All That Glitters (Avalon: Web of Magic #2)

All That Glitters

Copyright © 2012 Red Sky Entertainment, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher, except where permitted by law.

Electronic Edition

Published by Premiere Digital Publishing, Inc.

Made in the U.S.A.

ISBN-10:  193858256X

ISBN-13:  978-1-938582-56-1

Cover and interior illustrations by Allison Strom

K
ARA DAVIES’ ROOM
was a disaster of epic proportions. Discarded clothes lay everywhere. Jeans and sweaters smothered the bed. The white lace canopy above groaned under the weight of tops, blouses, and T-shirts. Capris, shorts, and leggings were piled so high up the window seat, they blocked the view of the sunset sky. Even the desk was buried under clothes. The only thing visible was the flickering screen of a pink laptop computer.

Tomorrow was the first day of seventh grade. Everything had to be perfect. Especially her outfit.

“It’s gone!” Kara wailed.

“You haven’t even worn it yet,” a disembodied voice squeaked from beside the bed. Kara flipped a blue blazer off her bedside table, revealing a speakerphone. “Did you do a shopping bag check?”

“Tiff, I’ve looked everywhere!”

The laptop screen started scrolling with texts from her buds.

credhed:
emergency kara crisis! ! !

beachbunny:
just heard! Could it b more horrible >:o

goodgollymolly:
kstar, r u serious?

Kara ran her fingers across the keypad.

kstar:
it’s Gone!! I can’t find it NEwhere!!! :-(

There was only one thing to do now.

“Mom!”

Mrs. Davies entered the room, concerned. “Kara, honey, what’s wrong?”

“Mom, I can’t find the Bisou sweater, the new pink one we bought!”

“I’m sure it’s here somewhere. Did you look in the—” Mrs. Davies turned to stare at the empty closet.

“Whoa! Looks like The Gap exploded in here.” Kyle, Kara’s one-year-older brother, walked in, waving an ice-cream bar.

Kara whirled on him. “Kyle, did you take my new sweater?”

“Get real,” Kyle laughed.

“I’ll look downstairs, hon,” Mrs. Davies said. “You’d better start cleaning up,” she added on her way out.

“Hi, Kyle,” said Tiffany from the phone speaker.

“Hi yourself.”

“Kyle! If you drip anything in here, you’re a memory!”

“Hey, Kara, I just got that email from the town council.” Her father, the mayor of their town, walked in, dressed casually in running pants and a sweatshirt. He held up his iPhone.

“Dad! I have a
real
crisis! I can’t deal with that right now.”

Mayor Davies gingerly stepped over some stuffed animals, victims of the fashion fallout. “It’s the information for the Ravenswood Preserve website.”

Kara groaned. Ever since she’d convinced her dad to let her and those girls she’d met a few weeks ago, Emily and Adriane, launch the Ravenswood Wildlife Preservation Society, she’d been regretting it. Together, the girls had convinced the town council that the old wildlife preserve was safe from dangerous animals, and that reopening it could benefit the town. They had even promised to set up an info-packed website all about conservation and endangered animals. Sure, it had seemed important at the time, but that was then. This was now, and now Kara needed to get ready. This was
seventh
grade.

“I just forwarded it to you. I’m sure you and your friends will want to get going on this,” her father continued. “And you’ve got to
please
keep Mrs. Windor off my back. She’s still lobbying to turn the preserve into a country club, so if you want to keep Ravenswood, give me something.”

beachbunny:
What’s going on at Ravenswood?

goodgollymolly:
Kara’s gonna be protecting purple bears with her new friends

credhed:
what new friends? :(

Tiffany, Heather, and Molly were her buds, but she could hardly tell them why she was part of the Ravenswood team. Not even her own dear daddy
really
knew why she had to get along with Adriane Charday and Emily Fletcher. And if she told any of them, they would never believe her.

A new text chirped on the computer screen.

docdolittle:
Hey Kara, whats up?

Kara glanced at the IM and nudged Kyle aside, flicking her fingers over the keypad.

kstar:
what!

docdolittle:
did you get the info on our website :)

kstar:
Ya, but I’m busy with my friends now, g2g

Kara closed out Emily’s text. Her friends—her
real
friends that she’d known since
forever
, she reminded herself— were waiting.

“What about the missing sweater?” Tiff asked over the phone.

“I’ll think of something. Oh, and don’t forget the barbecue here Saturday.”

“Cool. Okay, see you tomorrow.” There was a loud click from the speakerphone as Tiffany hung up.

beachbunny:
l8rz

credhed:
cu k

goodgollymolly:
Good luck :)

“All right,
out
!” she ordered Kyle.

“Marcus and Joey are coming over Saturday, too,” Kyle managed to get in before being pushed out the door.

“No way! Girls’ night only!
Dad
!”

The mayor shrugged. “Just remember, the Ravenswood project was your idea, Princess, so I’m counting on you.”

“Okay, Daddy.” Kara pouted as the door closed, then turned and kicked a pile of clothes into her closet. She was starting to hate Ravenswood. It was supposed to be a chance for her to shine—to host fund-raising parties and lead tours through amazing gardens—not
work
! But what she really hated was walking around with that big secret she had spent the last few weeks
not
blabbing about.

Magic.

Genuine magic that only the three of them could work. Well, just Adriane and Emily. They had found the most awesome gemstones that controlled the magic. Emily’s was a bright rainbow flower that shone with healing blues and greens. Adriane’s paw-shaped wolf stone sparked with a fierce gold that matched the girl’s warrior powers.