Bracken the unicorn

  "I'm a unicorn," Bracken said.

  Seth laughed. "No, seriously. "

  "He's serious," Maddox said.

  Seth considered Bracken skeptically. "Don't unicorns usually have horns? And, you know, hooves and fur and all that?"

  "This is my human form," Bracken said. "Some unicorns have avatars," Maddox said. "You know, like dragons. "

  "Can you switch back into your horse shape?" Seth asked. "My sister would be so jealous. "

  "I can't," Bracken said. "I surrendered my horn, and thus am stuck as a human. "

  "Don't unicorns have three horns?" Seth asked.

  "Right," Bracken replied, appraising Seth as if impressed by his knowledge. "Sort of like humans with baby teeth. We have one horn as a child, then shed it for a larger horn in adolescence, and in turn shed that for our permanent adult horn. "

  "But yours wasn't permanent," Seth said. "It should have been, but I surrendered it. "

  "Why? Did somebody defeat you or something?" Bracken's eyes flashed dangerously. "I would never have surrendered my third horn to an enemy!"

  "Steady," Maddox soothed.

  Bracken calmed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "I gave up my third horn on purpose. I surrendered it to the wizards who made the demon prison. "

Chapter 8