Lord of the Abyss - By Nalini Singh Page 0,52

with eyes of bloodred. It should've made her afraid, but there was something in them... "I will tell you a story," she whispered, "of three princes and a princess who once summoned a unicorn."

The beast shifted forward to lay its head on forearms lumpy with muscle.

"So the heirs," she said, picking up the story from where she'd stopped it the day of the bath, for she knew her Micah existed within this beast, "made their way to the Stone Circle. They were arguing about the best incantation to use when Breena produced an ancient book she'd taken from the library before they set off on their adventure - she was said to mutter that her brothers had likely never seen the inside of the place."

A deep, rumbling sound. Agreement, perhaps.

"In this book, there was a very old, near-forgotten spell. Later it came to be known that scores of sorcerers had tried to work this spell, and failed. Most believed it to be nothing but a chimera."

A pricked ear.

"As you know, my lord," she murmured, stroking his back - being careful to avoid those spines she was certain would take off the skin on her hand, "a chimera is a mythical beast. It doesn't exist except in the imagination. So sorcerers call those spells which they do not believe will ever work, but which people insist on trying, chimeras." She'd always liked that little whimsy. "And this chimera had survived centuries."

The beast's eyes closed, but its large black ears remained alert.

"It required a certain level of innate magic, and a simple calling," she continued. "Nicolai, oldest and strongest, attempted it first - without success."

A snort that might've been a snore.

She checked but he'd opened one eye, was awake and listening. "Breena went next, for they thought perhaps the unicorn would prefer a woman. Nothing. Finally Dayn tried it, certain his brother and sister had done it wrong. Nothing. That was when Micah demanded a turn.

"They smiled at him in that way of older siblings who are amused by a beloved younger brother. After all, he was so small he could only just read his letters, so how could he possibly summon a unicorn? It took him a long time to read aloud the entire incantation, but he owned his siblings' hearts and so they did not halt or hurry him."

No sound from the ensorcelled beast, but she knew he heard every word.

Folding down into a sitting position in front of him, she went to continue when those massive knotted forearms opened, swept her inside. Instead of fear, she felt only warmth as she laid her head against his neck and listened to the beat of his great heart. "The moment Micah finished speaking, there was a brilliant burst of light, so bright that for an instant they thought they had gone blind.

"However, when the sparks cleared, they found themselves host to a regal unicorn prince who was bemused by them, as such ancient beings are by the follies of youth." The idea of Nicolai, the one they called the Dark Seducer, being considered a "youth," had always made her laugh.

"You see, to call a unicorn, you must have the purest of hearts. All children are born thus, but each day as we grow, we gain small shadows. Not every shadow is bad. A strong man needs his shadows. On that day, only Micah was as he had been born. And so only Micah's voice could reach the unicorn realm," she said, her eyes fluttering shut.

Micah dreamed of unicorns noble and gracious, and of deep male laughter. He'd never had family, but in this dream, he ran after two tall men - they chuckled when he fell, and he didn't like that, but he was stubborn, fought to get up. Then there was one of those men, pulling him up and brushing him off. All anger was forgotten as he ran in his brothers' footsteps across the sand.

Nicolai scrambled down the dune first.

Micah wanted to race down after him, but his chest hurt and he stopped to gasp in a breath. But he wasn't left behind. He never was. Grabbing him in his arms, Dayn swung him onto his back. They laughed when they reached the beach to find Nicolai fighting off a territorial red land crab, the water a warm lick of foam against their feet. It was a good day.

The thought lingered as he woke, as he became aware that he lay on the cold stone floor of the great