Silverfall

by Raven de Hart

I went through my contacts until I found him. This was it. Carl was my one chance to find Leon. I hit Send, then threw it onto speakerphone. He picked up after the second ring. “Anthony, this isn’t—”

  “You owe me. You owe me big-time and you know it.”

  His sigh crackled with static. “Do you want money? An apology? My firstborn? What?”

  “I don’t want any of that shit. I want to know where you and your other little unicorn-hunting friends moved to.”

  A pause. “I can’t tell you—”

  “You mean you won’t tell me.”

  “It’s just one more; then it’s all over. For good too. It could be any one of them that came along.”

  “But it’s not just any one of them. It’s Leon.”

  “He’s another test subject.”

  “He’s my goddamn boyfriend, and you know that. So don’t play dumb.”

  “I’m sorry about it, but this is the way it has to be. He’s one unicorn. This research could save hundreds. Thousands. Millions. I can’t let one person get in the way of that.”

  “I deserve to be happy. You fucked me out of my happiness once, and now you’re doing it again.”

  “I…I know that. I wish I could change it, and I’ll do anything else for you…just not this.”

  “You’re a decent guy. This isn’t like you. You’re not the kind of man who can condemn someone innocent to death.”

  A long pause and then a quiet response. “I have to.”

  I wasn’t cutting through the bullshit. I had to go at it a different way. My mouth started moving before I even had a fully formed plan of attack. “What are you working on?”

  “It’s secret.”

  “You just told me you would do anything to make this up to me. What are you working on?”

  The next pause was too long. Panic scratched at my stomach, begging to come out. But Carl finally broke the silence. “An artificial form of the chemical the unicorns use to transform.”

  “And why is that going to stop the killing?”

  “Death row inmates. The terminally ill, if they volunteer. People who are doomed to die anyway. We’ll be able to change them and then harvest the same materials we get from natural unicorns.”

  “From normal people?” God, say no.

  “I just need a final piece of the chemical sequence before I’m satisfied.”

  “You work for people who sell bullets and weapons and impenetrable armor.” How could he be so stupid to miss this? “Don’t you think they might turn around and start selling this chemical just the same way?”

  “What?”

  I sighed. It was the only thing that kept me from blowing up on him. “How much do you think armies would pay to turn their soldiers into eight-foot-tall killing machines? Or the mafia?”

  More silence. When he spoke again, it was barely audible. “I’ll text you the address.”

  He hung up before I could say anything else. I wanted to tell him to stop whatever he was doing, or say Leon wasn’t going to work. But my phone buzzed a text message. I opened it, scanned it, and then showed it to Suzette.

  “Can we get here?”

  “We can get anywhere.” She yanked the phone out of my hand and dialed, then waited. I heard a tiny murmur on the other end, but Suz cut it short. “Get everyone down to Anthony Gates’s apartment. We found Leon.”

  I took my phone back and laid it on the nightstand. “You all know where my apartment is?”

  “We’ve had you under surveillance for a while now.” She gave me a smile. Leon’s smile. All teeth. “Under request from my nephew, of course.”

  I nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you for finding him.” She gave me a pat on the shoulder. “Now, let’s get him back.”

  “You know I’m coming with you, right?” Like hell I’d let Silver fall to those bastards.

  “I would have been insulted by anything less.”

  Chapter Eleven

  It was an old storage facility with all the windows boarded up. I could see where there’d been a sign at one point, a square of slightly cleaner wall, but the sign itself wasn’t anywhere in sight. It wasn’t exactly a well-traveled area. In ten years, I’d never been to this part of town. Privacy was probably the whole point, though.

  We’d ruined that. Three dozen of us stood in the alley outside, all human. Suzette and I looked into the building through a space between boards.

  “Good Lord,” she whispered.

  I agreed with her. I wanted to force my way in right then, but it wouldn’t have done any good. Still…Leon was definitely in there. They had him in some strange jumble of straps and chains. A bit in his mouth. Tubes running in and out of his body. I hoped all that blood wasn’t his. He’d have to be dead if he lost that much, wouldn’t he?

  Suzette and I looked at each other, nodded, and then turned around.

  “Tony, you open the door for us. Everyone else, shift. Once we’re in, get him free.”

  Within seconds, three dozen people became three dozen pissed-off, towering unicorns. Suz, a brilliantly golden cremello, looked down at me and then over to the door. Showtime. I reached over and flung the door open, putting it between myself and the unicorns. Just in case.

  They stampeded through, whinnying and hooves clopping. Once the sound died off, I slipped in behind them. No one seemed to notice. But then, I wouldn’t really notice one Montana farm boy in the middle of a mass of raging unicorns. Lionshead was pretty well occupied with the fight. The surprise was working for us. Several were down before guns or swords could be drawn.

  I wove around the edges of the battle, staying out of sight, until I found it. A clear path straight to Leon. I ran. Still no notice. How much time would I have? I didn’t know, so I got to work. I pried the bit loose and pressed my finger to his lips. He could thank me later. Once I’d actually done something meaningful.

  One leg free from the straps and then the other. I couldn’t avoid being seen forever, but if I could just get him free enough to move around. His left arm. Now his right.

  “Mr. Gates.” It was over. I turned and saw Crazy Lady. She’d abandoned the sword for one of those black assault rifles. “I’m tired of you.”

  Someone else came up behind her. A human all in black. I knew I was fucked. I wrapped my arms around Leon’s middle. I deserved that. One last embrace.

  The second figure bashed the woman over the head, and she toppled to the ground. I looked up and saw Carl holding a cinder block. He locked gazes with me.

  “Handle her however you need to. I’ll unhook the IVs.”

  I couldn’t move. “Why.”

  “Because you were right.” He brushed past me. “I wouldn’t blame you if you killed her.”

  I thought about it. How hard would it be to toss her into the fight? Let the hooves do the rest. “I would blame me if I killed her.” I dragged her underneath the chains and straps and tied her up the best I could. She was out of the way here. As long as we got out before she came around, we’d be golden.

  Carl had Leon fully unhooked. We each took a side and headed for the door. I whispered to him every step along the way. “You’re a brave, idealistic dumb-ass, Leon. Don’t change.”

  “Why did you come?”

  I tried to ignore the struggling creak of his voice. “Do you really think I would have stayed away?”

  “I was hoping.” He struggled for a breath. “It’s not safe for you.”

  “It wasn’t exactly a health spa for you.”

  Halfway there…and it happened. Someone else noticed us. Three Lionshead members rushed forward and grabbed Leon back. Another two came in. One grabbed Carl. The other grabbed me. We both got thrust backward into a stack of wooden crates. They toppled and cracked open, knocking little syringes across the floor.

  I clambered back to my feet. The battle had frozen. Unicorns held at bay by too many members of Lionshead. And there, the three bastards had Leon. One held a gleaming sword to his neck. The others stretched hi
s arms out and back, keeping him in place. He was too weak to struggle, anyway.

  I’d seen this before. That damned dream. It played through my mind again, flashes of action. Silver in the middle of the street. Three Lionshead bastards holding him there. But this time, it wasn’t Carl. This time, there was no screaming. This time, it would be more than just his leg.

  This time, I wouldn’t wake up.

  Silver. Falling.

  Tears made it almost impossible to speak. “We’re done.”

  Carl tapped my shoulder. “Not yet.”

  “No, it’s over.”

  He huffed and then grabbed my face and turned me around. He held one of the syringes in his hand. Yellowish liquid filled it. He sprayed some out of the tip and then jabbed it into my leg and depressed the plunger.

  “Go rescue him.”

  I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t move. Then I knew. Or I realized. I caught up. This was his project. The synthetic chemical he’d been working on. Now a syringe full of it coursed through me. I could feel my skin stretching and muscles growing. My clothes ripped to shreds and fell in a pool around me. My bones vibrated and my spine bent. Every inch of me tingled as fur sprouted. Patches of brown and white covered my arms. My nails extended and curled under, thickening to hooves.

  Then it was done. I stood tall on four legs. Everyone stared at me, unicorn and Lionshead alike. I stamped forward a few steps. No falling. I felt stable, somehow. I reared back high, filling the space with an echoing tenor. My hooves slammed back down, and those closest to me jumped back.

  The executioner at Leon’s neck raised his blade high. I galloped ahead and ran him through with my horn. I hadn’t even thought about it. Everything just happened. I didn’t miss. His blood seeped into the hair at the base, dripped across my face, warm. His blade clattered against the floor. I slid out of him and bashed the other two away with my hooves, then lowered. Leon struggled himself onto me. Once he had a firm grip, I rose and headed out. Would this last long enough to get us back to the golf course? I didn’t know, but I wasn’t going to waste time. I headed in the direction I hoped it was and ran.

  * * * *

  We made it back to the golf course…and I still had hooves. I let Leon slide off and then started to go in circles, faster and faster. Maybe I could burn it out of my system with enough exercise.

  The others came back not long after. All of them, I hoped. As if to mock me, they all shrank back down to human. Suz ran over and hugged Leon.

  “You’re alive.”

  “What’s wrong with Tony?”

  I stopped. I wanted to hear this.

  Suz smiled up at me. “A Lionshead member came up to us outside. Said he gave Tony an injection that turned him into a unicorn.”

  “For good?”

  She shook her head. “He said about an hour.” She stroked Leon’s cheek. “You need to sit down.”

  He pushed past her, limping up to me. “I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure he’s okay.”

  I nuzzled against him. Even as a horse, I liked touching him. His skin felt good, and he somehow smelled even better than before. It must have been my new horse nose.

  Suzette walked up too. She ran her fingers through my mane. “He’s a little short for a unicorn, but he’s all right.”

  Leon turned away from me and fixed his stare straight on Suzette. “If he’s all right, then I want to keep seeing him.”

  “I know. I’ve already got it taken care of.”

  Leon stumbled back and caught himself against me. “What?”

  She nodded, that familiar smile splitting her face clean in half. “He’ll have to move down here, since Lionshead knows where he lives. I’ll set him up with a job that better suits our purposes. But yes. I’m fine with it. He’s proven he can be trusted. And he’s technically a unicorn. Maybe not permanently, but for now.”

  I kicked up my front legs and let loose. I didn’t care if anyone found out. Not in that moment. This was done. Leon and I could finally be together.

  * * * *

  I walked into Michaelson’s as soon as they opened. This wouldn’t exactly be a great conversation, but it had to happen. Suzette hounded me about it for hours to remind me. As though I’d forgotten. I was just putting it off because I knew I’d kind of hate it. Or really hate it.

  Dana was in the back. She turned around when I got close. “Can I help you?”

  “I sure hope so.”

  I wasn’t quite sure what her expression was when she saw me. Confusion? Anger? Relief? I’d never seen her look at me that way.

  “Why are you here?” Her face changed into a smile. Thank God. “Is everything okay? I mean, last thing I heard, someone broke into your apartment.”

  “No, it’s fine.” As fine as it could be. “I just have something I have to say to you.”

  “Of course. Yeah.” She held the door open for me, and we slipped into the alley behind the store. “What’s going on, Tony?”

  Why was this so damn hard? People quit all the time, and I was sure she didn’t expect me to stay working as a stocker my entire life. At least I hoped she didn’t expect that.

  “Well, I got a new job. So I can’t stay here anymore.”

  “Oh.” She sighed. “You’ve got a lot going on right now, don’t you? I mean, this seems like a weird time to just upheave your whole life. It’s obviously not my business, but I’ve gotta ask what the story is. If you’ll tell me.”

  She wanted the story? I had a hell of a time not smiling at that. “I really wish I could go into it with you.”

  “I figured it was a long shot.” She rested her hand on my shoulder. “I’m glad you’re holding out, though. I mean, you’re pulling through whatever’s been going on, right?”

  “Yeah. I am.”

  She nodded. “So, what’s the new job?”

  “I’m not sure, exactly. I got that new boyfriend, but his aunt doesn’t think I’ve got a good enough job. She’s setting me up with something else.”

  Dana laughed. Laughing was good. The tension started to wick away. She wasn’t upset, and I didn’t seem to be sticking her in a bad place with the stocking crew. Or she was hiding it really well. Somehow, I doubted that. It all seemed really genuine to me.

  When she finished laughing, she looked me straight in the face. “I’m sorry. It’s just funny to me. His aunt is paying you to sleep with him?”

  Well, kind of? Not exactly, but close enough that it got me to chuckle. “Yeah. I’m basically a hooker now.”

  She laughed again and put her arm around my shoulders. I’d never really been that close to her, but I wasn’t working there anymore. Did that make it okay? I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to question it. She wasn’t upset at all, and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that, really.

  “So listen,” she said. “I don’t want you to be a total stranger, all right?”

  “What?”

  She shrugged. “You’re leaving me just when your life’s starting to get interesting. I put in enough time and stretched the rules enough for you. I want it to pay off.” She blushed just a little. “Plus I think I might enjoy spending time with you. Occasionally.” She pulled a cell phone out of her pocket and tapped a few buttons. My phone buzzed. “I just texted you my number.”

  “Why was my number in your private phone?”

  “In case I had to touch base with you when I wasn’t at the store. I’m your manager. Was your manager.” She sighed. “Well, I’ll cut your last check as soon as I can. And if you don’t call me, I’ll find you.” She winked. “Thanks for telling me, though. I’ve had a lot of people who just don’t ever come back, so this makes it easier.”

  I nodded. “I just figured you deserved better than me never showing back up. I mean, you put me down for vacation?”

  “I knew you were struggling.”

  I reached over and grabbed her hand. “I’ll call you.” I would when I got the chance. She was a lot cooler than I ever really gave her credit for.
<
br />   “Damn right you will.”

  * * * *

  I woke up. Not my apartment. Leon’s place. Leon’s bed. It had been three days, and I still worried it would all disappear. I rolled over and grabbed my phone to check the time. Instead, I got a message notification. I opened it. From Carl.

  No more elk hunting for me. And this branch is under new management. She never recovered.

  I chuckled and shot back a response.

  Glad to hear it. We’ll do coffee sometime. He deserved that much. He’d saved Leon.

  I moved to get up, but an arm draped over my body, holding me down. “Where you going?”

  I kissed him on the wrist. “It’s my first day at the station, remember?”

  “Right. Records department. Cops. You get to wear the uniform?”

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “Damn straight.”

  I wriggled out from underneath him. “I’ll see what I can manage.” It’s not like I was really doing work in records. Not hard work, anyway. But they had a contact in the police department that set me up as a file jockey. As long as I remembered my alphabet, I was pretty well set. And with Crazy Lady apparently on a long-term hiatus from work, I didn’t have to worry about her throttling me.

  Suz claimed it was to use me as a liaison between unicorn and human affairs, but even I knew that was complete bullshit. They could handle their “affairs” just fine and didn’t want a damn thing to do with humans. She liked me. She wanted me to have a better job. I reminded her of that fact every time I saw her. She always scrunched up her face and scoffed. But hey, she never denied it, either.

  I got dressed and then leaned over and kissed Leon on the cheek. “Try to take it easy today.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Max said you need one more day. You were lucky to be alive when we rescued you.”

  “Max is babying me.” He sat up, cringing. “See? A hundred and ten percent.”

  “Nice try.” I pushed him back down, planted a kiss on his forehead. “You’d better listen to me. I’m practically a cop now. I’m pretty sure I could have you arrested.”

  “Handcuffs and everything?”

  “Whatever your little felon heart desires.”