“Um, I don’t think so,” Kara answered.
The sorceress raised an eyebrow.
Head held high, Adriane nodded to the paladins.
With a wave of his horn, Indi swirled open two bright portals on either side of the well.
“What trick is this?” The sorceress stepped back.
Gardener, Lucinda, and Sylvan understood. They looked on proudly as the magic raced along the web, heading for home.
Two portals shone bright against the dark city of Avalon. One would lead to Aldenmor, the other to Ravenswood.
There was only one more thing to do.
“If the next mages find Avalon, maybe it will be a better place.” Emily smiled. “The home of all magic once again.”
They raised their jewels, sending light flaring into the smoky night skies. The wolf stone, rainbow jewel, unicorn jewel, and ferret stone floated free from their clasps.
The jewels fell like tears, seeds of hope planted by true dreamers.
Dazzling lights sprang from the well, sparkling over the city with a thousand facets, like a flower—a phelower.
For one brief instant, the true colors of Avalon shone through the darkness.
The mages locked eyes with their bondeds, and smiled.
The black magic struck home in a cataclysm of destruction. The ground warped and trembled, towers exploded in a rain of splintering ice.
“No!” The Dark Sorceress screamed as the city disintegrated around her, the well spewing dark magic like a volcano.
The last thing the mages saw of the sorceress was her expression of complete shock. In a blinding flash, she was gone, along with the crystal city.
In one profound moment, one brave sacrifice of the most unimaginable kind, the last two doors between worlds closed, separating the mages and their bondeds—forever.
“THINK THEY’LL MISS us?” Kara asked.
“Everyone’s having a good time,” Emily said as howls of laughter filled the air.
“Half the class wants to dance with you.” Adriane nudged Kara.
Kara replied, “Joey’s been milling around the punch bowl all night waiting to ask you to dance.”
Adriane snorted. “Poor guy.”
“Give him a break, girl,” Kara teased.
The blazing star sat with Emily and Adriane on the side of the great lawn. An amazing party was well underway.
Ravenswood Manor gleamed like a fantastic castle. Bright strings of lights hung from trees and rose bushes to circle the great lawn. On a wooden platform, the band, Savage Lips, held sway, rocking out the graduating class of Stonehill Junior High.
The evening air held the last fading fragrances of spring mixed with a hint of a new summer to come. In a few months, fall would bring more changes. The end of one cycle, the beginning of another.
“You think we’ll like high school?” Emily wondered.
“Of course we will,” Kara said adamantly.
“Time of our lives,” sighed Adriane.
No one needed to say out loud that maybe they had already had the time of their lives. What should have been a night of celebration with the rest of their graduating class, was instead one of bittersweet goodbyes.
Kara’s sparkly dress shone, the perfect outfit that didn’t seem so perfect now. Adriane’s glistening black hair fell over her eyes. Emily fiddled with the silver bracelet on her wrist, worrying at the empty space where her heart jewel had been.
The girls watched their friends, moving and dancing across the lawn. It had been a week since arriving back at the preserve. No one else could possibly understand the profound changes they had gone through. Secrets only they shared, memories that would alter their lives forever. Yet the three hadn’t seen much of each other, opting to deal with the terrible loss of their bondeds each in her own way.
Emily sensed the greatest change in Adriane. The warrior’s whole purpose had been protecting Ravenswood. Now there was no one left to protect.
Adriane smiled bravely. Her eyes shone with years beyond her age, a wisdom borne of love and loss. And doubt of ever finding a packmate again. Even the amazing news that Ravenswood Preserve had been granted landmark status had done little to lift her spirits.
Kara had her fiery armor raised so no one could penetrate the depths of her sorrow.
Emily had just tried to stay busy, finishing classes and getting the Pet Palace ready for summer guests.
“Kara.” Emily leaned against her blond friend. “You worked so hard to get everything perfect for tonight.”
“Yeah, it is perfect, isn’t it?” Kara agreed.
“You did an amazing job,” Adriane praised her.
“Well, we can’t just sit here and feel sorry for ourselves.” Emily stood and smoothed her blue dress. “This is our last night of Junior High, we should enjoy it.”
Kara sighed. “I keep expecting to see Lyra behind every tree, watching over us.”
“Or at least a brimbee shuffling by,” Adriane added, scanning a row of hedges that had been a favorite hangout for Eddie and his bouncing buds.
“That’s Ozzie’s move,” Kara corrected.
“No, that’s the wigjig,” Adriane corrected Kara.
“I bet he’s wig jiggying right now,” Emily said with a smile. Kara hung her head, a tear breaking free. “We did the right thing, didn’t we?”
“Yes!” Adriane’s answer left no room for argument.
Emily took the blazing star’s hand in hers. “We have to stay strong for them.”
“What do we do about the tours?” Kara asked. “Landmark status is going to get us a lot of attention.”
“We’ll have to do the best we can,” Adriane said quietly. “I mean, the forest won’t be the same without—”
“Maybe I’ll go on that teen tour to Europe,” Kara mused.
No one could say what they were really thinking: Ravenswood had brought them together and had kept them together. Now what would happen to them? To their friendship? They hadn’t even been back to the glade. Everything had happened so fast, they never got a chance to say goodbye to the magical animals that had lived here.
“Hey, Kara!” Heather called out, shimmying to the edge of the dance floor. “You’re missing the best songs!”
“I’ll be right there.” Kara waved to her friends.
“C’mon, Kara, Emily’s right.” Adriane stood and faced the music. “We can’t sit here like boggles.”
“Wait!” Kara announced suddenly. “I have something to say…” she took a deep breath and stared at the warrior. “… to Adriane.”
Adriane regarded the blazing star warily.
“You drive me crazy, we argue all the time, we never agree on anything…”
“Yeah,” Adriane smiled.
“And… you’re my best friend.”
“What did you just say?” Adriane asked, shocked.
“Well, one of them, anyway.” Kara blushed. “Being around you has made me a better person.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.” Adriane grabbed Kara in a hug as the three girls started crying again.
Emily hugged both of her friends. “Wherever we’re going, we’re going there together.”
The drummer’s pounding beat got the crowd revved up. They waved their arms, cheering for more.
“All right, I want to hear some noise!” The hunky lead singer hammered a power chord on his silver guitar and took the mic.
When the night comes round,
Everyone is getting down for the party!
The crowd responded, pumping fists in the air and dancing up a storm.
Emily pulled Kara and Adriane into the fray.
When the spirit moves the beat,
I have to move my feet and—poot!
A sparkle of color flashed across the lawn, darting between the partying teens. Flitting by the hanging lights, it looked like a bat—a blue bat.
Adriane looked at Emily. “What was that?”
Emily shrugged. “A new dance?�
��
Adriane stopped short, Emily and Kara right beside her.
“Did you see something?” Kara asked.
“Must have been the lights,” Emily said uncertainly.
“And what about that?” Adriane pointed.
A flying bowl wobbled right toward them, trailing snacks.
“It’s… what is that?” the warrior asked.
“It’s a pretzel,” Kara answered.
“It’s a chip!” Adriane corrected her.
“No, it’s…” Emily looked closer.
“Fred!” Adriane exclaimed as the blue dragonfly dove into her arms.
“Oh, hi.” The blue dragonfly’s eyes twinkled.
Kara whirled around. “Goldie? Where are you?”
PoP pOp PoP!
Three more excited dragonflies, one gold, one orange, one red, fluttered around the girls, squeaking and chirping.
“Karaaaa!” Goldie shot into her bonded’s hair, hugging her neck with little golden wings, jeweled eyes whirling in pleasure.
“Goldie!” Kara had never been happier in her life. She twirled around hugging her flapping friend.
“I don’t believe it,” Emily practically squealed.
“Fred, what are you doing here?” Adriane asked.
“Where’s Barney?” Kara looked around for the purple d-fly.
Briiinnnggg! Goldie vibrated against Kara’s neck. “It’s for you.”
Puzzled, Kara spoke into the d-fly’s belly. “Hello?”
“Secret rendezvous in the glade,” a low voice said mysteriously.
“Who is this?”
“Mages only. Tell no one.” With a d-fly burp, the call was over.
“What was that all about?” Adriane asked.
“One way to find out.” Kara’s lips twitched in a smile.
Adriane, Kara, and Emily left the lawn and dashed between two trees onto a path into deep forest. They could have found their way blindfolded.
“What’s up, Fred?” Adriane patted the blue d-fly, making his eyes twinkle.
“Nuh uh.” He shook his little head.
“I think it’s the first time they ever kept a secret,” Kara laughed.
The sky was alive with stars. Moonlight filtered through the trees, giving an otherworldly sheen to the bushes and flowers.
They passed the immense Rocking Stone, an ageless sentry forever standing guard. Noises rustled around them as they moved through the circle of tall firs.
Cautiously, the three girls entered the glade. They had all avoided coming here the past week, afraid the memories would overwhelm them. Tonight the glade looked peaceful and serene. Moonlight rippled over the small lake, the fairy bridge crossed the far side as if untouched by time.
“Fred, I told you to bring snacks!”
The girls whirled at the sound of that voice.
There, leaning against a willow tree, was a very familiar looking gold and brown ferret.
“Ozzie!” Emily ran to her friend, lifting him in her arms. “Is it really you?”
“Gah!”
Adriane and Kara joined the group hug. “What are you doing here?” they both cried.
“Do not squeeze the ferret!”
Emily could hardly believe it. “How did you get here?”
“Same way they did.” Ozzie slipped to the ground and pointed. Next to another tree sat a black wolf and a large leopard-spotted cat.
“I don’t believe it!” Kara ran to her bonded and wrapped her arms around Lyra.
“Dreamer.” Adriane rushed toward her packmate, burying her face in his warm black fur.
“Lyra!” Kara gave the cat a quick once over. “I can’t stand not talking to you.”
“Me too.”
“Could I be any more miserable?” Kara wailed.
“It’s terrible.”
“I know—hey, wait a minute.” Kara stood up straight. “Did you just hear me?”
“Yes.” Lyra turned to Ozzie. “Did you?”
“Of course I did.” Ozzie pushed the big cat away.
“But we gave up our jewels,” Kara said.
“And we closed all the portals,” Emily said, confused.
“And all the dark magic blew up Avalon… didn’t it?” Adriane asked.
“Not exactly,” another voice chimed in.
Just then, three well-dressed, handsome young men appeared, striding toward the three girls. Zach, Lorren, and Marlin smoothed their jackets and straightened their ties. Barney sat on Lorren’s shoulder, grinning.
Adriane and Emily gasped.
“Well, what have we here.” Kara coolly arched an eyebrow.
“We couldn’t ask you to your dance—” Lorren began.
“—so we decided to have our own party.” Zach winked at Adriane.
“You look… beautiful, I mean, you all do,” Marlin said, but his eyes were on Emily.
Emily blushed.
“All right.” Kara tapped her pink-heeled shoe. “Someone better start explaining.”
“That would be her,” Lorren said.
The girls looked around.
“Over there.” Marlin pointed behind them.
The girls turned to the lake. Emily walked to the water’s edge. Something felt so familiar. Something she hadn’t felt since the first time she—
And the water turned pink.
And blue and red and orange and purple as colors started to bubble. Rising from the swirling water was a female figure. Rippling hair cascaded down her back as she sparkled under the moonlight.
“Neerie.”
“Hello, healer.”
Emily had met the water sylph on the tropical island that had hidden the Gates of Avalon. She had protected the Heart of Avalon, the power crystal that had become Indi.
“What are you doing here?” Kara asked.
“I am a Guardian of Avalon.”
Adriane shook her head. “But Avalon is gone.”
“Inconceivable!” A small bundle of twigs and leaves trundled by, studying a turquoise jewel. “The entire web has shifted. Avalon may be gone. But there is a new center of the web!”
“There is? Where?” Adriane asked.
“Right here,” the E.F. informed her.
“Avalon is here?” Kara asked, astonished.
Neerie swirled in the lake, circles of water spinning around her. “Ravenswood is now the home of magic.”
“How is that possible?” Emily asked, her face breaking into a wide smile.
“You completed the quest, something no other mages have ever done,” Neerie explained.
“I don’t get it,” Kara said. “How? What makes us so different?”
Neerie gazed at Ozzie. “Without you, Ozymandius, the cycle of dark mages could not have been broken.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Ozzie scoffed. “I’m just a rutabaga farmer who got lucky.”
“No, that’s not true,” Emily realized, turning to the one mage who never gave in to the dark magic. The one who could never be turned.
They all focused on the small ferret.
“When you gave your jewels to the Well of Tears, Ozzie’s magic prevented them from being corrupted,” Neerie told the mages. “They healed all of Avalon’s magic.”
“It’s been you all along, Ozzie,” Emily breathed, kneeling close to her friend. “It was you who broke the dark cycle. I proved it when I killed you.”
“But you didn’t kill me, Emily.”
“And you didn’t make me a dark mage.”
“We did that all on our own, thank you very much,” Kara agreed.
“By not working with the strongest magic we were given—” Emily started.
“—our friends,” Adriane finished.
“Well, I—!” the ferret sputtered. “But I’m just a weasel.”
Neerie continued. “Ozzie is much more than a disguised weasel. As a ferret, Ozzie could not be killed and his magic could not be turned. That is his magic.”
“Good job, ferret.” Kara patted his furry he
ad.
“And I never fully became the dark mage.” Emily finally understood. “That’s what broke the cycle.”
“We bow to Sir Ozzie!” The guys bowed deeply before the surprised ferret.
“Ha! I knew it all along.” Ozzie puffed out his chest.
“You did not,” Emily teased.
Ozzie gestured and Emily bent low to hear him whisper. “Truth is, I got to meet you and that’s all that matters to me.”
“Me too, Ozzie.” She kissed his furry head.
“Rewind! So why didn’t the Fairimentals tell us that?” Kara demanded.
“The Fairimentals asked Ozzie to find three mages,” Neerie explained. “But they did not choose him.”
“Well, who did?” Ozzie asked, perplexed.
“Your paladin. He created your transformation spell.”
“Oh, there, you see—what?!”
“Who is Ozzie’s paladin?” Emily asked, astonished.
A cloud of rainbow twinkles erupted in the glade as a giant purple bear-looking creature sat like a furry Buddha. A wide smile adorned his huge, serene face.
“Phel.” Emily ran over and threw her arms as far as they would go around the extra-wide fairy creature.
Kara regarded him warmly. “Welcome home, Phel.”
“Good to have you back.” Adriane smiled.
“You’re my paladin?” Ozzie stormed over and kicked the great creature. “You big lump! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You never asked.”
The fairy creature raised a paw and a flurry of rainbow magic floated over the shocked ferret’s head.
Neerie twirled, sending widening circles flowing over the smooth lake. “From Ravenswood, you are directly connected to every realm on the web.”
An image appeared in the swirling waters: The Garden of Aldenmor, where the Fairimentals stood on the grassy lakeshore, surrounded by hundreds of magical animals.
“Thanks to you, mages, all the animals and creatures of Aldenmor are safe,” Gwigg said, his leaves brighter than ever.
Ambia floated into view, a smile sparkling on her beautiful face. “You have done more than we ever hoped.”
Marina glimmered on the lake’s surface. “Congratulations, mages.”
“Thanks, but we miss all our friends here at Ravenswood,” Kara told the fairy creatures.
Full Circle (Avalon: Web of Magic #12) Page 14
