and the kirin bucked once more.
The moon swung in an arc and I crashed against the ground, fire starbursting through my arm. I cradled my hands above my head, certain any second I’d feel hooves crushing my skull into the pavement. Something warm dripped on my face, and then Phil was at my side, pulling me into a sitting position.
“Get up,” she hissed. “It’s gone.”
I rubbed the back of my head where it had bounced painfully against the stone. No cuts, but there would definitely be a lump tomorrow.
“Dude,” Seth said. “Are you some kind of acrobat? Lay off the back handsprings without a mat, huh?”
When I pulled my hand away, there was blood running down my arm. I blinked at it, half dazed.
“You’re hurt—” Phil said, frowning.
I looked beyond her, to where Giovanni stood, as silent as any kirin.
“Put pressure on it,” she went on.
Rivulets of blood were running from my elbow to my wrist from a deep, fiery gash on my inner arm.
“Seriously, though,” Seth was saying. “What did you think you were doing out there?”
“What was it?” Phil asked, ignoring her date.
“A kirin,” I whispered back. “I’m sure of it.”
“On the streets of Rome?”
Unable to get our attention, Seth turned to Giovanni. “What was she doing diving off the wall?”
Giovanni shook his head, but he didn’t take his eyes off me.“I’m not…sure. The way she moved…she just vanished.”
Phil was still talking. “I guess if there can be coyotes at LAX, there can be kirin in downtown Rome….”
I shook her off—the cut wasn’t deep anyway—and stood. “I wasn’t doing gymnastics. There was something out there.”
“Some thing? ” Seth chuckled. “Like what, a monster? You told this kid too many myths today, Jo. Now she’s seeing gorgons and cyclopses.”
“Hey,” Phil said, her voice turning dangerous. “Watch your mouth.” She turned to me. “Come on, Astrid. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Giovanni was still staring, but he hadn’t moved a step in my direction. Hadn’t even asked if I was okay.
“We can’t leave them alone out here,” I said. “What if it’s nearby?”
Phil closed her eyes like some whacked-out psychic. “It’s not. Can’t you tell?”
No. I felt covered in kirin. Filled with it. Kirin caked my body like oil, burned within my blood. I hugged my arms to my chest and shuddered.
“Uh, ladies?” Seth said. “We’re going to take off.” He tugged on his friend’s arm. Giovanni backed up a few steps but didn’t turn around.
I wanted to say we weren’t freaks, that whatever he saw, there was a rational, non-invisible-unicorn explanation. But what was the point? Brandt hadn’t believed the mad goat story. Not even Phil’s charm was having much of an effect on them. “Be safe,” was all I could manage.
Giovanni looked like he would speak then, but Seth strode off, and he only hesitated for a second before following.
“Jerks!” Phil stamped her foot. “I hate boys. One second they have their tongues down your throat, the next second they bail. I hope they do get eaten by unicorns. It would serve Seth right for making fun of you.”
I watched their figures recede into the darkness and held my breath, but if a unicorn was stalking them, I couldn’t tell.
“Well, that sucked. What a downer to end a great evening, huh?” Phil said.
“A great evening that started with me getting my purse stolen?”
Phil pursed her lips. “Oh yeah. Well, nothing we can do now. Come on, let’s take care of your arm. I can’t believe you went after it like that! What do you know about killing unicorns yet?”
I tucked my chin into my chest. “I don’t know why I did it—it was stupid. I didn’t even have a weapon. But it just…looked at me. It was going to eat Giovanni.”
“So you thought you’d let it get you instead?” Phil sighed, looped her hand through my uninjured arm, and guided me back into the courtyard toward the doors of the
The moon swung in an arc and I crashed against the ground, fire starbursting through my arm. I cradled my hands above my head, certain any second I’d feel hooves crushing my skull into the pavement. Something warm dripped on my face, and then Phil was at my side, pulling me into a sitting position.
“Get up,” she hissed. “It’s gone.”
I rubbed the back of my head where it had bounced painfully against the stone. No cuts, but there would definitely be a lump tomorrow.
“Dude,” Seth said. “Are you some kind of acrobat? Lay off the back handsprings without a mat, huh?”
When I pulled my hand away, there was blood running down my arm. I blinked at it, half dazed.
“You’re hurt—” Phil said, frowning.
I looked beyond her, to where Giovanni stood, as silent as any kirin.
“Put pressure on it,” she went on.
Rivulets of blood were running from my elbow to my wrist from a deep, fiery gash on my inner arm.
“Seriously, though,” Seth was saying. “What did you think you were doing out there?”
“What was it?” Phil asked, ignoring her date.
“A kirin,” I whispered back. “I’m sure of it.”
“On the streets of Rome?”
Unable to get our attention, Seth turned to Giovanni. “What was she doing diving off the wall?”
Giovanni shook his head, but he didn’t take his eyes off me.“I’m not…sure. The way she moved…she just vanished.”
Phil was still talking. “I guess if there can be coyotes at LAX, there can be kirin in downtown Rome….”
I shook her off—the cut wasn’t deep anyway—and stood. “I wasn’t doing gymnastics. There was something out there.”
“Some thing? ” Seth chuckled. “Like what, a monster? You told this kid too many myths today, Jo. Now she’s seeing gorgons and cyclopses.”
“Hey,” Phil said, her voice turning dangerous. “Watch your mouth.” She turned to me. “Come on, Astrid. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Giovanni was still staring, but he hadn’t moved a step in my direction. Hadn’t even asked if I was okay.
“We can’t leave them alone out here,” I said. “What if it’s nearby?”
Phil closed her eyes like some whacked-out psychic. “It’s not. Can’t you tell?”
No. I felt covered in kirin. Filled with it. Kirin caked my body like oil, burned within my blood. I hugged my arms to my chest and shuddered.
“Uh, ladies?” Seth said. “We’re going to take off.” He tugged on his friend’s arm. Giovanni backed up a few steps but didn’t turn around.
I wanted to say we weren’t freaks, that whatever he saw, there was a rational, non-invisible-unicorn explanation. But what was the point? Brandt hadn’t believed the mad goat story. Not even Phil’s charm was having much of an effect on them. “Be safe,” was all I could manage.
Giovanni looked like he would speak then, but Seth strode off, and he only hesitated for a second before following.
“Jerks!” Phil stamped her foot. “I hate boys. One second they have their tongues down your throat, the next second they bail. I hope they do get eaten by unicorns. It would serve Seth right for making fun of you.”
I watched their figures recede into the darkness and held my breath, but if a unicorn was stalking them, I couldn’t tell.
“Well, that sucked. What a downer to end a great evening, huh?” Phil said.
“A great evening that started with me getting my purse stolen?”
Phil pursed her lips. “Oh yeah. Well, nothing we can do now. Come on, let’s take care of your arm. I can’t believe you went after it like that! What do you know about killing unicorns yet?”
I tucked my chin into my chest. “I don’t know why I did it—it was stupid. I didn’t even have a weapon. But it just…looked at me. It was going to eat Giovanni.”
“So you thought you’d let it get you instead?” Phil sighed, looped her hand through my uninjured arm, and guided me back into the courtyard toward the doors of the
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