Spellsinger (Avalon: Web of Magic #5) (15 page)

The singer quickly covered the distance separating them. Concern tinged his words. “Kara, what happened? Are you all right?”

“You were right, Johnny,” she told him. “Adriane wanted to sing in the spotlight. She wanted to take my place!”

“Well, don’t worry. No one can take your place! I’ll make sure Adriane doesn’t get anywhere near you during the show.”

“Thanks,” Kara said, still feeling a little shaky.

Johnny smiled as he led Kara to the back door of the manor and onto the great lawn. The crowd was chanting for Johnny. His band had taken their places onstage, ready to rock.

“It’s show time.” Johnny straightened his leather jacket as he led Kara to the side of the stage. People covered the entire field.

“Johnny! Johnny!”

“Are you ready?” he asked Kara.

“Kara! Kara!” Did she hear the crowd shouting her name also?

“Yes!” Kara wiped the dried stain from her jacket. “I’m ready to shine my light!”

“All right! Let’s knock ’em dead!”

A
DRIANE PACED BACK
and forth as Emily entered the living room. “Gran’s fine now. Just resting,” she reported.

“We were right,” Adriane said, her hands balled into fists, wolf stone pulsing. “It’s Johnny! Only it’s worse than we thought... whatever he is, he’s not human.”

“A shape-shifter,” Balthazar said.

“That’s what we sensed the other night.” Ronif shuddered.

“What’re we talking about here, banshee? Sylph? Brag? Dryad?” Ozzie asked.

“Worse,” Rommel answered.

“Werebeast?”

“Keep going,” a pooxim sang out.

“A fairy creature then.” Ozzie paced, paws behind his back.

The animals followed him, nodding in agreement.

“I thought fairies were good,” Emily said.

“Not the dark ones,” Eddie the brimbee said.

The pooxim agreed. “Dark fairy creatures are extremely dangerous.”

Ozzie turned to the girls. “This one is very cunning and proficient with spells.” The ferret waved his paws around.

Adriane flashed on the Fairimental’s warning. “Like spellsinging.”

“Skultum!” Several animals said at once, their voices quivering.

“Blingo,” Balthazar said. “This fairy creature is rare and very, very evil.”

“
A Skultum. That explains it. It must have disguised itself as me.
” Lyra was wildly pacing now. “
I thought she was ignoring me, but maybe she can’t hear me. Kara is in terrible danger! We have to help her!
”

“Skultum! ” The animals all wailed. “We’re no match for that magic!”

“Everyone, chill! You have to get back to the glade!” Emily said. “All of you!”

From outside, they heard the sounds of rockin’ drums, a thumping bass, and a wild electric guitar.

“The show’s started!” Ozzie yelled.

Then the most powerful spellsinging voice in this world—and any other— rang out. Johnny Conrad had taken the stage.

D
ANCE! DANCE! DANCE!
Take a chance and dance!

Buzzing with excitement, Kara watched from the wings as Johnny launched into his opening number. The audience loved it: moving, clapping, and dancing to the music. Johnny had them in the palm of his hand.

In her hand, Kara clutched the locket, thinking back to how she had first pictured the event, months ago. And now it was really happening! Here she was with Johnny Conrad, about to become the star she was meant to be!

She would use the magic. She had no choice. Her song with Johnny had to go perfectly.

“Kara! Kara!”

Was the crowd calling out her name already? She scanned the rows of faces. They were all intently watching Johnny, center stage.

“Over here!”

Just outside the roped-off area beside the stage, Emily and Adriane were jumping and waving. Adriane was in her black jeans and dark green jacket. When did she have time to change? Kara wondered.

They were yelling something but she couldn’t make it out above the music. Emily was arguing with the security people but the guards weren’t letting them through. Kara smirked as Adriane paced back and forth, hands balled into fists. She must be so mad! Kara smiled to herself. Serves her right.

She turned back to the stage as Johnny finished his first song.

“Hello, Stonehill!” The pop star shouted. “It’s a great night for Ravenswood!”

The audience exploded in applause. Then the band blazed into their second number. Johnny rocked out, doing the moves that had made him famous.

Kara danced in the wings, jumping and—
ow!
Something had just bitten her! She spun around but nothing was there. Another spark stung her leg. What was that? Then she caught a telltale flash of amber light. Z
ing!
She’d been bitten again! Adriane! Angry, she whirled around and saw the black-haired girl standing, arm raised, golden light flaring from her jewel. Kara narrowed her eyes and stuck her tongue out. She was just starting to turn away when she saw Adriane pointing. Kara followed Adriane’s finger. Emily was holding up a sign. IT WASN’T LYRA!

Kara stopped moving. It wasn’t Lyra? She loved Lyra more than anyone, but she’d been avoiding the cat. In fact, she hadn’t even really thought of her since…
it wasn’t Lyra!

Something twisted in her stomach. She looked back at Emily again, who now had a second sign raised. IT WASN’T ADRIANE!

What did Emily mean? Lyra and Adriane had been
horrible
to her. Of course it was them! She’d seen them! A tingle of fear crept up Kara’s back, tickling its way to her neck. She took a tentative step toward her friends.

Suddenly, the locket around her neck sparked with intense heat. Her mind became hazy. Johnny was finishing his second number, but he was looking directly at her, anger flaring across his face. Kara shook her head—she must be crazy! She turned back to the stage and was relieved to see Johnny’s look soften before he faced the crowd and bowed.

“Before we continue,” he announced. “I know you’re all excited about the contest. And I have picked the winner!”

What?
Kara’s face mirrored the surprise on the contestants’—no one had performed yet!

Johnny continued, “Let’s hear it for the person who made this whole day possible, Ravenswood’s very own, Kara Davies!”

Applause thundered as Johnny beckoned Kara. In a daze, she stepped onstage.

“And we have a surprise for you—we’re going to perform a brand-new song dedicated to the Ravenswood Preserve!” Johnny smiled at Kara. “Give it all you got!”

He nodded to the band, and the music started. Kara felt light-headed.

The audience sat waiting as the band reached her cue. Kara opened her mouth and sang.

In a world that spins so fast

Nothing real seems to last

When the future falls out of sight

Find the path and shine your light

Kara scanned the crowd and felt her cheeks flush. Wincing, she spied Heather flanked by Molly and Tiffany, all snickering. This was awful. Kara’s voice hadn’t changed a bit.

“Sing it! Johnny hissed. “You’re the star! Make it happen! Use your star power.”

The locket around her neck flared with magical energy. Kara thought, when they see what kind of star I really am, they’ll come back to me.

She
deserved
to be the blazing star. That was her destiny, and Johnny could make it happen.

Reaching into her jacket, she felt the comforting coolness of the unicorn horn. Gripping it tightly, she called upon its magic… and sang.

Kara’s voice suddenly soared into the air, hitting perfect notes. She sang louder, moving her feet to the backbeat.

Johnny jumped into the air and danced. “That’s it!”

The audience cheered.

As Kara sang the chorus, she could feel the powerful energies flowing from the unicorn horn mixing it up with her magic. Lights behind the stage flashed in time to the beat as a wave of blue light pulsed around her.

Johnny was ecstatic. “Beautiful! More! Give it more! Shine your light!”

And she did.

I
N THE DISTANCE
, away from the surging crowd, strong magic swirled into the large field. The portal to Ravenswood opened wide, ripping the air with shrieking winds against the darkening horizon. The dreamcatcher that kept Ravenswood safe sparkled, ready to amplify any magic sent through it.

E
MILY AND ADRIANE
were pushed to the side of the great lawn as people surged forward to get closer to the stage. “
Warrior! Healer!
” The girls heard the mistwolf’s urgent voice in their heads.

“What is it, Storm?” Adriane asked.

“
The portal has opened!
”

“Oh, no!”

The girls looked back up at Kara and saw the blue glow around her. That wasn’t special effects! That was magic!

They pushed and shoved their way to the stage.

“Kara, stop!” Emily called. “You’re opening the portal!”

Kara heard them and faltered. But before she could react, there was a blast of magic from the locket—and suddenly she was singing louder than ever, releasing more and more of her magic.

“Johnny!” Adriane shouted, nodding toward the wildly grinning singer. “He’s making her do it!”

And though Kara was singing wonderfully, there was pain and fear in her eyes.

The bass thrummed a thumping rhythm, and the band began its instrumental break. Johnny pumped his fist in the air as he swaggered across the stage, drawing the crowd to their feet.

His fingers reached into the sky and he began to spin. A blistering lead solo kept the fevered pace. Suddenly the music stopped—and so did Johnny. In his hands he cradled a ball of light.

He grinned at the audience as the ball grew brighter, revealing twinkling stars inside. The crowd cheered louder.

With a graceful toss, he sent the ball floating gently over his head. It sparkled as it caught the stage lights, glistening like a mirror ball, sailing through the air right toward Kara.

Kara recognized it instantly, the twinkling ball of stars with the bright silver glow in its center. She was looking at the fairy map. The gift the Fairimentals had given her. The one stolen last summer by the monstrous manticore.

Kara gazed at Johnny in fear. Then she felt the heat of the locket on her skin, pulling at her magic, and her thoughts began to get hazy. In a burst of sudden panic, she tightened her grip on the unicorn horn.

“What have I done,” Kara said, her voice breaking as the tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision.

But Johnny was no longer looking at her. His gaze was firmly fixed on the fairy map.

“You are the blazing star.” His musical voice sounded like a chant. “Shine on!”

The fairy map began to settle around her, covering her in dazzling stars. Pinpoints of light twinkled, each a portal on the magic web.

“Sing, Kara!” Johnny urged. “Make it happen.”

The audience was on its feet, breathlessly waiting to see what would follow this special effects extravaganza.

Kara struggled to fight Johnny’s spell and stop the song before it was too late, but she didn’t have the strength. The unicorn horn could not protect her. Triggered by her blazing star power, the lights in the fairy map rolled and tumbled, falling into a pattern.

And she was just another falling star about to flame out in a blaze of glory.

No! She
had
to fight this! “Lyra!” she called out.

“
I’m here!
” the cat answered.

Hearing the voice of her best friend, Kara suddenly knew that Lyra would never do anything to hurt her. It had all been a trick.

Kara started the next verse—but reaching out to her friend for strength, she changed the words.

A web of lies spins so fast

I was blinded by your night

We can see the truth at last

Let’s all shine our light!

The crowd gasped. Her voice sounded horrible. She couldn’t hit any of the notes.

“What’s she doing?” Emily asked nervously.

“She’s changing the words,” Adriane said, surprised. “She’s trying to spellsing!”