It made sense. The girls were attracted to the terrarium, as she had been. They’d somehow annoyed Alan into sucking them into it, as she had. But unlike Nina, they hadn’t been able to follow the instructions in the book. (Who would have thought wood shop would turn out to be so handy?)

And of course the unicorns couldn’t have let them die of exposure. So they did the only thing they could.

Nina sighed. Well, at least it was a good shape. And they’d have to go back to it for the time being—she could barely take care of herself, let alone these girls as well. She reached up and touched Flora and Michelle’s cheeks again, and they shimmered back into their unicorn shapes.

Jane shrank away. “No!” she whimpered. “Don’t make me. I wanna stay a person.“

“Don’t be silly,” Nina said. “You’d die of pneumonia in a week.” She darted forward, and Jane rejoined the others on hooves.

“Besides,” she sighed, “it’s not as if I won’t be joining you.” She leaned forward, and then there was one more unicorn in the clearing.