by Emery Belle
I gaped at her. “You were married?”
“Almost.” She let out a short, humorless laugh. “We were in the middle of saying our vows when, out of the blue, Sebastian dropped my hand, stepped away from me, and said he couldn’t go through with it. He left me, right in the middle of our wedding, in front of all our friends and family, and half the town. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”
Remy took a deep, shaky breath. “Afterwards, I found out that he had taken up with my best friend behind my back. She didn’t last long either.” Her last words were spoken not with satisfaction but with sadness. “Sebastian doesn’t care about anyone but himself, Wren. Listen to those words, and take them to heart before you give him yours. In the end, you’ll only know pain.” She gave me a sly smile. “That’s why, whenever I find out Sebastian has a new girlfriend, I send my calling card. I figure it’s my duty to try and drive her away before he ruins her life, too.”
We chatted for a few more moments before I stood to leave, and she pulled me into a fierce hug as we parted ways. “Look after yourself,” she whispered to me, then turned to greet a group of zombies who were staggering up to the blackjack table, holding shot glasses and waving fistfuls of gold coins at her.
On my way out, I gave her one last look over my shoulder, and though she didn’t turn her attention away from the zombies, I could have sworn she winked at me.
A pink sunset was spreading across the sky as I left the casino, my heart weighed down with everything I had just learned. I didn’t know what I was going to do about Sebastian—I needed time and space to think things over, but, given the events of the past couple of weeks, I would have to put that decision on hold until I had a chance to clear my head. I also decided to temporarily put Lord Macon out of my mind, along with Cole, whose whereabouts I still didn’t know.
Right now, there was something more important I had to do.
Darkness had set in by the time I reached the centaur lands, and the few travelers I saw on the path that wound along the river largely ignored me. I stopped to skip a few stones across its blue-gray surface, then watched a dragon swoop down onto the far shore and dip its head into the water for a long, cool drink, its red scales glittering in the moonlight. Then, I continued on.
Orion’s house was dark as I passed, the windows and doors still draped with black mourning cloths, and my heart ached for Vega, who had lost her husband and daughter within a few short days of each other, both under such tragic circumstances. Perhaps someday she would be reunited with her son, Archer, and they could make up for lost time. Perhaps not. Perhaps one day their family would be together again in the great beyond, and their memories of this world would be nothing but a distant speck on the horizon.
Barak’s unicorn riding track was closed at this hour—the ticket line empty, the concession stand boarded up, the empty cups and popcorn boxes and ticket stubs collected in trash bags. As I approached the stalls where the unicorns were bedded down for the night, I heard them baying softly to each other over the rustling of long grass in the wind. As I bent down to examine the padlocks on each stall, I didn’t bother to look behind me to check if anyone had seen me. I didn’t care.
Glancing around, I located an empty metal bucket similar to the one the dwarf had been using to carry the unicorns’ supply of fresh vegetables. I grabbed it, then stood over the first padlock, my brown eyes meeting the rainbow-colored ones of the unicorn inside. Her beautiful white fur glowed in the darkness, and her silver mane fanned around her like a halo. When our gazes met, mine held determination, and hers, understanding. As she watched, I raised the bucket over my head and swung it down onto the padlock as hard as I could, over and over again, until it split open.
“You’re free,” I whispered to her, opening the stall door and moving aside.
Her first step out was tentative, her legs trembling, as though she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. As she passed me, I ran my fingers over her silken fur, and she nuzzled her soft nose into my cheek. Her way of saying thank you. Once she reached the grass outside her stall, she stopped for a moment, tipping her head to the cloudless sky, before rearing back, unfurling her magnificent wings, and taking flight.
I watched her as she soared over the treetops, her wings beating softly in the night air, then sighed and looked down the row of stalls at the unicorns who were now clustered at their doors, waiting patiently for me.
I grabbed my bucket. The night was young, and there was still much work to be done.
Afterword
Thank you for reading Beyond the Seer, the fourth book in the Magic Island series! If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon to help other readers find out about my books.
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The magic and mayhem continue with book five, Toil & Trouble, available now!
About the Author
Emery Belle is the author of paranormal cozies featuring plenty of magic, mystery, and a dash of mayhem. When she isn't dreaming up new worlds or wandering around the house with her nose in a book, you can find her digging her toes in the golden sand beaches of Southern California (sadly, she hasn't found the ferry docks for Magic Island yet), fitting in a serious game of bowling, or chasing around an overly excitable, and overly large, rescue pup.
