Trial By Fire (Avalon: Web of Magic #6) (9 page)

“The same is true for humans as well,” Sylina said. “Some humans still carry its seeds. Every few generations the magic becomes strong in them.” The trio stared at Kara pointedly.

“But I …” Kara’s eyes went wide with realization. “You’re telling me someone in my, like, great, great, great past was a magic fairy?” She looked aghast at the spriggles and sproggins dancing around the gardens.

“Not just any fairy, Kara. Fairy Queen Lucinda, the greatest and most powerful of fairy queens.”

Kara rolled her eyes at Lyra. “Fairy Queen, uh-huh.”

“Everyone knows you’re a princess,”
Lyra quipped.

“That is why the fairy map was given to you,” Andi told Kara.

“Only you can open it,” Crimson said.

Kara listened intently.

“Others draw magic from their past, as well,” Sylina said seriously. “One has been transformed and now uses magic for evil.”

“The Dark Sorceress,”
Lyra growled.

“Yes.”

Kara’s head was spinning. “This is crazy!”

Sylina walked Kara under gently raining flower petals. “The sorceress has released a powerful fairy from the Otherworlds, a hidden realm like this but full of dark magic. This creature is working for the sorceress in return for becoming ruler of the Fairy Realms.”

“This fairy can appear in many different guises, flowing from one element to another—a shape-shifter,” Crimson explained.

“A spellsinging master with a black heart,” Andi told her grimly. “And it’s after you.”

Kara’s face grew pale. “The Skultum…” She was suddenly frightened. “But I already opened the fairy map… wait, the Firemental said there was another.”

“Two fairy maps to find Avalon,” Crimson laughed. “That makes sense. Fairy magic is not always what it appears to be.”

“The shape-shifter has not completed his work,” Sylina warned. “You must defeat the dark fairy and return him to the Otherworlds.”

Kara shuddered. “The Skultum is too powerful.”

“You are particularly susceptible to fairy magic,” Sylina agreed. “But you can use that against him. If you get the fairy creature to reveal his true name, you will be granted all of his powers. They will be your own, and the dark fairy will be left powerless.”

“How do I do that?” Kara was beginning to feel way over her head.

The band members exchanged glances.

“Sometimes dance, music, riddles, tricks—the most absurd thing can make a fairy forget a secret.”

“What, I’m supposed to stand on my head?”

Andi clapped. “Ya learnin’.”

“But I fell under its power so easily,” Kara moaned.

“No demon can possess you if you maintain the ability to turn and laugh at it,” Crimson sang in a syncopated, rhythmic voice.

“Easy for you to say.”

“That’s the spirit!” Andi approved.

They had arrived back at the floating stone stage. Andiluna picked up a sparkling silver fiddle and began weaving an infectious song. The rave jumped back into full swing with fairy creatures leaping and dancing, hooting and laughing in glorious havoc.

Kara watched B*Tween rock out.

“You have an interesting past,”
Lyra commented.

“Yeah, everyone’s jealous enough of my amazing talents.”

Lyra butted Kara’s side playfully.
“I wouldn’t be so hasty about this fairy princess thing…”

“Hey,” Kara said, suddenly realizing something. “If only fairies are allowed, how come you’re here?”

The cat stared back.
“Gah.”

“I know how you feel,” she sympathized. “Let’s find the others.”

Kara opened her backpack and took out the unicorn horn. One hand wrapped around the horn, the other on Lyra’s back, she called out. “Take us to our friends at Mount Hope!”

Rainbow beams flowed from the horn’s tip, glowing brighter and brighter, bathing them in incandescent light. Then the light began to swirl faster and faster until a portal yawned open before them.

Don’t give up the spirit of Avalon,
she heard B*Tween sing as she and Lyra stepped into the portal and vanished.

B
RIGHT SUN BROKE
over the crest of Mount Hope as Kara and Lyra made their way along the dusty trail through sprawling hillocks at the base of the mountain range. Valleys spread below, and in the far distance the broken landscape of the Shadowlands loomed—a blight upon the land. But here it was relatively green. Tall trees led back to the forest along the western slopes. The air was chilly.

“Anything?” Kara asked.

“Over there.”
Lyra nodded toward an outcropping of rocks near a cave. “
It’s a mistwolf and it’s very angry… and scared.”

“Where’s the rest of the pack?”

“I don’t know, but there’s something else here. I can’t make it out.
”

Suddenly, a growl echoed across the narrow path. More of a bark, actually.

Lyra perked her ears.

They advanced slowly to the cave. Kara reached inside her backpack for the unicorn jewel. Brandishing it like a weapon, she eyed the surrounding bushes suspiciously. “What is it?” she whispered.

“Mistwolf,”
Lyra replied, cocking her head to listen. She positioned herself in front of Kara.

“Hellooo,” Kara called out. “Who’s there?”

The growl got louder. One of the bushes began to shake.

“Odd behavior for a mistwolf,”
Lyra said.
“As if it’s protecting the cave.”

Lyra and Kara slowly approached the scary sounds.

Suddenly, a small dog-sized creature leaped from the bush.

“Ahhh!” Kara jumped back in alarm, then looked closer at her attacker. It was a furry black wolf puppy with white paws and chest.

“Grrrr-uf!” he barked, hackles raised, teeth bared. He lowered his body and lunged forward with a
yelp—
and promptly fell on his nose, stumbling over too large paws. The pup sprang back to his feet and barked louder.

Lyra regarded the scruffy little wolf.

“Hey, little fella’, where’s your mommy?” Kara stepped forward.

The pup backed away, snarling.

“I’m going to check out the cave. You keep it occupied.”

“How do I—” The little pup bit Kara’s pant leg, shaking his head back and forth.

“Hey, those are Calvins,” she complained as she shook him off. She bent down and opened her pack. “How about biting into something you can actually eat?” She pulled out a granola bar.

The pup carefully sniffed it.

Kara watched Lyra circle around and enter the cave. “It’s okay, see… yummy.” Kara took a small bite. The pup tentatively stepped closer as Kara held out the food. Snapping it away from her fingers, it hungrily began to chew, keeping a wary eye on Kara. It quickly backed away as she tried to pet it.

All at once, Kara felt a sharp pain in her head and deep sadness seep through her. “Lyra, are you all right?” she asked, worried about her friend.

Kara saw Lyra emerge from the cave. The pup eyed the cat suspiciously, edging back to give the big animal room.

“Mistwolves,”
Lyra said.

“You found them?”

“Some.”

Kara looked into her friend’s deep green eyes and knew what Lyra had found in the cave.

“Oh.” She looked at the pup sadly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Lyra sharply raised her nose, sniffing the air.

“What is it?”

“Stormbringer!”

“And Adriane?”

“They come.”

“Thank goodness. What about Emily and Ozzie?”

“Not yet.”

Ghostly mist snaked between the trees, and suddenly the great silver mistwolf appeared, hackles raised.

The pup jumped to its feet, stumbling back on its paws.

“Storm!” Kara called out.

The mistwolf stared at Lyra for a second, then leaped up the rocky incline and vanished into the cave.

“Hey, Barbie! That you?”

Kara whirled to see Adriane walking along the rocky path.

“Xena!” Kara cried, running to the dark-haired girl and catching her friend in a big hug. The girls hugged tightly for a moment, then abruptly stepped back, embarrassed.

“You okay?” Adriane asked.

“Yeah, you?”

Adriane nodded and saw Storm outside the cave. The mistwolf’s hackles lay flat, her ears laid back against her head.

“Oh, no.” Adriane knew instantly something was wrong.

Storm tilted her head back and let out a mournful howl. “
The mistwolves have been attacked.”

Six had been lost to the enemy.

Adriane squeezed Kara’s hand hard, blinking back tears, then walked to gazed over the bluff at the forests beyond. There were no other mistwolves in sight—the cave and rocky outcroppings appeared to be deserted.

“No sign of the pack,”
Lyra said, confirming Adriane’s thoughts.

Storm looked down to find the cub standing between her feet.

“Over here!” Adriane was shouting and waving down the ravine.

“I told you we were heading in the right direction!” Ozzie’s voice echoed back.

A moment later Emily’s curly hair became visible as she and Ozzie appeared on the path.

“We’re here!” Ozzie exclaimed. “Come and hug me!”

“Emily!” Adriane and Kara cried.

The healer raced to embrace her friends. “I was so worried.”

“Storm and I were in the Ice Peaks, way up north,” Adriane said breathlessly. “We were helped by real merfolk, and they had sea dragons!”

“Wow, that’s so cool,” Emily laughed.

“Well, I danced with a sproggin and met B*Tween!” Kara announced.

“B*Tween?” Ozzie exclaimed.

“Yeah, cool, huh?”

“You found them here—?” Emily asked, flabbergasted.

“Well, not exactly here,” Kara replied. “B*Tween are fairy creatures. They’re protecting all the fairies of Aldenmor.”

Emily and Adriane were astounded.

“Ozzie and I were in the Moorgroves,” Emily reported. “I’m afraid the Black Fire has spread to other parts of Aldenmor.”

Emily heard barking and growling. “Who’s Storm’s friend?” she asked. The little wolf was on its back, batting away Storm’s playful paws.

“His name is Dreamer,”
Storm said.
“His parents run with the spirit pack now.”

Emily’s face fell. “Hello there, little one.” Dreamer let Emily scratch him behind the ears and rub his tummy. “Where are the others, Storm?”

“I don’t know. But I sense something...”
She sniffed the air suspiciously.

“Well, at least we’re all together,” Kara said. “I got all kinds of news from B*Tween.”

“They’re not shape-shifters are they?” Adriane asked sarcastically.

“No, but they are fairies, real magical stuff. And they know all about our quest. We’re famous in the Fairy Realms.” Kara swept her hair over her shoulder.

“Really?” Emily asked.

“Yeah, that’s great.” Adriane eyed the wolf pup, then turned to the others. “Maybe we should get the d-flies to phone Zach. Something’s wrong. He should have been here.”

“I
am
here!” a familiar voice called. On a ridge nearby stood a cute boy in a white shirt, beige pants, and sandals.

Adriane gasped. “Zach! Have you been here the whole time?”

“Over here, come quickly!” He disappeared behind the ridge.

“Come on,” Adriane took off in a run.

The others followed.

“Something doesn’t smell right.”
Storm sniffed the air.

“There is strong magic nearby.”
Lyra scanned the empty hills.

“Yes, mistwolf magic!”

“Hurry!” Adriane called to her friends as she ascended the rise.

At the top, she peered down at the boy. He stood in a grassy field, waving for her to join him. “Here! I have something to show you!”

“Zach, what’s up?” Adriane asked worriedly. Heat bit at her wrist. The wolf stone pulsed with danger.

The others crested the hill and started down into the valley.

Adriane ran toward Zach, but skidded to a stop about ten yards away. Fear tingled up her spine. Her stone was blazing. She looked closely at the strange shimmer cascading around the boy.

Adriane whipped around. “No!” she screamed at her friends. “Go back!”

“Adriane!”
Storm snarled, leaping down the hill, teeth bared.

The hair along Lyra’s back rose and a low growl rumbled in her throat.

Dark clouds of mist seemed to fill the valley as if out of thin air.

The mist fell away, and the valley was completely full. Dozens of huge, horrid night stallions snorted fire, training red eyes on the trapped group. On their backs sat armored goblins, fierce and deadly. And behind them stood short, black as ink, faceless imps, at least one hundred strong.

Adriane watched in horror as Zach walked right up to the goblin leader atop the biggest and most frightening of the night stallions. The boy’s eyes narrowed to evil yellow slits, then glowed blood red. His body seemed to melt as it morphed into a shadowy lizard form. The creature vanished behind the attackers.

“Zach, no,” Adriane said, feeling tears threaten to fall.

“How is that possible?” Ozzie asked. “They appeared out of nowhere—like the mistwloves.”