A bonus chapter written for the Triune. More to come!

“Wake, child,” a woman whispered. “I have something to show you.”

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. She sounded so familiar, but when I looked at her face, I didn’t know her. Fear squeezed my throat and I cowered back against my pillows, hugging myself. How did she get inside the nest? A stranger? “Who are you?”

My arms still had light, white scratches from the giant bird’s talons. Mama frowned every time she saw them, because we were supposed to heal really fast. The scratches hadn’t been that deep, but they had still left scars.

Something told me if this woman scratched me…

I wouldn’t see Mama ever again.

The stranger had long shiny black hair, and her eyes made my chest feel like I couldn’t breathe. Her eyes saw everything. It felt like she unzipped my stomach and rummaged around inside, looking for something she’d lost.

“My name is Isis.” Her voice was so gentle despite her eyes. “Do you know me?”

I hadn’t heard of Isis, until our queen came and made Mama her sib. Isis was Queen Shara’s goddess, like Coatlicue was mine, Mama’s, and Grandmama’s.

A goddess. Sitting on the edge of my bed. Talking to me like I was her friend. I gulped and nodded. “You’re our pretty queen’s goddess.”

She smiled. “Yes, Shara’s very pretty, but so are you. You’re also as brave as she is, did you know that? You escaped the sun god.”

I looked away, tears burning my eyes. I hadn’t felt very brave when the giant bird had swooped down out of the sky and carried me away. I sniffed and wiped my nose. “He killed Esperanza. He almost ate me. I wasn’t brave. I cried a lot.”

“Crying doesn’t mean you weren’t brave.”

“I was scared,” I whispered, shivering.

“It’s okay to be scared, too. You were still very brave. You still fought. That’s all that matters. You didn’t give up. That’s why I thought you might be able to help me.”

I dared a quick look back into Her eyes. “Me? Help you?”

“Yes, if you’re willing. May I show you something?”

I nodded, and She held her hand out. I took it and before I could slide out of bed, we were standing outside in front of the huge tree Shara had grown. I’d never seen anything like it before. It was so tall and wide it looked old, even older than Grandmama, but the queen had grown it from nothing in a single night. Mama hadn’t let me stay to watch, but I heard the whispers.

Shara had grown the tree from blood. Lots of blood. A queen’s sacrifice.

Someday, I would be queen. I’d need to be able to make sacrifices like that, too. I didn’t know if I could do it. Thinking about it made my tummy feel like I’d eaten too much cake.

I probably had eaten too many sweets. Sarah had been making cake every day because I was sure that cake would make my unicorns come to me quicker. Papa had said so.

“I’m going to show you a secret.” Isis smiled at me. “Ready?”

She stepped into the deep, dark crack inside the tree. She didn’t pull me in after Her, but paused, looking back at me and letting me decide if I wanted to follow.

The hole was yucky. There might be spiders. I hated spiders. Uncle Itztli hated spiders, too.

But I didn’t want to let a goddess down. I wanted to be brave. Like Shara. Like Her.

“We’ll only be gone a few minutes,” Isis said. “I promise to see you home safely and back in your bed by morning.”

I took a deep breath and stepped into the dark hole with Her. She held my hand firmly, which helped, though Her hand didn’t feel right against mine. I couldn’t figure out what it was that made Her different.

Complete darkness made my heart pound, but another step and I could see light shining through another crack. Isis ducked as we stepped out into a place that took my breath away. It was early morning. The sun peeked above the hills in the distance, but the sky was still mostly dark with streaks of pink and purple. My favorite colors.

Birds cawed and sang like nothing I’d ever heard before. Monkeys screeched in the branches above, and one even waved to us as we walked by. I could barely see over the tall grass. I’d never seen anything like this place, except maybe in one of my favorite movies. “Is this Africa?”

She gave me a secretive smile. “Yes, it is.”

“Through the tree? In our yard?”

“Yes, but you must keep it a secret. Only Shara is able to work the tree magic to travel, but since you’re her heir, you can too.”

Glee bubbled up in me, making me laugh. I could do something that Mama couldn’t do. “Can I go see Queen Shara?”

“Anytime you wish, but make sure she’s home before you go.”

As we walked into the savannah, I tried to see if I could feel Shara. She’d spoken in my head before, like when the bird took me. But I couldn’t talk to her. Mama wouldn’t let me use the phone. If I wanted to see if Shara was home…

I needed a bond with her, like Mama’s and Papa’s. If they didn’t mind.

Sweat ran down my face before we finally paused near another huge tree. This one didn’t have a crack in its trunk and it was bushier. Something lay in the darkness beneath the branches. It made a low panting sound that made goosebumps race down my arms despite the heat. A lion? A jaguar? Jaguars lived in Africa, I thought. Maybe I could talk to it like Mama and tell it not to eat me.

Isis ducked beneath the thick branches to approach whatever hid in the shade. Surely even the meanest, hungriest lion wouldn’t try to eat a goddess, and She’d promised I would be home before morning.

I tiptoed into the darkness beneath the tree. A dark shape lay near the trunk. I inched closer, straining my senses. Other than the heavy, labored breathing, it didn’t make any other noise. It didn’t smell bad like a skunk, but it definitely didn’t smell like fur. It wasn’t any kind of cat.

I blinked, and the shape solidified into a boy. The heavy panting disappeared. He sat with his back against the tree, his knees pulled up to his chest. He leaned forward, revealing more of his face. He wasn’t that much older than me, maybe ten or twelve. His skin was black, his hair in tight braids that swept back like wings on either side of his head.

He met Isis’s gaze and dared to glare at Her.

What kind of boy would glare at the Great One?

“You’ve come to kill me, then.”

“Why would I wish any child dead?” Isis asked softly. “Let alone a child of your power. You could be of great use to us.”

He looked at me, then, his eyes as wide with surprise as mine.

I let out a startled squeak. “Us? What can I do?”

“You can save him.” She bent down between us and looked at me solemnly, Her dark eyes gleaming even in the shadows. “He’s a king. Do you know what that means?”

I shook my head.

He flickered again, and the boy was replaced by a cow shape with short, stubby legs. In the darkness, it was hard to tell exactly what he was. Maybe a hippopotamus or a rhinoceros. Definitely large, heavy, and ugly. He snorted at me and I scrambled back another step, before I caught myself.

I was Xochitl Zaniyah, daughter of Coatlicue, Mother of the Gods, and heir to Shara Isador, last daughter of the Great One. She had called me Princess of Unicorns.

I tipped my chin up, determined not to be afraid, especially of this gray, ugly beast.

“He was born with the ability to shift,” Isis said. “But he can’t control his power. He needs a queen to help him.” She met my gaze, Her eyes tugging on me again, making it hard to breathe. “He needs you.”

I wanted to be brave, but my voice still quivered. “I’m not a queen yet.”

She gave me a gentle smile. “You’re more queen than you realize, child. He has nowhere else to go that’s safe. His queen mother was forced from her sib’s nest when she delivered a king, and she was killed last night. He will be a formidable Blood one day and protect you well.”

“But…” I blinked rapidly, trying not to cry. “Queen Shara said I could have unicorns.”

Isis nodded and looked off into the distance, as if She could see thousands of miles away. “They’re coming, but not for several years yet. They must grow in power too before they can come to you. Keras needs help now, and he can protect you while you grow up together.”

He flickered again back to his boy shape and dropped his head down on top of his knees. He had no nest. His mother had died. He had no one. And his beast was ugly.

He was nothing like what I’d dreamed of. Beautiful ponies like Esperanza, only all the colors of the rainbow with sweeping wings that carried them effortlessly through the sky.

Not this gray, heavy creature with funny legs. He wouldn’t be able to run very fast, let alone fly.

What would I do if Mama died? If I lost our nest? At least I had our new queen.

This boy had no one.

No one but me.

I stepped closer and dropped down to my knees beside him, but before I could say anything, he growled at me. “Go away. I don’t need your pity.”

“What are you? I mean, what’s your animal?”

“Rhinoceros.”

“Oh.” I tried to think of something nice to say about his beast. “You’ll have a horn one day, right? That’s cool.”

He lifted his head, his eyes flashing in the darkness. “Of course, I’ll have a horn. All male rhinos do. Most are killed for them.”

“Mama calls jaguars, but I don’t want cats. I don’t know what kind of shape I’ll have, but our new queen can shift into a black jaguar with wings. She was so pretty.”

His face tightened but he didn’t look away. “Mama could shift into a rhino too, but she still died.”

Such pain shone in his eyes. I shifted closer and picked up one of his hands in mine. His nails were torn and bloody, his knuckles swollen, and his palms scraped, as if he’d been in a fight. “Who killed her?”

He didn’t pull away and his hand trembled in mine. “A giant crocodile. I’ve never seen one so big before, and it was a strange color. I tried…” He blew out a long, shaking breath. “I couldn’t save her. My beast wouldn’t come when I needed it. She died so I could escape.”

“What color was it?”

“Light colored, almost white, but it wasn’t an albino. It had yellow eyes.”

I shivered. “A huge golden bird tried to drag me through a portal to Ra, but Queen Shara pulled me back out. That’s why I wanted Blood that could fly.”

“Even if I could have controlled my beast, I don’t have a horn yet. I’m too young. I couldn’t have saved Mama.”

He was silent several moments. Long enough for me to listen to the bird calls and wonder what time it was at home. What Sarah might make for breakfast. I wanted to go back to the tree and see if I could find Shara’s nest.

“I can’t fly, but when my horn comes in, I’ll stab anything that tries to steal you. Then I’ll trample it into the ground,” he whispered fiercely. His fingers tightened on mine, hard enough it hurt. “I’ll be your Blood. I’ll do what you ask. As long as you let me come back here when I’m strong and hunt down the crocodile that killed my mother.”

“Okay. But I’m coming with you.”

“Deal.”

I looked up at Isis. “How do I make him my Blood?”

She reached out, palm up, and I slipped my hand into hers. “You give him blood and take his in turn. Then he will always be yours, and you will always be his queen.”

One of Her long, painted nails made a small cut on my wrist, so quickly that I didn’t even feel it. My blood welled up and She guided my wrist to the boy.

I’d tasted blood before, but I’d never given anyone mine. I held my breath, unsure what would happen. What it would feel like. He leaned toward my arm and sniffed at my wrist, making a low whuffing sound like his beast. Then he licked the trail of blood and closed his mouth over the small cut.

Goosebumps raced down my arms and my spine tingled. My hair felt like I’d rolled around on the carpet with Papa. If I touched anything, I’d probably blow my finger off.

He lifted his head and blinked slowly, as if he was waking from a dream. “My queen.”

“And now it’s your turn,” Isis said.

He held up his arm and she made a small cut for me.

The smell of his blood made my stomach rumble like I hadn’t eaten for days, but I wasn’t hungry. Not exactly. He lifted his wrist up for me but didn’t press the cut to my mouth. It was my choice. I liked that.

I breathed him in like he’d done to me. He smelled like the ground after a spring rain. Earthy, but also bursting with life.

If I tasted him…

I could do anything. Anything at all. Even tear apart a gigantic crocodile or golden eagle.

I pressed my mouth to the cut and tasted his blood. Mama always made me think of the jungle. Papa, like his jaguar, but sparkling with ancient magic. Queen Shara had tasted like the darkest, richest chocolate cake that Sarah made with her secret recipe.

Keras tasted like coffee beans and spices laid out to roast in the summer sun. His thoughts fluttered into my mind like butterflies. My eyes filled with tears at his grief. His horror, watching his mother fight the crocodile, even knowing she couldn’t win. She’d died. Alone. Without a single Blood to help her.

:You will always have me now,: he whispered in my head. :You will never fight alone.:

:Neither will you.:

Isis laid Her hand on my head, or I might have kept drinking from him for hours. He tasted that good. I might never get enough.

“Thank you for taking care of Keras. Now I would like to give you a reward.”

I shook my head and grinned at him. “I have a friend now. That’s reward enough for me. I don’t have anyone to play with, and Papa gets tired of me trying to ride his jaguar.”

She smiled but shook Her head. “No, I insist. You asked for unicorn Blood, and here I’ve gifted you with a fine king rhino instead. So…” She punctured Her own wrist and offered Her blood.

A goddess’s blood. Given to me.

Eyes wide, I stared at her. “But… I’m not your daughter, not like Queen Shara.”

“You’re her heir and she’s my daughter, and so you are my daughter too. I’d be honored to give you a small taste of power that should satisfy your yearning for unicorns until they’re strong enough to come to you.”

Like Keras, She waited until I leaned forward hesitantly. She didn’t bleed, not like us. Her blood gleamed from inside her skin like a red coal, but it didn’t flow out or drip. As soon as I pressed my mouth to the small cut, Her blood filled my mouth. My ears roared with rushing winds and my stomach pitched like the eagle had dropped me off the top of a mountain and let me fall crashing back to earth. She didn’t taste like anything specific—it was more of a feeling. Like being swept away. Lost. Only to find myself looking back in the mirror I forgot I was holding.

I opened my eyes but didn’t remember closing them. Had I fallen asleep? I couldn’t remember. I opened my mouth to ask what had happened, when Keras made a funny sound.

I turned to glare at him, but he wasn’t laughing to tease me.

His eyes were soft and glowing with wonder. “Wow. So that’s what you wanted in your Blood.”

What?

I looked down at my feet.

Hooves.

I had shiny crystal hooves.

Fur. On my legs. Fur. Purple and teal and pink and—

I squealed with excitement and it came out like Esperanza’s neigh.

:Do I have a horn?: I asked Keras.

:Yes. A long spiral horn that glitters like ice.:

I was so excited I hopped.

Which sent another surge of joy through me. Because when my hooves struck the ground, I sparkled. Glittery lights floated up from the ground like fireflies.

I pranced to the side, sending bright rainbow sparks into the air.

Laughing, even though it came out like a whinny, I raced around Isis, stomping my hooves. Something flashed behind me, and I curved around to look.

At my beautiful, hot pink tail.

I jumped into the air as high as I could and let out a strident neigh. :Thank you! I love it! I’m a unicorn!:

“You’re most welcome, child.” Isis laughed, clapping Her hands. “When you’re older, you can have wings too, if you like. I don’t think your mother would approve of wings at this age.”

Wings. I was going to be a Pegasus unicorn. With pink mane and sparkling hooves and horn…

:This is the best day ever.: I trotted over to Keras and gave him a playful bump with my nose, mindful of my horn. :I have a new friend, my first Blood, and I’m a unicorn.:

He smiled, but his eyes echoed with sadness.

My best day… was his worst.

I stepped closer and swung my head around behind his shoulders, so my neck curved around him. :I’m sorry, Keras.:

:Don’t be sad, my queen. Mama would be very happy that I found a queen like you to serve.:

:My name’s Xochitl.:

:Yes, my queen.:

I blew out a snort and stepped back. Mama said Blood could be funny about some things, especially when it came to their queen.

“Let’s get you home,” Isis said.

I trotted ahead and around them, bouncing with excitement. I couldn’t wait to show Mama. :Keras, shift. Let’s race.:

:I can’t…: His eyes widened as his beast flowed out of him. His rhino stared back at me, twice as tall and huge, even if he was young. :Wow. Thank you, my queen.:

I wasn’t sure what he meant.

“Intention,” Isis explained, waiting for us to join her at the tree that should take us home. “You wished him to shift, so he could. You provide the control he needs. He’ll never have to struggle to shift, or fear his ability to prevent himself from shifting, again.”

I felt so small beside his rhino. I could probably ride him.

As soon as I thought it, I ran at him and jumped as high as I could. My hooves clattered on his hide, but somehow, I managed to scale his muscled shoulder like a goat. Pleased, I walked up and down the length of his broad back, sparkling all over him.

:That tickles.:

Giggling—which came out a whinny—I stomped harder, spinning rainbows all over him.

Isis laughed, a musical sound that flowed around us and made the world dim. As I drifted to sleep, I heard Her words in my head. :You delight my heart, child of Coatlicue.: