Read Online Unicorn Keep by Angelia Almos - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Angelia Almos
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deepened and he suspended the crystal inches from her face.
It began to glow. Surprise flowed through her and mirrored the surprise she could see on his face. His hand slowly lowered and he tucked the crystal into his pocket. The confidence he had shown a moment before was gone and his frown was uncertain now.
“I bid you good night, Madelen.” He didn’t wait for her response, but pivoted on his heel and strode back into the Keep.
She stayed out there until curfew and returned to her room just as Marta was about to close the door. She received a frown but no scolding and quickly slipped into bed still dressed but without her boots. No time to change. Her punishment for being late.
A few hours later , she was wide awake and uncertain what had roused her. Sliding carefully from her covers, she picked up her boots and tip-toed to the door. She opened it just enough to squeeze through.
She didn’t put her boots on until she reached the gateway to the trail down to the valley. The gate opened as silently as the door to her room had. The mage candles glowed on the walls down the short stairwell to the rocky hillside. The valley was full of shadows. She wrapped her arms around herself at the chill. Winter was coming shortly. None of the trainees had failed the test enough to be sent home before winter. Marta had explained that once winter came no one would leave the Keep and no one would be able to get to the Keep.
The trail looked even more dangerous in the soft moonlight. She fingered the red scarf before untying it and shoving it into her pocket. It was possible one of the five keepers was watching the trail. She tied her hair back and tucked it into her tunic, and was disguised as best she could considering she hadn’t thought to grab her cloak with its hood. Already committed it seemed too late to venture back to her room to get it.
She could handle a little cold. Stepping out of the safety of the Keep walls , she kept her head down and went down the hillside as quietly as she could. A challenge she didn’t think she managed very well. Perhaps she should have tried for speed. And perhaps she would have tripped and tumbled the rest of the way down.
At least she was now on the valley floor and she sprinted to the first line of trees. Knowing a keeper could be anywhere , she kept her face down and moved as quietly to the next meadow as she could. If the keepers stayed near the unicorns to protect them they would most assuredly spot her if she got close to them. So how was she supposed to find the unicorn without getting spotted?
A flash of white to her left caught her attention. A horn glittered in the woods across the meadow. Taking a deep breath, she didn’t allow herself to hesitate, but ran through the second meadow to where she had seen the glitter. The unicorn wasn’t there. She hesitated again, leaning against a tree to catch her breath.
A second flash of white deeper in the forest. Holding on to her courage, she weaved her way through the trees going deeper into the woods. This section wasn’t like the others. It didn’t lead into a third meadow but became thicker with trees.
The flash of white no longer moved and the horn shone in a ray of moonlight. A unicorn stood next to an ancient tree. She wasn’t sure if the unicorn was the same one who had spoken to her or one of the other four who had allowed her to see them. A second unicorn emerged from around the wide tree.
She stared at them uncertain of what to do. Was one of them the unicorn she had made the promise to?
You are late.
She thought of Herrick and the crystal.
The unicorn colt raised his head. They tested her again.
Why?
She shrugged, unsure herself why Herrick had suspected she wasn’t pure.
The unicorn colt snorted. Did he say anything to you?
She struggled with how to tell them what Herrick had said.
You may speak. The others are distracting the keepers away from us.
She bit her lip before whispering. “He asked me why anyone
It began to glow. Surprise flowed through her and mirrored the surprise she could see on his face. His hand slowly lowered and he tucked the crystal into his pocket. The confidence he had shown a moment before was gone and his frown was uncertain now.
“I bid you good night, Madelen.” He didn’t wait for her response, but pivoted on his heel and strode back into the Keep.
She stayed out there until curfew and returned to her room just as Marta was about to close the door. She received a frown but no scolding and quickly slipped into bed still dressed but without her boots. No time to change. Her punishment for being late.
A few hours later , she was wide awake and uncertain what had roused her. Sliding carefully from her covers, she picked up her boots and tip-toed to the door. She opened it just enough to squeeze through.
She didn’t put her boots on until she reached the gateway to the trail down to the valley. The gate opened as silently as the door to her room had. The mage candles glowed on the walls down the short stairwell to the rocky hillside. The valley was full of shadows. She wrapped her arms around herself at the chill. Winter was coming shortly. None of the trainees had failed the test enough to be sent home before winter. Marta had explained that once winter came no one would leave the Keep and no one would be able to get to the Keep.
The trail looked even more dangerous in the soft moonlight. She fingered the red scarf before untying it and shoving it into her pocket. It was possible one of the five keepers was watching the trail. She tied her hair back and tucked it into her tunic, and was disguised as best she could considering she hadn’t thought to grab her cloak with its hood. Already committed it seemed too late to venture back to her room to get it.
She could handle a little cold. Stepping out of the safety of the Keep walls , she kept her head down and went down the hillside as quietly as she could. A challenge she didn’t think she managed very well. Perhaps she should have tried for speed. And perhaps she would have tripped and tumbled the rest of the way down.
At least she was now on the valley floor and she sprinted to the first line of trees. Knowing a keeper could be anywhere , she kept her face down and moved as quietly to the next meadow as she could. If the keepers stayed near the unicorns to protect them they would most assuredly spot her if she got close to them. So how was she supposed to find the unicorn without getting spotted?
A flash of white to her left caught her attention. A horn glittered in the woods across the meadow. Taking a deep breath, she didn’t allow herself to hesitate, but ran through the second meadow to where she had seen the glitter. The unicorn wasn’t there. She hesitated again, leaning against a tree to catch her breath.
A second flash of white deeper in the forest. Holding on to her courage, she weaved her way through the trees going deeper into the woods. This section wasn’t like the others. It didn’t lead into a third meadow but became thicker with trees.
The flash of white no longer moved and the horn shone in a ray of moonlight. A unicorn stood next to an ancient tree. She wasn’t sure if the unicorn was the same one who had spoken to her or one of the other four who had allowed her to see them. A second unicorn emerged from around the wide tree.
She stared at them uncertain of what to do. Was one of them the unicorn she had made the promise to?
You are late.
She thought of Herrick and the crystal.
The unicorn colt raised his head. They tested her again.
Why?
She shrugged, unsure herself why Herrick had suspected she wasn’t pure.
The unicorn colt snorted. Did he say anything to you?
She struggled with how to tell them what Herrick had said.
You may speak. The others are distracting the keepers away from us.
She bit her lip before whispering. “He asked me why anyone
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