by Donna Kunkel
Richardson whistled. “I never thought I’d ever see one.”
Alex and Vale moved away so the others could get a better look. Richardson then Norman knelt down, ran a hand over the eggs, then stepped back. Sheppard approached doing the same and said, “It’s obvious which is the male and which is the female.” He looked at the unicorn. “A pair. We’re so lucky you found them. Who knows how long they’ve been here.”
“And how much longer it would have been if not for Alex,” Vale added. The others nodded, looked at her, then looked back at the eggs. “We had better get busy so we can wake everyone up,” Vale said. They nodded and slowly slid their wands out.
Alex whispered to the unicorn, “I know you don’t like this part, but we can’t move them without using wands.”
Vale and Norman used their wands to lift the larger red egg, while Richardson and Sheppard lifted the blue egg. They ever so slowly followed the unicorn out. They maneuvered the two eggs into the front of the horse trailer and secured them with blankets and ropes. They stepped out and stood back. The unicorn laid its head against Alex’s chest. She gave him a hug then walked over to the ramp with him. He stepped in and she patted his rump. Alex handed Sheppard his brush and Sheppard closed the tailgate. They climbed back in the vehicles and drove back to the cabin.
When they were almost there, Vale said, “I almost forgot. I have arranged for a dozen students to take care of mowing the hay. I will call you so we can set up the dates.”
They got out and had their wands out to perform the awakening spell when they spotted a little girl on her bike headed their way.
Alex said to Vale, “I thought you said everyone would be asleep?”
“Everyone nonmagical; she must have magic. Who is it?”
“That’s Caroline. She’s the one who spotted the unicorn and told me about him. Go ahead and do the spell, I’ll take care of her.”
“I will have to meet her,” Vale said.
“Another time. You’d better leave before she spots the unicorn and asks questions.”
They performed the spell, climbed in the trucks, and eased back out onto the road. They’d pulled out and had gotten a little ways down the road when Caroline finally approached. Alex waited for her in front of the cabin. Caroline skidded her bike to a stop right in front of Alex, gasping.
“I didn’t know what to do. Dad went into town and Mom and Tommy are sound asleep. I couldn’t get them to wake up. I called you but you didn’t answer,” Caroline blurted out. “I called everyone and no one answered.” Her eyes were puffy and tears continued to run down her cheeks.
Alex laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m sure they were really tired and were taking a nap. Why don’t we go inside and you can call them? I bet they’re awake by now.”
Caroline propped her bike up against the porch, and Alex draped an arm around her as they went inside. Caroline picked up the phone and called home. Her mom answered and they talked for a couple of minutes.
“Why don’t I drive you home? You and your mom can stop by tomorrow for a visit and get your bike then,” Alex said.
Caroline relayed the information and her mom agreed. She hung up.
Alex fixed her a glass of water. “Better drink this.” While Caroline gulped the water down, Alex said, “Remember how we talked about the unicorn and no one else believed you?”
Caroline nodded and continued to drink.
“This is another one of those things. You don’t want to worry your mom, do you?”
Caroline shook her head.
“She was taking a nap and you got upset. You came down here to talk to me and wanted to see Mandy. Okay?”
“Okay,” Caroline whispered.
Alex knelt down. “Do you feel better now?”
Caroline nodded.
“Let’s take Mandy with us; she’ll enjoy the short ride.” Alex called Mandy and they all got in her car. She drove Caroline home then headed back. “That was a close one,” she said to Mandy. Mandy thumped her tail and continued to hold her muzzle up to the partially open window as they headed back up to the cabin.
Alex had settled into a comfortable routine as the days passed. One cooler evening, Alex carried her hot chocolate out onto the back porch and flopped down in the chair. She blew on the steaming liquid as Mandy wandered over to the screened-in windows, stopped, raised her head, and sniffed the air. Sunset had already arrived with the skies starting to shift into violets and midnight blues.
Mandy’s ears perked up.
Some animal must be moving around out in the meadow. It had to be pretty far out or in the trees on the far side. If it was closer, Mandy would be barking. It was so different from when she’d been here in the winter. Chickadees and even some hummingbirds could be seen during the day. The faint breeze brought the scent of hay and pine with it. Now she could understand why Steve enjoyed it out here. With only the few residents, you rarely heard a car, so the wildlife wandered around undisturbed. Peter had sighted a couple of female elk, but she hadn’t seen them yet. She’d only seen elk by going to one of the state parks during mating season when they congregated in herds.
All the years she’d spent in Colorado, and she’d seen deer but rarely anything else. Every day she would take time to try and spot something. There were a lot of deer, and farther down in the valley, there was a pair of beavers in the small lake. She knew there wouldn’t be any bears in the area, but Steve had mentioned that an occasional mountain lion might enter the valley. Of course, he would chase the mountain lion away before it had a chance to settle in…if he was here.
Mandy strolled over to her chair and plopped down with a grunt.
Alex reached over and scratched her ears while she sipped her drink, savoring the rich chocolate. It was so peaceful out here. Before she’d always enjoyed the museums, concerts, movie theaters, and restaurants a big city could offer. Now, whenever she returned to Denver she found the constant noise a major irritation. Spending a month here had changed her perspective. She’d even learned to love the peaceful winter.
Summer here was like heaven. Her soul was at peace. She no longer regretted being a wizard, and she’d never try to deny her magic again. She could be a part of both worlds; she’d finally found a balance. And then there was Steve.
He was always on her mind. Was he enjoying Aspen Glen? Did he like the classes? Were they able to help him control his shifting? Would he continue next year? Did he resent her for thrusting him into this new world? Had he accepted the fact that he was a wizard? If he didn’t, would security erase his memories?
He’d become so distant the last couple of months. Now he only called to check up on how everything was going. He’d ask about Mandy, Anna Belle, the hens, and even how the hay was coming along. Of course, he’d be concerned about all this, but he never asked how she was doing. She’d have to sit him down and find out how he felt about her when he got back. Maybe once he got used to the magical world, he’d enjoy being a part of it, including her. Until then, she’d have to wait. And wait.
****
The cooler days moved into the hotter ones of summer. The day was stagnant. Moisture hung in the air from the rains the night before. A cricket chorus was already in full swing, but the birds were quiet. They were probably conserving their energy for hunting food. Heat waves emanated from her little car and the rocks shimmered under the sun’s rays.
It was definitely hotter outside than it was in the cabin. Alex wandered back inside and spread a towel over the leather chair. Between her iced drink and fan, she should be able to cool down. She snapped the oriental fan open and fanned herself. Mandy wandered over and plopped down against Alex’s legs, leaning her head back to take advantage of the moving air.
“You’re too hot, girl.” She shoved Mandy away. “Maybe when the sun goes down, it’ll be cooler.”
Alex tried to read for a while but couldn’t concentrate. It was too hot. She peeled off her clothes on the way to the bathroom, filled the tub with
cool water, and sank her body down into the refreshing liquid. Now this was what she needed. She soaked until the water felt tepid, then dried off and dressed. One advantage Steve had when he shifted, he would wander around when it was cooler at night and sleep during the day’s heat. How would he like being awake during the hot day?
If she lived here, she’d make sure she had more electric appliances. A couple of fans would go a long way to make the cabin more comfortable, as well as a microwave. It was too hot to have to be turning stove burners on. Next time she went to town she’d definitely pick up a couple of fans and a long extension cord. July was just starting. August would be even hotter.
Chapter 33
The fourth of July arrived and Peter was throwing a party for everyone. No potluck this time, he was providing everything, all they had to do was show up. Alex finished her chores early with magic but waited until enough time had passed to have been able to do part of them the normal way. She used the time to get gussied up, something she hadn’t done since she’d been here. She drove over to Peter’s and paused before heading up to the door. This would be so different without Steve; she felt so alone without him by her side. Peter answered the door.
“One minute, I know it’s in here.” Peter rooted through a box that was next to the door. “Ah-ha, here it is.” He handed her a piece of metal filigree.
Alex took the object and inspected it. “I loved the dragon. He was unique.” Once she orientated the piece of metal she could tell it was an openwork design that had swirling tendrils and crystals. “So why the masks?” She tied the mask on.
“I thought a masquerade would be fun. It’s too hot for heavy costumes, so we have masks.”
“But you have AC? Just set it a little cooler.”
“No, we’re going to have a cook-out with fireworks once it gets dark enough.”
“I’ll have to go back for a while to take care of Anna Belle.”
“I know, we’ll wait. If you go before dinner it should all work out.” He headed her into the living room where most of the other residents were. “Once everyone gets here we’re going to have a short game.”
Alex picked up a glass of water and looked around the room. There were all kinds of masks, some made from metal or feathers, heavily adorned with various colored rhinestones. Some were papier-maché animal masks. Everything from fancy and elaborate to simple bands with eye cutouts like Zorro or the Lone Ranger. It was hard to figure out who the men were with their masks covering most of their faces. She sipped the water while she figured everyone out. One man’s eyes struck her for some reason. She knew him, but who was he? She edged closer and closer until she could hear him speak. The laugh and joking didn’t ring any bells, but the authority in his mannerisms did. “Principal Vale,” she whispered and clamped a hand over her mouth. He was probably using another name, but why was he here?
She maneuvered through the crowd to join his group. She extended her hand. “I’m Alex.”
“Derek.” He shook her hand. “It is a pleasure.”
Peter joined them. “Ah, I see you’ve met Derek. He’s been giving me some great input on one of my games.”
“Which one?” Alex took another drink.
“The one about wizards and magic.”
Alex spit some of the water out. She grabbed a napkin off a table and wiped the water off. “Wizards and magic?”
“Yeah, Derek here has been giving me some great ideas. I’m so glad we met.” Peter placed a hand on Vale’s shoulder.
Alex stifled a laugh. “Where did you meet?”
Peter patted Vale’s shoulder. “We met at Comic-Con. I was there watching some of the wizard characters when Derek here introduced himself.” Peter looked at Vale. “I loved your wizarding outfit, I’m going to have to get one. You’ll have to let me know where you got it.”
Blue Columbine she bet. “Where did you get it?”
Vale smiled at her then looked at Peter. “I will get one for you.”
“You don’t need to do that.” Peter tipped his face down and shuffled a foot.
“It would be my pleasure. You invited me to this wonderful party,” Vale answered.
The doorbell rang and Peter hurried off to answer it.
“Where did I get my robes, good one,” Vale said.
Alex looked around to see if anyone else was close. “So why are you here?”
Vale moved closer and whispered, “I need to meet the little girl.”
“Caroline?”
He nodded.
Alex looked over at the door and saw the Gibsons. She nodded her head that way. “That’s Caroline by the door. Are you going to ask about the unicorn?”
“If I get a chance.”
“We made a promise to not tell anyone else. I’ll let her know that it’s okay to tell you.”
Vale nodded and moved off to mingle. Alex followed his cue and went to talk with Daniel and Henri. Moments later, Caroline came bouncing over wearing a mask made out of peacock feathers.
“Look which mask I get to wear,” she said to Alex.
Alex touched one of the feathers, “It’s really beautiful. It’s perfect.”
Caroline grinned from ear to ear. “I like yours too, but it doesn’t have any feathers.”
Alex pulled Caroline a few feet away and knelt down to her level. She nodded over to Vale. “You see that stranger over there?”
Caroline nodded.
Alex leaned closer and whispered into Caroline’s ear. “He also believes in unicorns.”
Caroline looked over at Vale, her eyes wide and mouth gaping. “No kidding?”
“No kidding, we were just talking about them. I bet he’d love to hear about what you saw.”
“But we promised not to tell anyone.”
“I know, but I think he’d be okay.” Alex straightened up.
“If you say so, I’ll let him in on the secret.”
Alex nodded. “But make him swear to keep it a secret.”
“Of course…”
“If I can have everyone’s attention,” Peter said. “Now that everyone is here we can start the game. I’ve hidden strands of Mardi Gras beads around this room. Whoever finds the most will be crowned king or queen of the party and will win a special gift.” Peter held up a fist. “On the count of three.” He counted to three raising one finger each time and everyone started searching.
Alex located a bunch of strands hidden behind the DVDs and games, then a clump under the sofa cushions. As the minutes passed, it became harder and harder to find any beads. Any time Alex passed Caroline, she’d hand the girl all the beads she’d found.
After a half hour, Peter shook a cow bell interrupting the search. “Everyone count how many strands they found and pick up a glass so we can toast the winner.” The kids were all given a small black cow for their drink. The adults were given a small tumbler that contained an amber liquid that smoked over the top, curling down the sides.
Peter stepped forward and lifted his glass. “Three cheers for our queen. To Queen Caroline.”
Everyone lifted their glass and chanted, “Long live the queen.”
Caroline turned to face the others. “Thanks,” she whispered.
Peter handed her a bag that exploded with ribbons and beads. “The rest of the prize is that one of the women in my next game will be named after you.”
“Me? Wow!” Caroline looked at her feet, then sat down on the sofa, and dug into the bag. She pulled out one of his game packages and looked up at him. “Is this the new one?”
Peter nodded. “It will be in the stores in another month. You get the first copy, signed by me.”
“Wow! Look, Tommy.” She rushed over to Tommy to show him.
“The lunch buffet is open, so feel free to make a sandwich whenever you want,” Peter said.
After getting some lunch Alex introduced Caroline to Vale. “You gotta see this,” Caroline grasped Vale’s hand and pulled him to the bedroom. Once inside, she dropped his hand and started rootin
g through the jackets that had been laid on the bed. She yanked her backpack out along with a couple of jackets and flung the coats back on the bed. Setting the backpack down, she plopped down next to it and started to pull items out. A scarf, a zebra striped box, and a pencil case.
“This is my favorite,” she said and pulled out a stuffed unicorn. “I saw one, you know.”
“You saw one?” Vale asked.
“Yeah, but nobody believed me.” She handed the unicorn to Vale. “Except Alex.”
“What did Alex say?”
“She thought it should be a secret. But that I should tell you.”
“Did you want to keep it a secret?”
Caroline shrugged. “Might as well. Everyone laughs at me when I tell them.”
“Why don’t you tell me,” Vale said.
Caroline repeated her tale of seeing the unicorn wandering around the valley.
“Do you like stories about unicorns, dragons, and wizards?”
Caroline touched the unicorn’s horn. “They’re my favorite, especially the ones about the boy wizard.”
“Would you like to go to a magic school like he did?”
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to fight an evil wizard.”
“But would you like to go to a school like that without the evil wizard?”
“Oh yeah.” Caroline beamed up at Vale. “That would be so great. But I’d have to have magic to go, wouldn’t I?”
Vale nodded, “What if you had magic and you did not know, like the other kids that got their letters?”
“That’d be like a movie. Nothing that good ever happens to me.” Caroline looked down at the stuffed animal.
“Let me see if I can do something, but until then…”
Caroline looked up.
“You have to make a pledge. You have to keep this just between the two of us until I tell you otherwise.” He looked straight into her eyes. “Deal?”
Caroline nodded.
Vale spit on his palm and held it out.
Caroline looked at his hand for a moment before spitting into hers and shook his hand with a single pump. “Deal!” She stuffed everything back in her backpack, zipped it shut, and tossed it on top of the coats. They headed back out to rejoin the party.