into the land of the unicorns by bruce coville

Her fingers began to tingle.īeneath the amulet’s crystal lid lay a tightly coiled strand of white hair. Then, reluctantly, she closed her hand over the bauble.

Trying not to make a sound, Cara placed her books on the pew. “No time to talk,” hissed her grandmother. She felt accepting it would somehow confirm that the world was twisting out of shape. Despite the times she had coveted the gold and crystal amulet, she could barely bring herself to take it from her grandmother’s hand.

Grandmother Morris’s “special,” as Cara had always referred to the locket that dangled from the chain, had been off-limits for as long as she could remember. This was almost more frightening than the problem of the man who was following them. “Put this on,” she said, handing it to Cara.Ĭara’s eyes widened. She actually had no idea whether their pursuer had seen them enter.Īfter a moment, Grandmother Morris removed a chain from around her neck. The statement had more hope than reality in it. “I don’t think he saw us come in,” said Cara softly. Grandmother Morris led the way to a pew near the back of the sanctuary, where they huddled together while the old woman caught her breath. They had come here often with Simon, her grandmother’s gentleman friend. They went down a narrow street - little more than an alley, really - and turned in through the side entrance of St. “In here,” said Grandmother Morris suddenly, pulling Cara’s arm to steer her to the right. Though it was hard to imagine any harm coming to them in this time of good cheer and fellowship, her grandmother’s fear was unmistakable - unmistakable, and catching. A light snow had started to fall a little while ago, and it had had just enough time to cover the bright holiday decorations, making everything look crisp and white. “Hush, child! I don’t have breath to waste on talking.”Ĭlutching her new library books, Cara bumped against bundles and packages as they scurried through the crowds of last-minute shoppers. “I’m not sure,” muttered Grandmother Morris.Ĭara’s stomach grew even tighter. Stretching her legs to keep up, Cara asked, “Where are we going?” She tried not to whine. She certainly hadn’t expected her to act as if she took that fear seriously. She had expected Grandmother Morris to say, “Don’t be silly, child!” - as she usually did when Cara expressed some unlikely fear. Tightening her grip on the girl’s hand, the old woman began to walk faster.Ĭara felt a sudden knot in her stomach. When she turned back, her face was twisted in a look that Cara had never seen before. This book was originally published in hardcover by Scholastic Press in 1994.Ĭara’s grandmother glanced over her shoulder, toward the library.

Into the land of the unicorns by bruce coville