She was stiff in his arms though, muscles tense. Being carried this way, like the fragile doll she’d always been treated as, made her feel small. Breakable. And shehatedit.
She was a unicorn.
She had powers . . . that she could barely use . . . but still, she had them.
“I can walk,” she protested, squirming in his arms, but his grip only tightened.
“Unless you can also see in the dark, you won’t be walking. We don’t have the luxury of time for you to blindly navigate your way.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, but quickly sucked it back in when she felt his chest rumble against her. So, he hadn’t been kidding. He reallycouldsee in the dark.
Sighing with resignation, she relaxed in his arms, letting her head fall to his shoulder. She supposed walking in pitch black was not her idea of fun anyway.
The passage seemed to go on forever, spiraling lower and lower before snaking left, then right. Damien moved through the darkness with ease, never missing a step. Never stumbling.
The air thickened, earthy and stale. It was damp enough that she could taste it on her tongue. They had to be underground by now. How much farther was the exit?
Finally, Damien stopped walking. He placed her back on her feet and guided her hands to a cold iron bar that she could only assume was another ladder.
“Wait here,” Damien commanded without explanation as he climbed ahead, giving her no time to argue.
At the top, he lifted the trapdoor just a crack, allowing a thin sliver of light to slip through. Luna held her breath as he scanned the area above. After a few seconds, he pushed the door open the rest of the way.
A blast of white powder struck him, the residual powder fluttered down the passage like falling snow.
“You’re gonna pay for that,” he growled, leaping out of the passage, letting the trapdoor close behind him.
Complete and utter darkness consumed Luna and she struggled to move out of the way of the falling powder.
Tiny flakes landed on the top of her head and arms.
Absolute agony flared across her skin.
Her screams echoed down the chamber, but she did not care if someone heard her.
The flakes, though delicate, burned like fire, searing holes all the way through her skin and her bones, to the very essence of her being. Frantically, she brushed her hands over her head and arms, trying to wipe the powder away. Every millisecond that passed by seemed like years of torture. She yanked the fabric of her skirts up, dragging it over her head and arms. Still, it burned. She felt like the powder was ripping her body away from her magic, attacking her like it could sever the connection to her unicorn. What seemed like forever passed and the flakes finally lost their power. She slumped forward, a ragged breath escaping her lips as she braced herself on her knees.Sweet relief.
The sound of someone else struggling brought her mind back to the present.
Damien.
Shit.He’d taken the full blast, while only a few flakes had landed on her.
She pressed a hand on the wall, trying to orient herself. In the chaos of wiping away the powder, she’d lost her sense of direction. With no light to guide her, she had no idea if she was moving towards the ladder or away from it.
Distant sounds of fighting echoed down the passage, and she tried to follow them. Inch by inch, she kept one hand on the wall and the other stretched out in front of her, bracing for obstacles. She told herself she’d walk this way for a bit, and if she didn’t find the ladder, she’d turn back. Soon, her fingertips touched the iron rungs of the ladder. She counted her lucky stars and gripped them as if they might vanish if she let go. Climbingin the dark was awkward, especially in her big dress, but soon, she made it to the top and pushed the door open just enough for her to see out.
Barely any stars dotted the sky, and six guards lay facedown, their breathing faint but present. White powder coated the ground like fresh snow as Damien fought off two guards in his unicorn form. The powder clung to his face and chest, but it didn’t appear to be affecting him. He swung his massive head towards one of the men, his black horn slicing the air like a blade. For a moment, Luna thought he would cut the guard in half, but at the last second, his aim shifted, and his horn punctured the canister they were holding. He reared back, and in one swift motion, he sent the canister flying.
And then one of the guards flew through the air, landing with a heavy thud; he didn’t get back up.
Damien rounded on the remaining guard, who shook so violently that Luna was almost surprised there wasn’t a wet spot on his trousers or a little puddle of liquid by his boots.
Damien’s shadows surged through the air, moving like waves; they smashed into the guard, sending him sprawling onto his backside, and with a swish of his tail, Damien turned to her. “Not very good with instructions, are you?”
Luna pushed the trapdoor the rest of the way and climbed out as he pranced over.
But before she could get her footing, the fallen guard was back up. He grabbed a fistful of powder and charged at them. Luna screamed, “Look out!”
