Recreated (48 page)

The tribunal, angry that love had wrought so horrible an end, did not grant their wish. It was decided then that all lions henceforth be banished to the human world. And to teach them a lesson, they would be forever at odds with mortals. Animals that die a mortal death do not ascend to the afterlife, so the lion would never see his betrothed again.

As for the unicorn, all unicorns would be forbidden to show themselves to mortals. Some have broken this law, but they are swiftly dealt with. Unicorns were given the gift, or curse, depending on your perspective, of immortality. We can never enter the Afterlife, and that particular unicorn would never see his princess again, though his love was truer than any love that has ever been or ever will be on Earth. For it was a love born of a pure heart.

Oh, please,
Tia murmured.

I ignored her as Nebu went on.
You see, the great love the unicorn had for his beautiful princess did not die and constantly seeks to be reborn. This is why unicorns have a difficult time resisting those with innocent hearts: they remind them of the girl who was lost. To make sure the unicorn remembered the lesson of the tribunal, all alicorns were taken. The power was completely stripped so that none remained, even in vestigial amounts. It is said if a unicorn accomplishes a completely selfless deed, he can earn back his alicorn, but so far, none ever has.

Now I understood why unicorns and lions didn't trust each other. It was tragic . A terrible fate for all. Having found the one that my heart spoke to, I could understand the pain of separation. Obviously, I, too, was pretty much willing to do whatever it took to just be near Amon once again.

Finally, I said, “I'm sorry. I'm sad for both of you. You've both lost so much.”

The pain of it dulls over time, but I fear my heart will never be fully recovered,
Nebu said.

“Wait. Are you saying…that was you? That was your story? You were the one in love with the princess?”

What does it matter if I was?

“But…you're a father. You have children.”

Not in the sense that you believe. Unicorns are not born. We are created. I am simply the eldest of my kind. The younglings call me Father.

Tia?
I thought.
Do you think he's the one? The one who really loved her, I mean?

If he is,
she said softly,
then his is a soul damned for eternity. I would not wish that on my worst enemy.

Copyright © 2016 by Colleen Houck. Published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

Colleen Houck is the five-time
New York Times
bestselling author of the Tiger's Curse series and
Reawakened.
She lives in Salem, Oregon, with her husband.

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