A Charm for a Unicorn by Jennifer Macaire Read Free Book Online

Wolfe. Don't worry. Mistress Dawn is a very nice woman, and she promised to get the message to Renaldo.” Even as the words left her lips, Leonie knew she'd been foolish again. Her sister's withering glare confirmed it.
    "Leo, you are the most...” An earsplitting crash interrupted Ann's words.
    "That came from Father's study!” Leonie wrenched the door open and, lifting her skirts, ran down the long hallway. Ann came just behind her, her bare feet thumping on the floor. The two girls burst into their father's study at the same time.
    Leonie uttered a cry. The crystal ball had shattered into a million, scintillating chips of glass. Her father sat in his chair, several slight cuts on his face. As she watched, he reached up and rubbed the blood away with his hand. “What happened?” She grabbed Ann before she could go in. “No, you'll cut your feet."
    Their father looked at them, his eyes glittering furiously. “I wanted to see the robe you'd chosen. Instead, I saw the seamstress take a letter from her apron and spread it on the counter to read.” His voice dripped bitter frost.
    Leonie's knees buckled and she fell to the floor. “No,” she whispered.
    "I contacted Sir Wulfe. His was the rage that broke my crystal."
    "No.” She could hardly breathe. Pain, sharp and jagged-edged, twisted her belly. She looked at the white-haired man whom she had just started to know, and she begged. “Father, no. I love Renaldo, I love him. You can't keep us apart. Please, I'll die without him. Mistress Dawn told me about you and Mother ... you know what it's like to be in love. Don't make me marry Sir Wulfe."
    "Nonsense. No one ever dies of a broken heart.” Her father picked up the ivory wand.
    Eyes wide, incapable of movement, Leonie watched as he pointed the wand at her. At the last minute, she held her hands up as if to ward off the spell. She felt something then as the magic washing over her in a prickling, stinging wave changed subtly.
    She cried out, but she knew she couldn't stop the transformation. However, she also felt as if she could change it, so she bent her mind to the task. She would not be changed into the form her father had wished—a docile sheep. He meant to teach her a lesson, but she meant to be free.
* * * *
    Ann gasped as Leonie fell to her hands and knees in the midst of the sharp glass. But her sister hardly seemed to feel the cuts. Then Ann heard what her father said. She clapped her hands to her mouth to stop her cry, for her father picked up his wand, pointed it toward Leonie, and spoke the transformation formula.
    Leonie threw her hand up in supplication. A pale blue light enveloped her, and then she seemed to shimmer. The brightness grew blinding and Ann closed her eyes. When she opened them, she let out a gasp of amazement.
    A pure white unicorn stood in the middle of the room. It looked at Ann, and then at her father, and it reared, its silvery horn glittering in the candlelight. With a deafening whinny, it leapt out of the room and galloped down the stairs, its hooves clattering on the stone.
    Heedless of the broken glass, Ann dashed to the window and looked out. In the light of the moon, she saw the unicorn streak across the pasture and disappear into the woods.
    "What have you done?” Ann cried, her voice breaking. She whirled, expecting to see her father's sardonic frown. Instead, he sat as if stunned, staring at the magic wand.
    "How did she do that?” he cried. “I meant to change her into a sheep—a fitting creature! Instead, she twisted my own magic!” He got to his feet. “I must contact Sir Wulfe."
    "You have to rescue Leonie!” Ann felt a sharp pain in her foot and looked down. A splinter of glass had lodged in her instep. Wincing, she pulled it out and looked for something to use to bandage her foot.
    "You're cut.” Her father leaned over and touched her foot. “Poor Ann. Hold on, I'll fix that.” He took salve and a bandage and bound the cut tightly.
    Ann sighed as the pain