Page 103 of The Star's Sword

I wanted to close my eyes, the fear was beginning to rise like bile in me, but I knew I had to keep my eyes open.

I had to show that I could overcome my fear.

All of my moments with Samael flashed through my eyes, and I begged the unicorn silently,let me save him.

I wondered what it would feel like if the unicorn did hit me rather than going through me. If it would hurt, or simply darkness would fall. For a brief second, I feared my death, with a black, all-consuming fear that felt like it would force me to run.

But then I remembered how brave Samael had been, facing his death, not caring.

Surrounded by so many amazing friends, all of whom wanted the same things, I couldn’t afford to falter.

So I forced my eyes to stay open as the hooves pounding the ground got closer and closer and then, as I could make out the irises of the unicorn’s eyes, and my entire body braced for death or pain unlike anything I’d known I heard the hooves stop.

Slowly, I looked down at my chest, seeing no hole, no injury. Realizing the unicorn had gone through me, I whirled to make sure it wasn’t going to head for my friends.

But the unicorn had merely stopped on the other side of me, looking around like she was confused I hadn’t died.

She stared at me, non-plussed, and then put down a hoof to charge again. In shock, I watched as she tried to impale me again, running with her horn pointed straight at me until it passed right through my body.

The impossibility of it made my head go light and fuzzy. Something had gone through me.

But most importantly, I had passed.

The unicorn huffed, tossing its head, and circled me, before finally stopping in front of me, and dropping to one knee, lowering its head.

“You can ride it,” Zadis yelled, awe in his voice.

“Cleo, you did it!” Samael yelled, joy in his voice, and hope.

I knew we hadn’t for sure solved our problem, and I had no idea if the unicorn serum had saved Samael, but I had somehow tamed a unicorn.

I was the Morningstar, no matter what the vampires said.

I wasn’t a bad person, no matter what anyone thought about me.

The unicorn had proved that, when I’d risked my life for my love.

Shakily, I walked forward, putting my hand in the unicorn’s mane. I wasn’t a very good rider. We had horses in the havens, but as a wolf, I’d never liked the idea of riding another animal.

The unicorn however, seemed to have other ideas, nudging its neck down against my leg and shoving its body toward me. I swung a leg over and the unicorn stood, lifting me up.

For a second, I just sat there, my hands buried in the unicorn’s mane. Then the unicorn walked forward, toward my friends.

“Guys? Is this safe?” I yelled. “I don’t know how to steer this thing.”

“Should be safe now that it’s tamed,” Zadis said, awe shining in his eyes as he walked forward. “I’ll try it first, just in case.” He moved toward my unicorn, with Samael at his side, despite his warning.

Slowly, he reached out a hand, toward the unicorn’s muzzle. She stared down at him imperiously, then slowly pushed her nose into his hand, making his eyes go wide with wonder.

Zadis’s emerald irises caught the moonlight as he smiled, and Samael came forward, looking at the unicorn dubiously before reaching out to pet it.

Luren came over next, clucking his tongue and reaching in his pocket to pull out a sugar cube, which he handed the unicorn, who munched it up loudly.

“Still mostly a horse,” Luren said, laughing.

“The rarest horse in the world,” Zadis said. He ran his hand up the horn, and the unicorn reared slightly, moving back. Zadis retreated, shoving his hands in his pockets and giving the unicorn space. “Now we just need to figure out how to harvest immortality serum, and save your mate.”

I stared at Sam, as hope welled in both of us.

---