, and she wasn’t disappointed.
A solid hour of barbs and questions on who danced with whom and why Ystella wasn’t dancing with the stallions or their seconds was enough to give her a headache, but her grandmother was worried about the next generation, and Ystella’s sisters couldn’t go to the mixers until Ystella was mated.
Ymira was grandmother’s favourite, and her mate was already picked out if Ystella could just get out of the way.
“You know, Ymira would have already closed the deal.”
Ystella nibbled at a cookie, and she nodded. “She is definitely a little on the slutty side.”
Her grandmother’s eyes opened wide. She paused for a handful of heartbeats, and then, she got to her feet and left the house. Ystella exhaled softly and gathered up the dishes.
She was washing the teacups when her mother returned looking pale. “What did you say to her?”
“I called
Ymira a bit slutty.”
Her mother sighed and closed her eyes, leaning heavily on the counter. “She wants me to expel you from the house.”
Ystella blinked and carefully set the gilded cup on the draining board. “Will you?”
“I don’t want to, but she runs the herd. If I don’t...”
Ystella dried her hands and hugged her mother. “I understand. I can leave tomorrow or even this afternoon. Can I take one of the trucks?”
“You can take your car. I have your account books in my office.”
“Account books?”
Her mother smiled and cupped her cheek with one hand. “You don’t think I worked you like a mule since you were fourteen and didn’t use your efforts to set money aside for you?”
“Yeah. I kinda thought you did.”
Her mother chuckled. “Well, I may not show affection the way your father can, but I do it in my own manner.”
“I know you love us all, Mom.”
“You don’t seem terrified at the prospect of leaving.”
She sighed and leaned down to press her forehead against her mother’s. “I have been preparing for this day since I was a teen. I am just glad that the decision was hers and not yours.”
“So am I. I would never put you out. You know that.”
“I know. It is why I fought so hard to be normal, so the decision would never have to be made. I am glad it was my mouth that got me in trouble and not my other form.”
Her mother laughed and gave her a hard squeeze. “I never saw that happening any other way.”
She smacked her mom’s arm and pried herself loose. “I have to get packing. Then start calling aunts and uncles to see who has an extra bed.”
Her mother had tears in her eyes. “That sounds horrible.”
“Don’t think that. I am just too cheap to find a hotel room right away.”
Her mom nodded and chuckled as Ystella left her in the kitchen. “So, I will just finish these dishes for you?”
Ystella called back, “If you wouldn’t mind. I don’t live here, so I am not sure where anything goes.”
She could hear her mother cursing her all the way to her room. Ah, memories.
Ystella took the back road instead of the highway. She needed time to think, and there was nothing like the threat of flinging rocks to keep her speed under control.
She rounded a corner and hit the brakes, hard. There was a huge boulder in the centre of the road. She pulled over to the side, but she couldn’t go around it without hitting the ditch.
She parked and sat for a moment as the dust cleared. A huge fricking rock. That was just right for this particular day.
Ystella got out of the car and walked over to the rock. It was weird, it was like a giant turtle shell, but no turtles were over four feet high with their limbs tucked in.
She pushed at the thing, and it shifted slightly. That was a relief. She put her beast’s strength into it, and the pile slowly moved off the centre of the road and headed toward the ditch with her encouragement.
The shell started to get hot under her hands, and in a flare of light, her palms were no longer pressed against the stone-like mound, but instead, they were flattened against the chest of her dance partner from the night before.
Ystella jerked back and stared at him. His skin had the smooth leathery feel of a hoof and there was a lot of skin on display.
“You know, I still don’t know what you are, but you are stronger today than you were yesterday.”
She looked him up and down. “Uh, you are different as well.”
He grinned. “I am impressed by your strength. Most shifters can’t move a tortoise as old as I am.”
She blinked. “Is that what you are? I thought you were some kind of turtle.”
“Turtles swim. I sink.” He winked.
“I see. So, you were looking for me?”
“I was looking for the dancer from last night. I have been sent to find the mythical shifter that is flickering up here. You just happen to be the same person.”
Ystella frowned. “How did you know I would be out here?”
He looked around and picked up a pebble that had been dragged under his shell. “This is set to your magic signature. It tells me when you are close.”
“How did anyone get my signature?”
He smiled. “Shamans and magic users are looking for any odd signals. Yours qualified. So, will you tell me what you are?”
She smiled. “No. I will tell the council, though.”
He inclined his head. “You may want to lock your car door. We will send someone to move your car later.”
She turned and retrieved her keys, grabbing her phone and locking the door. She turned back to him and looked around, “So where are we—”
He wrapped his arms around her, and there was a bright flash. A heartbeat later and they were not on a dusty road anymore.
Chapter Four
Ystella curled her hands into fists. No matter where she touched, it was dangerous. “I think you can let me go now.”
The tortoise smiled down at her. “I think I need you to protect my modesty.”
She barked a laugh. “You don’t have any modesty, and I am not clothing.”
She pushed back on him, but he didn’t move, so she took the steps back that were necessary.
He was still standing there with his skin marked from a thousand healed wounds and tough as smooth leather. She shook her head slightly and stepped even further back.
“Magnus, who have you brought in?”
Her naked captor turned and nodded to the man who was approaching them with a bundle of fabric over his arm. He handed the fabric to her companion, and he smiled brightly at her.
“Well, miss, who are you?”
She bit her lip and looked over the man in dark leather. He didn’t look like a shifter. “I don’t think you are the person I am here to talk to, so I am declining to answer.”
Her dance partner muttered as he pulled on the loose drawstring trousers and yanked on the tunic. “She is a shaman assignment. I have to take her up there as soon as I am decent.”
“That could take decades, Magnus. Seriously, what do I put on the register?”
“Guest of Kenzi. That should do.”
The man nodded. “That should do.”
“Ah, this is Transporter Becker. Transporter, the guest I mentioned.”
He bowed to her. “Pleased to meet you, mystery miss.”
She nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
Magnus finished straightening his clothing, and then, he smiled. “Shall we?”
He offered her his arm, and she cautiously put her fingers on the back of his wrist.
“You are in rough shape.” She murmured it softly as they left the arrival area.
“I have taken a few knocks. Nothing that I couldn’t recover from.”
She nodded. “Right. Obviously. So, who am I meeting?”
“One of the shifter shamans. Kenzi is very powerful and very pregnant. She is married to a merman, I believe.”
“A balanced relationship?” She had heard of it at some of the multi-herd meetings, but the idea had never entered her mind until now.
“That is the only way that a fey and a shifter can have a child.”
She nodded. “Of course. So, where is this shaman?”
“On one of the upper floors. We will take a lift.”
Ystella nodded. “Right. Of course.”
She didn’t say anything else until they were standing in the most amazing greenspace that she could have imagined. Trees were growing next to the support pillars, and she could hear a brook babbling somewhere in a corner. “Wow.”
Magnus nodded. “The shamans are shifter mages. Natural magic is in their blood.”
A low grunt came from the shadows, and a very pregnant woman stepped into the light. “My mystery mythical. I am so glad that Magnus was able to find you. My name
is Kenzi.”
The woman was extending both hands, so Ystella met her halfway with her own hands outstretched. “My name is Ystella. I am pleased to meet you.”
The grip that the shaman had was warm, firm, and the crackle of magic that tried to run up Ystella’s arms was impressive. She kept the magic at bay and raised her brows. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”
Kenzi blinked, and her eyes opened wide. “Um, I was trying to find out what you are.”
“You could have asked. I know what I am.”
The shaman nodded toward the seating area nearby. “Can you help me down? And then help me up later?”
Ystella smiled. “Of course.”
She helped the woman settle on the cushions and got her into a comfortable position before she settled across from her and poured the tea.
Magnus was nowhere to be seen.
Kenzi smiled and took the teacup from her. “I am normally supposed to do this.”
“No problem. You must be very near your term.”
“Oh, I am, but I wanted to see this settled.” She set her cup and saucer on her belly, and she smiled. “So, what are you?”
“I am a unicorn.”
Kenzi frowned. “You can’t be. There are a finite number of those creatures, and we have a full roster.”
“Seriously. I am a plain brown horse with a large golden horn under normal circumstances.”
Kenzi paused. “That isn’t what unicorns look like.”
“I know. I don’t know why I am like this, but I am.”
The shaman took another sip of tea. “What are the effects of your condition?”
“Well, when I let the horn grow out, flowers bloom where I walk in either form. It is impressive. I can also heal, cause fertility, any number of weirdly benevolent effects.”
Kenzi blinked slowly. “Huh. Are you willing to have those skills tested?”
“Sure, but my horn won’t regrow for a few weeks. The true effects of my magic will be strongest then.”
Kenzi nodded and closed her eyes, muttering to herself for a few seconds. “Right. I have it. You can stay with us, and I will run some passive tests on you.”
“That sounds restful.”
Bright Side Page 2