Warrior Beautiful (11 page)

Scout hesitated, looking for Ashra.
Stupid unicorn, anyway.
“Yes.” She took his elbow, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the corded muscle under her hand.

“
We have company. Maybe you should save your tale so it only has to be told once,
”
Havik said, his ears flicking backward.

Scout tipped her head back, squinting. In the distance but coming fast she could see black blurs. “Soul stealers?” she whispered, horror choking her. Her feet stumbled backward of their own accord ready to run and she dropped Iros’ arm.

Iros reached out and caught her hand, twining his strong fingers with hers before she could flee like the frightened animal she was. “No. Torz with your friend Trey. And—” Iros motioned to the sky with his free hand.

“Kylin,” Scout sighed. Of course Trey had gone to get her. She was his girlfriend after all.
And I
’
m fine, thanks.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Havik’s big head turning toward her, but couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

They landed several feet away. Trey and Torz still had that weird glow that made them seem larger than life, but it died away as Trey leaped down. He jogged to the other unicorn and held his hands up. Kylin slid into them, looking pale and more hungry than usual. Scout pressed a hand over her heart, willing it to stop hurting as she watched Kylin lay her head against Trey’s broad chest.

“It wasn’t safe for her. Once the soul stealers realize she is associated with you, they’ll take her just to punish you. In fact, none of you are safe now. Once you’re a rider, the soul stealers target you,” Iros said quietly, as if reading Scout’s thoughts.

Kylin jerked her head up and fixed her angry eyes on Iros. “You could have mentioned that before Trey agreed to help you,” Kylin said, abandoning Trey and picking her way through the soft grass in stiletto boots. Yes, stiletto boots, designer jeans, and an embroidered tank top. Scout was suddenly aware of her torn, bloody jeans and what had once been a long sleeve shirt.
Awesome.

“It wouldn’t have mattered,” Trey said. Scout finally looked at him, really looked, because he’d been pretty beat up the last time she’d seen him. He still had the bruises, burns, cuts, scrapes, and he was covered in more blood than she was. She searched his face, finally meeting his gaze and realized he watched her with the same worry in his eyes. She flushed and looked away.

“What do you mean it wouldn’t have mattered? You have the state championship in two weeks!” Kylin screeched.

“
Does she always do that when one argues with her? It hurts my ears something awful,
”
Havik whispered in Scout’s head. She giggled, clapping a hand guiltily over her mouth when Kylin turned furious brown eyes on her.

“This is all your fault, you know,” she snapped.

“I know. I told the soul stealers to attack. Just so I could ruin Trey’s chance at State.” Scout fought to keep her face solemn. Kylin rolled her eyes.

“Kylin, knock it off,” Trey sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re in the most beautiful place on earth... er, around earth, above earth. Whatever. Why don’t you stop complaining for a few seconds and enjoy it.” He looked at Scout, waited until she met his gaze again. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said, moving closer to Havik, borrowing his strength.

“
Iros was about to give Scout a tour. Would you like to join us?
”
Havik asked. It was disconcerting when Scout couldn’t tell if he was talking just to her or to them all.

Torz came silently to stand next to Trey. The glow was faint, but Scout could still see it.
I
’
m protecting this human because we need riders, and that
’
s it.
Why couldn’t Scout have jumped on anyone else’s back besides the unicorn with the chip on her shoulder?

Fitting, since you have one, too
. Scout wasn’t sure if it was Ashra’s voice or her own whispering inside her head. Either way, she chose to ignore it.

Instead, she turned to Iros. “Lead on, oh wise one,” she said, sweeping her arm wide. Iros grinned at her and started away from the huts.

“This used to be the area that housed the human riders. At one time there were hundreds of huts in this enclosed valley. Now I’m the only permanent resident.” He motioned behind him at the little square of small houses nestled in the depths of the cave.

Scout stopped, pulling him to a stop with her. “You’re the only human here? How come they don’t hate you? How are you safe?”

He smiled. “I’m not human. I’m immortal. Like the unicorns.”

“Say what now?” Kylin asked, nearly running into the back of Iros as she tried to keep her heels from sinking in the mossy undergrowth.

Scout gaped at him. “You don’t age?”

“
We
’
ve been here hundreds and hundreds of years — specifically to fight the soul stealers. We almost won once.
”
Havik stomped his feet, and behind them Torz followed, like some sort of grieving unicorn ritual.

“So… you’re just… hundreds and hundreds of years old?” Scout asked, rubbing her eyes like it would make the situation more comprehensible.

“Yep.” Iros’ smile widened as if he was enjoying their confusion immensely.

“Holy Hannah,” Scout murmured. “I can’t… I don’t…”

Kylin suddenly seemed interested in the conversation, toddling around Trey to grip Iros’ other arm. “How do you become immortal? You don’t age? No wrinkles? This could revolutionize the fashion industry!”

“You become immortal by binding your soul to a unicorn’s, forever. A blood-bond, not just the soul-bond that Trey and Torz have,” Iros explained.

Kylin paled considerably. “It involves blood?”

Trey smirked. “Kylin doesn’t do well with the sight of blood.”

“And yet I’m still looking at you,” she snapped back at him.

Iros raised an eyebrow at Scout and she shook her head.
Don
’
t ask.
He hid a grin and turned back to Kylin. “In answer to your question, yes, it involves blood — and an unbreakable commitment. Paradesos becomes your home. You become a warrior for eternity.”

Kylin dropped Iros’ arm like it had scalded her fingers and stumbled backward into Trey’s arms, horror written across her face.

Honey, you don
’
t know what horror is,
Scout thought dryly. Iros couldn’t read her mind like the unicorns could, but he still threw her an amused glance, apparently guessing her thoughts. She liked him even more.

“So, oh mighty leader. Where are we, exactly? Is this some unexplored Greek jungle that those Internet map programs missed completely or something?” she teased, and then wondered if he even knew what the Internet was.

He threw back his head and laughed. “Paradesos is above Greece. We have infinite space. It’s protected by unicorn magic. As long as there is a unicorn here, it will have that protection.” There were small trails among the trees. Iros picked one and they started down it, the two big unicorns following behind. Once again, it seemed that the trees stretched out of their way, and the breeze blew the moss from their path. It did not seem to do it for Iros, as he still had to duck and weave through the trees.

“You were going to tell me the betrayal story.”
And why my unicorn wants to hate me so bad.
Once again, Iros took Scout’s arm and looped it through the crook of his elbow, holding it there with his other hand. Clearly, ancient habits were hard to break. Scout smiled at the ground.

Through the trees, the sun cast scattered shadows across Iros’ face, lighting his loose curls so they looked like spun gold. “Ah. Yes. Hundreds of years ago, there was an ailing king.” Iros’ grip tightened on her hand, just a bit. He sounded like he was launching into a fairy tale, but there was pain hidden beneath his words. Scout could feel it through his touch, the way his fingers tightened without him even seeming to notice. “He was the king of the soul stealers, Master of them all. He was dying and there was only one thing that could save him.”

On Iros’ other side, Havik lowered his head, his horn glowing red-hot.

“Unicorn magic?” Scout guessed.

“
The horn of a unicorn
,
”
Torz said, his voice soft, gentle in the background.

“Your horns come off?” Kylin asked, reaching out to touch Havik’s. He reared back with a shriek.

“Whoa, whoa!” Scout found herself reaching out to comfort him without realizing it, despite the fact that his horn seemed to be living fire and his giant, stomping feet could cut her to shreds. She slid her hand along his neck, felt him tremble. “It’s okay. We don’t know better,” she soothed.

“
Thank you, Scout,
”
she heard Havik whisper, the tremors dying away under her fingers.

“To take a unicorn’s horn is to kill its entire lineage,” Iros said grimly.

Scout gasped, her free hand flying to her mouth. Havik moved ahead of them and Scout followed. Iros fell into step beside her.

“At the same time,” Iros glanced at Havik, who flicked one ear toward Scout and tossed his head gently. “I had a brother. The love-of-his-life had been caught by the soul stealers. The Master offered an exchange.”

“No.” Trey’s voice was hard as he guessed what Iros was about to say.

Iros glanced at him, nodding sadly. “My brother was a rider of the Corste. They were magnificent red unicorns that led souls to heaven. In desperation, he tricked his unicorn, with whom he had blood-bonded, and took his horn. The entire Corste race died, but they left us a gift.” Iros’ eyes moved to the horizon, where the sun seemed to pause in a magnificent sunset. “They are the beautiful colors you see when the sun rises or sets.”

“It’s beautiful,” Scout murmured.

Iros nodded. “He tried to take the horn to the Master, but Havik and I stopped him and took it back, forcing him from Paradesos. The old Master, with nothing to save him, died and left my brother his legacy as the new Master. He has been building an army to storm Paradesos and take the horn back ever since.”

“What keeps him from just coming back and taking it himself?” Kylin asked. “Why does he need an army?”

“Because he doesn’t have a soul. His soul is trapped in the horn. And only those with souls can enter Paradesos, which is the same reason the soul stealers can’t come in, either.” They walked in silence, horror and sadness making it difficult to speak. Scout couldn’t think of a single thing to say after a story like that.
So, lovely weather you
’
re having here.
Yeah, that’d be great. The soft ferns brushed against her calves, tickling her skin through her ruined jeans.

Scout hadn’t realized that Iros had a destination in mind until they stopped in front of a wall encased in shimmering, incandescent flames. In the middle was a horn, dull black like an ox’s, but long and twisted like the unicorn’s. It took Scout several seconds to realize it was a unicorn horn — that’s what they would look like without the sparkly fire.

Reverently, Havik now lowered his still-fiery horn to touch it to the wall of flames. Trey stopped beside Scout, and on his other side Torz followed Havik, lowering his head as well.

“His soul is in that?” Kylin grimaced and backed away, her fair skin paling even more. “I think I’m going to vomit.”

Havik’s head jerked up and he snorted. Again Scout moved between them, laying a hand against his neck. She searched his eyes, trying to speak but unable to. Even so, Havik seemed to understand.

“That’s a gift you have.” Iros touched her arm, nodding toward where her hand lay against the mighty unicorn’s silky neck. “Your ability to sooth, to speak to them without needing words. Very few have ever been able to do it.” Scout looked at him in surprise and Havik nudged her with his giant head.

“That makes sense,” Trey said quietly. Scout wondered if his voice would ever
not
send delicious chills up and down her spine, and if just standing next to him would ever not be a fight to find herself in his arms. “She’s always been like that. You should have seen her with Lil Bit.” Scout found herself caught in his gaze, unable to look away and not really even wanting to. His eyes were so beautiful.

Kylin cleared her throat, shoving her way between them with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes shooting daggers. Scout flushed and looked away, burying her face against Havik’s soft hair.

“So this was hundreds of years ago… but the attacks just started,” Trey said, his voice slightly strangled.

Scout could hear the chuckle in Iros’ voice as he answered. “Yes, he’s been slowly building his army of soul stealers.” The amusement died quickly as he continued. “He released them just a few months ago, but we were unprepared. Because your world has lost its innocence, we haven’t been able to find anyone who believes enough to fight.”

“
Those that do believe are too young and too easily dissuaded from belief
,
”
Havik interrupted.

“Except Lil Bit,” Scout murmured. She thought of all the times in Lil Bit’s life that doctors, grown ups, friends, parents — they’d all told her she was seeing things. They’d told her she was crazy. They’d told her to grow up. And Scout’s brave little sister had held on to her belief despite it all. But so many kids in similar positions could not. The loss of innocence was starting younger and younger, as Iros had said.

“And you.” Trey caught her gaze. “You believed.”

“
Desperation causes one to believe when one wouldn
’
t normally,
”
Torz said mildly.

Trey shook his head, not taking his eyes off Scout. “No, before she was desperate, before the attacks. She told me she believed Lil Bit.”

Iros smiled at Scout like she had just made his entire week. “Well, that does explain a lot.” He patted her hand as he draped it into the crook of his arm again, “Come on, Scout. Let’s show you the rest of Paradesos.”