Heart of Avalon (Avalon: Web of Magic #10):

by Rachel Roberts

  Underneath all his snobbiness and arrogance, Marlin was just scared of failing, afraid of disappointing his people. She understood that better than anyone.

  “I didn’t choose to be a healer,” Emily said. “But I am. We have to do the best we can with what’s given to us.”

  Marlin gazed at her, his brown eyes softening as he smiled.

  “Need some help here, mateys!” Cribby called. “These sails ain’t gonna trim themselves.”

  “Okay.” Marlin slapped his knees and stood up, offering a hand to Emily. “Let’s go get a power crystal and save the world.”

  “Heading forty degrees port,” Cribby directed.

  Emily got to her feet and looked ahead. They had come to a fork in the river. One branch continued through more jungle. The other branch churned into ominous dark canyons.

  She felt magic tickling up and down her arms, pulling her forward.

  “There,” Indi said, and pointed his horn toward the canyons.

  “We have to go that way,” Emily called to Cribby.

  “Don’t be absurd, ya muckwiggle,” the elf protested. “That river ain’t even on the charts.”

  “That’s where we have to go.”

  “You heard her, turn this boat,” Marlin ordered.

  The sea elf grumbled. “That’ll teach me for ferrying a mage, a merprince and a…” Cribby looked at Indi. “What kind of a beastie are you?”

  “The most beautiful unicorn on the web,” Indi tooted.

  “Yeah, well, would ye mind tootin’ over yonder.” The captain pushed Indi aside, pulling the ropes tightly over the supply barrels. “Gonna be a rough ride. Winds are fierce through these canyons.”

  The Flyer bobbed like a top as it passed into the shadows of the sheer canyons. Caves pockmarked the cliff walls like dark eyes watching.

  Emily stood beneath the mast, Indi by her side. She flushed as Marlin hovered protectively close. Swirling whirlpools shot geysers spiraling high in the air. The twisting waters cascaded over them, covering the Flyer with spray.

  “It ain’t all tweetybirds and pretty monkeys out there,” Cribby warned, hunching behind the wheel.

  “No?” Marlin asked.

  “Nohoho!” the elf grimaced. “There’s monsters bigger than yer house lurkin’. Lurkin’, I tell ya!”

  “Monsters?” Emily shivered.

  The sun sank behind thick clouds, sending shifting pools of inky shadows over the wooden deck. The wind was a constant sigh, like the whispering of angry spirits.

  “Great beasties with claws that could rrrrrrrrip ye to pieces!” Cribby continued.

  “And big teeth that could rrrrrrrrrr—”

  A loud noise clanked behind the cabin.

  Emily stopped short. Something was hiding in the darkness on the other side of the boat!

  Indi stepped in front of Emily, horn glowing with bright colors.

  Marlin’s hand slid to his knife hilt.

  A shadow grew across the foredeck, taking the shape of a huge figure, arms raised with long claws.

  “Unhand that mage!” a deep voice boomed.

  “What the—” Cribby stuttered, falling over his sandals.

  “Who’s there?” Marlin called out.

  “I be the dread pirate of—”

  A series of whispers followed.

  “What?”

  “The dread pirate of Dingly Dell!”

  “Oh, no!” Cribby gasped. “Who?”

  “Unhand the mage, or face the wrath of the great beast of—”

  Marlin and Emily looked at each other.

  Another shadow rose over the deck: a massive, four-legged creature, hunched and ready to spring.

  “The great beast with big teeth!” the voice called out.

  “The mage is unharmed.” Marlin raised his hands. “You are making a mistake.”

  “It is you who have made the mistake, sir!”

  With a shake of his head, Indi’s horn lit up like a spotlight, piercing the shadows. There on the deck stood a golden brown ferret and a large, spotted cat.

  “I laugh, I scoff, I—gah!” Ozzie jumped back into the shadows.

  “Ozzie!” Emily ran to the ferret. Scooping him up in her arms, she hugged him tight. “You’re okay!”

  “Can’t—breathe—!”

  “Lyra!” Emily embraced the cat, squashing the ferret against Lyra’s side.

  “Are you all right?” Lyra nuzzled tears off Emily’s face.

  “I’m fine,” the healer cried. “I’m just so glad to see you.”

  “—ferret—is—being—squeezed!”

  “Whoohoo—oop.” Indi pranced across the deck, bumping into Emily’s legs.

  “What’s going on here?” Ozzie scrambled from Emily’s arms, glaring at Cribby and Marlin. “Did you kidnap her?”

  “No!”

  “No!”

  “Honk!”

  “Oh, well. All right, then.” Ozzie petted the strange unicorn standing beside him. “And who’s this handsome creature?”

  “He ate my jewel,” Emily said.

  “GaH!” Ozzie kicked Indi’s foreleg.

  “How did you find me?” the healer asked.

  “You’re welcome.” Ozzie puffed up his chest.

  “Where are the others?

  “Um—somewhere between portals.”

  Emily was suddenly concerned again. “Are they all right?

  “They’re—” Ozzie looked around. “It’s a long story.”

  “We tried to contact you, but couldn’t get through.” Lyra examined Indi up and down.

  “I locked onto your jewel,” Ozzie explained. “We tried to follow it and we got caught in your magic. The others got tossed.”

  Emily met Ozzie’s concerned gaze, and looked away. She had hurt her friends, and now they were lost because of her. “I tried to cure the sea animals and it got out of control and—”

  “It’s okay,” Lyra purred.

  “Great beasts!” Cribby yelled, finally finding his voice. “A flying cat and a talking weasel!”

  “That’s Lyra, and this is Ozzie,” Emily introduced her friends.

  “Hey, it’s you again,” Marlin said.

  Ozzie marched up to the prince. “If you’ve touched one hair on this mage, I’ll—”

  “Ozzie,” Emily said, pulling the ferret back by his tail. “It’s okay. Marlin’s a friend.”

  “Humph!”

  Suddenly Ozzie slid to the prow as the Flyer plunged into a swell of choppy water. Emily grabbed the wooden railing, stumbling as the small boat pitched into the rapids.

  Ozzie squeezed in between Emily and Indi. “So, anyway, I was blown somewhere in the middle of the ocean and this big dumb turtle—”

  “Hey, guys?” Lyra tried to break in.

  “Not now, in a second—” Ozzie waved at the cat. “Adriane and Kara couldn’t just jump through one portal. Nooooooo, they had to jump though four!”

  The rapids churned and roiled, getting stronger and stronger. Foam sprayed the deck as the craft dipped in the swirling waters.

  “Guys!” Lyra tried to break in again. “There’s a huge—”

  “Hey, what’s that noise?” Ozzie asked suddenly.

  The mighty boom rumbled across the river, rattling the small boat.

  “Avast!” Cribby frantically spun the wheel as the noise turned to a deep thudding.

  Ahead of them a wall of foam sprayed skyward and—where was the river? It just seemed to vanish.

  The roar of pounding water filled their ears.

  “Um… what is that?” Ozzie squeaked.

  “It’s a giant waterfall, ya fish-tongued sea weasel!”

  “GAH!”

  “Hang on!” Marlin clung to the railing as the Flyer plunged forward.

  Indi planted his hooves wide apart on the deck, steadying himself and Emily.

  Oh no! I must have made a mistake, Emily thought, clutching Indi with one hand, Ozzie with the other.

  “Turn the ship around!
” Cribby screamed, but it was too late.

  There was a moment of weightlessness as the prow hung over the falls, suspended on the crest—

  Emily’s stomach lurched as the ship pitched forward. She was looking straight down at least twenty-five stories! Foam and spray crashed against the rocks below.

  With a final shudder, the Flyer plummeted over the waterfall.

  “Skagawagger!”

  EVERYONE SCREAMED AS the Fearless Flyer plunged straight toward the jagged rocks below.

  Emily clung to the mast as Ozzie rolled across the deck, crashing into Lyra’s side.

  Abruptly, the boat lurched, slowing its rapid descent as if someone put on the brakes in mid air!

  “What’s going on?” Marlin yelled, gripping the rail.

  The river tilted and spun beneath them as the boat swung away from the waterfall. The Flyer was living up to its name. It was flying!

  A large shadow swept across the deck, followed by a great rush of wind. Emily felt the dragon’s immense strength even before she saw him. “Drake!”

  Drake swooped from the sky, Adriane, Zach, and Dreamer on his back. Bands of silver and red magic lassoed the boat, lifting it up and away from the falls.

  “Drake, take us down easy,” Zach called out.

  “I am trying.” Muscles corded like iron along the dragon’s neck as mighty wings skimmed the outer edges of the falls.

  Orange light crackled wildly.

  “I can’t swim!” Ozzie suddenly remembered, focusing his ferret stone. The air around him responded to his power, a heavy surge that pushed the boat away from the tangle of sharp rocks.

  With a roar, Drake lowered the Flyer into calmer waters, splashing the already soaked crew. The boat settled in a mossy alcove a safe distance away from the thundering waterfall.

  Drake landed on the prow, tipping the vessel deep in the mud.

  “Dragon!” Cribby cried, terrified.

  A quick hand signal from Adriane sent Dreamer leaping from the dragon’s back. The black mistwolf pinned Cribby to the deck, lips pulled back in a fearsome snarl.

  “Clam almighty!”

  “Emily!” Adriane slid off Drake and swept up her friend in a hug.

  Zach leaped aboard the Flyer, red jewel blazing. “Don’t move!” he ordered Cribby.

  “No, wait! He’s a friend.” Emily pulled the mistwolf away. “This is Captain Cribby.”

  “Garg, he’s too bulky, man!” Cribby sprang up, trying to push the enormous dragon off the boat.

  “And Prince Marlin.”

  Adriane scowled at the merboy before turning to Emily. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I can’t believe you guys found me!” Emily was laughing and crying all at once.

  Zach eased Marlin back. “You don’t look so good.”

  “Yeah, thanks for the rescue,” the prince said, staring in awe at Drake.

  Ozzie marched over, indignant. “About time you showed up!” he yelled at the big, red dragon.

  “Now what’s going on?” Adriane asked.

  Marlin, Emily, Indi, Cribby, and Ozzie started talking at once.

  “We got swept away and—”

  “All of a sudden we were on—”

  “— beautiful unicorn.”

  “—a big, dumb turtle!”

  “—with bulwoggles and mermaids!”

  “—hobnobbler!”

  “One at a time!” Adriane yelled.

  Dreamer sniffed Indi, catching the warrior’s eye.

  “A unicorn,” Adriane exclaimed. “He’s so cute!”

  “He ate my jewel.”

  Dreamer growled.

  “Fine!” Adriane threw up her hands. “Join the party.”

  “Did somebody say ‘party’?”

  Another winged shadow swept over the boat.

  “Kara!” Emily waved as Nightwing landed next to Drake, pitching the Flyer forward.

  “Good gob, man!” Cribby wailed. “Are ya batty?”

  Emily ran to the blond girl, catching her as she dismounted. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  “Ditto.” Kara brushed herself off, smiling as if she had just arrived at a school dance. “What a beautiful waterfall. Did you guys see that?”

  “No,” Adriane said, straight-faced. “Which one are you talking about?”

  “That one.” The blazing star pointed. “It’s ginormous!”

  “We ended up over the jungles, and Nightwing tracked you here,” Lorren explained.

  Indi pranced up to Kara, showing off his dazzling horn.

  “Ooo, what a cute unic—”

  “He ate Emily’s jewel,” Ozzie informed her, ferret arms crossed.

  “Gross.”

  “He’s bonded to me,” Emily said shyly.

  “Stuck.” Indi danced around proudly, coming nose-to-nose with Ozzie.

  “All righty, then.” Kara clapped her hands. “Time to wrap this up and go home.”

  “Kara,” Emily said, patting Indi’s head. “We think we know where the power crystal is. We can’t turn back now.”

  “Girls.” Kara draped her arms around Adriane and Emily. “In case no one’s noticed, it’s half past our show-up-at-home-before-we-get-busted time.”

  “Where’s Tasha?” Lorren asked worriedly. “She’s got the jewel locator, she should have been here first.”

  “She’ll find us,” Kara said.

  “Maybe she got thrown into another portal,” Zach suggested.

  “We have to press on,” Marlin said. “Too many lives are at stake.”

  “Listen, pal.” Lorren got in Marlin’s face. “I’m not leaving here without her!”

  Emily caught a momentary flare of jealousy in Kara’s eyes.

  “Okay.” Marlin backed off.

  Lorren sighed. “Sorry. It’s just that Tasha and I… we’ve been friends since we were little. I promised her family I would look out for her when she entered the court.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Kara said.

  Lorren turned away to watch the river. “We don’t even know where we are.”

  “We were led here,” Emily explained. “To find magic and heal the water.”

  “Who would lead you over a waterfall?” Adriane exclaimed.

  Cribby snorted. “I’d like to meet the soddy sea salt that would follow them orders.”

  They all looked at the sea captain.

  “Mermaids,” Marlin said.

  “Mermaids?” Kara repeated.

  Emily sighed. “There’s a lot to tell.”

  “Fine, what have you got to eat around here?” Ozzie started rummaging through supplies and utensils strewn about the deck.

  “We gots… ” The sea elf picked up a barrel that didn’t look broken. “Grainnubs and some bread.”

  “Well, I suppose I could cook a nubwhich,” Ozzie mused. “Who’s hungry?”

  Drake’s roar echoed up and down the river.

  Adriane was at the dragon’s side in a flash, soothing her big baby boy. “Ozzie, make about fifty for Drake.”

  “doh.”

  “Okay, you!” Kara took Emily by the hand and sat her on the steps of the cabin. “Tell us everything. With details.”

  Emily blushed.

  “Just Emily.” Adriane turned the eager ferret around.

  Soon smoke wafted from the galley as Ozzie whipped up snacks. Drake sat on the grassy bank, hovering over the group protectively as Emily explained the events that had led her to the Snake River. It was strange to have the other mages hanging on to her every word. Usually Emily was the one who listened to everyone else’s adventures.

  “We’re supposed to find the Rainbow Veil that leads to the Crystal Caves,” she concluded.

  “And now you have, like, magic X-ray vision?” Kara asked eagerly. “Quick, does my aura match my outfit?”

  Adriane pushed to her feet. “Emily, when your magic hit us, it was really strong.”

  Emily gently stroked Dreamer and Lyra. “I’m so sorry.
”

  Both animals leaned against the healer protectively.

  “Indi eating your jewel explains Tasha’s reading,” Kara mused. “But then what happened?”

  “I tried to heal all the animals. But I couldn’t control it,” Emily said quietly. “So many animals were caught in my magic. And…”

  They waited for her to continue.

  “I was hurting them.” Emily’s eyes watered.

  Adriane and Kara exchanged a worried glance.

  “But somehow Indi brought me out of it.”

  “You can thank me later,” Ozzie called out.

  “You woke him up?” Emily asked Ozzie.

  “I connected with your jewel, and since he swallowed it, well, you do the math.”

  Emily gave Ozzie a big kiss on his furry head.

  “Or you can thank me now.”

  “I think there’s a power crystal in the caves,” Emily continued. “And it’s poisoning the water magic—”

  “Wait a minute,” Kara said to Emily. “I needed almost everyone’s help when I created my magic network of friends.”

  “Yeah, how did you use so much power?” Ozzie asked Emily as he eyed Indi up and down. “Even if this—”

  “Pretty unicorn.”

  “Whatever—is bonded to you.”

  They all looked at the healer.

  She didn’t know how to explain the rest, so she said in a rush, “Okay, I think I met another mage.”

  The group gasped.

  “Rewind,” Adriane ordered.

  Emily shook her head. It was as if pieces of her memory were just blanked out.

  “Er, the merprince and meeself dun remember seein’ no mage,” Cribby chimed in.

  “Obviously you were under some kind of spell.” Adriane turned to Marlin and Cribby accusingly.

  “Darned dangled magic,” Cribby grumbled.

  “This woman knew about us,” Emily continued. “She and her friends tried to open the Gates of Avalon.”

  “There were other mages before us?” Adriane asked.

  Emily shrugged. “She said the power crystals were hers.”

  “Whoa, that’s crazy.” Kara shook her head. “Where’s the Fairimentals when we need them?”

  “Marina is still missing,” Lorren reminded them.

  “We have to heal the water magic without her. I think the answer’s in the Crystal Caves,” Emily insisted.

  “So how do we find this veil?” Zach paced up and down the deck, hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought.