Page 18 of Unicorn Shifter Academy
Questions that the Elders would have to assist me with. This was completely unprecedented and dangerous. They were much older than my mere one-thousand years. Surely they would know what to do.
“Elders,” she repeated. Not a question, but a statement. Then she laughed, the sound the most beautiful thing to have ever graced my ears. “You’re telling me there’s more of you? And you haveElders?” She propped her hands on her hips. “We’re not going anywhere until you tell me where we are, and whoyouare.”
“We’re in the Enchanted Forest,” I said easily. “My name is Raze. I’m a Unicorn of the Ruby House and, until further notice, in charge of you from here.” She needed to know who she was and everything about her power if she was to control it—and she needed to know that I was her superior.
All of those things would come in time.
I had no desire to hide answers from her, but she wasn’t ready for most of them.
Meaning she would have to listen to me.
It would solve all of my problems if she didn’t. If a beast found us and devoured her, it would make matters a whole lot easier.
But the mere idea of anything or anyone harming a hair on her head sent fresh, protective rage through my veins.
That wasn’t an option.
As if to test my resolve, a pack of bear cubs poked through the foliage.
My blood ran cold.
Like everything in this forest, creatures were deceptively adorable and boasted golden horns that held the magic of our realm.
Every creature was a containment of raw power.
Every beast was capable of ripping its prey to shreds.
In particular, Unicorn Bears. They tended to be more devastating because they traveled in family groups and the cubs were often ravenous.
We’d lost a few students to them this year already.
And like everything in the Enchanted Forest, the first step in luring its target was to appear defenseless.
“Awww, floofy!” Bonny squealed as she clapped her hands against her cheeks. “Look how sweet! Baby bear cubs!”
Their mother appeared a moment later, then rolled onto her back and showed her swollen belly.
“Bonny, don’t—” my sharp tone did little to deter her as she sprinted toward the cubs.
“It’s okay!” she said, already throwing herself at death’s door like a naïve Unicorn foal. “You said we were in the Enchanted Forest, and look at the mom. She wants us to pet them!”
My heart dropped as she bounded across the forest floor.
Remembering how to breathe, I charged to stop her, only to ping off of an invisible wall that shimmered like rainbow oil.
Pain shot through my face and I rubbed my nose, glancing up at what could have possibly stopped me.
Not much in the realms was strong enough to contain me—except for walls of Purity magic, of course.
I blinked a few times when I realized what I was looking at.
She just summoned a level three protective barrier without even trying.
Glancing back at her, my heart stuttered as she reached one of the cubs and picked one up.
“Bonny!” I cried out, my heart already breaking even if I wasn’t sure why.
I shouldn’t care so much about a female I’d just met, but I found myself beating my fists against the barrier as my magic poured through me with red-hot heat.
