All's Fairy in Love and War (Avalon: Web of Magic #8) (18 page)

Distant cousin to the dragonflies, spinnels are a larger and rarer form of fairy dragon. Spinnels were once plentiful in the Fairy Realms until magic became scarce. Now only handfuls survive.

A
DRIANE WAS SITTING
on a wide black rock, mist creeping over her like cold rain. Other rocks poked above the surface of a shimmering ocean—not of water, but of magic. In the distance, something rumbled, rising and falling. Huge waves were breaking over a faraway shore. She reached out, but her connection to her friends in the glade was gone.

“Packmate.”
Dreamer was behind her, his gleaming white star and paws shining against the dull rock. She hugged him fiercely. If he hadn’t been able to follow her, they could have lost each other.

“Warrior.”

A small figure stood in front of her, distorted by a shimmering curtain of mist.

“Tweek?” she asked. “Is that you?”

“Come closer,” the E.F. said, his voice sharp and mocking.

Tweek stood before her, red eyes glowing. His mass of ragged sticks and moss stuck out at weird angles. Behind him, shadowy creatures closed in, yellow eyes glittering hungrily.

“Take the mistwolf!” Tweek cackled wildly.

“It’s a trap!” Adriane cried.

Hideous bat-like demons with dark, tattered wings and gaunt, skull faces, fell on them like locusts.

Wolf fire sprung around Adriane and Dreamer in a glowing shield. The beasts shrieked, tearing at her magic with ragged claws. She caught glimpses of bony arms, slitted yellow eyes, and wicked sharp teeth as the creatures swarmed, their circle tightening.

Using her magic like a battering ram, she broke through the attackers, sending them scattering.

“Run!” she cried.

Warrior and mistwolf leaped from one rock island to the next. Adriane desperately tried to reach Ravenswood, but she’d severed her connection to the pack when she and Dreamer had left the trail. Now they were lost in the spirit world.

“Dreamer, find the way back!”

“Catch them!” Tweek screamed.

The shrieking creatures charged in a frenzied flapping of wings. Adriane ducked as glittering talons swiped at her from all directions. Golden wolf fire shot from her fists, taking out three monsters at once.

Thunder rumbled over the skies. She looked to the horizon and gasped. A coiling mass of color was coming at her, moving across the ocean like a magical tsunami.

Suddenly the creatures swooped in and snatched Dreamer, hoisting him into the air.

The mistwolf twisted and yelped, trying to break free.

Adriane spun and fired, wolf light exploding from her gem. The demons careened sideways on impact, losing their grip. Dreamer leaped free.

“You’ll never get out of here!” Tweek yelled.

Adriane grabbed Tweek, tossing the possessed E.F. to Dreamer. Behind them, she heard wings cutting through the air as the creatures pursued them.

Suddenly an enormous force knocked her feet out from under her. She was pulled down, caught in a riptide as the magic crashed overhead. Strands of blue, green, red, and silver coursed all around her, whipping her through the spirit world. Twisting currents buffeted her back and forth, overwhelming her senses. She was being swept away by wild magic.

She clawed to the surface, relieved to find Dreamer’s black head bobbing next to her. The E.F. was still clutched in his teeth.

“Last chance, mage. Give up the mistwolf!”

“Dreamer!” Adriane cried as another wave built behind them, surging two stories high. They would be crushed in the roaring magic.

The wolf whined in fear and confusion; the rising wave reflected in his wide green eyes. His tracking senses were completely overloaded.

Adriane fired her wolf stone, locking an image in her mind. A surfboard of glowing golden wolf fire formed beneath her. Lying on her stomach, she paddled toward Dreamer. “Hop on!”

Dreamer lunged, Tweek firmly in his jaws, and landed on the front of the board.

The wave crested above their heads and curled, forming a tunnel of swirling ruby, purple, and silver magic.

Placing her right foot forward, Adriane stretched her arms wide, positioning herself for balance. Her wolf stone blazed as she surfed through the collapsing wave. She shot out of the imploding tunnel with lighting speed and flew onto another wave of glittering green.

Weaving back and forth, wolf and warrior worked together, trying to sense the pattern of the currents.

Ribbons of wild magic smashed together, forming chaotic riptides that tore through the air in all directions.

“Hang on Dreamer!”

Adriane pitched right, flying straight up the wave.

Dreamer braced himself as the board shot into the air. At the crest of the wave, Adriane twisted and spun, the board trailing corkscrews of golden fire.

“Are you out of your mind?” Tweek sputtered.

“Put a twig in it!” the warrior shouted.