Slippery little bastard. Tanis slid across the room, knocking him off his feet. With no other weapon, she stabbed him with Renata’s horn.
The moment she did, he burst into a thousand cinders.
Whoa! Was that what would have happened to her had she not been wearing enchanted armor?
The thought was terrifying.
But she didn’t have time to think about it as she heard Naomi gasp. Her heart pounding, she returned to the bed to see the blood flowing from the wound the imp had made on Dash’s horn by trying to remove it.
“No, no, no,” she breathed. Tanis had to find a way to heal him.
She looked across the room to where Marthen and Ryper stood. “I know this stupid wand can do something. Don’t tell me it can’t.” Tears blinded her.
Desperate, Tanis glanced to the ceiling. “Renata? If you can hear me, Dash said that some of you is still in this wand. If it’s true, help me save him. Please.”
As if it could hear her, the wand heated up in her hand and began to glow.
Unsure of what to do, Tanis held it next to Dash’s horn on his forehead.
At first nothing happened.
Then, the color of his black horn began to fade to white.
Naomi shook her head. “He’s dying.”
Tanis refused to believe that. “What?”
Ryper swallowed hard before he spoke. “When they’re still attached to our bodies, our horns return to white as we die. It’s why poachers have to cut our horns off while we’re alive.”
“Which also kills a unicorn,” Halla said with a sob.
Her heart pounded as she realized that Ryper was right. Dash’s horn was losing all its color. It was already gray.
“Do something!” she demanded of Marthen.
“I know of nothing to do. Only Renata or a black horn can access the magick of her wand.”
Sobbing even harder, Tanis crawled up on the bed beside Dash. She couldn’t lose him. Not like this. “Damn it, beast! You are not leaving me. Do you hear? You’re not going to die! I forbid it! I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
Don’t leave me. Please.
She didn’t have anyone else.
She didn’t belong anywhere else.
I don’t want to be with anyone, but you. Ever.
More tears fell until she was blinded from them. Still holding the wand, she wiped at them, then curled herself around Dash’s body and touched the horrid gash on his horn.
“Please stay with me, beast.” The moment she whispered those words, sparks flew from Renata’s wand and drifted over him.
Stunned, Tanis held her breath as the color began to fade from Renata’s horn to mix with Dash’s. Black and gold swirled and danced along his spiral until his horn darkened.
Then, the most miraculous thing of all happened...
The inside of his horn was its original ebony, but the outer ridges were now a shimmering gold, as was the tip.
“What the hell?” Ryper stepped forward.
