Secret of the Unicorn (Avalon: Web of Magic #4) (17 page)

“O
OOF!” OZZIE SPLUTTERED
, landing on Emily’s stomach with a thump. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem.” Emily set the ferret down on the grass. Glancing around, she saw that Kara, Adriane, and Ghyll had tumbled safely through the portal as well.

“
You’re back
!” Stormbringer raced toward them, almost bowling Adriane over as she licked her face.

Adriane giggled and hugged the big wolf tightly.

Lyra ran to Kara and allowed herself to be caught in a big hug.

“Good thing I’m back,” Kara said, inspecting the large cat. “You need a shampoo.”

“I let myself get extra dirty for you.”

“Aww, how sweet!”

“Hey!” Ozzie called out. “It was no picnic for me either, you know.”

Storm and Lyra walked to the ferret, each licking a side of Ozzie’s face. Ozzie was lifted into the air by two giant tongues.

“
Akk!
Watch it, furballs!”

Loud cheers, squeaks, roars, and peeps rose over the field as the animals barreled in, crowding around the girls.

“They made it!” a brimbee yelled.

Emily, Adriane, and Kara took a bow.

“Your humble junior mages have returned,” Kara announced. “And the harpy is gone!”

Louder cheers erupted from the group.

“Hey, what’s that?” Ronif pointed to the portal.

The girls turned and gasped. Long, glowing strands spilled out of the swirling hole, piling up on the ground in a tremendous heap.

“It’s strands of the web!” Adriane said.

“They must have come loose from the horn when we jumped through.” Emily gazed down at the sparkling, clean horn in her hand. It was her last connection to Lorelei, and she felt a pang of deep sadness when she realized how much she would miss her new friend.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

The air exploded in colorful bubbles as five overexcited dragonflies dove into the girls. They made a beeline line right for Kara’s blond head.

“Oh, no!” Kara clamped her hands on her hair as the dragonflies zipped around her.

“Kaaraa!” Goldie ecstatically cried out, nuzzling into Kara’s neck.

“Hi, Goldie.” Kara gave the mini a scritch between her wings.

“OOoooOO!!!!”

Fred, Barney, Fiona, and Blaze swept past her and fell into the pile of glowing web strands. In a minute, strands went flying everywhere as the little dragons careened about, holding pieces in their tiny beaks.

Emily watched them with wonder. She looked at the horn.
Keep us safe.
She had wished for that with the magic of the horn. “That’s it!” she cried out.

“What?” Adriane asked, ducking as Fred flew over, dangling a pile of strands.

“The strands! What better magic is there than the web itself to build a dreamcatcher?”

“You’re right!” Adriane exclaimed. “Kara, do your thing!”

“You know,” Kara retorted, “I’m perfectly capable of doing other
things
than playing with dragonflies.”

“Right,” Adriane agreed. “Just do us a favor.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t sing!”

Emily could not help giggling as she watched Kara stomp over to the pile of strands.

“D-flies! Front and center!” Kara called out.

“OOOooo, Kaaraa!” Fiona and Barney dove for her shoulder, fighting for position.

“Nuh uh! No cuddles! Get to work and start spinning!”

“Oookee dookee!” Goldie sprang into the air and started squeaking. The others buzzed with excitement, flocking over the pile of magic strands. Soon the dragonflies were busy weaving a new dreamcatcher.

“All righty then,” Kara said, wiping her hands together. “Anything else?”

“Gee, let me think.” Adriane scratched her chin thoughtfully.

“Um, guys.”

The girls looked down at Ozzie. The ferret nodded over to the side of the field where Ghyll sat, hunched over and looking very sad.

Adriane and Emliy looked to Kara.

“What?” Kara stared back, then rolled her eyes. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

Ozzie and the girls walked over to the depressed flobbin.

“Hey, big guy,” Adriane said.

Ghyll looked up. “Oh, hi.”

“Look,” Kara began. “You helped us save Lorelei, and you did save me from falling into a bottomless void. So…” She puckered up. “I’ll lay one on ya.”

Ghyll looked down again.

“What’s wrong, Ghyll?” Emily asked.

“I lied to you all, and I know it wasn’t right.”

“So why did you do it?” Emily asked.

“The Dark Sorceress turned me into a flobbin, and I thought she would turn me back if I helped her get the unicorn.”

“What a chump!” Ozzie said.

“Ozzie!” Emily scolded.

“Sorry,” the ferret mumbled.

“So I tried to get you to send it back. I know now that I was wrong. The sorceress was using me just as she uses everyone and everything. When I saw
her
” —he gestured at Kara— “I figured with her magic, she might be able to change me back without having to get the unicorn involved.”

“And cousin Brommy!” Ozzie said.

“I thought that if you liked me, you might help me and be my friend.” The flobbin blinked his big eyes at Ozzie

“Ghyll, you made a mistake,” Emily said. “We all do. But then you helped us. That’s what counts. That’s what makes friends.” She smiled.

“I don’t have any friends,” the flobbin said sadly. “Who would like a flobbin?”

“Hey! I’m all puckered here!” Kara called out. “Last chance for a magic kiss!”

Ghyll turned sad eyes down to his big flippers. “I made that up, too. There’s no such thing as a magic kiss,” he said dolefully.

“Oh, really?” Kara said, eyes narrowed. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with, flubber. Girls? Shall we?”

Kara daintily held out her hands. Emily and Adriane stepped closer, allowing Kara to take their hands in hers. The wolf stone and the rainbow jewel flared to life, glowing with magical energy.

Bending over, Kara planted a kiss right on Ghyll’s lumpy blue forehead. The flobbin’s eyes went wide.

Sprlllloinnnnng!

A brilliant white burst of magic exploded into the air around them, hiding Ghyll from sight.

“
Yaaak!”
Ozzie cried. “What a kiss!”

Popping and sparking, the magic cloud swirled around Ghyll for a moment, then faded away…

…revealing a glowing purple figure the size of Ozzie. Dressed in a long, belted jacket and pointed shoes, the new Ghyll sported a humanlike face, shiny skin, and a long tail. He looked like a cross between an elf and a purple lizard.

Kara put her hands on her knees and bent down for a better look. “Little short for a prince.”

“Well, I’ve been told I bear a striking resemblance to—whoa!” Ghyll cried as he looked down at himself. “I’m back!”

“Hey!” Ozzie exclaimed. “How come you never told us you’re really a spriggle?”

“I’m a spriggle!” Ghyll yelped. “You did it!”

Kara shrugged. “Okay, cool. You’re not a flobbin anymore. Case closed.” She wiped her hands and stepped away.

“You
are
a princess of magic!” Ghyll jumped up and down, stamping his small, pointed feet.

“And don’t you forget it!” Kara said.

“How can I ever thank you?” Ghyll’s purple ears quivered in joy.

“You can thank us just by doing the right thing,” Emily told him.

“I will. I’ll go back to Aldenmor and work with the mistwolves.” He looked quickly up at Storm. “You don’t eat spriggles, do you?”

“Not lately,”
the mistwolf replied.

The dragonflies were buzzing like busy bees, stretching the golden dreamcatcher tight over the opening of the portal.

“If you want to go, you’d better do it now,” Emily told him. “Before it closes.”

“With the web all messed up, how will I be sure I get to Aldenmor?” Ghyll asked.

Emily held up the unicorn horn. “Lorelei did say that I could have magic of any type I desire.”

She pointed the horn at the portal and made a wish. “I wish for our friend to get to Aldenmor safely.” The horn glowed, briefly followed by an answering flare from inside the portal.

Ghyll walked proudly to the portal.

“Hey, Ghyll!” Ozzie called out.

The spriggle turned to Ozzie. “Yes?”

“If you see Brommy…”

Ghyll looked at the ground, embarrassed.

“Give him my regards.” Ozzie finished, and smiled.

Ghyll smiled back. “Will do.” With that he jumped through the dreamcatcher and vanished into the mists.

“Well, this princess of magic is going home to take a six-hour bath,” Kara announced.

“What are we going to do with the horn?” Adriane asked.

Kara eyed the glimmering jewel in Emily’s hands.

“No, you can’t wear it,” Adriane said.

“I think it’d be best if we hide it in the library,” Emily suggested. “Until we figure out what to do with it.”

“Agreed,” Adriane said. “That’s the best solution.”

Kara pouted. “Okay,” she said at last. “But I still want a jewel!”

“Say, about this magic kiss business.” Ozzie ran over to Kara. “You got another wet one in there?”

Kara swooped up the astonished ferret and spun around, planting kisses all over his furry head.

“
Gahh
! Watch the fur! Put me down!”

Adriane fell to the ground, laughing, her arms tight around Storm’s neck.

Emily watched her friends and smiled. They had learned a lot about magic in such a short time, had seen its terrible potential for destruction and the wonder of healing and renewal. But most of all they had learned of its responsibility. The Fairimentals would be proud. In just a few months they had learned more about what it meant to be a mage than if they had apprenticed for years, not in the knowledge of spells and jewels, but something more essential, the truth in their hearts.

E
MILY OPENED THE
door to the Pet Palace and slipped quietly inside. She hadn’t seen Ozzie all day. Her mind flashed back to the disastrous scene with the dog food the other day, and she sighed, scurrying to track him down. If he made another mess, her mother would probably ship her off to boarding school and have the ferret stuffed. Besides, it was past time to do the afternoon feeding.

Emily heard humming. She hesitated, tempted to sneak back out.

But Carolyn looked up and saw her. “Em!” she exclaimed with a smile. “Come here, sweetie. Did you know your ferret could do tricks?”

“Huh?” Emily blinked, noticing for the first time that Ozzie was standing on a wooden box, juggling liver snaps. He tossed them into the air, then one by one caught them in his open mouth.

She narrowed her eyes at him. He merely grinned in response, then did a backflip.

Carolyn laughed with delight. “You know, this is the smartest ferret I have ever seen. I just love him!” She grabbed Ozzie and gave him a hug. “You were lucky to rescue him, Emily.”

“I know.” Emily stared at the grinning ferret, thinking back to the day she and Adriane had discovered him caught in a trap in Ravenswood forest. That day had changed her life forever. And it never would have happened if her mother hadn’t forced her to move to Stonehill. No matter how hard it had been to start a whole new life, she would never regret any of it. Ever.

She suddenly realized that Carolyn was watching her. With a flash of guilt, Emily remembered their argument again. How could she have said such terrible, hurtful things to her mother?

“Mom,” she said softly, “I—I—”

“Yes?” Carolyn turned away from Ozzie, facing her daughter.

Emily took a deep breath. This was harder than she would have believed possible. Still, she knew she had to do it. She had to take responsibility for her own actions.

“I’m sorry,” she said simply. “I acted like a total brat. I didn’t mean to hurt you with those awful things I said.”

Carolyn sighed and looked down at her hands. Then she took a step toward Emily. “I know,” she said softly. “This move hasn’t been easy for either of us. And I’m sorry, too—I had no idea how much you were hurting. You seemed so happy with your new friends.”

“Oh, I am!” Emily put in quickly. “I really am. I guess I just wasn’t as over it all as I thought, you know?”

Carolyn nodded. “You know you can always talk to me, no matter what’s on your mind. And I’ll do the same, okay?”