Full Circle (Avalon: Web of Magic #12) (14 page)

T
WO BLACK WOLVES
snapped at the demon sorceress with flashing teeth. Dreamer lunged at its legs, drawing a massive swipe of claws. Silent as a shadow, the second black wolf sprang, ramming into the monster’s side.

“That can’t be Adriane,” Kara breathed.

“She’s trapped in mistwolf form,”
Lyra growled.
“I feared that would happen.”

“We have to help her!” Ozzie cried.

Emily reached out, trying to touch the warrior’s mind. Anger, raw and feral, slammed into her senses. The dream spell had tapped into her friend’s deepest fears, destroying all she had become. Adriane was no longer packleader, friend, warrior. Mistwolf magic had fused with the dark shadow lodged in her soul and created a vicious wolf. Hate radiated from her aura, rage burned in her eyes.

Emily reached for her friend. Searing images ripped through her until she could hardly breathe.

Animals wounded by Black Fire in the Dark Sorceress’s dungeon.

The Black Fire running through her veins.

Mistwolves trapped in giant crystals.

Adriane trying to save Stormbringer as her best friend faded away.

The images cycled over and over, a crushing barrage of pain and loss that would never end.

Emily understood all too well.

The Dark Sorceress had inflicted so much hurt that her attempt to turn Adriane into a dark mage had backfired. The black wolf only wanted revenge against the monster who had nearly exterminated the mistwolves and taken away her first packmate. The aching hollow in Adriane’s heart where Storm should have been throbbed like an open wound.

The sorceress realized her mistake, but twisted the knife deeper. “The mistwolves will be the first to fall to the dark mages!” With blood-curdling shrieks, the shadow creatures tore away at the Spirit Pack, ripping apart their magic.

The black wolf threw back her head, howling with fury. Strong paws hit the monster square on the chest, sending it crashing to the ground. The wolf’s sharp teeth gleamed as they snapped at the demon’s throat.

“Adriane, no!” Emily cried. Adriane was dangerously close to crossing the line. The healer had to bring her friend back now, or lose her forever to the black heart of hate.

Ghost wolves surrounded Adriane, trying to pull her away, but she snapped at them, guarding her prey. No one was going to deny her the kill.

“Kara!” Emily cried desperately.

The blazing star ignited in diamond magic. Fists forward, she sent blazing fire to Emily. Together, they swept their magic over Adriane.

The black wolf yelped. Her dark aura was wavering.

The sorceress threw her attacker aside. Staggering to her feet, she slashed wildly at the ghost wolves.

Retreating into the shadows, eyes aflame, the black wolf stared at the mages and vanished into mist.

“Adriane!” Emily screamed.

Suddenly the healer was bolstered by a surge of orange light. Ozzie’s jewel flashed as he wrapped his magic around hers. Reaching out, the ferret found the thread of Adriane’s shadowy aura. Kara supercharged the connection until Emily had a firm grasp.

The warrior resisted, hostile, afraid, but Emily pressed deeper. Buried beneath the shadows, Emily found what she was looking for.

The giant speckled egg cracked open, revealing two golden eyes imprinting on Adriane with a dragon’s unconditional love.

“Mama!”
Drake called. The dragon’s powerful magic swept through Adriane, giving everything he had to help his mama.

“Ozzie, go!” Emily cried.

The ferret wove his orange light around Drake’s red magic, letting it sink into the mist.

Emily smiled as bright images cut through the darkness like a rising moon.

Adriane knelt beside Dreamer, sharing his grief, his loneliness, as two lone wolves were forever joined.

The searing pain of Storm’s greatest sacrifice ripped through Adriane, a never-ending nightmare. But the warrior had followed her heart, refusing to give up, and just as the magic had taken her packmate, it had brought her back again. Storm had come home to the one she loved most.

Silver light blazed beside Kara and Emily, pulling together into a silver and white wolf. The black wolf that was Adriane sprang from the shadows, snarling. The two wolves stood nose-to-nose, calm golden eyes meeting a dark, angry glare.

“This is not the way, warrior.”
Stormbringer faced down her bonded.
“Open yourself to what is real.”

Kara, Emily, Lyra, and Ozzie held their breath as they watched the shifting shadows.

Glittering silver flowed through the warrior’s aura, washing away the pain, leaving only memories and truth—the warrior’s one true path, to always follow her heart. The mist stretched into the ghostly shape of a tall girl, dark hair blowing in the wind, a black mistwolf by her side.

“Stormbringer.” Adriane hugged her paladin.

“
I will always find you, packmate,”
Storm said.

Dreamer shook his head, clearing the spell from his mind.

“The sorceress tried to turn you into a dark mage,” Emily told Adriane. “She had you under a dream spell.”

The warrior’s eyes flickered to the demon. The spirit pack was managing to contain her, but it would not be long before the shadow creatures gained the advantage.

“That was more than a spell.” Kara was grimly aware of the transformation they had just witnessed. “Are you all right?”

The warrior nodded. “How did you break the spell?”

“Ozzie saved us,” Kara said.

Adriane’s haunted eyes brightened as she focused on the brown and gold ferret. “Thank you.”

Emily smiled. “That’s what ferrets are for.”

Ozzie beamed.

Adriane seemed unsurprised to see Gardener, Lucinda, and Sylvan as she quickly assessed the situation. “We have to help them.”

The mages, their bondeds and paladins by their side, powerful jewels flashing and ready, took their place beside the old mages, their paladins, and the ghost wolves.

Magic spiked through the skies as they faced off together against the Dark Sorceress, her shadow creatures, and the dark power of Avalon.

“It’s time to finish what we started,” Henry Gardener spoke.

“I couldn’t agree more,” the monster laughed, flexing her claws as she gathered more magic. Darkness billowed around her, a roiling thundercloud of power.

Emily’s heart leaped to her throat. The full force of Avalon was about to be unleashed.

T
HE SORCERESS TOWERED
over the courtyard, leathery wings whipping the air into a whirling cyclone of magic. She glared at her enemies through red demon eyes. “Avalon is mine, you cannot stop me!”

“Miranda.” Lucinda stepped forward. “You have used the dream magic of Avalon. Search your own dreams. Remember who you were. Who you are.”

The Fairy Queen raised her hands and another ghostly form stepped from the spirit pack. It was not a wolf, but a black cat with purple wings sparkling along her back.

The demon recoiled as the cat padded forward.

“Bonded,”
the cat said.
“We can be together again.”

“Faylinn!” The memory of what she had done, the act of betrayal that made her who she was, shook the sorceress to the core. “No! You had to be sacrificed,” the demon shrieked. “It was my destiny to become a dark mage!”

“You chose to take that path,”
the cat said sadly.
“Let me help you one last time.”

“The only way to move the cycle forward is to finish our part of the quest,” Gardener said gently. “Open yourself to what once was. Make it new again.”

The Dark Sorceress seemed helpless against the power of her bonded. Even the dark magic of Avalon could not erase the terrible sorrow of a broken heart.

Faylinn called to her,
“All is forgiven.”

The demon began to shrink, barbed wings withered to stumps, then vanished completely. The tortured demon reverted back to the half-human, half-animal changeling she had become after killing her bonded.

“It is too late.” The Dark Sorceress turned glowing animal eyes to her old friends. “I am already home.” She swept her arms upward, sending Avalon’s magic flaring into the skies.

The city trembled beneath them as a distant wind built to a roar.

“What is that?” Adriane stared at the vanishing trail of magic.

“Warrior!
” Moonshadow’s voice roared in her mind.
“You are under attack!”

A growl rumbled in Dreamer’s throat. He spun around, hackles raised.
“Something is coming through the gates.”

The air turned black as thousands of shadow creatures swarmed over the city like locusts. Healer, warrior, and blazing star instantly raised their jewels, ready for a fresh attack. But the horde of ghostly monsters were not here for them. In a swarm of darkness, they surged over the mages and dove straight into the Well of Tears.

“What’s happening?” Ozzie asked worriedly.

Emily closed her eyes, following the shadow creatures with her magical vision. The monsters spread out from the well like an oil spill, pulling Avalon’s magic behind them. Smaller groups were breaking away from the black cloud and heading for points where the glowing strands of web crossed—portals.

“Now you will watch your friends die.” The sorceress turned her back on the mages and walked away. “Just as I have watched mine.”

“No, no, no.” Emily felt sick, her vision wavered, the color drained from her face as the dark magic of Avalon seeped into the well. She looked at her friends, fear in her hazel eyes. “The shadow creatures are jumping through all the portals.”

Shock flashed across Adriane’s face as she realized what the Dark Sorceress had done. “She’s going to attack every animal on the web.”

Emily screamed as she felt the first wave of victims wail in pain.

Everything, everyone the mages loved would be destroyed.

T
HE SHADOW CREATURES
spread along the web like wildfire. In her mind’s eye, Emily could see them rushing toward the portals. The Fairy Realms, located closest to the center of the web, would be hit first. The dark army would attack Aldenmor next, destroying everything the mages had accomplished. But it would not stop there. Using the Well of Tears, the Dark Sorceress had opened every portal on the web. It would not be long before her creatures reached Ravenswood.

The sorceress calmly watched as her former friends’ magic was savagely attacked. Gardener, Lucinda, Sylvan, and their paladins were weakening, along with the spirit pack. Soon they would all be engulfed in a frenzy of magic-feeding monsters.

“I have won,” the sorceress exulted. “There is no one to help you now.”

A familiar
pop
popped in the air in front of the mages. Goldie, her golden-jeweled eyes whirling in distress, dove onto Kara’s shoulder.

“Holy twig!” Tweek’s voice echoed from the little dragonfly. “Something’s happening! Waves of dark magic are flowing across the web!”

“Kara!” Lorren’s voice broke through Tweek’s rant. “The Fairy Realms are under attack! Shadow creatures are everywhere!”

“Moonshadow!” Adriane called to the packleader, still waiting at the gates. “Take the pack to the Fairy Realms. Stop those creatures!”

“On our way, warrior!”

“What are we going to do?” Kara asked.

Adriane faced the healer. “Emily, you can heal the shadow creatures.”

“There’s no time!” Emily protested. The dark army would have jumped through all the portals before Emily had a chance to heal them.

“Then there’s only one other choice,” Kara said grimly.

Horrified, Emily took a step back. If she couldn’t heal them, she would have to kill them all. What would happen to her if she used her healing magic to exterminate thousands of creatures?

Weakening, shimmering in and out of focus, Gardener turned his gaze to the mages. “The magic has kept us alive past our time. Now I understand why.”

Lucinda took Gardener’s hand in her own. “We have come together to bring you here, to this day, this moment. Every generation has led to you.”

“Together, you have the power to end the dark cycle.”

“I can’t!” Emily protested. “The dark magic is too strong!”

“Each of you has been touched by the darkness.” Gardener faced Emily. “But you can
see
in darkness, healer.”

Emily heard the truth in those words. On their journey, they had each made mistakes. Mistakes that opened the door to darkness. The nightmares confirmed it. Seeds had been planted in each them and if they did not stand strong, together, that dark magic would grow unchecked, leaving only desolation and despair. Just as it had done to the sorceress—just as it had done to Avalon.

Emily could see in darkness. And what she saw was the thing that remained constant over the course of their incredible journey. Each time they fell prey to the dark power, it was the magic of their friendship that had saved them. And at the core of that friendship was the price they had to pay: sacrifice.

“There might be a way, but we have to hurry.” Emily glanced at the old mages, catching Gardener’s eye.

The wizard smiled and nodded.

“Storm, Dreamer, can you cover us?” Emily asked the mistwolves.

In a whirl of mist, the girls, their bondeds, and paladins vanished as Emily led them to the Well of Tears.

The Dark Sorceress barely noticed, too caught up in destroying her old friends.

The mages leaned over the stone-rimmed well. Inside, the surface shimmered like glass.

“This is it,” Emily told her friends. “This is where it happened so long ago.”

“What?” Ozzie asked.

“Where the worlds were separated and Avalon was lost.”

The mages gazed inside, expecting to see masses of black seeping across the web like poison. Instead, upon the surface of the well, their own reflections stared back. Only each girl seemed distorted, as if fragments of their dark dreams infected the images, changing their faces into almost unrecognizable forms.

“It’s us,” Kara breathed. “Have we changed that much?”

“They’re only dreams,” Adriane reminded them.

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Emily said.

“Not if we stick together!” Kara exclaimed.

“We can’t forget who we really are,” Ozzie concluded.

“I think I know what those dreams meant.” Emily held up her bracelet, her heart jewel sparking with light. “We have to close all the portals.”

Adriane’s black eyes flashed in shock. “The shadow creatures will be trapped on the web, they’ll have nowhere to go.”

“Except here.” Kara glanced at the Well of Tears.

Healer, warrior, and blazing star gazed at one another as the realization sunk in. The mages would have to repeat what had happened thousands of years ago and save the web from Avalon’s dark magic. But this time they would have to seal
all
the portals. Earth would be closed off from Aldenmor. Ravenswood would lose its magic, and the animals along with it. Humans and magical animals would never be able to live and work together again.

It was the only hope of keeping the animals and the worlds along the web safe.

“Warrior, the shadow creatures are too strong, we can’t take them out!”
Moonshadow’s frantic voice called from the Fairy Realms.

“They’re headed for Aldenmor!” Tweek’s voice rattled through Goldie.

Emily’s heart ached as she saw the black armies closing in. It wouldn’t be long before their friends would face the onslaught of voracious magic hunters.

“It’s time to complete our quest. The animals have sacrificed their magic for too long,” the healer said.

Adriane faced her friends. “This time we use our own.”

Kara nodded. “We give it back.”

“All of it?” Ozzie asked.

“Everything.” Kara’s blue eyes shone with understanding.

The warrior took a breath. “We end it here!”

“Tweek, listen up,” Emily told the Experimental Fairimental. “You have to evacuate Ravenswood. Take everyone to The Garden right now.”

“But what will happen to Ravenswood?” the E.F. asked worriedly.

Adriane said solemnly, “It’s the only way.”

“Tweek, take care of everyone,” Emily told him, her voice breaking. If she thought too much about what they were about to do, she wouldn’t be able to go through with it.

“You can count on me,” the plucky E.F. assured them.

“See you back on the farm,” Ozzie told his elemental friend.

“Good luck, mages.” Tweek’s voice abruptly ended.

The mages stood strong, Lyra on one side, Dreamer on the other, Ozzie between them. Next to them, Starfire reared, flames licking the air. Stormbringer stood beside her bonded, the magic of Ravenswood shining in her golden eyes. Indi, crystal horn blazing with magic, pawed the ground, ready.

Goldie looked at Kara questioningly and the blazing star hugged her dragon fly friend. “Can we really do this?” she asked Emily.

“It’s not about saving Avalon,” Emily said quietly. “It’s about saving our friends.”

Adriane quickly surveyed the area. Gardener, Lucinda, and Sylvan were almost gone. The sorceress glowed with power, confident in her victory.

“Some things are yours for only a little while.” Kara said sadly. She raised her unicorn gem, its light reflecting in her eyes. “The wraiths told me that when I first found my jewel.”

Adriane smiled at the blazing star.

They didn’t need to say what they all knew to be true. Animals and mages looked at each other wide eyed. All the heartache, all the pain, would be nothing compared to what they were about to do.

“There has to be another way.” Even as she said it, Kara knew as sure as she loved Lyra and Goldie with all her heart—there was no other way.

“We say goodbye here,” Adriane said stoically.

Kara fell to her knees and drew Lyra close. “You listen to me,” she whispered. “I love you more than anything. I’ll never forget you, ever.” Tears streamed down her cheeks soaking Lyra’s soft fur.

Lyra dried her bonded’s tears with her cheek.
“Don’t cry. You know how your face gets all puffy. I love you, Kara.”

“Karaaaaaa!!” Goldie squeaked, tiny tears flying everywhere as the little d-fly hugged her friend tightly.

Kara planted kisses on the d-fly’s head. “I love you, Goldie.”

She stood and faced her paladin.

“I’ll always remember you.”
Starfire leaned his head over her shoulder, flames mixing with her golden tresses.

Adriane knelt as Dreamer and Stormbringer appeared before her. She pressed her forehead against their soft fur. Silver magic glowed between them, shared auras forever linked.

“I lost my packmate once, I don’t know if I can do it again.” Adriane’s cheeks were damp with tears.

“
You must be strong, warrior. I will always be here
.” Dreamer touched his nose to her forehead.

“
And here.
” Storm nuzzled her head to Adriane’s chest, over her heart.

Adriane threw her arms around her bondeds and cried deeply.

Emily was already crying as she knelt to hug Ozzie.

“Shhh, Emily, don’t cry.” The ferret gently wiped away her tears with his paw. “We were something, weren’t we?”

“The best team ever!” Emily sniffled.

Ozzie stood nose to nose with the healer. “I’ll never forget what you did for me, and I’ll always be with you.”

“As will I.”
Indi’s rainbow embraced them both.

“I can’t do this!” Kara wept into Lyra’s fur. “I don’t care about magic! I just want you!”

Emily gently pulled her friend away. Kara fell into her arms, sobbing. “I can’t believe we’re doing this!”

Adriane stood close to her friends. “Everyone has taken enough from Avalon. It’s time we gave the magic back.”

Adriane and Kara stood on either side of Emily as the healer reached out with their magic, calling upon all their animal friends across the web. They would work together one last time.

Instantly, magic surged through their jewels, strong and sure. And as the animals gave everything they had to their friends, the four mages worked as one.

Emily closed her eyes and let her vision soar. Strands of light streamed past in dizzying colors until she could see the entire web. It was incredible, thousands of star points blinking like a galaxy of lights. But it was the magic of the animals that shone the brightest.

The healer’s heart jewel filled with the aura of every magical animal she had ever touched, light as well as dark. But she did not resist the dark magic. It was part of who she was, as much as the animals of Ravenswood and Aldenmor. Just because the darkness was there, didn’t mean the light went away. The light inside would never go away.

With the compassion of the healer she truly was, Emily accepted all the magic and began weaving, draping a delicate net over the web like fresh morning snow.

Adriane stood next to her, tall and proud, always ready to protect her friends as she strengthened the weaving with fierce warrior magic.

Kara’s diamond light shone brightly, illuminating the net until it blazed with the power of a million stars.

But none of that would have been possible without the pure orange light that surrounded everyone, impervious to the dark power of Avalon.

Emily, Adriane, and Kara looked at one another, smiles on their glowing faces. They were in perfect harmony, each of their strengths making their friends more powerful, their shining magic fitting together like pieces of a puzzle to form a perfect whole. Surrounded by the love of their animal friends, each mage knew she was experiencing the pure essence of magic, bringing to life for one brief moment all that Avalon had been.

“Do it, Emily,” Ozzie urged.

With a final embrace to all she loved, all she held dear, Emily pulled the weaving tight. Doors closed like dominoes as their lights went dark and the connection to the animals was severed—until only Lyra, Goldie, Dreamer, and Ozzie remained.

Quickly, Emily reached for the shadow creatures. She had no trouble finding them. With a sickening jolt, the monsters locked onto her jewel.

Suddenly the heart stone was flooded with deep red fire. “Here it comes.”

Waves of dark magic built like a tsunami, curling back and heading right toward the only open portal left—the Well of Tears.

The mages knocked fists. They were ready.

“Hey, sorceress,” Kara called out. “You win. Avalon, the magic, it’s all yours!”

“Finally, Avalon will rise again!” The sorceress was ecstatic, arms raised in exultation. “Are you ready to accept your fate and become dark mages?”

“Um, I don’t think so,” Kara answered.

The sorceress raised an eyebrow.

Head held high, Adriane nodded to the paladins.

With a wave of his horn, Indi swirled open two bright portals on either side of the well.

“What trick is this?” The sorceress stepped back.

Gardener, Lucinda, and Sylvan understood. They looked on proudly as the magic raced along the web, heading for home.

Two portals shone bright against the dark city of Avalon. One would lead to Aldenmor, the other to Ravenswood.