Secret of the Unicorn (Avalon: Web of Magic #4)

by Rachel Roberts

  Ozzie stepped forward and peered at the print. “Jerran are herd beasts with little magic. I still say pegasus,” he guessed. “Or maybe something like a centaur or even a large kelpie. What do you think, Storm?”

  Instead of answering, Storm stood stock-still, her limbs rigid and her eyes half closed. The tip of her bushy tail twitched slightly.

  “What is it?” Emily asked anxiously.

  Storm remained silent for several more seconds. Finally, she blinked her golden eyes and gazed at Emily somberly. “The warrior just sent me a message,” she said.

  Adriane and the mistwolf shared such a strong bond that they could communicate mind to mind across almost any distance. “What did she say?”

  “She has contacted Aldenmor,” Storm told her. “Something evil may have crossed over with the others.”

  Emily felt a chill pass through her as she glanced down at the print again. One thing they had learned since discovering magic was that evil could take many forms. Something horrible could be out here with them right now. Behind a tree, listening to them, waiting. . . She took a step closer to Storm, drawing comfort from the mistwolf’s powerful presence.

  Ozzie looked worried. “What if we’re following a satyr?”

  “A what?” Emily asked.

  Storm snuffled derisively. “A satyr hardly warrants dangerous,’” she said. “They are mischievous troublemakers, healer, half goat and half goblin. More of a nuisance than anything.”

  “A night stallion!” Ozzie declared excitedly. “Big steeds black as midnight, snorting fire. One can take out a dozen trolls all by itself and—”

  “The tracks head this way,” Emily broke in. “Let’s keep going. Whatever it is, we need to find it.”

  “Right,” Ozzie muttered, breaking into a jog to keep up with the much longer legs of the others. “Unless, of course, it’s a basilisk, in which case our best plan of attack might be to run very, very fast in the opposite direction.”

  Storm shot the ferret a glance. “Mistwolves fear nothing,” she reminded him. “Not even basilisks.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Ozzie retorted. “Well, ferrets—er, I mean, elves—fear nothing, either. Cousin Brommy took on a golem all by himself—tricked it into falling down a ravine. And golems are much tougher than your average evil creature.”

  “Golems are strong, ugly, and brutal, but not very intelligent,” Storm agreed. “Werebeasts, on the other hand. . .”

  “Werebeasts! Now those are monsters!” Ozzie agreed “And you don’t die if one rips you to pieces—you just turn onto a creeping, howling, bloodthirsty, were—”

  “Do we really have to talk about this right now?” Emily interrupted. Their conversation was starting to spook her. She was seriously hoping to avoid running into anything that fit into the evil, creepy, and larger than Storm category.

  “It is best to know the enemy one is facing, healer,” Storm said, sniffing the air near a thick stand of trees.

  Emily flashed on the image of the ghastly face she’d seen at the football game but shook it off quickly. “I just think we—ahh!” She almost doubled over as a sudden burst of magic energy barreled into her like a punch in the gut. Colored lights ignited in her brain like flashbulbs; blue, red, gold streaked across her vision like shooting stars.

  Storm was at her side in an instant.

  “Emily, what’s wrong?” Ozzie’s worried face looked up at her.

  Wheezing, she glanced around. “Look!” she gasped.

  She pointed to a break in the trees just ahead.

  Flash! A streak of bright blue flickered behind a cluster of evergreens.

  “Over there!” Ozzie yelled, pointing in a different direction.

  Flash!

  Emily whirled around. A short distance away, between two tree trunks, a burst of vivid red appeared.

  Flash! This time, clear yellow.

  Suddenly a screeching sound echoed off the rocks and leaves. It was all around them, coming from everywhere and nowhere. Emily slapped her hands over her ears. “That noise!”

  Storm was tense, ears alert, tail straight out behind her, hackles rising.

  The sounds built to a crescendo, piercing the woods like a hurricane, and then vanished, eerily echoing away into silence. Emily straightened up and took a deep breath.

  “Which way did they go?” Ozzie cried, spinning around wildly. “Where are they?”

  Emily spun around, too, trying to find the colors.

  Flash! A hint of emerald green disappeared over a hillock farther down the trail.

  “That way.” Storm set off down the path at a brisk trot. Ozzie scampered after her, chattering about a color-changing enchanted gnome he’d once known.

  Emily lagged behind, still breathing hard. The burst of magic she’d felt had been so sudden, so powerful. And that sound. . .

  What was that sound?

  Her steps slowed. Wrinkling her brow, she strained to hear. Gradually she became aware of sweet tones singing in her ears, beautiful, exotic music that floated into her head as easily as if it had always been there, always belonged there.

  Where. . . is. . . that. . . coming. . . from? Emily wondered, stopping in her tracks. She hardly noticed that Storm and Ozzie were almost out of sight ahead of her. She had to hear more.

  She started to turn, swaying as the music wrapped around her. Arms outstretched, she weaved from side to side. Streams of sunlight fell in patterns of shifting light and shadows as the sweet sound snuck into her head. That melody, so enchanting, teasing, reaching out to her. Leaves tumbled around her as she danced through sunbeams.

  Something was moving with her. It was between two large trees. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it might be—its face and body were vague. All she could focus on was its eyes. Deep, dark pools of bliss, watching her. They seemed to hold all the love, wisdom, and certainty of the world. Within those eyes, nothing changed—ever. All was still, calm, perfect. . .

  “Come closssserrr. . .”

  The words were barely a whisper in her mind, a graceful counterpoint to the haunting melody that surrounded her. Feeling as if she existed in some wonderful, never-ending dream, Emily danced. Time was passing, each second seeming to take an eternity as she twirled closer to the magical sounds.

  “Come to me. . .”

  She spun faster, closer. . .

  “Healer!”

  Storm’s urgent voice broke through the dreamlike fog, pulling Emily to an abrupt stop. The creature in front of her reacted, too, its eyes narrowing and its mouth opening in a vicious snarl. Emily gasped as the world slid back into focus and she realized she was staring at a pale white skull and gaunt cheekbones. A ghoulish grin twisted under haunting, evil eyes full of malice. It was the nightmare face from the football game!

  Emily screamed, the noise ripping out of her, shattering the last few strands of the eerie melody. Stumbling backward, she nearly lost her balance.

  There was a whoosh of cold, dank air and a deafening explosion of noise, like every note in the world played at once. Then she heard the more familiar sound of rushing feet.

  Stormbringer was at her side in an instant.

  “Healer! What is it?”

  “What? Did you see the monster?” Ozzie came running behind Storm. “I knew it! I told you it had to be a basilisk! See, she’s frozen in place! Now what are we going to do?”

  Emily tried to speak, to reassure them that she was all right. “Eerp” was all she could manage.

  Ozzie quickly clambered up her pant leg and hopped onto her shoulder to peer into her face. “Uh-oh,” he said. “Not a basilisk. Looks more like the work of a mind-muncher. Do you remember your name?” he shouted into her ear.

  Emily winced and pushed him off her shoulder. “Stop that!” she said. “I’m not deaf. And of course I know my name.”

  “What did you see, healer?” Storm asked, concerned.

  Emily glanced nervously toward the trees. But the spot where she’d seen the apparition was empty
; only a few leaves and twigs hung there now. “It—it—I don’t know,” she stammered. “I mean, I think I saw—it was only there for a second.”

  She managed to point to the spot. Storm bounded over and circled the trees, carefully examining the ground with eyes, nose, and paws. “There might have been something here, but it’s gone now,” she said after a moment.

  Emily shook her head, trying to clear it of the lingering fog left by the monster’s eerie music. She had seen this thing twice now, and she still didn’t know what it was.

  “Listen, you two,” she began. “The thing I saw was—wait!”

  A note rang in her ear, the faint hint of sound, clean and pure.

  She slowly turned to a curtain of thick autumn leaves hanging between the trees. With Ozzie and Storm on each side, she carefully reached out and parted the curtain of colors.

  Screeeeeeeeee!

  Something large burst out of the woods straight at them, almost trampling Ozzie on its way. The explosion of sound was so sudden and overwhelming that Emily was knocked backward onto the ground. Off-key chords grated against one another, echoing through the woods and slicing into her head. Scrambling to her knees, she caught flashes of a horse-like shape. It had a bright turquoise hide and a mane and tail that shimmered silvery blue. She pointed and shouted, though her words were lost in the cacophony of sound.

  Storm was already after it.

  “Storm! No! Wait!” Emily paused just long enough to scoop Ozzie up before following, running wildly through the woods. Ahead, the creature dove into a thick patch of brambles and disappeared.

  “There!” Emily cried as the noise faded, leaving behind only faint, staticky reverberations. “It went that way!”

  A flash of movement rattled the far side of the thicket. Then a patch of fuchsia caught the sun as a large shape crashed through the shadowy underbrush. A second later, Emily caught a glimpse of garish purple.

  Storm started to run in that direction, but a huge, twisted shrub blocked her way. Panting, she darted around it. Emily shielded her face and followed.

  “Ahh!” Ozzie shrieked, clinging to her for dear life. “Watch out for that branch!”

  Emily ducked just in time to avoid getting smacked by a gnarled tree limb. Unfortunately she failed to notice the exposed root in her path. Her sneaker caught on it and she went flying, landing with a thud in a pile of dry autumn leaves.

  “Whoooo-aaaah!” Ozzie flew off her shoulder and landed a few feet away. “Urfff!”

  By the time they managed to sit up and make sure nothing was broken, Storm had returned. “Whatever it is, it has powerful magic. I couldn’t get near it,” the mistwolf admitted, panting.

  Ozzie nodded, brushing a twig out of his fur. “I think it’s safe to say we’re not following a basilisk,” he said. “My guess is pegasi.”

  Emily sat up, thinking back to the brief glimpse she’d caught of the creature. “I didn’t see any wings. Why do you say ‘it,’ Storm? Seemed like several creatures.”

  “I could only make out one set of tracks,” Storm answered.

  “Are you suggesting it’s one creature?” Ozzie asked. “They were all around us. How could one animal move so fast?”

  Emily bit her lip. “One set of tracks,” she said. “I could feel it—it’s hurting bad,” she whispered.

  She looked up to see Storm sitting directly in front of her. They were almost nose to nose. The wolf’s golden eyes glowed deep and warm.

  “Perhaps you should open yourself to those feelings, try to follow them,” the mistwolf suggested.

  Emily looked at the ground. “I’m afraid.”

  “Fear is the worst enemy we face. I am here.”

  Emily knew the mistwolf was right, but she hesitated. She had just healed so many, felt so much fear and suffering. How much more did she have to give? Even Adriane and Kara didn’t really know the toll it took on her.

  Still, she had to reach inside and find the strength. It might be the only way to help the creature—or creatures—that clearly needed her help. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll try.”

  “Hang on to me.”

  Emily reached around the wolf’s neck and hugged the animal close. Doing her best to keep her mind clear and still, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, exhaling in a whoosh.

  Soft fur against her cheek, Emily smelled pine and forests, clean and sweet. She felt the strength of the wolf against her like a wall, impenetrable and solid.

  The rainbow jewel flashed brightly, and she reached out with her mind.

  The emotions hit her in a wallop, making her cry out in shock and pain. Instantly she felt Storm’s iron will bolster her. “Steady, healer.”

  She stayed open, inviting the fierce pain, intense anger, and violent sorrow into her very soul. These feelings were stronger than those she had felt from the quiffles and jeeran back in the meadow. And a powerful undercurrent of magic throbbed along with these emotions, twisting them, making them stronger and more dangerous until Emily was gasping raggedly for breath.

  “Don’t run. I want to help,” she said breathlessly. Her jewel glowed with an intense blaze of color. Then all was quiet.

  Arms still wrapped tightly around Storm’s neck, she opened her eyes. Ozzie was on her shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around her neck, his eyes shut, his ferret brow furrowed in intense concentration.

  “You can let go now, Ozzie,” Emily said, pulling away from Storm.

  Ozzie’s eyes flew open and he leaped back.

  Emily gave each of her friends a kiss. “Thank you, both.”

  “No problem,” Ozzie said proudly. “Did you get through?”

  “I don’t know.” She got up and started into the forest. “This way.”

  Storm and Ozzie flanked her as she walked, following the trail of shifting emotions. Her rainbow stone gleamed steadily with dark, murky colors. Agony, dread, and desperation pulsed through her body, grabbing her heart and squeezing it, faster and faster, until it felt as though it would burst right out of her chest and—

  “Wait.” Storm’s voice broke into her mind. “Something is following us.”

  At the sudden interruption, Emily’s concentration faltered and the magical connection slipped. Her heart beating faster, she turned to see the mistwolf gazing intently at a dense copse of evergreens. The thick fur along Storm’s spine was standing on end.

  Ka-thunk. Ka-thunk.

  The sounds of heavy feet pounded the earth, headed toward them.

  Ozzie and Emily huddled close together. “What is it, Storm?” she asked.

  Stormbringer bared her teeth and a low growl rumbled in her throat. “Stay behind me, healer.” Her voice was grim. “It comes.”

  KA-THUNK. KA-THUNK.

  The sound came directly toward them, flat steps falling with a dull thud. Storm and Ozzie moved in front of Emily. The wolf tensed, growling low. Ozzie grabbed a stick from the ground and held it up like a club. Nearby, leaves and branches rustled. Then the steps came to a halt.

  Emily panicked, remembering that horrible, ghoulish face, those deep-socketed, soulless eyes. If that hideous specter stepped out of the trees, she would surely lose her mind. The branches parted.

  A large, rotund creature hopped out.

  Hopped? Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise. It looked a like a giant frog. It had lumpy blue-and-purple skin, flippers for feet, and a wide mouth stretched across its face in a perpetual smile.

  “Look out!” the giant frog screamed.

  Emily, Ozzie, and Storm looked around, confused.

  “A mistwolf!” it whispered, pointing a flipper at Storm. Its bulbous, crystalline eyes were wide with fear.

  “What the—” Ozzie lowered his weapon. Storm stopped growling.

  “She won’t hurt you,” Emily said.

  “She won’t?” The frog creature was not convinced.

  “Not unless you mean us harm.”

  “Me?” The creature slapped a flipper against its chest.

  Ozzi
e stomped up to it, examining it carefully. “It’s a flobbin!” he exclaimed.

  “A what?” Emily stared at the newcomer, who was easily as tall as she was but three times as wide.

  A long, ribbon-like purple tongue flicked out over Ozzie’s head.

  “Gah!” The ferret frantically wiped his head with both front paws.

  “I didn’t think any animals from this world talked,” the flobbin said.

  “I’m special.” Ozzie kicked the big frog. “And I am not edible!”

  “Oh. Well, thank goodness I found you,” the flobbin continued. “I’ve been wandering around for hours in these forests.”

  “Flobbins are fairy creatures,” Storm explained to Emily. “They are made mostly of fairy magic.”

  “Is it dangerous?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “Dangerous? Heavens, no!” The flobbin took a hop closer to Emily but stepped back as Storm walked between them. “I was on assignment for the Fairimentals, looking for magic blobs.”

  “What’s a magic blob?” Emily asked.

  “You know, pockets of loose fairy magic. Some blobs are quite large and dangerous. I track the blobs, map them out, and report to the Fairimentals for proper handling.”

  “You know the Fairimentals?” Emily asked him.

  “Sure.” The flobbin shrugged his sloping, warty blue shoulders. “The F-sters and I go way back. Say, maybe you can help me. I’m supposed to find an elf called Ozymandias.”

  “Gah! That’s me!” Ozzie jumped up and down.

  “Really?” Big, bulbous eyes looked Ozzie over. “You’re awfully fuzzy.”

  “It’s a long story. Trust me.”

  “My name is Ghyll,” the creature announced.

  “I’m Emily, and this is Stormbringer.” Emily waved her hand to include the wolf.

  “I was heading to the Fairy Glen when everything went crazy,” Ghyll explained, keeping a wary eye on the mistwolf. “The portals got all mixed up and I ended up here. At first I thought I was in the Moorgroves, near Dingly Dell.”