Dark Mage (Avalon: Web of Magic, Book 11) (2 page)

E
MILY FLETCHER DRUMMED
her pencil on the dark wooden table, pretending to pay attention to Rae Windor, who droned on... and on… and on.

“I like science class and math and English too, and next year I’m going to direct the high school musical. I hope it’s
West Side Story.
I love that show I’d die to play Maria or at least play lead tuba and—”

“That’s nice,” Emily replied absentmindedly, suddenly realizing the other girls in their study group had moved to a different table.

“Everyone’s talking about the dance at Ravenswood,” Rae prattled, “but who I am talking to—of course you know all about it.”

Emily snapped to attention. Thank you, Kara, for something else to work on. She was about to answer Rae, but the wiry-haired girl had already moved on.

“What’s so important about gorillas?” Rae eyed the books Emily had chosen to research her science paper.

“Well, they’re highly intelligent, social animals, and they’re endangered.”

“You know so much about animals.” Rae gazed at her admiringly.

“My mom’s a vet,” Emily reminded her.

“You should get a special school award for working at the preserve,” Rae declared.

Emily leaned back in her chair and eyed Rae warily. “I thought you didn’t like Ravenswood.”

Rae squirmed. “All the kids are working there now, I mean you know, Molly and Tiffany and Heather. Even Aunt Beasley doesn’t think it’s so bad anymore.”

“That’s a shock.”

Beasley Windor was a haughty and outspoken member of the town council. For some reason, she was against the preserve’s very existence.

“She said it’s magical,” Rae whispered conspiratorially.

“What?” Emily blurted.

“Shhh!” a couple of students shushed from across the library.

“You know, like special.”

It was special all right. Emily ran her finger over the rainbow jewel on her silver bracelet, the only clue to the other life she led.

“You think I could work there too?” Rae asked shyly. “With all the cute animals like your ferret?”

“Sure, Rae.” Emily gazed at the stacks of books splayed before her. All this research on civilization destroying natural habitats was starting to make her queasy.

Everyone knew about Ravenswood now. The tours had gone too well, booked solid through the summer. What would happen when she, Adriane, and Kara were no longer there to protect it? Would all the animals and the magic become extinct? Like the snow leopards or the giant pandas, or even elephants! They might all soon be gone—forever.

Two worlds on a collision course. The last of the great animals needed wild places to survive, but the world of humans continued to grow, consuming the natural resources of the planet. You didn’t have to be a genius to determine the winner.

She kept hearing the voice of Marina, the water Fairimental, over and over in her head.
The web is almost gone. You are the last hope, the last mages.

A familiar fear flared in the pit of her stomach as she thought about Aldenmor, its precious magic, the lifeblood of so many creatures and animals, threatened by encroaching dark forces. Emily and her friends had been chosen to protect the magic so Aldenmor and other places along the magic web could survive. But for how long?

Kara was related to the fairy queen. It was no surprise that she had become the blazing star. Her magic was amazingly powerful, making everyone around her shine. Adriane had warrior DNA. The girl had no fear. Emily had never met anyone who had faced more heartache and risen above it to keep fighting on.

And herself, the healer, finally understanding her true magic. A month ago she’d had an adventure on the magical world of Aldenmor, becoming a Level Two mage and bonding with a unicorn paladin protector named Indigo. Indi was created from the Heart of Avalon, the only living power crystal. Emily had learned to actually see the colors and patterns of magic, something not even Kara and Adriane could do. The image of a bright blue and green pattern flashed in her mind, making Emily flush. It was the magical aura of her new friend, a very cute merboy named Marlin. He was busy training other merteens and their bonded sea dragons on Aldenmor, and he reported regularly to Emily on his progress.

Everything the mages had accomplished would be for nothing if the Spider Witch and the Dark Sorceress found Avalon first. Emily would have a key part to play in saving the magic web, something that excited and scared her in equal measure. It was up to her to heal the fading web, using her new talent for weaving magic. She had a chance to protect thousands of animals, to make sure the natural order was balanced and strong. It was a huge responsibility. What if she failed?

At least she’d know where to go after they found the power crystals. The Heart of Avalon remained on a lost island, the Gates of Avalon, and would guide the mages there. And what
was
Avalon? No one they’d met so far, human or magical, good or evil, could tell them anything factual about the mysterious home of all magic, or what they were supposed to do when they got there.

It seemed like she was treading water, going nowhere. She felt like she might explode if something didn’t happen soon.

“Whoa, that’s cool!” Rae said excitedly, pointing to Emily’s wrist.

The healer gasped. Her heart-shaped jewel was blazing with color!

Smiling nervously, she moved her hand under the table. “It reacts to light.”

A quick glance showed that her jewel was back to its normal, subtle shine. She frowned. Another false alarm. Ever since she’d become a Level Two mage, the gem on her wrist had been acting strangely. She could be sitting in class, helping her mom at the veterinary office, or just eating breakfast, and this creepy feeling would wash over her, like someone was trying to connect with her. That’s when her jewel would start to glow. Quick as lightning, the feeling would pass as suddenly as it had come.

She could have asked Kara and Adriane if their jewels had acted up after they’d reached Level Two, but lately things had been pretty tense between them. Kara and Adriane had kept their distance since their fight on Aldenmor. And Emily had refused to be put in the middle of their arguing yet again.

She sighed, her mind going in circles around this all too familiar problem. Kara and Adriane were opposite sides of the same coin. Their magic wouldn’t even work together without Emily there to buffer them. She only hoped they would put aside their differences and come through for each other and for Ravenswood in the end.

“I’m going to get a book.” Emily got up and headed toward the back of the library. As she turned down a long aisle, the fluorescent ceiling light abruptly flared and dimmed, buzzing as it cast flickering shadows over the lacquered floor. She stepped back, peering nervously up and down the aisle.

“Is someone there?” she whispered.

But the aisle looked deserted.

She checked her jewel. It wasn’t pulsing in warning. Calm down, she ordered herself. If anything dangerous was nearby, her gem would warn her. Wouldn’t it?

Focusing on the books, she searched for the last title on her list. And there it was, just out of reach on the top shelf. She stood on tiptoe and grasped the heavy volume.

“Gotcha!” She snagged the book from the shelf—and froze. Two red eyes glowed at her from the other side of the shelf.

Emily jumped back, the book tumbling from her arms. The eyes disappeared; the creature they belonged to was rushing down the aisle, coming straight at her!

In a panic, Emily stumbled, tripped over the book and fell.

“Dark witch!” the monster cried.

Horrified, Emily stared at the beast towering above her. Its bear-like body was covered in coarse black hair. Red eyes glowed from a face with a long snout and sharp fangs. Around its thick neck hung a leather strap with yellow and blue feathers. But there was something worse than the way it looked: dark magic radiated from the creature. Emily could see it. She winced at the power swirling around it in a blood-red halo.

“Stay away!” Emily raised her jewel.

The creature halted a few steps from her, lowering its huge arms. “I have come to you.”

Emily gulped, unsteadily rising to her feet. “What are you? How did you get here?”

“I heard your call, dark witch.”

Emily backed against the bookshelf. This creature wasn’t the first one to call her that. Ancient mermaids on Aldenmor had said the same thing.

“I don’t understand. How did you get here?” she repeated.

“The portal leads to you.”

“What portal?”

The creature turned its snout to the far wall. Behind the door marked “Faculty Only,” a purple glow pulsed in dark waves. How could a portal have opened here? Only certain fairy creatures and unicorns could open portals at will.

“Emily, want to get some ice cream?” Rae rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks.

The monster snarled and spun around, claws extending as it charged the defenseless girl.

“No!” Emily shouted. Blue and red lightning streaked from her jewel, locking onto both Rae and the creature. Girl and beast froze, unable to move or scream.

“Leave her alone,” Emily ordered, slowly stepping between the creature and Rae. The beast’s magic flashed through her rainbow jewel, clouding the bright colors.

But it obeyed her, stepping back and retracting its claws.

Emily loosened her hold.

“It’s a monster from Ravenswood!” Rae blubbered, tears springing from her eyes. “I don’t want to be eaten.”

“I am a descendant of the most fearsome race of warriors,” the creature hissed. “I do not eat children.”

Rae seemed to ease a bit.

“But in your case I would make an exception.”

Rae sobbed.

“Quiet!” Emily flicked her wrist, sending blue magic glittering around Rae’s head. Rae froze, mouth wide open in a silent cry.

This was exactly what Emily had feared! Two worlds had collided all right—in the middle of the Stonehill school library!

A gust of wind blew the faculty door open, revealing the magical gateway.

The creature shifted his red eyes to Emily. “You must come with me.”

Emily’s heart raced. She had to get this thing out of here! Her gem sparked as the portal suddenly began to shrink.

Moving her fingers, she released soft tendrils of magic. “What is the farthest place away from here that you can think of?”

The beast’s gruesome face scrunched up in thought. “World’s End…”

“Go there, now!” Emily ordered.

Blood-red eyes locked onto Emily, the creature’s fierce will testing the strength of her spell. But Emily’s magic was too strong.

“As you wish.” The monster lunged through the glowing portal just as it swirled shut, vanishing with a blast of icy wind.

Rae stared at the empty space, dumbfounded.

What was she going to do? Emily fretted. There was no way she could explain herself out of this one. She ran a hand through her curly red hair, wishing desperately that Rae had never seen the creature. Her rainbow jewel flared in response.

Emily glanced at her jewel, then at her still-frozen friend.

Concentrating, Emily reached into Rae’s thoughts. Random images flashed by—lunch in the cafeteria, soccer practice, band practice, coming to study in the library. Pushing the unimportant thoughts aside, she locked onto Rae’s memory of the monster.

She had discovered this mind trick on Aldenmor, and although she felt uncomfortable using it, she had no choice.

“You didn’t see anything weird,” Emily said evenly, her jewel casting a greenish glow over Rae’s face.

“Ravens—” Rae stopped in mid sentence, jaw slack, eyes glazed.

“You had a totally normal afternoon.”

“—wood… totally normal.” The girl slumped against the bookshelf.

Emily felt the memory slipping from Rae’s mind like smoke, until it disappeared completely. Hand shaking, she lowered her jewel.

Rae pushed away from the shelf in confusion. She blinked at Emily as if seeing her for the first time today. “What’s up, Em?”

“I have to go.” Emily turned and fled, snatching her backpack and racing outside into the warm spring afternoon.

Heart pounding, she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. She had needed to use her magic on Rae, hadn’t she? It freaked her out, reaching into the girl’s mind. But right now she had to deal with the fact that a monster had portal-popped right into the library. For all she knew, beasts could be popping up all over Stonehill. She ran to the bike rack, hopped on her ten-speed, and took off, her rainbow jewel glinting darkly in the sun.