Heart of Avalon (Avalon: Web of Magic #10): (3 page)

S
OMETHING GRITTY RUBBED
against Emily’s cheek. A soft rushing noise filled her ears as she pushed herself up on her elbows, wiping sand and wet hair from her face.

She was lying in the surf, the tide gently lapping at her feet. Struggling to stand, she shielded her eyes from the sharp glare of a glittering turquoise ocean. Patterns of bright light twinkled across the azure surface.

“Ozzie?” She whirled around in panic. “Where are you?”

A pristine white beach curved out of sight in both directions. Palm trees covered her in swaying shadows. She seemed to be on a tropical island. It didn’t look a thing like the rocky beach of Aquatania.

But how had she ended up here—wherever
here
was?

Emily could make out a coastline of rolling hills across the wide expanse of water. Wispy puffs of white smoke rose into the sky.

“Hey!” She waved her hands until she realized no one could see her.

Raising her rainbow jewel, she sent blue green sparkles twinkling in the air. “Ozzie? Come in, Ozzie!” she called. “Doc Doolittle to Fuzzy One.”

Silence.

“Adriane? Kara?” She paused, her pulse pounding in her ears. “Lyra, Dreamer, anybody?”

Willing
the magic to reach her friends, Emily sent a beam of jewel light swirling toward the sky. Abruptly the light splintered, showering rainbow sparkles.

“What’s going on?” With a trembling hand she brushed tangled hair out of her face.

Maybe her jewel wasn’t strong enough to reach her friends. But some magical helpers might be.

“Fiona?” Emily called for the mini red fairy dragon. “Can you hear me?”

Emily searched the air for the bright bubbles that announced the d-flies’ arrival.

But nothing appeared. Just the gentle lapping of the tide against the shoreline.

No reason to panic, she told herself, scanning the dense jungle vegetation shrouding the island’s interior. Kee-lyn and Jaaran were probably looking for her, and Kara, Adriane, and her other friends would be arriving at the Wave Fest any minute now. But she knew she was nowhere near the blustery waters and towering cliffs of Aquatania. So where was she? Was she still on Aldenmor?

Looking out at the glittering sea, she felt her hopes sinking below the surface. She was stranded on a strange island, totally alone.

Emily sloshed up the beach and swung off her backpack. At least the pack had stayed with her the whole time.

She peeled off her denim jacket and set it on a piece of bleached driftwood. If only her rainbow stone was strong enough to make sure Ozzie was safe. This was the first time she could ever remember not being able to find him.

What if she was stranded on the island for days, or weeks? What would happen to the animals back home in Stonehill at the Pet Palace? Mom will take care of them, she thought, settling back down. But still… what if she couldn’t get back? Her mom would totally freak!

A wet strand of hair dripped stinging salt water into her eyes. Sighing, she opened her backpack to get a scrunchy.

“Ozzie,” she said, giggling. Inside was a soggy package of oatmeal cookies, a water bottle, extra socks, turkey jerky, two Power Bars, a few apples, sunscreen, a brush, two scrunchies, and a ferret comb. Yup, Ozzie had done the packing. What she wouldn’t give to see that furry ferret standing there now.

“Always looking out for me.” She smiled.

“rrrrmmmmm.”

A strange, low growl emanated from the depths of the tropical jungle. Emily swung around, jewel raised. “Who’s there?”

A shadow bolted between thick palm trees. Squinty eyes peered at her from behind wide, fringed leaves.

“You’d better not try anything!” She hoped she sounded calm. A wild animal would be able to read the emotions in her voice.

But the creature who staggered from the jungle onto the beach was small and familiar.

“Ozzie!” Emily exclaimed, running forward.

“Beebee!”

Emily grabbed the ferret in a huge hug, burying her face in his fur. He was slightly sticky and smelled like sea salt. The ferret pushed away, landed on his rump, and sat there, big eyes blinking

“Oh, I was so worried!” She pulled back and studied Ozzie. He looked all right—except his normally gold and brown fur was purple! “What happened to you?”

“Soda.” The ferret turned and grabbed Emily’s backpack.

Oh, no! The last time Ozzie had been caught in a wild magical whirlwind, his tail had been transformed into a beaver tail. This time—

“Blahaha!” The purple ferret cackled gleefully as he turned her backpack upside down, dumping everything into his wide, toothy mouth.

“Glurp!” Ozzie chomped a sock with big square teeth.

“That’s my ladybug sock!” Emily lunged for her stuff, playing tug-o-sock. “Spit it out!”

The ferret looked up at her, a stubborn expression on his face, and clamped his lips shut.

“Come on.”

Ozzie shook his head from side to side.

Emily pounded him on the back, making him spit out the sock.

“Ppphllooot!” Ozzie dove forward in the sand and began scooping the Power Bars into his mouth, wrappers and all.

Even for the ever-hungry Ozzie, this was weird.

“Emmmeeemee.”

“Huh?”

He sidled up to her with a bobbing walk that rocked from side to side, almost like he wasn’t used to legs. He stuck out a large lavender lip and pouted. Big blue eyes brimmed with tears as he fell back on his rump.

“What do you want now?”

Ozzie pointed to a stubby big toe. “Owwie.”

“You’re hurt?”

“Ahgaga!” He waved his hairy foot in her face, nodding emphatically.

“Sit still,” Emily ordered. “I’ll take a look.”

Closing her eyes, Emily tried to form a connection. A wave of blackness washed over her, as if she’d suddenly gone blind. She couldn’t feel anything at all. The same thing had happened when she tried to heal that weird sea dragon pup at the Wave Fest. But this was
Ozzie,
her closest friend.

Then she froze as she saw Ozzie’s neck—there was no collar. “Ozzie, what happened to your ferret stone?”

Ozzie sat in the sand gnawing on the straps of her backpack.

“Spitooie!” Wide indigo eyes locked on her rainbow jewel. “Oooooo.”

Realization dawned.

“You’re not Ozzie! Who are you? What happened to Ozzie?” The healer scrambled to her feet, but the creature was too fast for her. He grabbed her wrist, tugging at the bracelet that held her jewel.

“Ow!” Emily pulled back. “Stop it! You’re hurting me!”

Wild colors swirled across her jewel’s surface, racing up her arms. A burst of power sent the creature tumbling back.

Something twinkled in his small paw.

“No.” Emily held up her wrist, panicked. Her healing stone was no longer on her silver bracelet.

“A har!”

Emily watched, horrified, as the purple creature tossed the jewel in his mouth and swallowed with a strangled gulp.

“Ahhhhhh,” he sighed with a satisfied grin.

“No!”

“Blah ha ha!” The creature jumped to his feet and barreled into the tropical jungle, trailing rainbow sparkles.

“Come back here!” Emily screamed.

But it was too late. The purple whatever it was
—
and her healing stone—were gone!

“W
HAT RAINED ON
this parade?” Kara surveyed the overturned Oct-A-Whirl and crushed food stalls littering the Wave Fest.

Beached sea dragons sprawled across the shore, surrounded by angry merfolk. The prince’s guards swarmed around the dragons, fencing off the surrounding beach. Barges floated offshore, confining the dragons to a small area of water.

Tasha’s jewel device beeped as she walked through the debris.

Dreamer padded over to Adriane.
“There has been a lot of magical activity here.”

Lyra landed, her golden wings folding and disappearing.
“I can’t reach Emily or Ozzie.”

The blazing star clutched her unicorn jewel, frowning. “Me either.”

Adriane and Kara exchanged a worried glance.

“Those are the dragon riders,” Zach said, pointing to the group of tough-looking warriors. “We don’t want to mess with those guys.”

“Jaaran!” Adriane ran to the tall sea dragon rider and gave him a hug.

“Adriane, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Zach raised an eyebrow.

Lorren grinned. “Probably just friends.”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

Adriane stepped back from Jaaran and flushed. “Jaaran, this is—”

“Yes, I’ve met Zach.” Jaaran sized up the blond teen. “We have much in common.”

They looked on as the dark-haired warrior hugged Kee-lyn and Meerka.

“We both ride dragons,” Jaaran said.

Zach nodded. “I’m sorry your dragons are not well.”

“The healer was trying to help them,” Kee-lyn explained.

“Where is she?” Adriane asked.

“Gone,” a rider answered.

“What do you mean ‘gone’?” Kara demanded.

“Aquatania is closed! Everyone go home!” shouted a merman with graying hair and beard. His purple ceremonial robes billowed as he stormed up and down the beach, golden crown gleaming atop his head.

“That’s King Spartos,” Lorren said.

“Your Majesty.” Kara pushed her way past the barricades. “I am the blazing star.”

“You!” The king’s sea green eyes angrily studied Adriane and Kara. “This whole mess is your fault.”

“Go blazing diplomat,” Adriane muttered.

“What happened here?” Kara pressed.

“My son is missing!” the king cried.

“Prince Marlin is gone too?” Adriane asked.

The king flashed a dark look at Kee-lyn and Jaaran. “These dragon riders were the last ones to be seen with him.”

“What are you insinuating?” Jaaran’s cheeks flushed deep green.

“It’s no secret you’d prefer a dragon rider as next king,” Spartos accused.

Kara planted her hands on her hips. “Look, we don’t have time to chitchat. Our friend is missing.”

“So is our merprince!” the king bellowed.

“Well, so is our ferret!” Kara retorted.

The king bristled.

“Kara,” Lorren said, pulling the blazing star back. “May I?”

Kara waved her hand forward. “Knock yourself out.”

“King Spartos.” Lorren approached the merking. “With all due respect, sir, the three mages saved Aldenmor.”

The king grunted.

“The blazing star saved the Fairy Realms as well,” Lorren acknowledged Kara.

“You are right, of course, young prince.” Spartos raised a bushy eyebrow at Kara. “I’m very upset.”

“Apology accepted,” Kara said, and smiled. “We’ll do everything we can to find your son and our friends.”

“Very well.” The merking sighed. “Let the mages investigate.”

Lorren grinned at Kara. “Well?”

“Impressive.”

King Spartos looked sadly at the sea dragon warriors. “I am sorry, dragon riders. Once those dragons served us well. But I fear the time of magic is over.”

“We will not let our dragons die!” proclaimed Kee-Lyn. “They are the last of their kind! The last of
our
magic.”

The king snorted, pointing at the messy beach. “And look what your magic did.”

“We had nothing to do with that wild magic storm!” Jaaran insisted.

“Wait a minute, what wild magic?” Adriane asked.

“A wild magic storm swept through the Wave Fest moments before they disappeared,” Jaaran explained. “No one has seen them since.”

“I’ve got something,” Tasha announced, eyes glued to her magic locator. “Portal residue.”

“Eww.” Kara checked her pink sneakers.

“Oops, sorry, Lyra.” Tasha distractedly walked right into the big cat. “Emily definitely fell through a portal.”

The goblin girl pushed some buttons on her machine. Light streamed upward, projecting a map of Aldenmor. Twinkling dots indicated portals. “I have a fairy map of Aldenmor loaded in here.”

“Tweek has the same map in his jewel!” Kara exclaimed.

Tasha nodded. “We’ve been exchanging data.”

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Using various harmonic wavelengths and uploading patterns—”

“Yeah, she can do that.” Lorren smiled.

“Where is Emily now?” Zach asked.

“I don’t know. According to the map, there’s not supposed to be a portal here on Aquatania Beach.”

Kara’s face fell. “They could be anywhere.”

“Like right here.” Tasha slid her finger across the sleek surface as the device squeaked.

“You found Emily’s jewel?”

“I’m getting a fuzzy reading a few miles due south.”

“Drake!” Zach called his bonded animal.

A massive red dragon soared from the skies and landed among the startled merfolk. Drake roared with distress as he saw his cousins, the sick sea dragons.

“Easy,” Zach soothed his friend.

Adriane scratched behind the dragon’s ear. “We’re going to help them.”

“Okay, Mama.”

“He is amazing!” Impressed dragon riders gathered around the red Drake. “This is your dragon?”

“Yes,” Adriane said, smiling proudly. “He imprinted on me, but Zach is his rider.”

Two goblin bats swooped from the skies and landed next to Lorren and Tasha.

“Good girl, Gertie.” A gray and white bat nuzzled Tasha as she hopped into the red leather saddle.

“Let’s go!” Zach climbed into the black and tan saddle on Drake’s back. He reached down to help Adriane aboard as Dreamer leaped behind her. The mistwolf settled into a basket secured to Drake’s back.

“After you, Princess.” Lorren helped Kara onto Nightwing, his black goblin bat.

“We’ll find Marlin and Emily,” Kara promised the dragon riders.

“And Ozzie,”
Lyra added.

“And bring back a cure for your dragons,” Adriane said confidently.

With that, the flying foursome soared into the stormy clouds overhead.