Consequences (9 page)

M
ARYA STROKED THE WHITE
mane of the unicorn as they stood in the empty studio at the Swan Dance School. Tim had told her to go somewhere safe and this was the safest place she knew. Dancing made her feel whole and strong. That's how she would need to feel if she had to face Daniel again.

“Daniel is really very nice. I mean, he used to be,” she told the unicorn. She wasn't sure if the repetitive action of combing the unicorn's mane with her fingers was more soothing to her or to the unicorn. She could tell, though, that it was comforting to them both. “But it makes my stomach hurt just knowing that he's out there.” She felt terrible for saying such a thing, but it was the truth. “He's not bad, exactly. It's more that…” She thought for a moment, trying to find the exact words to make the unicorn understand. “Well, he
was always so needy. As if he couldn't like himself, so you had to like him
for
him.”

She rested her forehead lightly against the unicorn's flank. “I can't do that anymore. I have a life, now. A real life. Not a Free Country life.”

She lifted her head again and patted the unicorn. “You don't want to hear about this, do you? You'd rather have an apple, I'll bet.”

Kneeling down, she rummaged through her bag for an apple. She held it out to the unicorn. The unicorn sniffed the apple, then delicately took it from Marya. It crunched down on the fruit, eating it in two quick bites. Then it nuzzled Marya's arm, tickling her.

Giggling, Marya asked, “Want another?” She reached back into her bag, but this time her fingers closed on a small statue. She pulled out the ballerina statue and gazed at it sadly. It was her good-bye present from Daniel when she left Free Country.

“Oh, Daniel,” she sighed. “I hate saying this, but I really hope I've seen the last of you.”

She suddenly noticed bits of ash and soot drifting toward her, piling up around her feet. She stood up quickly and whirled around.

Daniel loomed just inside the doorway of the studio.

“How long have you been standing there?” Marya asked.

“Long enough,” he replied.

She took a step toward him. “Daniel,” she said gently.

“Don't you act all sweet with me.” He shook the sooty broom at her, sending her into a coughing fit. “Don't you dare! If you knew the half of it, Marya. I've made a fool of myself over you. A perishing fool!”

The unicorn's tail flicked, and its ears twitched. It snorted a few times. “I wish you wouldn't yell,” Marya told Daniel. “It upsets the unicorn.” She stroked its velvety nose, trying to calm it, trying to calm herself. She wondered how she would ever manage to calm Daniel.

“I ain't yelling,” Daniel snapped. “You ain't never heard me yell. I never raised my voice to you. Never!”

“Okay, you're not yelling,” Marya said, even though Daniel's voice was loud and made her nervous.

Daniel sidled past the unicorn. “You keep that ruddy animal in line,” he muttered, shooting the unicorn a dirty look.

The dust cloud surrounding him made Marya's throat burn. She wondered how it must feel to be Daniel, so unhappy, with soot swirling around him and his soul all twisted.

“You ain't talking so much now that you have
to do it to my face, I see,” Daniel sneered. “What's the matter? Run out of lies?”

“I've never lied,” Marya said. “Not to you. Not to anyone. Except maybe to myself.”

“When I think of how you used to smile at me, and talk to me. All to keep me hoping—”

“Daniel,” Marya cut him off. “I smiled at you because I liked you. I talked to you because I wanted to. And I left because I had to.”

“Know what the talk is back in Free Country?” Daniel snarled. “They said you cut and run because I kissed you. That you left to get far away from me. That's what they all say.”

“That's crazy,” Marya said. “You know that isn't true. I left because I didn't want to play for the rest of my life. That's the only reason.”

“Play?”

“Play, play, play all the time. That's life in Free Country. I wanted to grow up, Daniel. I wouldn't go back for anything.”

“Well, I would. If I could.”

“What do you mean? Can't you go back? Daniel, that's terrible. What happened?”

“
You
happened!”

Marya shook her head in confusion. “I don't understand.”

“Don't you?” He took a step closer. “I changed for you. I became this for you! This…
thing
!
They'll never let me back in like this. And for what? What a fool I've been. All for you.” He took a step toward her. “Now, because of you, I can't ever go back!”

He raised his hand as if he intended to slap her. Marya threw up her hands to protect herself. At the same moment, the unicorn whinnied and reared up on its hind legs. It came back down between Daniel and Marya. Lowering its head, it touched Daniel at the heart with the tip of its horn. Daniel shuddered as if an electric jolt had shot through him.

“Oh no!” Marya cried. She didn't understand what was happening to Daniel or how the unicorn had moved so quickly. It all happened in a matter of seconds. “Please don't hurt him,” she whispered. The unicorn whickered softly.

Marya watched in amazement as Daniel's eyes rolled upward, and he stood paralyzed in the center of a golden haze. He seemed to be suspended in a cloud of glitter and sparkles. All the soot evaporated, and the healthy glow returned to his flesh.

The unicorn stamped the floor with a front hoof and then stepped back. Daniel wobbled on his feet, dazed.

He felt…different. Lighter. More like his old
self. Could that be possible? He gazed down at his jacket, his trousers. They were soggy from his tramp down in the tunnels, but they were no longer covered in soot. “Blimey!” he cried. “I've been cured. That magic horsie touched me and it made me better.”

He looked at the unicorn, its glinting eyes solemn and mysterious. “Sorry I tried to singe you when last we met,” he told the unicorn, hanging his head shamefully. “I—I wasn't myself then. I am truly grateful for what you done.”

He glanced around the room. His heart hurt to see how Marya shrank away from him in the corner of the dance studio. She was clutching the long wooden barre that ran the length of the room, staring at him, her green eyes wide. He couldn't tell if she was frightened or not.

Of course she's frightened, you fool!
he admonished himself.
You nearly hit her. Marya. Your angel. You almost struck her a blow. How can she stand to even be in the same room with you?

“Marya,” he said, his voice choking. “I—I'm so sorry. You know I never meant to—”

“But you did mean to,” Marya said. “The unicorn stopped you.”

Daniel's shoulders slumped. She was right. He was angry and he had raised his hand to her.
He wanted to believe that he would never have actually hit her, that he would have stopped himself. But he didn't know for certain. “You know I wasn't really me, just then,” he said, his eyes still fixed on the floor.

“I know,” Marya replied sadly. “But it's still not okay.”

Daniel's heart clutched. He'd done it for sure, this time. There was no way that she would ever forgive him. How could she, when he couldn't forgive himself? He had to go away, stay away from her. Until he could be really, really good.

“Maybe…maybe you can go back to Free Country now,” Marya suggested softly.

Daniel shrugged. He didn't trust himself to speak. He shuffled toward the door. As he opened it, he heard Marya say “Good-bye, Daniel.”

Without turning around, without facing her, he said, “Good-bye,” and walked out the door.

Marya watched him go. She knew he was sorry; she knew he was sad. She was sad, too, but that still didn't mean he could ever, ever hit her, or even try to. His anger was dangerous.

He had once been so kind, so sweet. Even in Free Country, though, she could sense his dark sadness pulling at him. Maybe now that he realized she couldn't be whatever it was he wanted her to be, he would finally be able to
start a new life for himself.

She gazed around the soot-covered studio. The unicorn lay down in the corner, watching her. It seemed calm, relaxed even, now that Daniel had gone. Marya was still unsettled, though. Her feelings were jumbled inside her.

Rubbing her bare feet in the soot as if it were the rosin she used on her pointe shoes, she began to dance. She danced Daniel's pain, and her sorrow for him. She danced a sense of loss and good-byes. She danced gratitude to Tim and the unicorn, and for finding friends like Molly. She danced and danced and danced.

 

“Upsa-daisy, mind your elbows,” Awn the Blink instructed Timothy. He helped Tim out of a manhole into the street.

“Air!” Tim cheered. “Sunlight!”

“Tim!” Molly charged toward them. “You're okay! I was just about to come down there after you!”

She skidded to a stop when she spotted Awn the Blink. “Er, hello,” she said.

Tim grinned. “Molly, this is Awn the Blink. He just saved my life.”

“Hello, miss,” Awn the Blink greeted Molly.

“Uh, hi,” Molly said, a smile spreading across her face. “Gee, Tim. I guess now that you're a
magician you run in some wild circles.”

“And not all of them human,” Tim agreed.

“Thanks for saving Tim's life,” Molly told Awn the Blink.

“Oh, Master Tim is exaggerating. He was just gearing up to magic his way out of the chimney weasel's trap when I turned up.”

He pulled a grimy handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his goggles. “And now I'll take my leave of you. Lots of things to unrepair, you know.” He winked and dropped back down underground, pulling the manhole cover over him.

The minute Awn the Blink vanished, Molly spun around and glared at Tim, her eyes flashing. “So it
was
a trap,” she fumed. “Just as I suspected.” She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “I see he really appreciated all you tried to do for him.”

“You know, this may sound weird,” Tim said, “but I think he was just trying to be honest. And make an old man proud.”

Molly snorted.

“Really.” Tim scratched his head, puzzling it out. “He told Slaggingham he killed me. So it was kind of like honoring a dying man's request. And then, I think he felt bad about lying. So he had to make it come true. See?”

Molly crossed her arms over her chest and
rolled her eyes. “Well, I can't believe you were too selfish to let him kill you,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

She spun around on her heels and stomped away. “I don't suppose it ever occurred to you to feel sorry for the ice cream shopkeepers?” she called back to Tim. “They could go out of business before you ever get around to taking a person for her ice cream!”

“Molly, wait.” Tim ran after her. “Please.”

Molly stopped, but she still kept her back to him. “All right, it was risky,” Tim admitted.

“Hmph.”

“Probably stupid,” Tim added.

“I'll say. But also brave and kind, too,” she added in a softer tone.

Tim smiled at her back.

Molly turned and waggled a scolding finger at him. “If Daniel had managed to kill you, I'd never have forgiven you! And I can't believe you kept this whole magic thing secret from me!”

Tim sighed. “I know. I kept trying to tell you, ever since I found out a few months ago. Really. You don't know how many times. But the words just wouldn't come out of my mouth.”

Molly grinned, and Tim could tell everything
was okay between them. “Sounds like typical you,” she said. “So now what do we do?”

“Let's go make sure Marya and the unicorn are okay,” Tim said. “Daniel might have gone looking for her.”

“You're right about that.” Molly shivered. “That boy is way obsessed.”

“You know Marya better than I do. Do you have any idea where she would take the unicorn?”

Molly thought for a moment, then her face brightened. “I know exactly.”

Molly grabbed Tim's hand and together they raced along the streets, Molly leading the way. Tim took in deep breaths.
I never thought I'd actually think the air in East London could smell so great
, Tim thought.

They arrived at the Swan Dance Studio and discovered Marya peering out one window, the unicorn's head hanging out the other.

“Now that's a sight,” Molly commented.

“Get used to it, if you plan to hang around me,” Tim warned her. “You'll find yourself seeing all sorts of unusual things.”

Moments later, Marya and the unicorn were down on the street with Tim and Molly. She explained what had happened with Daniel. “But at least he's back to being himself again,” Marya said.

“And that's a good thing?” Molly muttered.

“I don't know about you, but I am ready for that ice cream,” Tim said.

“What flavor do you think the unicorn will like?” Marya asked.

“Hay? Carrot?” Molly guessed. The three friends walked along the street laughing, followed by the unicorn.

Tim hadn't felt this good since he discovered he was magic. He wasn't hiding anything anymore, he was with friends, and his latest adventure had ended pretty well, all things considered.

They rounded a corner and Tim stopped. Two very unusual figures approached them. One was a sopping-wet young woman in a ragged skirt and the other was an equally wet seven-foot-tall blue bloke. Tim was pretty sure he'd seen the blue guy before.
I guess this adventure isn't quite over
, Tim thought.

He nudged Molly. “Don't say I didn't warn you. How much do you want to bet that they want to talk to me?”

Molly's mouth dropped open. “Wh-what is it? Is it a demon? Look at those horns!”