Page 37 of Unicorn Shifter Academy
Except, I didn’t die.
Even though I’d been born with bi-colored eyes, which betrayed my destiny as a hybrid. Not a hybrid in the sense of my parental lineage, but a hybrid as a Unicorn stuck between two Houses.
My soul hadn’t been able to pick between the Emerald House and the Sapphire House, leaving me stranded.
Being a hybrid Guardian didn’t make my life easy, and I constantly tried to prove myself. Having access to the gifts of two Houses made things more complicated. I found it difficult to master even the most simple of Purity miracles. Unicorns were some of the most powerful creatures in all the realms, and the grueling training we all were subjected to was supposed to make us stronger.
Now, I couldn’t help but feel like I was failing again.
Because the female made me feel things I knew I shouldn’t be able to feel unless something was very, very wrong.
My soul had been extracted the same day I’d arrived at the Enchanted Forest. That process ensured I wouldn’t threaten the purity of the magic that made our species thrive. Even though there weren’t any females in our realm to breed with, we occasionally had a female visitor from other realms. It was best to be safe rather than sorry.
Because with the full power of their souls, Unicorn Shifters were insatiable sexual creatures. I’d seen that from my own father. He loved my mother, but damn, I learned to knock before I entered a room.
Having my soul removed benefited our society and protected me from losing my powers.
It should have also prevented me from any sexual desire, yet its unmistakable red-hot heat coursed through my veins for the first time in my life.
Iwantedher.
And that terrified me.
A part of me wanted to stay with her and learn more about her. She kept her hands on Raze at all times, her touch one that exuded magic and protection. I sensed her slowly burning away the Corruption that had touched them both.
The inherent intimacy of how she used the magic fascinated me.
I’d never seen anything like it.
After seeing the others to their rooms and procuring the supplies the female had asked for, I found my brother had already departed, leaving only a few Guardians behind to keep watch at the entrance and exit to the guest wing.
I dropped off the supplies, then headed out to check on Guille and Samuel. Guille had been in Unicorn form when my brother had ordered him to retrieve the crystal for Eli. Still, I could recognize any of the others no matter what form they took.
This time of night, Samuel would be studying his Sun Arts. The Sun House Guardians tended to practice after the sun had set to thoroughly test their abilities. Other realms could be in complete darkness, such as the Void, where the Dark Mages ruled, and we all had to be prepared for anything.
Shifting into Unicorn form, I galloped through the streets that I knew like the side of my horn. My hooves clapped against the smooth rock, releasing a pleasant sound as I hurried to the Sun House Training Grounds on the other side of the Command Spire.
It was always an impressive sight. Each building had a Purity Spire that fueled the protection barrier. Purity Magic consistently pushed into the sky, leaving glittering trails of power shimmering with a relaxing hum that told all of us that we were safe here.
Except the vibrations sounded strange today.
I paused, then stared up at the spot where the other Unicorns were watching.
While it was night, I should have been able to see the moon and the stars. There wasn’t any forestry here to block out the view, but a darkness grew over the barrier, making the entire campus groan as if a weight had been placed on top of it.
Then a crack sounded as the barrier threatened to break.
Shit.
I wasn’t imagining it.
Sprinting into a full-fledged gallop, I bolted around the Command Spire. My brother would be there, assembling the strongest among us to deal with the threat.
Since Khimaira’s escape, we’d been dealing with Corruption Storms, but I’d never seen one threaten the barrier before.
Logic insisted that this had something to do with the girl, even if I didn’t want to believe it.
That didn’t change my plans, though. If anything, it reinforced them.
