“Ask away.”
Since Santiago had asked Jamal to better himself, he wanted Santiago to do the same: join Alcoholics Anonymous for his drinking problem. Santiago was stunned by Jamal’squestion, coupled with his serious expression as he waited for an answer. Reluctantly, Santiago admitted he had an issue and promised to find a local chapter. Satisfied, Jamal turned back to the forest beyond his window.
“What’s your next question?”
Jamal turned to Santiago. “Will you write me?”
Before Santiago could respond, Jamal admitted he had no one else and that Santiago had been the first person in years to treat him well. Santiago’s heart broke, looking into Jamal’s eyes as he spoke. Despite his rough exterior, Santiago could see the scared little boy inside Jamal.
“Yes, I will.”
“Pinky promise?” He lifted his hands and extended a digit.
Santiago took one hand off the steering wheel and wrapped his pinky around Jamal’s.
“Thank you.”
When Santiago pulled into the police station’s parking lot, Jamal let out a deep sigh.
“This isn’t how I expected my escape to go.”
“Were you thinking it would be filled with twists and turns likePrison Break?”
“I guess, I don’t know.”
Santiago exited the vehicle and moved along the back to retrieve Jamal, but he’d managed to open the door himself and hop out. Two officers leisurely standing at the entrance eyed them, but didn’t move in their direction.
“You ready to do this?”
“Not really, but here we are.”
One of the officers yelled at them, seemingly recognizing Jamal. Santiago raised a hand in their direction, asking that they holster their weapons. They were coming in peacefully.
“I’m unarmed. Don’t shoot me!”
Without thinking, Santiago hugged Jamal tightly and assured him everything would be okay.
“I won’t let them do anything to you.”
As the officers quickly approached, guns still drawn, Santiago moved to shield Jamal.
“Please don’t hurt him.”
“Step aside.”
Santiago complied as the officers threw Jamal to the ground and handcuffed him while he kept repeating that he was unarmed. Others officers poured from the facility. Watching on from the side of his truck, Santiago tried to calm his erratic breathing as three officers aggressively ushered Jamal toward the building. Before disappearing inside, Jamal turned and mouthedthank youto Santiago.
Santiago nodded his acknowledgment before turning his attention to another set of officers attempting to question him about his connection to Jamal.
The Unicorn's Knight by K.L. Noone
The unicorn, with terrible timing, refused to be found.
Rian shook a stray forest-leaf from his hair. He considered wryly that King Eldan had younger keener knights; it’d been over a decade since he’d first ridden with Eldan’s father, to protect the borders and to ensure that everyone in the kingdom knew and trusted the knights of the realm. His knees ached.
But now Eldan wanted a unicorn. And when the new young King—imperious, hungry, possessive—wanted a thing, his knights collected it for him, and were rewarded.
Or were punished for failure. That thought tasted sour as old wine; Rian breathed in green-gold light instead. Trees rustled with almost-conversations, their leaves tinted violet. The air spilled honey across his tongue, laced with rainbow flowers. Distant shouts arose: knights stabbing harmless bushes, complaining that the virgin shepherdess they’d brought wasn’t doing her job, threatening her mother.
