Chapter 10
A unicorn! There is a unicorn here!
Caleb’s dragon snorted and twisted its head around, smoke rising from its nostrils in curling streams as it searched about, looking for the source of this spine-tingling feeling that told him a unicorn was somewhere nearby.
All right, calm down,Caleb told it, trying to tamp down on the dragon’s wild instincts. You already knew there was a unicorn baker in this town, after we ate that cupcake. So just be sensible and don’t cause a fuss. And in any case, it’s definitely not in Kira’s car.
Unicorns and dragons weren’t enemies as such, but it didn’t change the fact that a dragon was a territorial beast, and having another mythical shifter around could sometimes make it edgy. Another powerful shifter meant potential competition, despite the fact that Caleb was pretty sure that a shifter living amongst humans wasn’t even slightly interested in fighting.
“So, uh, who is this friend we’re going to see?” Caleb asked Kira as casually as possible as she pulled the car up in a parking space, cutting the engine. He wasn’t certain how a baker exactly could help them, but he was certain that Kira didn’t know they were a unicorn, and it wasn’t his business to tell. That was something whoever this unicorn was would have to decide for themselves.
“He’s the husband of a good friend of mine,” Kira said, flashing him a grin. “He runs the garden center in town – he knows everything about every kind of plant. I’ve never seen him misidentify a single one, even after just glancing at them, and he’s got the greenest thumb of anyone I’ve ever known. There’s nothing he can’t grow – people bring him their dying houseplants and he has them looking lush and green as anything in no time. He can even make roses flower in the middle of winter. It’s seriously amazing.”
Caleb thought over what Kira had said as he got out of the car.
So it seems like I was mistaken. The unicorn isn’t the baker.
He didn’t know a lot about unicorns, but he did know they were in tune with nature, in a very special way – they could grow anything, anytime, anywhere. In the past, unicorns had grown medicinal herbs and made healing tonics and potions, but these days, they were more likely to be found working as gardeners, landscapers or foresters – anything where they could be around plants and get their hands dirty. A nursery and garden center sounded exactly like the kind of place he’d expect to find a unicorn.
But I wonder if a unicorn would expect to find me?
Caleb’s question was answered a moment later as they approached the front gate of the garden center, located on the main street just down the road from where Kira had parked her car. There were lush, green plants, just as healthy-looking as Kira had said they would be, lining the sidewalk outside the front gate – and, as Caleb watched, a man – tall, with dark hair and wearing a pair of coveralls – suddenly came bolting out of it, looking around as if trying to get his bearings.
Yep,Caleb thought, that’s definitely a unicorn.
Even if the tingling sensation at the back of his neck hadn’t been telling him there was another mythical shifter nearby, Caleb would have been able to tell at a glance – though it was invisible to humans, to his shifter eyes, the unicorn was very slightly shimmering in the pale fall sunlight. A pale gold and pink aura surrounded him as he turned toward where Kira and Caleb stood, and his eyes narrowed.
I’m not here to cause any trouble,Caleb thought, hoping he was projecting a calm and friendly aura himself. He actually had no idea how good unicorns were at reading auras – maybe they couldn’t at all. But Caleb hoped he wouldn’t do anything rash, particularly not in front of Kira.
“Gale,” Kira called, raising her hand to wave as they got closer to each other. “How are you? Do you have a moment to talk?”
“I’m fine. Never better.” Gale’s voice sounded a little strained, his eyes moving from Kira to Caleb and back again. “And… sure. I can take a few minutes. What’s up?”
Kira hesitated, glancing up at Caleb, and Caleb realized her dilemma. Can you show us how to prepare this potentially deadly poisonous mushroom so my friend here can eat it? could not have been a question she’d had to ask very often.
“It’s a little complicated,” Caleb said. “But I think once we’ve gotten a few things sorted out, I’ll be able to explain everything better.”
The unicorn – Gale – narrowed his eyes. “Okay,” he said, after a slight pause. “Well, I guess you’d better come in and have a cup of tea with me then, and I can listen to what you have to say.”
He still sounded just slightly stand-offish, and it was clearly confusing Kira. Her eyebrows drew together as Gale turned away, leading them back inside the garden center.
“Maybe we caught him at a busy time,” she whispered as they began following him. “But I really don’t want to wait a second longer to –”
“It’s not that,” Caleb said, cutting her off gently. “I think… I think probably things will become a bit clearer soon.”
Kira opened her mouth, but then apparently decided she could wait to find out whatever that meant.
“Kira!”
Caleb looked up at the sound of a woman’s voice from across the room. Standing there was a pretty, black-haired, green-eyed woman, her hair pulled back in a bun, smiling as she crossed the room.
She is the unicorn’s mate.
His dragon’s instincts flared up, telling him in an instant that it was true. So that was why the unicorn was here – he’d clearly found his mate in Girdwood Springs, and decided to stay. It made Caleb feel a little easier about the situation – the unicorn wasn’t here trying to establish a territory, or anything like that. He’d clearly just wanted to be where his mate was.
“Sylvie, I’m sorry if we’re interrupting something,” Kira said, as she and her friend pulled each other into a quick hug. “I’m afraid what we have to ask may sound a little weird. And it might be a little complicated.”
“Oh? Well, now you’ve got me interested,” Sylvie said, cocking her head and raising an eyebrow. Her eyes moved to Caleb, widening a little in surprise as she looked him over. “And this is…?”