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KADE SINCLAIR’S FRUSTRATION was growing as he searched the woods for the elusive unicorn. He was deep in the forest to the north of the Fae District. So far, he’d run into a large number of magical creatures and beings. None of them could tell him where to find the unicorn. Some of them had tried to attack him, but he’d teleported away rather than killing them. He wasn’t there to destroy anyone, but to find a way to avert the ruination of the city.
The warlock had met with his allies a few nights ago, just to touch base. Neither Sebastian, nor Raum had any real news. Jardine hadn’t been given the information about how to use the artifact yet. The fairy and elf who were in possession of the instructions must have been holding onto them. They were either still trying to decide what to do with the valuable knowledge, or they’d given them to the Immortal Triumvirate.
Stumbling over a root, Kade lurched forward and became tangled in vines. He cursed beneath his breath and carefully extricated himself from the plants. Some flora were sentient, so it would be a bad idea to harm any of them. They could rile up the beasts to drive him away before he could reach his goal.
“How hard can it be to find a unicorn?” the warlock muttered when he’d freed himself. He spied a path that had been made by animals and worked his way over to it. His cloak had been torn by the vines, but it repaired itself as he strode along the trail.
Heavy rain was falling, but the canopy shielded him from the worst of the deluge. Winter was over and spring was in full force now. Insects buzzed all around him. It was strangely peaceful being away from the hubbub of the city. No one treated him like a lowly minion and he didn’t need to pretend to be something he wasn’t.
His head swiveled from side to side as he searched the dense woods for the elusive unicorn. He detected hundreds of magical beasts and creatures in the nearby area alone. More supernatural beings than he’d realized were living in Nox. It had to be safer for them to dwell in the forest rather than living in the abandoned houses. No matter how far they ran, they couldn’t escape from the Energy Tax. The spell locked on to the magic or life force of everyone in each District. They were all forced to pay their dues.
The warlock wanted more than just revenge for his dead mother. He dreamed of changing things in the City of Night so people didn’t have to live in poverty and fear. Defeating the Immortal Triumvirate would most likely bring an end to the city. Everyone who had moved here in the hope of finding safety would have to leave. “If I could somehow strip the magic the Immortal Triumvirate are hoarding, I might be able to funnel it back into Nox,” he said, mulling over the problem. Just how he would accomplish that eluded him.
Raum had said it was impossible to reverse the spell that had left the Night Cursed beings so weak and drained. Crowmon no longer possessed the olde-worlde magic that might have been able to assist them. “It would take a different sort of magic to undo it,” he figured.
“You know, it’s a sign of madness when people talk to themselves,” a piping voice called out from somewhere in the woods. He couldn’t tell if it was male or female.
Kade halted and readied himself to cast a magic shield around his body. “Who’s there?” he asked warily.
Half a dozen tiny sprites emerged from behind a tree. They flew over to hover in front of his face. They were a mixture of male and female, with colorful hair, eyes and clothing. Their wings moved so fast that they were a blur. “What is a half human like you doing wandering around in the woods?” a female asked. She reached out to yank on his hood.
“Don’t you know it’s dangerous here?” a male said.
“Trolls, ogres and minotaurs live in this area. They’ll snap you in half and suck the marrow from your bones if they catch you,” another sprite said solemnly.
“I’m willing to take my chances,” Kade said, trying hard not to smile condescendingly. He was far stronger than any other magical creature in the woods, but he needed to keep that a secret. The Immortal Triumvirate had spies everywhere.
“We heard you say something about a unicorn,” another sprite said. “Why are you looking for him? Do you mean to slay him?”
“Of course not!” the warlock replied, aghast at the idea. “I’d never hurt a creature as pure and magical as a unicorn!”
“Plenty of people have tried,” a female sprite said. “They traipse around in the woods like idiots just like you, hoping to sneak up on him and kill him so they can harvest his parts.”
“I swear, I’m not going to hurt him,” Kade said.
“Of course you’re not going to hurt him,” the creature said with a derisive snort. “No one can find the unicorn. The unicorn will find you if he wants you to see him.”
“But don’t count on it, human,” another sprite said with a mischievous grin. “Your kind aren’t welcome here.”
Tittering behind their hands, the pack of sprites flew away, leaving a bewildered warlock behind. “I’m only half human,” he muttered. “My other half is fae.”
“The unicorn doesn’t care if you’re half fairy, half elf, or half cyclops!” a sprite shouted. “You’re still tainted with human blood, which means you’re not worthy of being graced with his presence!”
Kade blew out a sigh, wondering if he was wasting his time like the pesky little beings were telling him. He blundered around for a couple more hours before heading to the Fae District. For the next few hours, he wandered through the suburbs, probing the houses with his senses as he searched for someone strong enough to become his match.
He was tempted to teleport to the City Square and see if he could catch a glimpse of the beautiful blonde woman, but didn’t. She was a distraction he didn’t need, even if he couldn’t get her out of his head. He was still thinking about her when he gave up on his search for the night and headed home.
The warlock took a shower, then pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms. He ambled over to the window next to his bed and peered out into the darkness. Without really thinking about it, he placed his hand on the windowpane and pictured the woman who had captivated him. Magic flared and when he took his hand away, an image of the mystery blonde was etched into the glass.
A strange sense of longing rose inside Kade as he studied her perfect face. Her expression was sad, as if she felt as lonely as he did. “Who are you?” he murmured as a faint trace of dawn light appeared through the window.
He yawned, then reluctantly climbed into bed. It was tiring searching the woods for the unicorn, but he wasn’t going to give up yet. He would alternate between searching for his match to bond with and looking for the majestic beast.
