Warrior Beautiful (8 page)

Trey blinked at her. She’d expected derision, or at the very least, pity. But he looked around him, eyeing the trees like he expected unicorns to pop out of the branches. “You can’t see them.” She said it as a statement. The disappointment that came with it was a complete surprise.

“They’re here? Now?” He stepped menacingly toward Iros. “Did they do this to you?”

“No. I did this to me. I tripped and fell.”

“
Graceful, that one.
”
Ashra whispered. Trey’s head jerked up and he looked toward the sound. Scout frowned. She was positive it could only be heard in her mind, fuzzy though it was.

“You heard that?” Iros pointed in Ashra’s direction.

Trey’s eyebrows drew together. “Yeah I heard that.” He rubbed his forehead.

Iros looked at Havik, raising an eyebrow before he turned back to Trey. “But you can’t see them?”

“No. I —” He looked at Scout. “You can see them?”

“Yes. Look Trey,” she motioned, but pain shot through her when she raised her arm and she squealed.

“Havik.” Iros turned his back on Trey and knelt again at her side. The giant unicorn stepped forward, and Scout had a brief moment of panic, thinking he would trample her under his gigantic feet, but he was amazingly gentle. Slowly, as if aware of her fear, he lowered his head. His horn brightened with flames twisting through the spiral. Scout whimpered. “It’s okay. He won’t hurt you.” Iros laid a comforting hand on her arm.

From where he stood across the little clearing, Trey yelled and dove backward. Iros grinned. “I think he can see them now.”

“
I won
’
t hurt you. But I can
’
t heal you completely. I can make it more manageable. I
’
m sorry.
”
Havik’s voice echoed in her head, deep and powerful and yet calming, soothing. It was his voice she had heard in the beginning.

“Okay.” Scout nodded, wishing she wasn’t trembling like a small, hairless dog in a hurricane.

“Scout?” Trey murmured. He edged around the unicorns without taking his eyes off them before crouching next to her.

The flame reached, curling and beautiful. She felt the heat brush her cheek before it seeped into her shoulder. Scout cried out; it burned, flames licking up and down her spine. Trey pulled her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Still there was pain, twisting through her and around her, but Scout could feel it
healing
, mending the damaged spine.

“There now. Almost done,” Iros murmured, and then the giant unicorn raised his head and stepped back.

“
That
’
s all I can do.
”

It took several seconds before Scout could raise her head away from Trey’s chest. “How do you feel?” Iros asked, rising to his feet.

Scout sat up, slowly lifted her arms and moved her head. “Better. It — it doesn’t hurt like it did.”

“Let go of the anger and our Leerhas could fix you completely.” Iros raised an eyebrow and gave her a knowing look.

Under his breath, Trey muttered, “Not a snowball’s chance.”

Scout ignored him, nodding at Iros as she pushed herself to her feet. And then she turned to Havik. “Thank you,” she said, wondering if it was appropriate to pet a battle unicorn. “Wait, if I hear them in my head, can they hear my… thoughts?”

“
Don
’
t be ridiculous. You can
’
t hear our thoughts. Those are ours. You can hear what we want you to hear.
”
Ashra scoffed, throwing her majestic head.

“Can I — Can I talk to you in my head?”

Iros smiled. “I can talk to Havik. There has to be a bond between unicorn and rider. It can be very difficult to achieve. But it also makes them very powerful in a fight.”

“Where are their riders?” Trey asked, nodding toward the other two unicorns.

“
Dead,
”
Ashra said.

Scout gasped.

“They hadn’t bonded.” Iros glared at Ashra. “Ashra lost hers while we were still up north. Torz lost his in the attack yesterday.”

“The attack… by the soul stealers?” Scout asked.

“Soul stealers.” Iros scratched his head. “We know them by a different name — Taraxippus, but soul stealers is much easier to pronounce and, sadly, very fitting. And in answer to your question, yes, in the hospital. We were protecting you and they got away from us. We should never have let the… soul stealers, as you call them, into the hospital.”

“It was you I felt at the hospital. It was you I was running away from. Not the soul stealers.” Scout felt like someone had punched her. The dark power wasn’t evil. It was the unicorns. Protecting her while all those other people fell.

Iros looked grim, glancing at Havik before turning back to her. “It was us you felt, but the evil was the soul stealers. They seem to have targeted you, and we’ve had to fight them away from you twice now.”

Ah. That explained it. Scout remembered feeling two different kinds of darkness. One, huge and powerful, had been the unicorns. The other, the one that had felt like it was crushing her heart; that had been the soul stealers.

“Wait. It’s the four of you against something that took out most of our town in a
day
?” Trey’s eyebrows shot up.

“
No. There are others. We are the only ones that have… had riders.
”
Havik said.

Scout rubbed her head, feeling a headache coming. “Wait, I’m confused. Why? Why do you need riders?”

“Irwarros are,” Iros glanced at Havik again, then shrugged, “much more powerful with a rider.”

“
And with a bonded rider, even more powerful than that,
”
Havik explained, watching Scout closely with those dark, dark eyes.

“Then why don’t you all have riders?” Trey asked, looking as confused as Scout felt. He ran a hand through his messy spiked hair and tugged on the leather bands on his wrist.

“
Because humans are worthless, untrustworthy, and weak.
”
Ashra’s horn shot sparks, igniting the trees above her.

“
Because humans and unicorns… have trust issues.
”
Havik turned to look back at Ashra. He tossed his head again, and his mane slid through the air, enveloping the fiery trees in a thin mist, extinguishing the sparks.

“Because it is hard to build an army when innocence is lost so young.” Iros sighed. “Lil Bit was one of our most powerful prospects. We were just waiting for her to get old enough to fight.”

“Lil Bit?” Trey’s jaw dropped.

“Of course.” Scout smiled despite herself. She’d always known her little sister was special. And she missed her so, so much.

“That’s why we were watching you. We hoped you would have her gift. That you could be a rider,” Iros said.

“A rider? Me? I can’t even jump off a roof without immobilizing myself!” Scout gasped.

“That’s how you got out?” Trey exclaimed.

Scout glanced at him and away, feeling heat rise to her cheeks like a scolded child.

Iros leaned forward until she was forced to meet those green eyes. “Scout, you don’t understand.” He gripped her shoulders. “We need an army to battle the soul stealers. Or the human race is lost.”

Trey smiled down at her. “I always knew you’d save the world.”

“What is going on? Trey? You
left
me at her house! Alone!” Kylin bellowed, exploding into the small clearing with all the force of a starving hurricane. For such a small thing, she was loud. “What are you two doing out here?” She pulled up abruptly, smoothing her long bangs away from her eyes as her gaze landed on Iros. “Who are you?”

“He’s a unicorn rider,” Scout said flatly.

“A what? Has she lost her mind?” Kylin asked, glaring first at Scout and then at Trey.

“Possibly,” Scout muttered.

“Kylin, close your eyes. You have to believe me on this, but if you’re really quiet, you can feel them.” Trey crossed through the trees to stand next to her, closing her eyes with gentle fingers. Scout felt her heart break a little in her chest. Why did she have to still be in love with him? Why couldn’t she be happy hating him forever?

Iros gave her a startled look. “I thought you two were…”

“No. Not even close.” Scout cut him off. “That is Kylin. His girlfriend.”

“
Interesting,
”
Torz muttered. His voice was quieter, more subdued, than Havik’s although his eyes were the same beautiful darker-than-dark brown.

“Not really.” Scout growled, shoving her ponytail over her shoulder.

Kylin screamed.

It wasn’t as pathetic as Scout had been, crawling on hands and knees to escape them, but it was still high-pitched enough that wolves howled in the distance.

“Trey! What are those monsters?” Kylin dove behind him, her hand shaking as she grabbed at his arm.

“Hey! They’re not monsters!” Scout yelled before she even realized she had opened her mouth. She advanced on Kylin, wishing she had a horn of her own to shoot sparks with. “They’re beautiful! They fight the monsters, you idiot!”

Stunned silence descended on their little clearing, and then Iros started to laugh. “Oh yeah, she’s a rider alright.”

“Of course you’d defend them. You’re probably best friends with them. It explains a lot.” Kylin smirked from behind Trey’s shoulder, glaring out at Scout like a mouse staring out its hole.

“They’re what saved you from the soul stealers. Otherwise you’d be lying in a hospital, too,” Scout snapped. She whirled on Iros. “I didn’t say I’d be a rider. I’m weak. I’m hurt. I’m angry and bitter. Lil Bit said
you
would save us. Not me.”

Above them, something interrupted Scout’s tirade. Trey jerked Kylin to the ground, covering her with his body. “Scout, get down!” he yelled. But Scout stood frozen in pain, watching him protect Kylin. The hunter green horse landed in front of her, mercifully blocking her view. She stumbled backward, crashing into Iros. He caught her, holding lightly to her upper arms.

“
Taraxippus are moving on to the next town. They
’
re already attacking.
”
The horse wasn’t a horse at all, but another unicorn. Much smaller than the big black ones, with sleek wings and the same misting mane and tail.
“
We need to move immediately, Iros.
”

“Why is that one green?” Kylin whispered loudly.

“He’s an Eske. A tracker.” Iros said distractedly. “We need to move. And we need help. Scout?” With one graceful leap, Iros landed on Havik’s back, pulling a staff with a glowing orb from the belt at his waist. It wasn’t a sword at all, like she’d originally thought.

“I can’t! I don’t even know —”

Ashra’s horn glowed, sparks crackled, and in the flames another staff formed.
“
Take it, human. Stop being a baby. You want to save your sister? Then do something about it.
”

Scout choked as fear rose like bile into her throat. Iros and Havik watched her expectantly. The green unicorn leaped into the air and was gone, crashing through the branches like they weren’t even there. And she felt herself nodding. “Okay. Okay, give me that thing. Someone tell me how to use it.” She jogged to Ashra’s side. “And someone tell me how in the world I get on.”

“
Oh good grief. Are you always so helpless?
”
Ashra muttered as her horn sparked again and flames spread, forming steps from her back to the ground. Before she could pass out from panic or die from a heart attack, Scout jumped up the stairs and threw herself across Ashra’s back, tucking her legs around the wings.

“Let’s go!” Iros yelled. Havik’s big wings spread out, nearly enveloping the entire clearing.

“Wait!” Trey ran in front of them, holding his hands up like he could stop beasts the size of small elephants. “I’m coming. I want to fight, too.”

“You’re kidding me.” Scout nearly fell off her unicorn.

“Your family isn’t the only ones we lost, Scout. My brothers and my parents are gone, too.”

“Torz!” Iros called.

Torz tossed his head, creating a staff the same way Ashra had.
“
Get on, human. We can be properly introduced later.
”

“What about me?” Kylin cried. “Trey, pull me up with you!”

“
You can
’
t have more than one rider. If you want to fight
—” Havik started, but Kylin cut him off.

“No! I don’t want to fight! I’m a fashion designer!” She yelped like someone had bitten her.

“Go home where you’re safe, Kylin.” Trey tossed her his truck keys. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Kylin jumped away from the keys and they fell into the thick grass at her feet. Her mouth opened and closed but she only made infuriated little squeaking sounds.

“Unicorns, ride!” Iros yelled.

Their wings exploded into flames. Scout screamed.

Kylin finally found her voice. “You’re leaving me? Are you serious with this?” she screeched, but Trey’s unicorn had already launched himself into the air.

Ignoring Kylin, Scout opened her mouth. Was she supposed to yell ‘yah!’ or something?
“
Don
’
t. Even. Think. About. It.
”
How Ashra could sound so firm and annoyed at the same time when she wasn’t actually even speaking was beyond Scout, but she snapped her mouth shut and looked around wildly for reins, or a mane to hold on to, or something.

“
Grab the mist. It will become what you need.
”
Ashra still sounded annoyed, but she waited until Scout had a firm hand on the mane-of-mist.

How is it even possible to have a firm hold on mist?
Scout wondered wildly as Ashra launched herself into the sky — straight up, no running start or anything. Scout stifled a howl and threw her arms around Ashra’s thick neck. She could hear the unicorn laughing at her; it bounced around like a loose pinball inside her skull.