The morning came cloaked in fog. Zara woke to the soft sound of the herbalist chanting, her voice low and rhythmic. The unicorn lay still, eyes closed, but its breathing had deepened stronger, steadier.
Victor stirred beside her. They hadn't spoken much after last night, but something unspoken hung in the air between themban understanding, a thread of trust being rewoven.
The herbalist glanced at Zara. "It's time. If the unicorn is to heal, you must help draw its magic out. The bond between you it's not just emotional. It's energy. Intention. If your heart wavers, so will its strength."
Zara knelt beside the unicorn and nodded. "I'm ready."
The herbalist handed her a crystal sphere, its surface cool and smooth. "Focus your thoughts. Remember why you're doing this. Let go of guilt. Guilt clouds the spirit."
Zara closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Images flashed through her mind the forest, the first moment she saw the unicorn, Victor's voice shouting her name, the way the guards raised their rifles. Then, her mistake. The one that nearly cost everything.
"I won't let it break me," she whispered.
The orb began to glow in her hands. A soft hum filled the room. The unicorn shifted, light radiating faintly from its horn. For the first time in days, it opened its eyes fully bright, deep, and ancient.
Victor stepped closer. "It's working…"
But before relief could settle in, the herbalist's expression darkened. "Something else is near."
A rustling outside. Footsteps.
The guards had found them.
Zara's pulse quickened. Victor immediately moved to the window, pulling the curtain aside just enough to peek through. "Two of them," he said grimly. "Armed."
The herbalist didn't flinch. "You brought something powerful here. You didn't think it would go unnoticed?"
Zara stood, placing the crystal sphere down. "What do we do?"
The old woman moved with surprising swiftness, gathering small pouches from her shelves. "You stall them. I'll create a veil to mask the unicorn's presence. But it won't hold long."
Victor reached for the small pistol he'd kept hidden in his jacket. "I'll handle the front. Zara go out through the side. Lead them away if you can. Don't let them reach the unicorn."
Zara hesitated, torn. "I won't leave it behind."
"You're not," Victor said. "You're protecting it just like you promised."
Zara slipped out the side door, heart pounding. The mist clung to her as she moved, silently, slipping between the trees. A sharp voice called out behind her, "Stop! Don't move!"
She ran.
Branches whipped at her arms, roots caught at her feet, but she didn't stop. If she could draw them far enough, the herbalist would have time. The unicorn would have time.
A warning shot rang out. Zara ducked, breath catching in her throat. Then another voice shouted, "She's alone! Where's the creature?"
They were confused. Good.
She ran until her legs ached, then crouched low behind a fallen log, waiting. Listening.
Back at the cottage, the unicorn stirred again stronger now. Its horn flickered like a flame being reignited.
The bond was holding.
But the danger had only just begun.
The footsteps grew louder. Zara pressed herself lower behind the log, barely daring to breathe. One guard passed just a few feet from her hiding place, scanning the trees with a flashlight and muttering into a radio.
"She's close. Keep your eyes open."
Zara's mind raced. She couldn't outrun them forever. She needed a distraction—something to lead them farther from the cottage. Reaching into her jacket, she pulled out a smooth stone Victor had given her, something insignificant, but heavy enough.
She tossed it deep into the woods to her left.
The noise it made was enough.
"There! That way!" one of the guards shouted, and both took off running in the wrong direction.
Zara waited a beat, then doubled back silently toward the cottage, her breath sharp in her throat. The fog was thinning now, sunlight breaking through in streaks, and with it came the quiet hum of the unicorn's energy.
She slipped through the back door just as the herbalist was finishing a protective symbol on the floor with powdered roots.
Victor turned, eyes wide. "You're okay?"
She nodded. "I led them away. But not for long."
The herbalist looked up. "Then we finish what we started."
Zara approached the unicorn, kneeling once again. She placed both hands on its horn, her heartbeat syncing with the thrum of its magic. The glow intensified soft, warm, and ancient.
Outside, the voices returned. The guards were circling back.
Inside, the unicorn opened its mouth not to speak, but to release a soft, musical cry that rippled through the air like wind through chimes.
And suddenly, the cottage vanished from sight hidden by a veil of shimmering light.
But for how long?
The battle for the unicorn's safety was far from over.
The guards reached the clearing just as the unicorn's cry faded into the mist. Confused, they halted, scanning the space where the cottage had stood moments before. Now, there was nothing but trees and fog, as if the house had never existed.
Inside the hidden veil, Zara slowly lowered her hands from the unicorn's horn. She could feel its warmth now, not just physical, but something deeper an ancient magic rekindled. The unicorn looked at her, its eyes no longer clouded with pain, but sharp and aware.
The herbalist exhaled. "It's healing. The bond is holding. You've done well."
Victor stood near the door, keeping watch. "How long will your spell keep them out?"
"A day at most," the herbalist said. "Then the veil will fade, and they'll see us again."
Zara sat back, her body aching from exhaustion, but her heart steadier than it had been in days. "Then we use that time to get ready."
Victor nodded slowly. "We run tomorrow."
"No," Zara said firmly. "We fight."
The unicorn let out a quiet sound, almost like agreement.
Zara looked at Victor, the weight of her decision clear in her voice. "This isn't just about survival anymore. It's about protecting something rare. Something pure."
Victor's eyes searched hers for a moment then he nodded.
"Then we fight."
And as the veil shimmered against the morning light, Zara knew the next chapter of their journey would be the most dangerous yet.