“Preposterous! No one gets on the grounds without unicorn magic.”
“Someone could have lured them away,” Lyra suggested. “Put them under a spell.”
“Where were they practicing yesterday?” Kara asked.
“Let’s see. Second to last week of the semester… minus two… add the sunbeam… over there.”
“Can you open that portal?”
“Glide this way,” the sphere instructed. With a flash, a line of stones lit up, creating a bright pathway that curved between the floating blue portals. “Step on each and every stone exactly or it won’t work.”
With years of hopscotch behind her, Kara jumped like a pro along the glowing stones.
“I can’t believe they would leave without permission,” the ball bobbed.
Kara landed on the last stone in the sequence.
“I know every portal like the back of my sphere—hey, what’s that?”
Before them, a large glowing gateway swirled open. A shimmering curtain of lights rippled like waves, beckoning Kara closer. She felt the familiar tingle of unicorn magic in her jewel.
“The unicorns definitely jumped through this portal,” she concluded.
Through the hazy doorway, a grid of sparkling blue stretched into the distance. The power grew stronger, pulling at her dazzling jewel.
Kara gulped, a cold knot of fear in her stomach. The unicorns had all gone onto the web and none of them had returned. Whatever they’d found couldn’t be good.
She turned to her crew. “We have to find out what’s happened.”
Lyra and Goldie nodded.
“Blinky,” Kara instructed. “If we’re not back in ten minutes…”
“Yes?” the orb spluttered.
“Wait another ten.”
White bolts of magic crackled in the air and the portal expanded. Its surface hissed and wavered like television static as Kara, Lyra, and Goldie stepped though and vanished.
EMILY BLINKED, DISORIENTED for a moment by the wild array of creatures crowding the Fairy Ring. Elves, pixies, sprites, boggles, and assorted gnomes milled about, the din of their voices carrying over rows of toadstool seats lining the open air theater. On the ground level, a few yards away from the mirror she’d arrived through, the rulers of all five Fairy Kingdoms stood near ornate thrones.
“Welcome, healer.”
Emily turned to see Fairy Queen Selinda making her way through the crowd. The tall queen’s sparkling wings fluttered behind her, their rainbow swirls set off by her pale blue dress and moonstone crown atop her honey-blonde hair.
“I trust your journey was not unpleasant.” She clasped Emily’s hands.
“Fine, thank you. Tasha knows her mirrors.” Emily smiled.
“I only wish the mages could visit in more pleasant times,” Selinda said warmly, though her beautiful face belied deep strain and worry.
“I understand.” Emily felt everyone in the ring watching them.
Selinda eyed the nervously buzzing throngs. “We have urgent matters to discuss.”
“Wait for meooflaA—” Ozzie’s voice was cut off as two gigantic bags followed him out of the mirror, squashing the ferret flat.
“Sir Ozymandias, how goes it?” Elf King Landiwren saluted the ferret nose poking out from under a sack.
“Good, you?”
“What’s all this then?” A stout goblin woman marched forward, long velvet robes billowing behind her. The Goblin Queen Raelda was a formidable force, possessing strong magic and a temper to match.
“Kara insisted on sending gifts.” Emily helped the ferret to his feet.
“Ah, well, the princess has excellent taste.” The woman broke into a toothy grin. “Welcome, healer mage and… um, helper mage.”
Ozzie bristled but held his tongue.
“Come!” Raelda ordered.
Emily followed the queens to the center of the ring.
The crowds parted, bowing and greeting the mage. Emily caught the eye of a handsome teenage goblin with spiky black hair standing with a group of trolls: Prince Lorren. His black boots, pants, shirt, and cape accented the silver sword strapped to his waist—a very striking figure.
He bowed with a dramatic flourish, green eyes twinkling. “The lovely healer mage. Your outer beauty is matched only by the magic inside.”
“Don’t we look dashing,” Emily playfully volleyed back. With such charm, it was no wonder the cute prince had captured Kara’s attention.
A terrifyingly huge figure loomed over Emily. “What news, young mage?” Troll King Ragnar asked expectantly.
As if on cue, others now approached, all bombarding her with questions.
“How goes the quest?”
“What can you tell us about the web?”
“How long will it hold together?”
“Back off, bub!” Ozzie pushed back a giant troll toe.
Emily gulped, wishing Kara were here to deal with the crowd.
“The healer mage is under enough pressure,” Raelda barked. “Let her breathe!”
But the crowd was restless, eager for answers.
“What of the fairy quakes along the borders?” a dwarf called out.
“We’ve seen basilisks in Winterfall!” another cried.
“Portals are opening in my attic!” a distraught gnome hollered.
Fairy Queen Selinda raised an elegant hand, instantly commanding everyone’s attention. “Thanks to the blazing star, Princess Kara, the magic of the Fairy Realms remains strong—for now. But we must act quickly if the web is to be saved. Another power crystal has been discovered on the borders of our realms.”
Goblin King Voraxx leaped to his feet. “If the Spider Witch gets hold of the power crystals, she will surely use them against us!”
“If she expands her web, her weaving will control the Fairy Realms,” Elf King Landiwren called out.
“Alendmor and Ravenswood as well,” Lorren reminded them.
Troll King Ragnar raised his ax in one huge hand. “We must secure the power crystals and storm the witch’s keep now!”
The goblin prince stepped forward. “King Ragnar, the witch’s lair is impenetrable, surrounded by sheer cliffs.”
“We cannot move an army across those passes,” King Landiwren agreed.
“The only way in is through her mirrors,” Lorren concluded.
“Excellent, a stealth operation then.” Ragnar rubbed thick hands together.
Lorren shook his head. “Can’t be done. The mirrors Princess Kara and I used have been shut down.”
“We must make a decision.” Selinda’s voice carried across the ring with authority. “The web as we know it has existed for centuries, and the magic has only diminished over time. With the rise of the Dark Sorceress and the Spider Witch, the magic has been depleted. It is almost gone.”
Cold panic raced up Emily’s spine. The extinction of magic and all she had come to love. Her worst fears realized. The full weight of her quest pressed down on her like a ton of bricks.
“Queen Selinda, there are some here who think Avalon doesn’t exist anymore,” a dwarf said, “that the crystal city of legends has been destroyed.”
Grumblings rose from the crowd.
“We can debate the existence of Avalon all day, what we need is action!” King Ragnar raged.
“Ragnar, you know these mages have been chosen to find Avalon,” the goblin queen interjected.
“The question still remains.” Ragnar met Raelda’s eyes with a challenging glare. “Should the mages use the power crystals to enter Avalon or do we use them against the Spider Witch and reclaim the web?”
“The only plan that makes sense is for the mages to collect the power crystals and complete their quest,” Goblin Queen Raelda declared.
“Even with the remaining four crystals, that makes only eight,” King Voraxx pointed out. “They cannot open the Gates of Avalon.”
“Maybe there’s no magic in Avalon at all!” Dwarf Queen Praxia growled.
Ragnar no
dded. “We have magic now—power crystals. Let’s use that magic to defeat the witch and the sorceress!”
The crowd rumbled with agreement.
“Better to use what we have than risk everything to find a place no one’s even seen in thousands of years,” Troll Queen Grethal concluded.
“What say you, mage?” Elf King Landiwren turned to the healer. “Do you believe Avalon really exists?”
Emily closed her eyes. From the very first time the Fairimentals had come to her in the forests of Ravenswood, one thing had remained constant throughout her extraordinary journey—one word, one quest, one answer: Avalon.
Adriane had seen a crystal city, a vision of the past upon the mistwolf Spirit Trail. Kara had seen a mist-covered island circled by elaborate mosaic stones like a giant puzzle. Emily had been to the Gates of Avalon on a lush tropical island. It suddenly occurred to her that each of the mages had experienced something different. That meant something. But what?
Looking out at the crowd, she found all eyes trained on her. They expected her to say something important. What could she say that would make a difference?
Sensing her distress, Ozzie stepped forward, but Emily held him back.
Steeling herself she said, “I don’t know what lies beyond the gates. I don’t even know what Avalon is.”
Voices murmured in the crowd.
She took a breath. All these people and animals were counting on her, Kara, and Adriane.
“But I do know this. The Spider Witch tried to take Ravenswood, and she failed. Ravenswood now has a new protector, strong and good. The Dark Sorceress tried to turn Marina, the water Fairimental, evil. And she failed. The Garden in Aldenmor stands strong.”
The crowd listened intently.
“I used to think magic was impossible,” the healer continued. “But I have met a guardian of Avalon. My paladin is the Heart of Avalon. My friends and I have been chosen to find Avalon. And I have learned that just because something seems impossible, doesn’t mean it is. I believe there is magic in Avalon. I need you to believe with me. Because where there is magic there is hope.”
The crowd cheered, heartened by Emily’s impassioned words.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself.” Ozzie beamed up at his friend, ferret face full of pride.
“Nice, Emily.” Lorren applauded.
Elf Queen Elara rose gracefully to her feet, her long, green gown fluttering in the breeze. “It is settled. The mages will gather the crystals.”
“We must support the mages on their quest,” Landiwren agreed.
Raelda raised her hands in the air. “Let us open the Gates of Avalon and begin anew!”
“Abomination!”
The crowd gasped as a wizened creature pushed through them and hobbled straight toward Emily. It hunched over an elegantly carved walking stick, its brown robes covering all but a yellow rat-like snout.
The creature pointed at Emily accusingly. “Opening the Gates of Avalon will unleash evil that has been locked away since ancient days!”
A gnarled paw whipped its hood away, revealing wild white hair and flashing yellowed eyes that bore into Emily with a strange fire.
The mage stepped back, shocked.
“The circle is broken,” it cackled. “The last attempt to open the gates brought disaster! This time would be madness!”
Emily exchanged a worried glance with Ozzie.
The Dark Sorceress and her friends had tried to open the Gates of Avalon. What if there really was dark magic inside? That would explain why the sorceress wanted it so much.
“Step back, Olfert.” Fairy King Oriel had rushed to Emily’s side and spoke to the intruder. “Do not foul this fairy ring with your talk of evil legends.”
“Avalon holds evil that must never be released!”
“Tell me, Olfert,” Troll King Ragnar scoffed, “what evil could be worse than what we face now?”
The old mole ignored them, intent only on Emily. “Heed my words, mage. You are dealing with forces you do not comprehend. Open the gates and you shall be cursed forever!”
“That’s quite enough.” King Oriel reached out to grasp the cackling creature, but just as suddenly as he had appeared, Olfert vanished into the crowd.
The crowd buzzed anew as Emily stood in shock.
“Why did Olfert say Avalon’s magic is evil?” she asked Lorren.
“Don’t pay any mind to the ramblings of a crazy old mole,” Lorren reassured her.
“The prince is right,” Selinda said. “We cannot let fear guide us. We must believe the magic of Avalon will save us.”
Lorren stepped to Emily’s side. “I will escort the healer mage and Sir Ozymandias on their journey to find the power crystal.”
Goblin King Voraxx faced the crowd. “Our armies shall stand ready when the Gates of Avalon are opened!”
“The Fairy Realms stand united with the mages!”
“Huzzah!”
A flock of giant bats swooped over the Fairy Ring, carrying members of the Fairy Underground, a covert force led by Lorren. Two riderless bats glided down, landing next to the goblin prince.
“You take Gertie,” Lorren said, pointing to Tasha’s gray bat preening herself beside the prince’s silver and black bat, Nightwing.
“Hi girl!” Emily patted Gertie, and the bat nuzzled her with a soft snout.
“Tasha tracked the power crystal to somewhere near the town of Dawn’s Edge,” Lorren told the healer. “We’ll be escorted to Garion’s Landing, then we go in on foot.”
Taking a deep breath, Emily hopped into Gertie’s saddle. Ozzie scrambled up behind her.
She searched for the mysterious Olfert. His words of warning rang in her head. But the creature was nowhere to be seen
“May the magic be with you, now and forever.” Fairy Queen Selinda raised her hand in farewell as Gertie and Nightwing launched into the air.
Flying in tight V formation, twelve bats soared across the twilight sky, purple dusk slipping into the coming night.
“THE GIRTH ON the saddle should be snug, but not too tight. Otherwise Drake gets itchy,” Zach advised, his voice magically amplified via the little blue dragonfly, Fred.
“Okay.” The warrior adjusted her black boots in the stirrups, proud to be flying solo on Drake. The red dragon had imprinted on her when he’d hatched.
Adriane, Fred, Dreamer, and Drake had arrived in what Tasha labeled “uncharted territory.” As far as the goblin sorceress could tell, this was not a planet like Earth or Aldenmor, but one of many magical places along the web that ended in steep cliffs or thick mist, like the Fairy Realms.
Adriane kept Drake at a low altitude as a precaution. She had to assume there might be predatory flying creatures, and she also wanted to keep an eye out for any activity on the ground.
She scanned the jagged buttes surging from the rocky, red sand below. So far, these badlands had been nothing but a series of ridges and interconnecting canyons. Small cacti peppered the landscape and giant, bleached rib-bones stuck out in stark contrast to the red ground.
“And don’t feed him too much,” Zach continued. “You spoil him.”
“Me?” She reached forward and scratched Drake’s neck. The dragon hummed with pleasure.
“Only 200 pounds a day,” Zach warned.
“He must be on a diet,” Dreamer snorted, leaning forward in his wicker basket secured to the back of the saddle.
“I packed Drake’s favorite wheat noodles, just like you told me.” Adriane patted the saddlebags hanging behind Dreamer’s basket.
“He likes them with extra Ak sauce.”
“I know.”
“And he drinks about twenty gallons of water a day.”
“We’ll be fine, Mr. Mom.”
The dragon huffed a puff of smoke, a dragonish chuckle.
Suddenly Dreamer perked up, nose high in the air. “Over those rocks.”
The wolf had been having trouble tracking the power crystal. It seemed to be appearing and
disappearing at random. But now he had locked onto the crystal’s magical scent moving northeast at a constant speed.
Fred hiccupped a loud burst of static into Adriane’s ear and the connection to Zach wavered.
“Why can’t we use our own jewels to communicate with each other?” Zach asked.
“Too risky. I’ve been tracked before from jewel transmissions. You got a problem with Barney?”
“He’s cool, just a little smaller than what I’m used to.”
There was a brief pause.
“What?” Adriane prompted.
“I’d rather talk to you in person.”
Adriane blushed, the wind prickling her hot cheeks. “You just hold down the fort.”
Sometimes she wished Zach lived on Earth instead of Aldenmor so she could see him every day. But Aldenmor was the only home he’d ever known. The teen had grown up with his mistwolf brothers and sisters, protecting their world. He had stayed behind at his new home, The Garden, to guard the vault that contained the power crystals the mages had already found.
“Check in every hour.”
“Promise.” Adriane grinned.
“Bye, Zach!” Drake trumpeted happily to his bonded.
“Over there, warrior.” Dreamer pointed his nose toward the ridgeline.
Adriane straightened her flying goggles, thankful she had taken Zach’s advice and packed them. She was warm enough in her black tank-top even though she had packed her jacket. Her body, lean and toned from years of running, sat comfortably in the saddle. She held the reins lightly, giving Drake enough room to keep his speed without jostling his riders.
“Take us in, Drake.”
Feeling the tap of her right boot, the dragon soared in a wide arc, picking up speed as his wings caught the dry updrafts rising from the cliffs below.
“We’re not the only ones here.” Adriane leaned forward as the mighty dragon cleared the ridgeline. Blackened campfires spread over the low-lying hills, their smoky remains a sure sign that someone—a lot of someones—had recently been here.
“Wolf Fire to Base,” Adriane spoke into Fred’s blue belly.
“Copy, Wolf Fire. Go,” Tasha’s voice responded.
“We’ve spotted the remains of several encampments,” the warrior reported as they flew into the canyon.
Dark Mage (Avalon: Web of Magic, Book 11) Page 5
