Trial By Fire (Avalon: Web of Magic #6) (19 page)

Made completely of elemental fire, a Firemental is the most powerful and dangerous of the Fairimentals. They are unstable, unpredictable, and extremely rare, only appearing in the most dire and desperate of situations.

Goblins are a diverse race of beings that occupy a wide range of areas on the magic web. Some have been employed as mercenaries for the Dark Sorceress, trained in the dark arts of magic. Other goblins are more peaceful, occupying the Goblin Kingdom in the Fairy Realms.

Sea Dragons live in the seas off the northern coasts of Aldenmor. Revered and loved for generations by merfolk as trusted allies and bonded friends, the powerful sea dragons are loving and very loyal.

Night stallions are fearsome mounts trained to serve evil minions of dark magic. They are powerful fire breathing horse-like beasts. Night stallions make a fearsome cavalry for the Dark Sorceress’s army.

T
HE LITTLE TWIG
figure stared at Emily’s rainbow gem. “You are the healer?”

Emily nodded. “Yes.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I found this mookrat impersonating a mage—does this belong to you?” A spindly branch held out a golden stone.

“That’s Ozzie’s ferret stone,” Emily said.

“Gimme that!” the ferret grabbed his stone and attached it back to his collar. “I’ve met Fairimentals and
they
never robbed me. How do we know you’re one?”

“I’m an E.F., and my name is Tweek,” the creature said.

“What’s an E.F?” Emily asked.

“Experimental Fairimental. I’m the first ever of my kind. The Fairimentals made me at their lab.”

“The what from the where?” Ozzie demanded.

“It used to be a place called the Shadowlands, but now it’s a magic preserve and research facility called The Garden. I’m designed to stay on Earth for long periods of time.”

Fairimentals had visited Emily, Adriane, and Kara on Earth in the past, but their particular magic could only be sustained in this world for minutes, sometimes seconds, before falling apart.

“What are you doing here?” Emily asked.

“I materialized my elemental byproducts in Ravenswood but I was attacked by a pack of brimbees so I had to triangulate on your jewels, construct a portal path—”

“Gah!”

“What are you doing
here?
” Emily repeated.

“I was sent to find the mages.” Tweek’s quartz eyes eyed Ozzie. “
You’re
not one, are you?”

“I’m the fuzzy one!” Ozzie crossed his arms angrily.

“I have a very important message!” Tweek cried, waving his arms so dramatically that a few twigs flew off.

“What is it?” Emily asked worriedly.

Tweek’s twiggy features settled into serious lines. “Something terrible has happened. Avalon has lost its magic.”

Ozzie pressed his paws to his head. “What!?”

“Can you tell us anything else, Tweek?” Emily asked.

Twigs and branches fell to the ground as the E.F. shuddered. “This is my first assignment,” he said, picking up pieces of himself. “Maybe I didn’t get everything just right, but I know I have to find the missing magic—AHHHHH!”

Mage and ferret mage stared at the E.F.

“Look out behind you, it’s a—”

Bang!
Tweek exploded into a cloud of twigs and brush.

Emily whirled around, her rainbow gem pulsing a deep green warning light.

Four sparkling tornadoes were touching down on the far side of the canyon. The desert floor bulged and undulated as if it had suddenly turned liquid.

Domino neighed, stomping her hooves, ready to run.

“Let’s get out of here!” Ozzie cried.

Grabbing Ozzie, Emily sprang into the saddle as the horse bolted. She had to warn Adriane and Kara. This was no ordinary sandstorm.

“Go, Domino!”

The horse ran at breakneck speed, slaloming around the first whirlwind. The tornado spun like a giant colored top, roaring over rocks and melting them to vile black sludge. Another wind engulfed several cacti, twisting them into horrible thorned monstrosities. Emily leaned left as Domino raced between a pair of oncoming tornadoes, missing them only by a few feet. Stinging edges of dark magic whirled past Emily as her jewel blazed upon her wrist. She stifled a scream. Nature itself was being twisted and bent into unnatural forms. She leaned forward, urging Domino to outrun the fourth wind, leaving the twisters spinning against the canyon walls like pinballs.

Within seconds they were safe, out of the canyon.

Behind them a huge jagged fin rose up and then disappeared beneath the sands.