The Secret Of The Unicorn Queen -The Dark Gods Read Online Free Page A

Illyria laughed anew. "If Kumuru is foolish enough to linger, I promise you, Prince Laric of Campora, he will regret it!" 

4

Dian's Story

        The unicorn warriors were ready and riding southward at a steady pace before the sun had risen too much higher in the sky. Though nobody said very much, Sheila could feel the excitement building in all of them. It was always this way just before a new adventure began: thrilling and scary at the same time. 
         But she found herself wondering . . . What if Kumuru and his men really were expecting them? What if Kumuru had some powerful, horrible spell all ready to cast? What if he had managed to summon his Dark Gods, and it was they who were awaiting the warriors? What if-No! Sheila told herself fiercely. I won't start scaring myself like this! 
         Instead, she thought about the sweet, sad parting that had taken place between Laric and Illyria. Oh, how romantic it had been! The young prince had swept his lady into his arms, kissed her so tenderly, and then, with one last, longing look back, Laric had transformed himself and his men into eagles. With a thunder of wings, they had flown off toward Campora, prepared to bravely hold the throne against all foes. 
         Sheila sighed. It was like something out of one of those fantasy books she had liked to read, back home in her own world. But this was real life, not fantasy, she reminded herself. And real life didn't always have neat and happy endings. Oh, no, she wasn't going to start worrying about those Dark Gods again! 
         Something else was bothering her, though, and at last Sheila reined in Morning Star a little so she could ask: 
         "Myno?" 
         “Mm.” 
         "Uh . . . what about Dian? Are we just going to ride off and forget all about her?" 
         The ex-slave gave her a troubled look. "Would you have us forget all about Kumuru, instead?" 
         "No, of course not. But-" 
         "Look, I don't know why she was silly enough to run away like this. You youngsters can do some pretty foolish things sometimes." Myno shrugged. "There's no help for it, girl. She'll just have to catch up with us on her own." 
         "Well, yes, but-" 
         "Sheila, Dian is a warrior. Don't you worry about her. She can take care of herself." 
         "I . . . guess so.” 
         But Sheila wasn't so sure. 
         Almost as if he had read her mind, Darian suddenly rode up beside her.      "You're worrying about Dian, aren't you?" he asked softly. 
         Sheila nodded. "I wish she hadn't run off like that." 
         Darian sighed. "Me, too. I wish we could have had a chance to talk to her. Really talk, I mean, not argue. But then, I wish you and I had more time to talk," he said, keeping his dark eyes focused on the path ahead. "It seems we've hardly had a moment together since we returned from Queelotoo." 
         Sheila suddenly remembered the way Darian had kissed her the last time they had been alone together. "I'd like that, too," she said, and felt her face flush. "But I guess this isn't the right time, either. We've got to find the stone circle before it's too late." 
         Darian reached over to squeeze her hand, and Sheila gave him a warm smile. But then a sudden flicker of motion up ahead caught her eye. 
         Drawing herself as tall in the stirrupless saddle as possible, Sheila said, "Wait a minute, Darian. Look, up that way. . . . There's someone ahead of us on the road. Someone on foot, walking toward us." 
         Darian shaded his eyes with a hand. "You're right. Probably some goatherd." 
         "No . . . there's something familiar about . . . Dian! Darian, that's Dian! And I think she's hurt!" 
         The other warriors had seen her, too. They flung themselves from their unicorns and raced forward, just as Dian staggered and crumpled to the ground. By the time Sheila reached her side, Pelu was gently raising the girl's