Secret of the Unicorn (Avalon: Web of Magic #4) (13 page)

Kara shook her head impatiently. “Whatever. The point is, unicorn or not, your new friend has been acting—well, odd.”

“So what?” Emily argued. “The
point
is, I don’t care what she is. I know she’s in trouble, and I know I have to help!”

“We’re the ones in trouble,” Adriane said bluntly. “If any more magical creatures go bursting out in public, the Ravenswood Preserve is history!”

Emily frowned and picked at the lush grass growing beside the stream. Adriane was right. If they couldn’t control the animals at the preserve, how were they supposed to keep it from being shut down, and Adriane from losing her home?

“It wasn’t Lorelei’s fault,” she blurted. “She was just confused. She was trying to find me. Anyway, nobody got hurt.”

“Just barely,” Adriane said, her brow set in a stubborn line. “It’s not like we don’t have enough problems to deal with right now as it is.”

She didn’t go into detail, but Emily knew exactly what her friend was thinking about, because they were all thinking about it. They were running out of time to replace the dreamcatcher. Horrible images flashed unbidden through her mind—the gaping jaw of the monstrous manticore, the vicious glare of the Dark Sorceress—and she shuddered.

“We can’t control how the portal opens and closes,” Adriane said, standing up and facing the crowd. “But when the dreamcatcher was there, at least it kept anything evil out. As long as the portal remains unprotected, we’re all in danger from something else slipping through.”

“If anyone sees anything unusual, it should be reported to Storm or Lyra right away,” Kara said.

“But until we get some answers, we give Lorelei the benefit of the doubt,” Adriane announced, giving Emily a smile. “One thing I do know,” she continued, putting her hand in Emily’s. “Whatever happens, we stand together with Emily.”

Everyone voiced agreement.

“That okay with you, Sherlock?” Adriane asked Kara.

“Absolutely, Watson,” Kara replied, folding her hand over Adriane’s and Emily’s.

Emily smiled gratefully, feeling the magic of friendship flow through her. Deep inside her, she also felt the bond tighten between herself and Lorelei. She knew something had happened to Lorelei, something terrible and traumatic. If only the unicorn would trust her enough to tell her about it.

Until then, they could only wait for the monster to make its next move.

S
UN STREAMED THROUGH
the large windows of the library in Ravenswood Manor, illuminating the rich mahogany shelves and the rows upon rows of leather-bound books. Emily paced back and forth, thinking. Adriane sat at the computer console, checking over the list of new arrivals and running through pages of emails that had backed up over the past few days. Even if the tours weren’t making much of an impact, the website had been a big hit, attracting friends from all over the world.

“Em, Meilin sends you her regards,” Adriane called out. “Here’s one from Max in Acapulco. He thinks his dog is talking again.”

“That’s silly—animals don’t talk,” Ozzie commented lazily. He was sunning himself on the window ledge.

The door opened and Kara bounded in. “Hey, kids, I got good news and bad news. The good news is everyone congratulated me on the cool mascot at yesterday’s game, even if it was just a horse with a party hat on its head.” She winked.

Emily winced. She was beginning to wish it
was
just a party hat, and not a real unicorn horn.

“And the bad news?” Adriane asked.

“The bad new is Mrs. Windor—she’s on a rampage. She wants an inspection.”

“What?” Adriane was outraged. “That’s all we need—Mrs. Windor snooping around out here!”

“What we need is the council’s permission to set up the Ravenswood benefit concert,” Kara reminded her. “The only way we get it is if she thinks we have everything under control.”

Adriane sprang to her feet. “We’ve got harpies, wommels, and flobbins!”

Ozzie perked up. “Harpies, wommels, and flobbins? Oh my!”

“The benefit concert will put Ravenswood on the map!” Kara pointed out. “Besides, she’s coming whether we like it or not.”

“Well, everyone is accounted for,” Adriane said. Then she looked at Emily. “Except for Lorelei.”

“Emily, you’ve
got
to find her,” Kara said.

“I know,” Emily said.

E
MILY PAUSED AT
the tree line and glanced back. With a sigh, she turned away and continued on into the woods. She needed time to think, to process everything she’d learned.

At least they knew what they were dealing with: a harpy. That was what she’d seen. But was it following her, or was it after Lorelei?

Despite their support, her friends were not sure Lorelei was what she seemed to be. And who could blame them? Since coming through the portal, Lorelei had demonstrated complete lack of control over her magic. The unicorn had uprooted trees and flung rocks around, busted into a football game, and beheaded a mascot—not to mention leading Emily herself on more than one wild-goose chase. Still, nothing could erase the memory of the connection she had felt with the beautiful wild creature. Emily felt Lorelei’s pain as the unicorn felt hers. There was no way she could be anything but good!

Emily sank down onto a rock just off the trail, her head swirling with so many questions she couldn’t think straight. She buried her face in her hands. This was too much for her. She’d have been better off staying in Colorado, better off if she’d never heard of the magic web or quiffles or unicorns or any of the rest of it. If only this wasn’t so hard…

Cheenngg.

A quiet chord, like a question, sang out from somewhere nearby. Emily lifted her head. “Hello?” she whispered uncertainly.

Cheenngggg.

Emily stood up. Her jewel was glowing. As she watched, the rainbow colors grew brighter and brighter until they flowed together into a pale, almost clear white light.

When the chord came again, Emily turned toward it. For a second she hesitated, thinking of how deceptive the sounds of the harpy could be.

For some reason, her father’s voice floated into her head—
Don’t be afraid to really feel it
.

She
had
dared to feel, to connect with Lorelei, and now she had to follow through on that connection. Lorelei was calling to her, needed her. That was enough to convince her that the risk was worth it.

She stepped forward, following the music. It led her off the trail and through the woods. After a few minutes, she saw a brighter patch of sunlight ahead. She pushed through and emerged into a lush meadow. Wildflowers filled the air in swirls of color.

Lorelei was standing there, waiting for her. She looked magnificent. Her coat was white as snow; her long silky mane was blowing in the breeze; and atop her forehead, her magnificent horn sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight.

Lorelei stared at her. Emily stared back, holding her breath, afraid that the unicorn would run away. Slowly she sat down in the tall grass, crossing her legs in front of her. It was up to Lorelei now. Emily had answered her call, but she wasn’t going to chase her anymore.

For a long, breathless moment, the two looked into each other’s eyes.

Then Lorelei stepped forward. She walked up to Emily and gazed down at her. She exhaled in a long sigh, and inside her head, Emily heard a breath of tinkling bells, with a barely audible word wrapped inside the notes. “
Emily.”

“I’m here,” Emily whispered.

Lorelei knelt down in the grass, then sank to the ground. With another long sigh, she lowered her head, resting it in Emily’s lap.

Emily stared, transfixed by the beauty of the unicorn. The wondrous crystalline horn sparkled just inches from her face. Hardly daring to breathe, she raised her hand and stroked the unicorn’s silky head. Lorelei trembled but stayed where she was. Tiny bursts of magical energy danced around the horn.

“What happened, Lorelei?” Emily asked.

Lorelei shuddered again. A burst of melody swirled from the horn, as bright, white-hot emotions seared an image in Emily’s mind: pathways of stars, exquisite patterns spiraling endlessly into the distance.

Emily squeezed her eyes shut, her head pounding from the intensity of the feelings. “Tell me. It’s all right.”

Lorelei raised her head and gazed at Emily, her eyes filled with despair. This time the words floated into Emily’s mind in somber harmony, like a dirge, a swirling mass of notes in a minor key, so sad her eyes immediately filled with tears.

“
The web is dying.”

In her mind, Emily saw circular pathways crumbling. Between smoking, gaping holes was the blackness of nothing. All at once it became clear. The map of stars was an image of the magic web itself, the system of pathways connecting worlds, allowing magic to flow from one place to another.

This time the music was little more than a breath of melody.

“I am ashamed.”

Emily shook her head, more confused than ever. “I don’t understand.”

She waited. A second later, the images started to come.

Lorelei, dancing joyously along highways of gleaming threads. Music and magic radiating from her—from her beautiful horn. As she danced, magic from her horn wove new patterns, creating new pathways, and joy filled her.

“You make the web?” Emily asked.

“
Unicorns heal the web and keep it strong. Our magic weaves the strands.”

“You heal the web. I can almost see the magic fitting together in patterns, like when I use my healing magic. It’s so beautiful.”

The next image shook Emily as she watched a spiral of web collapse upon itself, strands disintegrating.

The beautiful web Lorelei had spun became weaker and weaker, damaged parts unraveling like a badly frayed rope, falling away, vanishing.

Lorelei breathed out another sad, aching chord. “
It is my fault. Soon the destruction will spread all across the web. I have failed.”

“How could this happen?” Emily blurted, still confused.

Lorelei trembled. “
I lost my magic.”

The unicorn hung her head in shame.

Emily hesitated, afraid that her next question would send the unicorn running off again. But she needed to know. “What happened to your horn?” she whispered.

She felt the unicorn’s body tense. But Lorelei stayed where she was. Her limpid eyes closed, and she breathed out a long, weary, out-of-tune sigh.

A dark, sickly-green wave spreading, blotting out the stars… darkness engulfing Lorelei, covering the unicorn, trapping her in a net of green fire.

A tall figure in dark robes, long silver hair slashed by lightning.

Emily’s eyes flew open. “The Dark Sorceress!” she cried.

More images burst into Emily’s mind, so fast she could hardly follow them.

An exhausted Lorelei, brought before the sorceress in a dark place. Two monstrous ogres standing on either side of the unicorn.

The sorceress giving a sharp nod. The beasts lifting a huge, savage-looking ax. The vicious blade caught a fiery reflection as it hung in the air, poised over the unicorn like a guillotine.

Emily squeezed her hands against her ears as an unearthly shriek filled her head. A scream of sheer anguish and humiliation as the blade slashed downward.

“No!” she cried. The unicorn’s scream exploded inside of Emily’s head, a deafening chorus of agony. Emily cried out along with Lorelei, slumping to the brittle grass.

But the images kept coming.

Laughing triumphantly, the Dark Sorceress held up her prize—the gleaming, crystalline horn of the unicorn.

Lorelei, hornless now, running in wild-eyed terror as fearsome Black Fire coursed uncontrolled through her magic. Her beautiful white coat shifted through colors to try and shield her from the poison. Blazing red, orange, then purple, she staggering hopelessly over the ravaged web, not seeing or caring where she was going, tumbling at last through a portal.

“Oh, no!” Emily gasped in horror.

She stared at the unicorn, tears streaming down her face. Lorelei was gazing at her sadly.

Emily gently reached out and touched Lorelei’s horn

“You are a healer. You helped me. I didn’t know it would grow back.”

“But it wasn’t your fault,” Emily said gently.

“
I must fix what is broken.”

“You mean the web?”

“
That is what unicorns do.”

“But is that creature still after you?”

“
It hunts me still, but I must repair the damage or all will be in danger.”

Lorelei got to her feet. She stood back and raised her head high. Magic spun from her horn, sparkling in the air, shimmering and glittering.

A sudden wind whipped Emily’s curly hair around her head. Sparks of sound flared, bursting into bright lights. She shielded her eyes as the light grew brighter and brighter, filling the meadow, and finally exploding into bolts of lightning.

The air itself seemed to tear apart as a huge, dark opening yawned where a moment ago there had been nothing but fallen leaves and empty air.

Emily braced herself against the wind.