As soon as we crossed the threshold of the restaurant, Wade’s phone made a little sound. He reached into his pocket and pulled it as we walked, and Daniel and I exchanged a glance, hoping this wouldn’t be another interruption for dinner. Suddenly, he gasped in excitement. His eyes, a deep ocean blue that hinted at his mermaid heritage, sparkled with an intensity I hadn't seen before.
"Guys, you won't believe this," he said, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he looked at his phone.
We all halted in our tracks, the ambient noise of clinking dishes and murmured conversations fading into the background. Even though Wade had given up the underwater life, there was still something undeniably aquatic about him; like a wave about to crest, he seemed to hold a force that commanded attention.
"What is it?" Daniel asked, his tone mirroring my own curiosity.
Wade showed us his phone screen, swiping with a finger until he found what he was looking for. "My sensor tripped while we were out there. Look."
For a second, I thought the grainy image was just another deer or raccoon that often roamed these parts. But then movement, a flash of white with a spiraling horn, made my heart skip a beat. He’d done it! He’d actually caught footage of a living unicorn.
"Is that...?" I couldn't finish the question, too caught up in the magic unfolding on the tiny screen.
"A unicorn," Wade confirmed, his voice a mix of triumph and awe. "Caught on video by one of my cameras in the woods."
"Wow." Daniel leaned closer. "That's incredible."
"More than you know," Wade said. "This could change everything." His gaze met mine, his discovery clear in his eyes. "A chance to save them.”
Beth got that determined look on her face that she does so well. "We just have to get there fast enough.”
"Let's not waste any more time," Wade said, pocketing his phone with urgency. "It might still be close. If we can track it?—"
"We can find out where all of the unicorns are hiding?" I interjected.
"Exactly." Wade's eyes were alit with purpose. "We need to protect them and find their habitat before anyone else stumbles onto this."
"Okay." I nodded. "But it's a big forest. How do you plan on tracking a unicorn?"
"That's where I was hoping Daniel could help again." Wade turned to him, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Your sense of smell, it's better than any tech I've got."
Daniel scratched his beard thoughtfully as he considered the request. "Yeah, I can do that."
"All right, let's do this," I said. "Before it gets harder to track.”
Daniel gave a nod, his usual easy laugh tucked away behind a veil of seriousness.
"Do we have to come?” Henry asked pointedly. "I planned to play a game with some online friends tonight and Alice has figurines to paint.”
Alice set a hand on his arm, giving him a pointed look. "But we’ll come if you need us to.”
"Yes, if wehaveto,” Henry said, his expression intense.
I shook my head and let my gaze run over my friends. "Unless you guys have a deep desire to trek through a dark, damp forest, you’re welcome to continue on with your evening however you want.”
Deva blushed and looked at Marquis. "We did sort of have plans.”
"Us too,” Carol said, setting her hand on Bryan’s knee. "But we’ll come unless you’re really sure we’re not needed.”
"Trust us,” I said with a laugh. "We’ll be okay.”
Wade waved down our server and handed her a few bills to cover our tab. We all thanked him, then we did our goodbyes. There was a round of hugging from the ladies, and a mixture of handshakes and awkward hugs from the men. Some leftoverswere wrapped up and went with their owners, others were left behind.
As we stepped out into the crisp evening air, I breathed in the pleasant scents of nature. The night was ours now, along with whatever secrets it held in the whispering trees. I desperately wanted to find the unicorn and follow it to the others, so we could warn them, but I also hoped the night didn’t drag on too long. I wouldn’t mind an evening in front of a fireplace with Daniel.
"Do you have a map?” Wade asked Daniel.
"Do I have a map?” Daniel said. "I have the ultimate map, with just about every backroad and hiking trail marked on it.”
