Kelpie Curse: A Feyland Urban Fantasy Tale (The Celtic Fey Book 2) by Roz Marshall Page A
Authors: Roz Marshall
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lost horse. At the top of Chessaig—you know—"
"Midnight's favourite ride," her mother interrupted. "Yes, I remember. So, you found a horse. All on its own?"
"Yes, no sign of a rider. No saddle, no bridle."
"Are you sure? Why would it be on its own? Are you sure there wasn't a rider lying injured somewhere?"
"I'm sure. Maybe he escaped from a field somewhere." Or escaped from a magical land somewhere.
"So what did you do with it?" Mother had calmed somewhat, and her face was only pink, rather than bright red.
"I took him down to the farm. Mrs—Miss Irving let me put him in the front paddock. I have to go back in the morning and we'll look for his owners."
"We should phone the police. Just in case some poor rider's gone missing." Stepping towards the telephone mounted on the wall by the kitchen, mother started punching numbers into the plastic handset. "What colour did you say it was?"
"Grey." Then Corinne remembered how confusing that was for non-horsey people. "As in white. About sixteen hands." She held up a hand at head-height, palm downwards.
"Breed?"
Unicorn . But she couldn't say that. "Thoroughbred cross, probably."
Five minutes later, her mother had reported the lost horse and established that nobody had reported any missing horses or people in the local area. "We're to phone again in the morning," she said, replacing the phone. "Just in case anyone reports a missing horse overnight."
That would be a bit of a miracle.
Wasn't it strange, how she was now accepting the seemingly impossible—a unicorn from a virtual reality game stepping through a stone circle and appearing in real-life Scotland as a white horse—as reality? But this whole day had been unreal, from the moment she'd gone back into the game and found the unicorn in Feyland, to Elphin being chased by the rabid dogs of the Wild Hunt and them both escaping on the unicorn across Rainbow Bridge just like Tam O'Shanter on his horse. It was like her dreams—or nightmares—from the previous night had come true.
Except that today had a happy ending.
Remembering the unicorn's velvety nose nuzzling her palm, a glow of optimism filled her chest. Maybe the girls at the farm would stop giving her a hard time about Midnight's death. After all, it hadn't been her fault he'd got sick; perhaps they'd see that now.
"Mum," she crossed her fingers behind her back, "if nobody claims the horse, could I… Could I keep him?" The last words came out in a rush. "You did say I could get a new horse for my birthday?"
Her mother looked sideways at her. "I thought you said you weren't ready to get another one?"
"I didn't think I was." She shrugged. "But this one is… special."
Brown eyes gazed levelly at her for a few seconds. "We'll see. But don't get your hopes up. If he's that special, I'm sure someone will report him missing."
Yeah. Right.
'Officer, it's the Faerie Queen here. I'm calling to report a missing unicorn.' Like that would go down well.
She turned for the stairs. "I'm off to bed now, Mum. G'night."
"Good night, dear. Sleep well."
I hope so. No more bad dreams. The warm glow in her chest bloomed again. Just dreams. Good dreams, of long, hot summer days and a handsome white unicorn. And hope for their future together.
Bounding up the stairs two at a time, she smiled to herself. I deserve some good luck for a change.
C HAPTER 3
B UT HER DREAMS weren't good. More like nightmares.
The slavering hellhounds from the Wild Hunt were in full war cry, chasing the mysterious minstrel she'd first seen at the Bright King's court in Feyland.
In her dream, the minstrel raced frantically through the dense forest, copper curls plastered to his sweat-sheened forehead and plaid cloak streaming behind him like a flag. The hounds were at his heels when a blue-faced hag appeared from nowhere and threw up an arm. Instantly, a wall of ice formed behind the minstrel, stopping the hunt in its tracks—and entombing him in its freezing clutches.
Corinne woke
"Midnight's favourite ride," her mother interrupted. "Yes, I remember. So, you found a horse. All on its own?"
"Yes, no sign of a rider. No saddle, no bridle."
"Are you sure? Why would it be on its own? Are you sure there wasn't a rider lying injured somewhere?"
"I'm sure. Maybe he escaped from a field somewhere." Or escaped from a magical land somewhere.
"So what did you do with it?" Mother had calmed somewhat, and her face was only pink, rather than bright red.
"I took him down to the farm. Mrs—Miss Irving let me put him in the front paddock. I have to go back in the morning and we'll look for his owners."
"We should phone the police. Just in case some poor rider's gone missing." Stepping towards the telephone mounted on the wall by the kitchen, mother started punching numbers into the plastic handset. "What colour did you say it was?"
"Grey." Then Corinne remembered how confusing that was for non-horsey people. "As in white. About sixteen hands." She held up a hand at head-height, palm downwards.
"Breed?"
Unicorn . But she couldn't say that. "Thoroughbred cross, probably."
Five minutes later, her mother had reported the lost horse and established that nobody had reported any missing horses or people in the local area. "We're to phone again in the morning," she said, replacing the phone. "Just in case anyone reports a missing horse overnight."
That would be a bit of a miracle.
Wasn't it strange, how she was now accepting the seemingly impossible—a unicorn from a virtual reality game stepping through a stone circle and appearing in real-life Scotland as a white horse—as reality? But this whole day had been unreal, from the moment she'd gone back into the game and found the unicorn in Feyland, to Elphin being chased by the rabid dogs of the Wild Hunt and them both escaping on the unicorn across Rainbow Bridge just like Tam O'Shanter on his horse. It was like her dreams—or nightmares—from the previous night had come true.
Except that today had a happy ending.
Remembering the unicorn's velvety nose nuzzling her palm, a glow of optimism filled her chest. Maybe the girls at the farm would stop giving her a hard time about Midnight's death. After all, it hadn't been her fault he'd got sick; perhaps they'd see that now.
"Mum," she crossed her fingers behind her back, "if nobody claims the horse, could I… Could I keep him?" The last words came out in a rush. "You did say I could get a new horse for my birthday?"
Her mother looked sideways at her. "I thought you said you weren't ready to get another one?"
"I didn't think I was." She shrugged. "But this one is… special."
Brown eyes gazed levelly at her for a few seconds. "We'll see. But don't get your hopes up. If he's that special, I'm sure someone will report him missing."
Yeah. Right.
'Officer, it's the Faerie Queen here. I'm calling to report a missing unicorn.' Like that would go down well.
She turned for the stairs. "I'm off to bed now, Mum. G'night."
"Good night, dear. Sleep well."
I hope so. No more bad dreams. The warm glow in her chest bloomed again. Just dreams. Good dreams, of long, hot summer days and a handsome white unicorn. And hope for their future together.
Bounding up the stairs two at a time, she smiled to herself. I deserve some good luck for a change.
C HAPTER 3
B UT HER DREAMS weren't good. More like nightmares.
The slavering hellhounds from the Wild Hunt were in full war cry, chasing the mysterious minstrel she'd first seen at the Bright King's court in Feyland.
In her dream, the minstrel raced frantically through the dense forest, copper curls plastered to his sweat-sheened forehead and plaid cloak streaming behind him like a flag. The hounds were at his heels when a blue-faced hag appeared from nowhere and threw up an arm. Instantly, a wall of ice formed behind the minstrel, stopping the hunt in its tracks—and entombing him in its freezing clutches.
Corinne woke
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