It would be easy to shrug it off. Or stick with anger and tell Bathin to butt out of my business. I didn’t want a demon around the unicorn anyway. They were fire and napalm and getting in the middle of whatever rivalry they had would only leave me burned.
Bathin tightened his fingertips on my elbow. Asking me to trust him. Asking me to do what he said.
The tug in my chest was warm, solid. This was where I should be. This was what I should be doing.
His rule was that she couldn’t use magic. It wasn’t really all that unusual of a request.
Compromise seemed the best option.
“Rule three,” I said, drawing the full attention of the little horse, “don’t use magic unless you have cleared it with me first.”
The horse stomped. “Not fair.”
“Ordinary isn’t fair, Xtelle,” Bathin crooned behind me. “It’ssafe. For it to remain that way, we have all made exceptions. Do you understand now?”
“No.” Xtelle shimmered a little, and I wondered if her hold on the horse illusion was about to fail.
“Not being able to use magic is cruel,” she said. It looked like even the thought of it hurt her. “I’m made of magic,” she whined. “I must be allowed to use it.”
Bathin snorted, and it sounded callous and cruel. “You could go back to yourmeadow.”
The horse gasped like he’d just clobbered her with a baby seal. “Who made you so mean?”
“My mother.”
The heat behind that was a slap.
Xtelle snapped her head back. “Not everything is meant to fall in your favor, Black Heart.”
“That’s abundantly clear.”
“What does your mother have to do with—”
“Okay,” I broke in. “We’re done. Agree with the last rule. No magic unless it’s approved by me.”
“I don’t trust you, Myra.” The unicorn was still glaring at Bathin.
“You don’t have to trust me. You have to follow the rules. If you want another host, tell me now.”
She tossed her head and her mane shimmered with just a little too much sunlight. “Very well. Agreed. For the time that you are my host here in Ordinary, I will follow your silly rules. Now may we leave this park? I do not care for the damp. Or the children.”
I opened the back door for her. “Hop in.”
“I do nothop.” She planted her front hooves onto the floor and sort of shimmied up into the car.
It was totally a hop. I shut the door behind her and headed to the driver’s side.
Bathin put his hand on the passenger side and opened the door.
“No,” I said.
“Hmmm?” He was already bent to duck into the vehicle.
“You ride home with Delaney.”
“But I came with you.”
“So?”
