The goblin prince stepped away. “You should have been helping Emily.”
Kara flushed. “I screwed up.”
“We both screwed up,” Adriane said. “All that matters right now is Emily. We need to help her.”
“How?” Kara fretted. “How do we break the Spider Witch’s spell?”
Adriane raised her silver wolf stone. “I have some healing magic. Maybe that will be enough.”
Suddenly, a burst of deep green erupted through the forest, snapping branches with a thunderous roar.
Kara scanned the portal field. “Where did Emily go?”
The dark mage was nowhere to be seen.
“Over here!” Ronif called from the edge of the field. “Hurry!”
“The forest is under attack!” the quiffles screamed.
Green lightning flashed deep in the woods.
“The glade!” Adriane cried. “Let’s go!”
Adriane, Kara, Tasha, Lorren, and the magical animals raced into the forest. Ariel, with Tweek on her back, zoomed overhead, the mistwolves loping behind.
They could feel dangerous magic rushing through the trees, reaching for the heart of Ravenswood. Even the Rocking Stone, the ancient monument, its jagged peak pointing to the afternoon skies, seemed to shudder. The group barreled past it into a pristine clearing surrounded by a perfect circle of tall firs: the magic glade.
On the shore of the lake where she had first found her jewel so many months ago, Emily stood, arms spread wide. Dozens of unicorns surrounded her, heads lowered.
Glowing coils of red, green, blue, and purple swirled from the very fabric of the land into their horns, fueling the dark mage.
Adriane’s and Kara’s jewels sparked red with danger.
“What is she doing?” Lorren shouted.
“She’s weaving Ravenswood’s magic onto the web!” Tweek goggled.
“Everyone, together we can heal her!” Adriane cried.
Kara stood by the warrior’s side, blazing light swirling up her arms. Dreamer, Lyra, and the animals of Ravenswood surrounded them, streaming all the magic they could muster.
Healing blue flared in Adriane’s jewel, supercharged by the blazing star.
Their magic wrapped around Emily, covering her in muted colors.
Greedy for more, the dark mage turned. Eyes settling on the warrior, she latched onto her wolf stone.
Adriane fell back as Dreamer howled, trying to shake free of the assault.
“Emily!” Kara cried. “Stop! You’re hurting them!”
With a burst of diamond fire, Kara sliced through the connection.
Frustrated, the dark mage sent the full force of her magic into the roots of Ravenswood.
Tempests swirled up from the ground with gale force. Wind screamed through the trees in a blast of breaking branches.
The animals did their best to calm the angry forces tearing the glade apart. But protected by the unicorns, the magic of the dark mage was too strong. Ravenswood’s magic rose from the earth, uprooting willow trees and tossing them into the churning waters of the lake. Rocks and branches hurtled through the air and smashed against the Rocking Stone.
“Emily, you’re hurting Storm!” Adriane yelled, reeling from the cries of the forest spirit of Ravenswood.
But Emily ignored her as she began to weave the preserve’s magic onto the web.
“You’re destroying Ravenswood!” Kara screamed.
“Not destroying. Fixing.” Emily’s voice was scarily calm. “I need to fix everything.”
The dark mage’s eyes swirled to black. Spikes of magic erupted from the dark heart jewel upon her wrist, plunging deep into the earth. An eerie silence lasted a heartbeat before the entire preserve rippled, sending everyone running for cover. Tree limbs groaned as branches twisted into sharp thorns. Dank muck churned in the crystal waters of the lake.
“What are we going to do?” Kara cried.
Silver fire flared from Adriane’s clenched fists. “We have to stop her.”
“We can’t attack Emily!” Kara protested.
“We have no choice!”
The two mages paused… they glanced at their bondeds and at the animals of Ravenswood. None of them could believe what they were about to do. To save Ravenswood, they were going to have to fight—and maybe destroy—their best friend.
EMILY’S WHIRLWIND OF destruction spread into the forest, tearing over a patch of bright flowers. For an instant, the funnel faltered.
“Packleader!” Rasha and Ronif dashed to the warrior, wind whipping their tail feathers. On their outstretched wings sat several round puffball flowers, each glittering with tiny rainbow lights.
Adriane’s eyes went wide. “Kara!” she called out, picking the precious magic blooms. “Phelowers!”
The sparkling flowers floated out of Rasha and Ronif’s wings. They seemed to be drawn toward Emily. For an instant, flashes of pure rainbow colors danced around her. The dark mage faltered, her powers dulled by the infusion of pure magic.
“Everyone, we need more!” Kara cried, recognizing the power of these magical flowers. Phel, the fairy creature who had first taught Emily about healing magic, had planted them.
Adriane turned to her pack. “Hurry! Gather as many as you can find.”
Starpoints of color like tiny jewels surrounded the dark mage, whirling and twirling as the animals of Ravenswood tossed paw-fulls of phelowers into the air. Glittering blossoms sparkled as they were swept into the cyclone. Flecks of light flashed, growing brighter as Emily unwittingly gathered pure magic into her dark weaving.
All at once, a bright spark glimmered in the former healer’s inky eyes. The cyclone around her was transforming into a column of light, bright as a rainbow. It trembled and slowed, colors pulling together. Forming in front of Emily was something big. Something purple.
The last shreds of dark magic fell away. What remained was a large, purple, bear-like creature. He turned liquid eyes upon the healer.
“Phel,” Emily whispered, lowering her arms.
A fog cleared from her eyes as she saw Phelonius’s magical aura glimmering in pinpoints of rainbow lights. What had seemed like an overwhelming jumble of colors now looked exactly like... a phelower.
Silence fell over the glade.
Emily blinked. How had she gotten here? Why were her friends staring at her so strangely?
Phel approached Emily, reaching out massive paws to touch the healer’s hands. Splinters of light flew across her mind. Memories glowed.
The mermaids swarmed around Emily. Wet, ragged hair and black eyes rose to meet her as cold hands tried to drag her into the ancient sea of Aldenmor before she could fulfill her destiny. “You are the dark witch.” Emily had told no one this terrible secret, convincing herself that if she ignored the warning it could not come true.
The Dark Sorceress’s commanding presence loomed over her, guiding Emily as she wove her first web. “You are more powerful than the Spider Witch.” Emily had been too much in awe of her new powers to realize she was being tricked into stealing the magic of the animals, betraying a healer’s promise.
The Spider Witch’s tapestry mesmerized her. Vibrant with elemental magic, the vision of a new web, strong and sure, was magnificent. Emily could save all she loved. All she had to do was bring the web to life. “See how the unicorns have come to you.” But the beautiful magic of the unicorns had been twisted by an endless craving and greed. They would run the new web with the magic of Avalon. All they needed was the dark mage to lead them.
One mage had always gone dark. It was the true meaning of the prophecy.
She had had no choice. She’d become the dark mage.
The Gates of Avalon burst open like a dam as the magic crashed into Emily, filling her with power. It rushed through her, taking everything she was, everything she loved.
The vision cut off, leaving her feeling sick and empty.
What happened to me? she thought, shivering. She had lost her connection to the animals, to
her friends, to all living things.
Phel’s expression was serene as a sunrise. Compassion glowed in his gentle eyes as he turned her around to face the unicorns. She blanched at the tight red knots binding their true auras.
Only she could fix it. But…
What if she couldn’t heal anymore? The thought terrified her.
With a wave of his furry, purple arms, Phel sent his flowers cascading over the unicorns.
Greens and blues flared from Emily’s jewel, responding to Phel’s gentle power. Feeling the connection to her magic, soft blue light swirled from Emily, raining over the dark spell. The unicorns’ auras instantly began changing, bright crystalline colors rushing to the surface.
Carefully, Emily loosened the complex knots of the Spider Witch’s spell. She could see the weaving unraveling, slipping away. Horns stained blood-red shimmered to glittering crystal, restoring the unicorn’s pure auras. One by the one, snorting and leaping in joy, the unicorns broke free of the spell.
“Kara!” Calliope whinnied as a dozen young unicorns barreled into the blazing star.
“Calliope! Electra! Snowflake!” Kara called their names ecstatically.
“Healer.” Lorelei moved close to Emily, her presence warm and reassuring. Emily blinked, senses awakening. She felt as if she’d been sleepwalking. Looking at the healthy unicorns, she felt no joy. Only the dull, empty ache of a broken heart.
Something awful had happened. Something so horrible, so unthinkable, she could not remember it.
“Are they all okay?” Adriane ran through the excited herd.
“I think everyone is accounted for,” Kara responded. “Great job, Emily!”
The voices of her friends faded away as Emily surveyed the group of magical animals in the glade.
“Emily?” Adriane looked at the healer, uncertain.
The glade had gone eerily silent.
The unicorns watched the healer, along with every quiffle, brimbee, and mistwolf in Ravenswood. A veil of sorrow seemed to permeate everything and everyone.
Emily looked at Phel, but he was already vanishing. Having used his magic to help Emily, he could not stay. Dread flooded through her as she saw the sadness in his fading eyes.
Emily felt weak, her knees buckling.
“Easy. We’ve got you.” Adriane and Kara slung their arms around the healer.
Suddenly, Emily gasped, her chest heaving. Something was missing—it felt like a piece of her was gone. Something that always supported her, gave her strength when she had none left. Panic raced up her spine.
Not something.
Someone.
She scanned the crowd of creatures, animals, and humans for the one friend who had been with her from the beginning. Among the hundreds of unicorns and mistwolves and the animals of Ravenswood, she searched desperately for one familiar furry head. All at once, the colors faded, leaving her alone as the awful truth came into focus.
“Where’s Ozzie?”
“EMILY, YOU FED Harry twenty-five crackers!” Carolyn Fletcher exclaimed, turning the empty snack box upside down. An over-stuffed gerbil slipped out, landing on the desk with a thump.
Emily sat in the corner office of the Pet Palace, absentmindedly scribbling on order forms. The place was a mess. Filing cabinets were open, papers haphazardly crammed into folders. Three dogs ran in circles, barking their heads off as they tussled over a jumbo-sized bag of treats. A red and green parrot flew overhead, squawking for his share of the booty.
“Emily, what’s with you?” Her mom herded the dogs back into their kennels, nearly tripping on an unopened box of supplies. “These vaccines need to be refrigerated.”
She deftly caught the bird and put him back into his cage. “The Pet Palace was your idea. When I get you here, I expect you to do some work.”
Emily waved a handful of scrap paper at her mother and tossed it in the “To do” box.
“What’s this?” Carolyn picked up an order carelessly scribbled on a napkin. “The invoices used to be so neatly typed and printed.” She swept her hand over a pile of boxes beside the desk. “Four dozen cases of hamburger niblets have been sitting here for a week now. They’re usually gone in two days.”
Emily stared at the untouched boxes.
Carolyn sighed and perched on the edge of the desk. “Look at me.”
Emily turned red-rimmed eyes toward her mother.
“I know you miss Ozzie, but sometimes animals run away or—”
“I’m sorry!” Emily burst out so suddenly that her mother flinched. “I didn’t mean it!”
“Emily, honey.” Carolyn knelt by her daughter, rocking her gently in a hug. “Shhh, it’s all right.”
“I loved Ozzie.” Emily buried her face in her hands, sobbing. Just when she thought she had run dry, an entire reserve of fresh tears poured out. She felt like she would cry forever.
“I miss him too.” Carolyn gently stroked her daughter’s hair. “You were a wonderful friend. He was lucky to have you to take care of him.”
Emily jumped to her feet, gasping for breath. The words cut like a knife. She hadn’t taken care of Ozzie. She had betrayed her best friend. She ran for the back door, desperate to get away. Get anywhere but here.
Sprinting across the backyard, she ignored the playful shepherd in the exercise run. Her mother was only trying to help, but Carolyn didn’t know what Emily had done. Her mom could never know.
Jagged breath caught in her throat and she slowed to a walk, feet crunching over gravel. She veered away from the trail that led to Ravenswood, half-expecting to see Ozzie come bounding down the road with important news.
Instead, she walked into Arrowhead Park. Oblivious to the kids laughing and shouting in the baseball diamond, she wandered through the picnic area under rows of tall maples that fanned the sun into sparkles of light. This was where she used to sit and do her homework, Ozzie hiding in her backpack, whispering answers to her biology assignments. Once, Jellybean, the Feltner’s shepherd, discovered Ozzie and slobbered all over him. The ferret had protested so loudly, Emily had to pretend she was studying to be a ventriloquist as Mr. Feltner looked on, confused.
She sighed. Being here was only making it worse. Everywhere she looked she expected to see that furry little ferret head. Her whole life in Stonehill had been shared with Ozzie.
Emily slumped onto a bench. What was she going to do? She had faced loneliness when she moved to Stonehill. Her parents had just divorced and she thought her world had come to an end. Instead, it’d turned out to be just the beginning, the start of an amazing adventure.
She glanced at the tree line over her shoulder. At first, the Ravenswood forest had seemed so deep and foreboding. The haunted woods, the kids had called them, shrouded a rundown preserve whose owner, Henry Gardener, had mysteriously disappeared.
Now those trees bowed their branches. As if they too cried with her. As if they knew, remembered. This is where something magical happened. This is where she first met Ozzie—the elf-in-a-ferret’s-body who’d come from the magical world of Aldenmor.
How could she say goodbye? His friendship had always kept her going, kept her open to the wonders of her journey and the excitement of a future filled with possibilities. Now they were just lonely reminders of an empty heart. That life could change so fast was a hard lesson to swallow. And she couldn’t do a thing about it.
The true nature of the Prophecy of Three had never been revealed to the mages. But Emily had been warned many times that she could fall prey to the darkness. Instead of confiding in her friends, she’d been defiant, chosen not to believe the warnings. For all the power she had as a mage, she had been completely powerless to change her own destiny.
I take care of you. You take care of me.
Ozzie’s last words rang in her head.
She hadn’t taken care of him. Caught in the dark spell, she needed magic and he had given it to her, willingly, unconditionally, even at the cost of his own—
A soccer ball came to rest
by her feet.
“Where have you been?” Kara asked, walking up to the picnic table. Adriane was beside her.
“Leave me alone.” Emily turned away, allowing her curly red hair to hide her eyes.
“No,” Kara answered curtly.
“What?”
“We said no,” Adriane repeated.
The two girls parked themselves on the bench, on either side of their friend.
“Emily, you’re not the only one who’s sad,” Kara began gently.
“We all miss Ozzie,” Adriane said.
“Your point?” Emily demanded.
“You have to help us,” Kara said.
Emily hung her head. “I can’t.”
“Tours are fully booked this week.” Adriane tried to break through to Emily.
“Not to mention the big dance next weekend,” Kara added.
“Yeah, thanks for reminding me,” Emily mumbled.
Adriane pointed at the blazing star. “Don’t blame me. Kara’s idea, remember.”
“You agreed to it,” the blazing star huffed. “The entire school is into it!”
“Thanks for sharing.” Adriane rolled her eyes.
“You’re not making me feel better,” Emily grumbled.
“Oh.” Kara refocused. “Aren’t you concerned about the magic web?”
Emily glared at them. “Concerned? Concerned that I helped the Spider Witch destroy the old web?”
“There was no way it could have been saved,” Adriane said.
“Well, now you have a brand new one thanks to me.” Emily stared off into the distance.
“The Dark Sorceress is inside Avalon,” Adriane stated.
“And we have to do something before she destroys everything!” Kara exclaimed.
Emily shook her head. “I can’t.”
“You healed the unicorns,” Kara said encouragingly.
It didn’t work. “Phel did that.”
“Emily.” Kara caught Adriane’s gaze. “We didn’t know the Spider Witch would go after you.”
Full Circle (Avalon: Web of Magic #12) Page 2
