Heart of Avalon (Avalon: Web of Magic #10): (4 page)

E
MILY TRUDGED UP
an incline dotted with palm trees. She had to find the purple creature who’d eaten her jewel. She could not stop shivering as her emotions swung between anger and fear.

She looked at her empty bracelet. What would she do without her magic?

Maybe she was better off, she thought forlornly. A few hours ago she had been worried about becoming a Level Two mage. Now the sea dragons were about to become extinct, she was lost on some island, she had no idea where the real Ozzie was, and she had no jewel! Some mage she was turning out to be—

A piece of wood snapped.

Emily froze, trying to listen and look everywhere at once.

Warm winds sent glints of sunlight waving through the palms.

Another branch snapped loudly. Something was tromping through the underbrush, coming right toward her!

Emily whirled. Where could she hide? Her heart pounded in her throat. Without her jewel, she was completely defenseless.

“Baaaaah!” Branches flew as a figure sprang from the bushes. “Don’t make me use this!”

“Marlin!” Emily cried with relief. “Is that a coconut?”

“
Prince
Marlin,” the merboy corrected her, brandishing… yup, a coconut!

“You’re the mage!” He pointed a bejeweled finger. “I won’t tolerate being kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped?” Emily echoed, astounded.

“You attracted wild magic and zapped us here.”

“I don’t know how we got here,” the healer told him. “But I’m glad to see you.”

“Me too, this was getting heavy.” Marlin stepped back into the bushes and dragged out a palm frond filled with coconuts and brightly colored fruits. “Get these, will you? I’m exhausted.”

The merprince strode down the dunes toward the beach, brushing off his bright ceremonial robe.

“Hey!” Emily grabbed the edges of the palm frond, straining to drag it across the hot sand. “Do you have any idea where we are?”

Marlin glanced at the two pale orbs just visible in the afternoon sky.

“Judging by the position of the moons, we’re somewhere on the Giant’s Footpath, a group of islands on the southeastern shore of Aldenmor. That must be Port Tuga over there.”

Emily gazed at the landmass in the distance. “How do we get across?”

“Use your magic.”

“I’m a healer, not a helicopter.” She looked at her bare wrist. “Besides, my magic is gone.”

“I’m not surprised. Magic has been vanishing for a while now.”

“No, I mean my jewel—” The empty silver bracelet gleamed in the sunlight. “Oh, never mind.”

“I’m hungry,” the prince complained, stretching out on the sand, hands folded behind his head.

Emily dropped the leaf near her backpack. “How can you be so calm?”

“Relax. The Imperial Merfolk will find us.”

“Well, you’ll be waiting a long time.” She fished a water bottle from her pack. “Even if they could find us, it would take them days to get here.”

“Took us, like, three seconds,” Marlin scoffed.

Emily thought for a minute. “That’s true. There must be a portal here somewhere.”

“Exactly.” Marlin closed his eyes and waved his fingers dismissively. “They’ll find us.”

She glared down at him. “If we don’t get back soon, you’re going to lose your dragons.”

“The dragon riders have no place left in our society. The sooner they accept it, the better.”

“There must be something you can do.”

“Well, I know what
you
can do.” Marlin leaned back against a piece of driftwood. “Fix me lunch.”

Emily’s jaw dropped. Who did this guy think he was?

“What? It’s your fault we’re here!” Marlin exclaimed. “Humans shouldn’t be allowed to use magic—they always mess things up.”

Emily gritted her teeth. “If we fell through a portal, I didn’t open it.”

“You didn’t?” Marlin looked up at her, brow wrinkling in confusion. “Well, if you didn’t and I didn’t, then who did?”

“I’m going to find out.”

“Can we eat first?”

“Fine.” Emily stood with her arms crossed. “Go right ahead.”

“Fine!” Marlin leaned forward, arranging driftwood in a circle. “That’s the trouble with magic. It’s completely unreliable. When I’m king, Aquatania will be much better off without it.”

“You can’t be serious.” Emily was shocked. “Sea dragons are your bonded animals.”

“I don’t need magical animals. I figure everything out right here.” Marlin tapped his head with a piece of wood.

Emily couldn’t believe his attitude. “These animals are essential for making magic,” she argued angrily.

“Oh? Where’s your bonded animal?”

Emily’s face fell. “I… don’t have one.”

“Uh-huh, and where’s the magic on your world?”

Emily flushed. “Except for Ravenswood, I haven’t technically seen any magic.”

“I rest my case,” Marlin huffed. “Aldenmor’s going to be just like Earth. It’s called evolution. The sooner we accept it, the better. Look at me,” he said, proudly displaying a delicately webbed hand. “The perfect product of evolution.”

“Your brain is so big, I’m surprised your head isn’t gigantic. Oh, wait. It is!”

“That’s not funny,” he said, self consciously patting down his poufy brown hair. “Besides, we don’t have a choice, do we? No dragons, no magic.”

Emily had never heard such stubborn arrogance in her life. “So use your advanced merbrain to get us out of here instead of sitting around complaining.”

“All right, I will!” Marlin burst out, then shut his mouth with a snap. A dark green blush washed across his cheeks.

“Well, I’m waiting.”

“Well, I’m thinking.”

She slumped down beside the merprince, handing him the water bottle. “Great, we’ll be here forever.”

A
DRIANE TIGHTENED HER
grip around Zach’s waist as Drake glided over the rough northern waters. Gertie and Nightwing flew side by side in front of the dragon, with Lyra in the lead, golden wings glimmering.

The warrior zipped her vest tight and glanced over her shoulder at Dreamer.

“What you got?”

Dreamer’s head poked out of his basket, tongue lolling, fur blowing in the wind.
“I smell a ferret.”

Deep blue waters flashed beneath them, broken by jagged rocks that rose from the sea like serpent’s teeth.

“I can’t see anything but water,” Kara complained, scrunching behind Lorren to block the spray from her face.

“Coming up right on it!” Tasha called. Her robes whipped behind her as she studied her jewel tracker.

Below them, bobbing in the choppy waves, a giant tortoise meandered its way between rocky islands off the shore. As big as the creature was, it looked teeny in the vastness of the ocean.

“Hurry up, you floating thing!” Ozzie jumped up and down on the tortoise’s shell, making it rock precariously. “At this rate we’ll get to Aquatania in a year!”

Skimming across the surf, Drake landed with a belly flop.

A huge wave bounced the tortoise high in the air, washing it onto an outcropping of rocks. The dragon floated to a stop, nose to nose with the shocked tortoise and ferret.

“AAH! Don’t eat me!”

“Ozzie, it’s us,” Adriane called down from the back of the dragon.

“Oh.”

Drake’s long, forked tongue shot out, lifting the ferret into the air and dropping him onto the dragon’s head.

“Do
not
lick the ferret!”

“Are you okay?” Adriane asked.

“Gak!” Ozzie wiped dragon slobber off his head. “I’ve been floating out here forever!”

“At least an hour,” Zach observed.

“Exactly!” Ozzie looked up as the two giant bats landed on the rocks. “Where’s Emily?”

“That’s what we were going to ask you,” Adriane said.

“I knew it!” Ozzie flapped his arms in the air. “She’s been kidnapped! gaH!”

“What are you talking about?”

“That purple toothed, grin-eating farFoOFiE!” Ozzie screamed.

“Ozzie, calm down,” Kara ordered. “Tell us what happened.”

“These cyclones hit the beach. I went one way,” he said, pointing. “Then Emily went the other way.” He crossed his arms, pointing with his other paw. “Then that sea dragon went the other way!” He pointed with his foot and toppled over.

Zach grabbed him by the tail and swung him in the air. The ferret landed on Lyra’s back

“Hi.”

“Fine! Where were you?!”

“What sea dragon?” Adriane asked.

“This purple sea dragon attracted wild magic.”

“That’s weird,” Tasha murmured, fingers tapping the small screen.

“I’ll say!”

“No, I mean for a second I thought I had a lock on Emily’s jewel.”

“Here, I’ll give you a boost.” Kara shot a fine beam of dazzling red and white magic into Tasha’s device.

Adriane raised her wolf stone. “Mine has some of Emily’s magic in it.” The warrior directed a steady silver beam to the other side of Tasha’s jewel locator.

A piercing screech filled the air as wolf and unicorn magic collided, shattering in a flurry of sparks.

“No good.” Tasha hurriedly tapped the screen, turning down the volume. “Your jewels are exact opposites. You can’t work together without a balancing factor.”

“What a surprise,” Adriane muttered.

“We did it before,” Kara interjected. “Most of the time.”

“Now that your jewels are more powerful, the differences are more pronounced,” Tasha explained.

“Here, try this.” Sunlight reflected through Ozzie’s jewel as he sent a beam of his pure gold light across the magic meter.

This time, a set of croaking notes rang forth with no feedback.

“That’s better.” Tasha nodded in satisfaction.

Everyone leaned forward as blue and green lights swept back and forth on Tasha’s small screen. Sparkles of purple and pink tinged the edges.

“Fascinating,” Tasha said, adjusting one of the meters.

“What?” Ozzie asked.

“I’ve located Emily’s jewel, but the signature is different.” Tasha looked up.

“Is that good or bad?” Kara asked.

“Your jewels change as you become more powerful, but the core signature should never change. It’s who you are. It’s as if someone else is using her jewel.”

“You sure it’s hers?” Lorren asked.

“Quite,” Tasha confirmed. “The readings are coming from somewhere in the southern islands.”

“That’s dangerous country,” Zach said, frowning. “Mostly unexplored jungles.”

“How long will it take us to get there?” Adriane asked.

“A few days, if we fly directly across the Moorgroves and over the Burning Deserts,” Zach said.

The others groaned.

“We
could
try another way.” Tasha held up the magic meter so everyone could see the blinking dots. “There’s a series of four portals that crisscross Aldenmor. The first one is at Mount Hope.”

“That’s an hour from here,” Zach said worriedly. “And with the web shifting, the portals are out of alignment. It could take us all day to get to the others.”

“Not if we jump all four at once,” Adriane said, picking up on Tasha’s idea.

“How?” Kara demanded.

“You’ll have to make a rope out of magic,” Tasha explained. “Anchoring it to Emily’s jewel, we can slingshot through the four simultaneously.”

“Tasha’s a genius,” Lorren said, beaming. “How many times have you done this?”

Tasha blinked. “Exactly none.”

“Emily’s all alone!” Ozzie cried, then his eyes opened wide. “Or not.”

“I love portal hopping.” Kara faced the warrior. “What do you think, Xena?”

“Okay, Barbie. Let’s go for it.”

The mages knocked fists, then turned to Ozzie. The ferret gave the girls a determined nod.

T
HE SUN SANK
slowly toward the horizon, tingeing the ocean a beautiful pale pink. Emily dragged a piece of driftwood across the beach, heaving it onto the crackling fire Marlin had built.

“I didn’t think a merprince like you would know anything about camping.” Emily watched as the merboy poked at several rolled-up banana leaves filled with purple potatoes and fruits roasting on the coals.

“Of course I do,” he answered. “I was in the merscouts.”

Emily’s mouth watered as smoke wafted into the air. She had forgotten how hungry she was. The last thing she’d eaten was a bowl of Cheerios at home in Stonehill that morning.

“Here.” Marlin plopped a few steaming leaf bundles on a large abalone shell and handed it to Emily.

“You might be a snob, but you sure are resourceful.” Emily smiled, taking a big bite of the hot fruit compote. Her eyes lit up. It was delicious.

Marlin watched her as she ate. “You never bonded with an animal? I thought that’s what mages were supposed to do, bond with animals and make magic to save the world.”

Emily paused before responding. “I guess I haven’t found my bonded one yet.”

“What about the weird ferret?”

“He’s an elf and he’s not weird!” Emily shot back, then relaxed. “My friends and I… we don’t have any formal training or anything. We just try to do the best we can.”

“But you still use magic without an animal.” Marlin seemed fascinated with the concept.

“Yes. But I’m only a Level One mage. Kara and Adriane are Level Two.”

Marlin chewed thoughtfully. “You know, once upon a time, merfolk were full of elemental magic. I mean we even had scales and tails! But we don’t need magic anymore.” His nose got higher in the air with every word. “As I said, we are evolving away from magic.”

“In my world, so many species are lost every year because of ‘evolution,’” Emily said. “And now your dragons might not make it. You’re the merprince. It’s your responsibility to do something about it before it’s too late.”

“It’s not like I have time for magical animals,” Marlin sniffed. “I have a kingdom to run.”

“You’re wrong about the magic, Marlin. I’d give anything to bond with an animal,” Emily told him. “Maybe if you had a real friend like that, you’d believe in magic, too.”

“I don’t need friends and I don’t bond with animals. Besides”—he pointed to her empty wrist—“what good did it do you?”

“I have wonderful friends,” she said adamantly.

“If your friends are so great, where are they now when you need them?”

“Baloobah!” A loud crashing noise came from the bushes.

Emily and Marlin bounded to their feet.

“What was that?” The prince’s eyes darted across the beach.

Something fuzzy shuffled from the trees.

“Hey, it’s—” Marlin stepped forward.

“Shhh!” Emily held Marlin back. “You’ll scare him.”

The creature wobbled to the edge of the campfire. A huge grin split his face as he spotted the palm leaves filled with steaming food. Suddenly his body quivered and twisted before snapping back in place.

“grAk!” A huge hiccup sent a burst of blue green twinkles flying through the air.

“That jewel doesn’t belong to you,” Emily said calmly.

“Blah!”

“The ferret ate your jewel?” Marlin asked.

“He’s not a ferret.”

“Of course it is.” Marlin leaned forward. “Hey, little fella. How’d you get here?”

The purple creature sprang into the merboy’s arms, grinning.

“What the—!” Marlin pried the animal from his neck. “Get him off me!”

The creature fell to the sand and grabbed four leaves, shoving them in his mouth. Bits of fruit dribbled down his face, sticking to his fur.

“What’s wrong with your ferret?” Marlin asked.

“It’s not Ozzie.” Emily studied the purple imposter. “It’s some kind of shapeshifter.”

“BWRAAAP!” The creature’s mouth opened into a gigantic maw and gave the biggest, loudest burp she’d ever heard.

“That’s disgusting.” Marlin waved a hand in front of his face.

Sticking his tongue out, the creature started running toward the tree line.

“Don’t let him get away!” Emily dove after the little beast, tackling him in the sand.

That purple foot! Wait a minute—“I’d recognize that toe anywhere.”

The creature wriggled away and stared at her with big indigo eyes.

“You’re not Ozzie.”

The purple creature twinkled and spun in a blurry tornado. When it came to a stop, a pink and white owl blinked blue eyes at Emily.

“Hoooop.”

“No, you’re not Ariel.”

With a twist, the creature spun around, morphing into a green cat with orange spots.

“Yayayaya.”

He was using her jewel to find animals she had connected with.

“Stop it, you’re not Lyra, either.” This game was starting to upset Emily. “I know who you are—now turn back this instant!”

With a sigh, the creature plopped on his rump and transformed into the plump purple sea dragon.

“You!” Marlin yelled.

“Pffffft.”

“Okay, that’s better,” the healer said. “Now give me back my jewel.”

“Nuh-uh.” He shook his head.

“What’s your name?” Emily asked the creature.

His deep blue eyes widened. “RrrrrriiblaH.”

“Nice to meet you,” Marlin said. “Now get away from us before you attract more magic.”

“You’re not going anywhere until I get my jewel back.” She looked into the creature’s deep blue eyes. “Indigo.”

“Dingo?” the creature asked, tilting his head curiously.

“Indigo,” Emily repeated. “Your name. Like it, Indi?”

“Byeped.” The creature jumped up and scampered around the campfire.

“Come back here, you little jewel gobbler!” Emily scrambled to her feet, chasing him in circles.

Marlin grabbed the purple creature, waggling him back and forth.

“ScribidibibitiYAI!” Magic exploded like miniature fireworks as the sea dragon suddenly morphed into a ferocious fuschia bear—and fell face-first on top of Marlin.

“Help!” the merprince shouted, trapped under the beast’s giant belly.

“Leave him alone!” Emily yelled at Marlin.

“I told you,” the merboy’s voice squeaked. “Magic will never get you anywhere.”

PoP!

Emily felt magic tingling all around her.

The bear sat comfortably on the sand, a satisfied grin on his face.

“Marlin?” Emily looked around. The merboy had disappeared!

“I’m up here!” Marlin’s voice came from somewhere above her head.

The merprince was atop a palm tree, clinging to a frond.

“Finally, we agree on something,” Emily said, smiling at Indi.

“Hee hee.” Indi leaped to his feet, morphing back into the sea dragon.

“Hey! How do I get down?”

Crrrack—Thud!

“That stupid shapeshifter portal popped me!” Marlin exclaimed, stomping onto the beach, rubbing his rear end, “That’s how we both got here.”

Emily frowned. What kind of creature
was
this? Unicorns and dragonflies were the only creatures she knew of that could create portals—and this definitely wasn’t either.

“Wait, Marlin. If that sea dragon can make portals, he could pop us back.”

The merprince considered. “Well, okay. But it’s still all your fault.”

Emily looked at the grinning creature. Casting Marlin a significant glance, she asked, “Can you take us back to Aquatania?”

Indi shrugged.

“He’s probably just being lazy and doesn’t want to pop us anywhere.” Marlin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Poptart!” Indigo jumped to his feet, facing the prince.

“I bet you can’t even
make
a portal!” Marlin scoffed.

“Bilabilablabla!” Indi waggled his big rubbery tongue at the prince.

PoP!

Emily felt a rushing wind press against her ears. Her stomach twisted as if she were plunging down the highest loop of a roller coaster. Blinding lights dwindled to sparkling points as the din of a hundred voices engulfed them.

When the world steadied, Emily and Marlin found themselves squashed among the strangest creatures she had ever seen.