Narcoblix = A fictional person with the ability to control any person, and all except a few, magical creatures in their sleep if they bite them

Viviblix = A fictional person with the ability to bite a person, or creature, once to put them to sleep and bite them twice to drain their vitality/life/youth

Unicorn = A fictional being that, in this universe, has three horns. A baby horn, an adolescent horn, and a mature horn. They have an ancient rivalry with all types of -blixes

Fairykind = An ability in this universe that grants the person (in this case Kendra, who is the only one) the ability to translate all light languages derived from the fairy language, see in the dark, recharge magical objects, energize light creatures, immunity to Narcoblix’s bite, and provide a virtually endless source of magical light energy

Knight of the Dawn = The good guy organization battling against the Society of the Evening Star who was trying to open the demon prison

Bracken = A unicorn stuck in human form fighting with Kendra (main female protagonist) and her family in a fight against the demons. He lost his first and third horns, and just regained his second

Kendra watched in horror as Bracken walked up to Torina. “Careful, she bites,” she called.

Bracken half turned her way, waving a hand in her direction. “I’ve got this. She can’t possibly-” he was cut off by Torina lunging at him. She pinned his arms to his sides and bit his neck. As a viviblix, she quickly put him to sleep.

Kendra cried out in dismay when Bracken’s limp form tumbled to the ground. But, instead of latching on a second time, Torina turned to Kendra, the look in her eyes promising vengeance. Kendra tried to back away, but her eyes kept darting to Bracken’s lifeless form on the concrete. She cried out as Torina’s nails dug into her skin as she pinned her to the wall of the storage cubicle. Her grip was firm and unshakeable.

Torina leaned in. “This is for ruining my job, killing my boss, and postponing the painful inevitable.” She bit into Kendra’s neck. She screamed, the sound echoing through the complex before she collapsed. Torina knelt beside her, grinning wickedly as she bit into Kendra’s neck the second time. A wind seemed to blow through Torina’s hair as she visibly grew younger.

Warren, Kendra and Bracken’s other companion, yelled in frustration as he was pinned beneath Trask, a Knight of the Dawn under the control of a narcoblix, unable to come to her aid.

But hope was not lost.

Bracken stirred on the ground, rubbing his shoulder where he hit the concrete. He looked to Warren.

“Get to Kendra,” Warren yelled at him, thrusting his chin in her direction.

Bracken turned and his heart sunk. Torina was leaning over Kendra, sucking away her vitality. He knew that Kendra was probably better off than most mortals, but she was still in trouble. Her face was growing a horrifying shade of gray and her body was shivering. Bracken grabbed his fallen horn and transformed it into his sword. He lunged to his feet, his boots eating up the ground in front of him. Bracken thrust his sword forward, straight through Torina’s back. She stiffened, a gurgling sound coming through her throat. Gradually, Torina sagged and fell over. Bracken pushed her away from Kendra’s form on the ground. He transformed his sword back into a horn as he knelt beside Kendra. He took her in his arms. Her head lolled against his bicep and her breathing was shallow.

“No, no, no,” Bracken whispered, his voice cracking. He held the pearly spiral to Kendra’s pulse point on her neck and pushed power into it. It shined, creating a silver bubble around them, but it did nothing to help Kendra’s condition. “Please. Come on, Kendra. Please wake up!”

Nothing.

Bracken bowed his head in dismay, holding her close to his chest, hoping his body heat would soothe her tremors. Her breathing evened out, but her eyes didn’t even flutter.

Bracken finally released Kendra and set her on the ground and turned to Warren, who he just remembered was wrestling Trask. He rushed over to help and pinned the large, black man to the concrete. It was no easy task. Trask was a big man, and with someone controlling him, he had no regard for his own safety, throwing wicked punches, hits and reckless kicks. By the end of it, Bracken was breathing hard, and favoring his knee. Warren was supporting a bleeding nose and a black eye. Reaching for his horn, Bracken laid it against Trask’s neck and spoke the words, “begone.” He used an ancient fairy tongue, and he felt the horn go hot in his hand before Trask jerked and sat upright, disoriented.

“What did I do,” he gasped, looking around. The big man was sweaty and shaking.

“Nothing,” Bracken wheezed. He looked back at Kendra then returned his focus to Trask. “We got you pinned before you did much more than kick me and give Warren a black eye.”

Warren had followed Bracken’s gaze to Kendra’s lifeless form. “Kendra!” He ran and threw himself to the ground beside her, heedless of the holes he put in his pants. “No, no, wake up! What happened?” Warren huddled Kendra in his arms, cradling her and rocking her.

Bracken gave Trask a hand up and together they walked over to Warren. “Torina got to her.”

“How is she not dead?” Trask asked in wonder, checking her pulse.

“Because she is fairykind, she has a practically unlimited supply of magical energy, or vitality, so when Torina attempted to drain her a suck away her youth, her powers protected her physically,” Bracken explained wearily, resting his hand on her ankle just to remind himself she was going to be okay. “It just drained her magically, and started draining her physical energy when it strained her magical well.”

“Will she be okay?” Warren and Trask asked at the same time, whirling on Bracken.

He raised his hands in a placating gesture. “As far as I can tell, she should be okay. Her body is just trying to catch up on all of the energy she lost during the fight for life.

All three of them looked down at Kendra, wondering how they were going to bring their comatose friend across the country and into a war zone while keeping her safe and alive.

To be continued…