Chapter 1 1 RILEY WAS LAUGHING SO MUCH she could barely breathe. Jill was right beside her, also smiling brightly, as the two of them draped ribbons and cloth around Storm until they could hardly see any of the black unicorn colt under all the layers of colorful fabric. They were in the sewing room on board the Queen of Bermuda and were supposed to be working on clothing repair, but instead, they were playing with the colt. Riley reached out with a red ribbon and tied it to the end of the unicorn''s misshapen horn. "There you go, Stormy. Don''t you look beautiful!" Storm seemed to understand they were playing and whipped his head back and forth to make the ribbon fly. He neigh ed playfully and pressed his shoulder against Riley. "Honestly, you two should leave that poor boy alone," Maggie called from her place before the treadle sewing machine, though she was smiling brightly and showing her predator''s teeth.
"Look what you''ve done to him--it''s hardly dignified." "He likes it," Riley said as she hugged Storm''s muscular neck. "Don''t you, Stormy?" The colt''s head bobbed up and down. Jill tied another ribbon to Storm''s horn. "He''s very pretty now." Once again, the colt neigh ed and bobbed his head up and down. Riley stopped and put her hands on her hips while looking at Storm. "Is it me, or is he even taller than yesterday?" Jill nodded.
"I think so. He''s growing so fast, I can''t believe it." Maggie put down her sewing and walked over to Riley and Jill as they fussed over Storm. "Well, Gideon and Priri did say that unicorns grow quickly. But even I never imagined it would be this fast." She reached out and stroked the colt''s black muzzle. "At this rate, he''ll be adult size in no time." "I''m just glad he doesn''t need milk anymore," Jill said.
"It wasn''t fair to keep asking the gargoyles to bring some for him." "I don''t think Gideon or Priri minded," Maggie said. "You''ve seen how much they adore him. We all do." Riley nodded. "Gideon is sure Storm won''t grow as big as the other unicorns, and that''s one of the reasons they"--she paused so Storm wouldn''t hear her--"you know." She didn''t finish the sentence, not saying that the adult unicorns had tried to kill Storm right after he was born because he wasn''t perfect. He was smaller than other foals, and his golden horn was misshapen--not to mention his three white hooves.
Maggie nodded knowingly. "Indeed. But he''ll always be perfect in our eyes." "Yes, you are," Riley said to Storm as she pressed her head against the colt''s warm face. "You are perfect." Though Storm might not have been physically perfect compared with the other unicorns, he was just as smart, if not smarter, and could understand everything being said to him. Storm was also much sweeter and gentler than the others, who were mean tempered and could be very dangerous. Gideon once explained that unicorns were almost like the Atlantis police force.
Whenever there was big trouble, they''d show up. This was especially true during the Red Moons, when wildlings and dangerous creatures crossed over the land bridge between Atlantis and the Forbidden Zone. It was always unicorns and gargoyles who drove them back. Storm nickered and pressed against Riley. "Well, Stormy, we''d better get to work before Lisette sees that we''ve been spending all morning playing." Riley and Jill started to take all the fabric off Storm. Just as they finished, the loud, nerve-shattering horn on the Queen blasted. "What?" Jill cried.
"Not again." Riley looked over at Maggie with wide eyes. "We''ve just had a Red Moon. It can''t be right. That would make it three in one month!" Maggie, who was nearly always calm at the horn warning of the Red Moon, had fear in her feline eyes. "I cannot recall ever having two Red Moons so close together, let alone three." "Really?" Jill asked. "Never?" Maggie shook her head.
"Never. I don''t know what''s happening, but something is definitely different." Storm snorted and pawed the floor. When Riley looked at him, his manner had changed completely. His eyes had become wild, and his nostrils flared. "Easy, boy," Riley said softly as she stroked his head. "We''ll be safe, just like last time." "Let''s head up to our cabins before the stairwell fills with people," Maggie suggested.
"We don''t want Storm getting shoved or knocked over on that narrow ramp." The sewing room was situated on one of the lower decks, and when the Queen had been in service, it had been used as the crew''s dining area. Because of its large size, there was more than enough space for the other ladies who sewed to work in there, but most of them still preferred the small, dark sewing hut that was a good walk from the ship. Riley believed that some of the seamstresses were still uncomfortable around Maggie now that she remained out of her yellow cloak. But that didn''t stop others from coming in on occasion and asking to use one of the treadle sewing machines. Their hesitation still irritated Riley, but it didn''t seem to bother Maggie. For the most part, though, the people of the Community had adjusted well to the change in policy that saw the people who were turning into animals going without their cloaks. Some even rekindled old friendships with those they''d lost touch with.
The term "Cloak" was no longer used to refer to them and had been replaced with "Turned." The corridor outside the sewing room was mostly empty except for the first people arriving on board. Maggie was right. It would be easier to get Storm up to their suite on the top deck before everyone boarded the Queen . Entering the stairwell, they heard the sounds of others coming up from below. Their footfalls on the stairs were soft but swift. There was very little chatter as everyone appeared to be feeling anxious over the third Red Moon in such a brief period of time. Storm did as he had been taught and walked over to the narrow ramp against the wall that had been laid along the stairs.
With the stops crossing the ramp, it was easy for the colt to climb up, and they made it to the top deck in no time. Instead of going straight into their suite, they walked out into the blazing sunshine along the promenade. There was no sign of the fog yet, but it would come. Crossing to the railing, they peered over the side and watched the people climbing the main ramp to board the ship. The Queen of Bermuda was a sanctuary in the upcoming storm. It normally housed most of the Community''s population, but not all, as some people still chose to live in small houses away from the big cruise ship. But when the horn blared the warning of the Red Moon, everyone boarded the ship. These days, it finally offered protection to the members of the Turned community as well.
The sound of running on the deck started, and Riley saw her cousin Alfie, Bastian, and Miss Pigglesworth trotting over to them. When Bastian saw Riley, he smiled brightly, which made Riley''s heart flutter. With the sun shining on his dark hair and the smile lighting his face, Bastian was impossibly handsome. "Hey, Shorty," Alfie said, taking a place beside Jill. "Hiya, Creep," Riley replied. She smiled at Bastian. "Glad you and Miss Pigglesworth made it back safely." "Always," Bastian said, taking his place at her side.
"But I can''t believe it''s another Red Moon so soon." "What''s going on with this place?" Alfie asked. "Shane said it''s never done that before." "It hasn''t," Bastian agreed. "It''s very mysterious, indeed," Maggie added. Riley looked at her friends and family. "We can''t have this many Red Moons in such a short time. Something''s definitely gone kerflooey.
" Bastian nodded. "It''s worrying to all of us." Miss Pigglesworth barked and started to whine, and Bastian said, "Miss Pigglesworth agrees with you, Riley, that something feels wrong." Jill was quiet as they gazed down on the people boarding the Queen. She''d had a hard time with the first Red Moon when they''d arrived in Atlantis and with all the sounds of the creatures outside the ship who had come over from the Forbidden Zone. Now, with it being yet another one in just a matter of days, she was starting to tremble. "It will be all right, Jill," Maggie said kindly as she wrapped her fur-covered arm around her. "You know the Queen will keep us all safe.
" "But why does it keep happening?" Jill asked. She looked at Riley. "You said they didn''t happen very often. But this is the fourth since we got here." Riley nodded. "I know. I just don''t know why." "That is the big question," Bastian said.
They continued to watch the members of the Community climbing the ramp. Riley searched for her family to make sure they boarded safely. "There''s Danny and Sarah with Chrissy and Pea," she said, pointing down to her brother and his girlfriend, Sarah, who was Jill''s older sister. Sarah was carrying her youngest sister, while Danny was holding the koala. Pea used to resist being carried around but had learned to accept it when speed was required. "And there''s your mother with Cameron," Bastian said, pointing to Riley''s mother and the island''s other doctor. "And Mary is there with Tony and Lisette." Riley glanced over at Bastian.
"Have you noticed how much time Tony is spending with Lisette?"