A Wish Upon the Stars (Tales From Verania 4)

“Yes. About.”

“Hmm. I’ll allow it. And now that that’s out of the way, Tiggy, Kevin. Let’s go see if we can get the King to promise a reward from the treasury once it’s returned to him for our unparalleled valor. I expect to be rewarded handsomely, given that I am the bravest unicorn in all the land. Did you hear that, Terry? The bravest unicorn in all the land.”

They left us, Terry bringing up the rear, muttering what I assumed were threats upon Gary’s person under his breath.

“Any chance we can postpone this?” I asked hopefully. “Like say maybe sometime next year? Or possibly never?”

“Sure.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Godsdammit. I’ll have you know that we are wasting valuable time when I could be macking on my man, seeing as how we haven’t really gotten any alone time since I came back.”

“My heart weeps for you.”

I highly doubted that. For starters, he’d have to have a heart.

HE SAID, “The Grimoires. You have them?”

I hesitated, but that in itself was all the answer he needed.

“Bring them, if you please.”

I didn’t argue. There wouldn’t have been a point.

They were in the pack where I’d left them, sitting on the floor of the room Ryan had occupied in my absence. The bed was unmade, the blankets tossed about, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl onto it and sleep away the hours. I was exhausted, but Randall was waiting, and I knew I couldn’t avoid whatever was coming. I had a pretty good idea what the conversation was going to be about, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

I changed out of the robes and washed up before throwing on a pair of trousers that hung loose at the waist. They were Ryan’s, but they made me feel better. I slung the pack over my shoulder and walked barefoot down the hall to where Randall sat in front of the fireplace, the flames crackling. A chair obviously meant for me sat opposite him. I felt like I was a kid again, and I was in trouble with my parents.

“Have a seat,” he said without looking away from the fire.

I glanced longingly at the door but did as he asked. I set the pack at my feet and kept my mouth shut, refusing to speak first, even though I had so many questions.

He didn’t wait long. “I’m surprised.”

“About?”

“That you didn’t tell Gary I had his horn.”

Oh shit. “I forgot.”

“Did you.”

“A lot happened. But….”

“But?”

“Shouldn’t he have been able to sense it? I would have thought he’d know immediately. I felt it at Castle Lockes.” I frowned. “And apparently so did Myrin. That’s what he meant, right? Pure. Bright.”

Randall nodded. “An unfortunate mistake. And yes, Gary would know. Except the magic is… muffled at the moment.”

“What? Muffled. How is it… that wiry mesh you had on it.” I remembered how he’d covered the horn in his pack. “What is it?”

He sighed. “Just one of many, many things that can contain magic. It’s old. A shroud made by a long-extinct race of creatures that walked the earth before man. It was how Gary’s horn could have stayed hidden for so long.”

“Who had it? And where?”