A Wish Upon the Stars (Tales From Verania 4)

There was green and gold, and I pushed and the ice cracked right down the middle and then melted instantly.

“And I will destroy everything you live for, mark my words!” Gary was snarling. “You will regret the day you—huh. I appear to be no longer frozen. But you didn’t—why are you staring at Sam like that?”

And Terry was, with an expression of annoyance mixed with begrudging respect. It was an odd look but one I was used to. “How did you do that?” he demanded. “I am a unicorn. My magic is pure. You shouldn’t have been able to disrupt it. You’re human.”

“I told you,” I said. “I’m a wizard now.”

“Ungh,” Ryan said, and we all turned slowly to look at him.

Terry took a step toward him. “Are you okay, Ryan? You look flushed. Are you ill?”

“Gods,” Justin said. “I’ve gone a year without having to see that expression. And now I’m seeing it all the time.”

“Ryan has magic kink,” Tiggy said wisely. “Makes him all stupid and sticky.”

Terry’s eyes widened as he stuck his chest out. “Does he? Well, well, well, as luck would have it, I have magic—”

“It’s only for Sam’s magic,” Justin said. “No one else.”

“Ryan,” I whispered. “You’re drooling a little.”

“Whuzzat?” He looked a little dazed as he tried to wipe his chin. He missed and poked himself in the nose.

“He loves me,” I announced to the room, but mostly to Terry and Lady Tina. “In case anyone here had any doubts about that. Also, Terry? You touch Gary again, and you won’t like what’s going to happen.”

“Really?” he scoffed. “I highly doubt that—”

“Go ahead,” I said, nodding at Gary. “Do it again. Test me.”

Gary frowned. “Well, don’t test on me. That’s just—”

Terry looked affronted. “You’re just a human—”

“Test. Me.”

He balked.

“Ooohhhh,” Tiggy said.

“Ungh,” Ryan and Kevin both said.

“I’ve never heard of a human being able to disrupt a unicorn’s magic,” Terry said, sounding aggrieved. “It’s unnatural. Unicorns are pure and uncorrupted, incapable of sin.”

“Riiight,” I said. “Because obviously you’ve never met your brother at all.”

“I do gross things,” Gary announced.

“Perhaps we should focus on why this meeting was called,” Lady Tina snapped. “Or we could continue wasting the Prince’s time.”

“I like her,” Vadoma said, appraising Lady Tina. “Well-spoken. Make a good wife for my grandson. You want to be cornerstone? Yes. Having a vision. Ooooooh, I see you and Sam falling in love and—”

“Burn her at the stake,” I hissed.

“As I was saying before this travesty occurred,” Justin said, glaring at me like it was all my fault, “as is evident by our guests, the mission was partially successful. We were able to locate Gary’s brother. Unfortunately, we could not find his parents.”

“Swingers tour apparently took them out of the country,” Ryan whispered in my ear.

“Gods