by Megan Linski
My eyes fell upon each unicorn as we passed. They had the body of a horse, with the same long nose, pointed ears, and large frame, but everything else about them looked as if they’d just stepped out of a fantasy painting. The first unicorn was completely white, with a mane that took the shape of cool blue water. It was as if a waterfall was flowing right out of its head, the water droplets disappearing into the air like magic. A shiny silver horn stretched a foot in length and twisted to a sharp point.
The next unicorn had brown fur, with hooves the texture of tree bark and a mane the color of grass. Its horn was like an expertly-carved branch growing out of its forehead with intricate carvings etched into it. I couldn’t tell if the designs were natural or placed there deliberately, but given the magical beauty of these creatures, I guessed they were born that way.
In the next stall stood a black unicorn whose mane and tail flickered red and orange— like real flames. It was a wonder the stables hadn’t burned down. Its horn looked as if it had been forged from a black matte metal, with subtle but elegant ridges traveling the length of it.
“Hey, Cade,” Imogen greeted cheerfully as she strolled up to one of the guys scooping out an empty stall.
Cade shoveled a pile of used shavings into his wheelbarrow, then looked up at us. He wore a skin-tight cotton t-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and toned chest. His skin was naturally tan, but most of his Hawkei genes had been traded for Latin American features. He had short dark hair, and his brown eyes were soft and friendly.
Cade definitely had a sexy vibe going on, but looking at him in that way made me feel like I was cheating on Liam. Which was so totally weird, because we weren’t together. I immediately pushed the thought from my mind.
Imogen, on the other hand, was eyeing Cade up and down like he was a god. I guessed he was Nivita, but he didn’t have a Familiar at his side, so it was hard to tell.
“What can I do for you today?” he asked in a friendly tone as he wiped sweat from his brow.
“Is anyone up for a ride?” Imogen walked over to the nearest stall, the one with the Water unicorn inside, and patted her hand on the top of the door. “What do you say, Kiki? You wanna go for a ride today?”
“Kiki just got back from a ride last night,” Cade said. “How about Daisy and Jack?” He gestured to the two unicorns in the stalls beside Kiki.
Imogen’s eyes lit up, and she stepped toward the Earth unicorn. “I love Jack!”
Cade opened the door and coaxed Jack out of his stall. “You’re not going to braid ribbons in his tail again, are you?”
Imogen swatted at him, and her cheeks grew bright red. “Shut up. He looked gorgeous.”
Cade smirked playfully. “If I’m going to sign Jack out to you, you have to promise not to bring him back dyed purple or some crazy shit like that.”
Imogen giggled like a little school girl. It was so unlike her. Esis threw his hands over his eyes and then slowly peeked out between them. He clearly couldn’t watch their obvious flirting.
“I won’t. I swear,” Imogen promised.
Cade moved to the next stall to get the Fire unicorn. “Good.”
“I’ll bring him back blue,” Imogen deadpanned.
“Imogen,” he complained, but he didn’t sound truly bothered.
“Fine,” she relented. “I won’t do anything weird. He’s beautiful just the way he is. Aren’t you, Jackie boy?”
Imogen rubbed Jack’s head. He nuzzled into her arm, as if searching for treats.
“And here’s Daisy,” Cade said, patting her back.
Daisy stepped out of her stall until she was just a foot away from me. I reached up to stroke her soft black fur. It felt like velvet. Warily, I reached out for her fiery mane and was surprised when my fingers passed straight through it without feeling a thing. I glanced down at my hand, like I expected it to be blistered or something.
“She won’t hurt you,” Imogen said. “She’s magical. Remember?”
Daisy pivoted on the spot until her middle was facing me.
“She likes you,” Cade said. “She’s inviting you to climb on her back.”
I stroked her fur again, but hesitated. “Don’t I need a saddle and reins?”
Cade laughed. “Not with unicorns. Would you like a boost?”
Before I could answer, Cade was helping me onto Daisy’s back. I gave an involuntary yelp, and Imogen giggled. She didn’t need any help hopping onto Jack’s back. She jumped and swung her leg onto him, then sat there comfortably with Sassy secured safely in her bag. Sassy poked her head out and glanced around, looking positively at peace atop the unicorn’s back.
I, on the other hand, clamped my hands around Daisy’s neck, hoping I wouldn’t topple off her back and be trampled. Esis chirped and hopped off my shoulder. He climbed up Daisy’s head and wrapped a small hand around her horn. He stood there proudly, like a captain holding onto the mast of his ship. Daisy didn’t seem to mind.
“Make sure to keep them both hydrated. Imogen knows the drill.” Cade winked at her, and she went beet red.
“Thanks, Cade,” Imogen said as Jack started leading her toward the open door.
Daisy followed. My hold on her tightened as I swayed from side to side with each step.
“Wait!” Cade called just as both of our unicorns stepped outside. “You forgot something.”
Cade stopped beside Imogen and wiggled his fingers. Next to him, a green plant rose from the ground. Its thin stem twisted and grew until it stopped in front of Imogen’s nose. A small purple flower bloomed at the end of it, confirming that Cade was Nivita.
Imogen smiled and plucked the flower from the long stem. She placed it in her hair behind her ear. “Thank you, Cade. You’re the best. We’ll see you later.”
She waved. Cade returned to the stables while Imogen and I started down a nearby path. It wasn’t as wide as the roads back home, but since no one used cars around here, I figured it must’ve been the main drag into town. Daisy and Jack walked beside each other at a brisk pace.
“So…?” I wiggled my eyebrows.
Imogen looked at me innocently. “Yeah?”
“Why haven’t you ever mentioned him before?”
“Who? Cade?” Imogen’s voice rose at least three pitches when she said his name. “He’s just a guy I grew up with. He was my older brother’s best friend. What’s there to say about him?”
“How about the fact that you’re totally crushing on him and never once mentioned it?”
“What?” Imogen squeaked. “I am not! Cade is just… Cade.”
“Yes, sweet and handsome Cade,” I agreed. “Who you have the hots for.”
Imogen rolled her eyes and then stared straight down the road. “Girl, are you high or something?”
I laughed. “Okay, so you don’t like him. But you have to know he likes you.”
“Well, that answers that question. Clearly you’re on drugs. No guy ever pays attention to me. I’m fat and weird.”
“You’re not fat,” I countered. “And maybe he likes you because you’re weird. I like your quirks.”
Imogen pressed her lips together. She didn’t look convinced.
I was starting to feel comfortable enough on Daisy’s back that I loosened my grip on her mane. “He made sure you didn’t leave without giving you a flower.”
“So? He always does that.”
I stared at her with raised eyebrows.
Imogen inhaled a deep breath. “Oh, my ancestors! I never knew. I totally friend-zoned him!” She threw her hands over her face and nearly fell off her unicorn in the process.
“Tell me about him,” I said.
“I don’t know what to say. We’ve known each other my whole life… we used to play in my treehouse when we were kids.”
“So you’re close?”
Imogen shrugged. “I guess you could say that. He was there when I bonded with Sassy almost a year ago.” She dropped her head and bit her lip. “Anyway, that’s not important. C
ade and I can go weeks without talking, but we always pick right back up where we left off.”
We reached town while she was recounting a story about how Cade and her brother had convinced her the forest was haunted. I listened to her story, but my eyes roamed the city. The only other time I’d seen it was when Liam and I had arrived, but that was only the smallest part of town. There was so much to see in the heart of the Hawkei village that I couldn’t seem to take it all in.
We rode along the narrow streets of the Chinatown district. Paper lanterns hung above our heads, and the scent of fried rice and noodles filled my nose. From there, we passed into the Hawkei district. People milled along the streets and stopped at carts that sold things like potions and Hawkei food, such as corn roasted with butter and spices. I’d seen this part of town before, but it was like seeing it for the first time all over again. I barely had time to take it all in before Daisy turned and led us down a secluded street.
We left the buildings behind and traveled into the forest, where some of the largest trees I’d ever seen grew. They rose at least three-hundred feet into the sky. We hadn’t made it far before my eyes fell on a large structure hanging high in the trees. I squinted, trying to make out its shape. Soon, more and more structures of similar size came into view.
Treehouses.
“Oh, my gosh!” I exclaimed. “When you said treehouses, I thought you meant a playhouse in your backyard. I didn’t think you literally lived in a treehouse!”
Imogen laughed. “I’m Nivita. Where else would I live?”
I gazed upward in wonder. The treehouses were huge and suspended at least forty feet in the air. Each one was supported by at least three different trees. They all had wooden exteriors like log cabins, with wrap-around balconies, big windows, and slanted roofs, but each had its own unique charm. A network of bridges passed from house to house.
Daisy and Jack stopped below one of the bigger treehouses. I barely noticed we’d stopped. I was still trying to take in the sheer size of this neighborhood suspended in the trees. It went on farther than I could see.
Imogen slid off Jack’s back and adjusted Sassy in her bag. Then she reached out to pat Jack’s head. “You did so well, Jack! You deserve some carrots later. We’ll be back soon, okay?”
I swung my leg over Daisy’s back and landed softly on the ground. Esis chirped and scurried off Daisy’s head and onto my shoulder. I glanced around, looking for any sign of steps or ladders to get up to the house.
“You look worried,” Imogen said.
I turned back to her. “No. I was just wondering how we get up there. Are there stairs or something?”
“Yeah, but we’re not going that way.”
“Um… okay. How do we get up, then?”
“Oh, it’s easy.” She giggled. “Well, not for you.”
“What does that mean?” I asked curiously. I wasn’t going to have to learn how to climb the tree without footholds, was I?
Imogen smiled. “It means you’d burn this whole forest down if you tried my method. Here, stand over there.”
Imogen took me by the shoulders and guided me away from the unicorns and to the base of the nearest tree.
“Don’t try this at home,” she warned. “Here we go.”
Before I knew what was happening, something tickled my leg. I lifted my foot in surprise, but it grabbed ahold of me and wouldn’t let me go. I looked down to see a thick tree root snaking up out of the ground and curling around my leg like the tentacles of an octopus. Several more roots crept out of the dirt and secured themselves around my legs, all the way up to my hips.
“Relax,” Imogen said as another root wrapped itself around her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
I relaxed as she instructed and held tightly onto Esis so he wouldn’t fall. The tree roots grew more and more until they were lifting us up into the sky. Although it should’ve freaked me out, I felt secure in the roots’ hold, as if they were a safety harness keeping me from plummeting to the ground. We ascended skyward like an elevator. The roots arched over the railing and set us down on the bridge. Their hold on me loosened and they shrank away. I glanced over the top of the railing to see them retreating into the ground until they were completely gone. The dirt shifted to cover them, as if they’d never seen the light of day.
“That was really cool, Imogen,” I said.
“Yeah, it’s cool now,” she replied. “Living in a treehouse wasn’t so cool when you were a kid who had to walk all the way down fifteen houses to get to the stairs. You wouldn’t believe it, but I could barely keep a weed alive. I didn’t learn the shortcut until recently. Anyway, you wanna meet my parents?”
Imogen started down the bridge toward the nearest house, which rose two stories high and was supported by five massive trees. I hesitated as nerves settled in my gut. I knew Imogen didn’t care that I was Koigni, but I wasn’t sure her parents would like me. Like she said, I could literally burn this whole forest down. There was probably a reason they didn’t have many entrances that other Elementai could enter through.
“What’s wrong?” Imogen asked when she reached the front door.
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “Will your parents be fine with having… a Koigni in their house?”
Imogen smiled. “Of course. Don’t worry about it. My parents are a lot more… progressive than most. They think all the Houses should mix and that we should do away with most of our traditions.”
My shoulders relaxed. “That’s good to know.”
Imogen turned and swung the door open. “Mom! Dad! I’m home! And I brought a friend!”
Two young boys raced in from the living room and body-slammed her with a group hug.
“I thought you were going back to school,” the taller of them said, gazing up at her with a twinkle in his eye. He looked like he might be six, while the other boy looked around four. They both had Imogen’s strawberry blonde hair, but they didn’t have her sense of style. They dressed normally, both wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
Imogen bent to her knee. “I had to come back because Sassy missed you!”
On cue, Sassy leapt from her bag. She jumped playfully at the younger boy, who let out a gleeful laugh. Imogen stood, giggling as she watched her brothers tickle Sassy. Sassy rolled over like a dog and they scratched her belly.
I glanced around to take in the home. Everything was bathed in natural wood tones, from the hardwood floor and walls to the cupboards and the furniture. It was like something you’d see out of a travel magazine if you were looking for a quaint cabin getaway. A long wooden table with eight chairs around it sat to our left beside a pair of double glass doors that led onto the balcony. Beyond that sat a full kitchen. To our right was a living room with two long couches and a TV above a cute metal fireplace. A hallway behind the stairs stretched back into the house. The pile of dishes in the sink and toys scattered around the living room gave the home an obvious lived-in vibe.
“How old are your brothers?” I asked, trying to remember if she’d told me before.
“Oh, gosh,” Imogen said with a sigh. “Levi is four, and Quentin is seven, then Roland is ten and Soren is fifteen.”
“So, you’re the oldest?” I asked.
“No. Well… yeah.” Imogen dropped her head.
I laughed. “Well, which is it?”
“It’s, um, complicated.” Imogen didn’t meet my gaze. “My older brother— the one who was friends with Cade— he’s, uh, not around anymore.”
My heart immediately sank. “Imogen, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s okay,” she said, finally meeting my gaze. “You didn’t know.”
I bit my lower lip, wishing I had words for her. “Why didn’t you mention anything?”
“I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Scare me?”
Imogen nodded. “Yeah. Because of how he died.”
“Are you talking about Trace?” Quentin asked while still petting Sassy.
&
nbsp; Levi stuck his bottom lip out. “I miss Trace.”
“It’s almost been a year, you know,” Quentin told Levi.
“I know,” Levi said, “but I can still remember him from when I was three. I can even remember from when I was two. Trace was the best brother ever… until he died in the tournament.”
The breath left my chest. I suppose I couldn’t blame Imogen for never mentioning him to me.
The conversation came to an abrupt halt as a blonde woman descended the stairs. She wore a pink polka-dotted scarf around her head and a blue dress that looked like it came straight out of the fifties. A pair of black cat-eye glasses famed her face. I could see where Imogen got her quirky fashion inspiration from.
The woman was followed by a type of canine I’d never seen before. It looked like a Pomeranian, but with longer ears. Its fur was completely white except for the rings of blue outlining its silver eyes and the matching tufts of blue on its ears. It wore a pink scarf around its neck that matched the one in the woman’s hair.
“Hey, Mom,” Imogen greeted. “Where’s Dad and the boys? It’s strangely quiet in here without them.”
“Mushroom hunting,” her mom answered.
“Yum… mushrooms.” Imogen gestured to me. “This is Sophia, by the way. The girl I was telling you about.”
Her mom’s face lit up. “Oh, hello, Sophia!” She held her arms out as she made her way over to me. She drew me into a hug.
I squeezed her back awkwardly.
“I’m Gracie,” she said, pulling away from me. “Imogen’s told me all about you. Oh, who’s this little guy?”
She smiled at Esis but didn’t try to pet him. I was grateful for her respect of my Familiar.
“This is Esis,” I introduced, scratching behind his ears. He responded with a purr and nuzzled into my fingers.
“He’s so adorable!” Gracie clapped her hands together.
Gracie’s dog barked once at Esis and then let his tongue hang from his mouth cheerfully. Esis jumped down from my shoulder and circled the dog. Gracie’s Familiar nipped at Esis playfully as they chased each other around. Across the room, Sassy perked her ears up and quickly joined in on the game.
