Song of the Unicorns (Avalon: Web of Magic #7) (5 page)

“E
MILY
.”

Emily walked into her living room. Ghostly beams of light played over what used to be couches and chairs, now twisted into slabs of black ice. She caught movement from the corner of her eye. Spiders skittered up and down the walls.

Carolyn stood in the hallway watching her daughter. “Your new mother is here to see you.”

A tall woman stood facing the hearth, long dark hair falling down her back. The woman slowly turned, and Emily’s voice locked in a silent scream.

The woman’s porcelain white skin matched the streak of white lightning in her jet-black hair. And her eyes, the vertical slits of an animal, pulsed with a feral glow.

“We’re family now, dear,” the Dark Sorceress sneered, beckoning Emily forward with a long silver claw.

Vampire fangs appeared at the edge of her thin lips as the sorceress embraced Emily, pulling her into darkness—

“Emily, are you in there?”

Emily opened her eyes to find two noses, one furry, one damp and cool, in her face.

Dreamer gave her a lick as Ozzie dropped a tangle of curly hair back over her face. Wiping sleepy eyes, Emily let the nightmare fade.

“We brought you something to eat,” Adriane said, standing by the bunk bed. She handed Emily a covered tray and a container of juice.

Suddenly feeling famished, Emily swung her legs to the wooden floor and opened the tray. “Thank you,” she said, biting into the most delicious tuna sandwich she had ever tasted. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

“You were exhausted,” Adriane said. “The social butterfly mage covered for you at dinner.”

“Hey, kids,” Kara said, bounding through the screen door and flouncing on the bed next to Emily. “Veronica invited me to the Moonlit Mudbake at the spa tonight.”

“Yeah, that’s great,” Emily mumbled over a pickle.

“Emily, I was just trying to be friendly,” Kara said. “You should give her a chance.”

“Well, thanks for keeping her busy.”

“No prob.” Kara popped open two matching floral suitcases. Their contents immediately spilled out. She started sorting through shoes, pastel bandanas, silk shirts, jackets, and assorted outfits.

Emily pulled her hair back, taming it with a scrunchy.

“Can you still hear them?” Ozzie asked, ferret face full of concern.

“Not now.”

“Ozzie filled us in,” Adriane said. “Dreamer and I checked the grounds. No sign of unusual whirlwinds or any magical activity. We think it was isolated to that canyon, drawn to the magic of whatever’s in the caves.”

Emily nodded.

Kara was neatly laying out several outfits. “Well, you can go out tomorrow morning and look around all you want.”

“No,” Emily said. “We have to go
now
!”

Kara put her hands on her hips. “You’re going to go wandering around in the desert
now
?”

“We can’t wait,” Emily said, slipping into her hiking boots. “Whatever animals are in there could be hurt.”

“Emily says we go, we go!” Adriane said.

Dreamer paced the room and sent an image of the moon.

“Come on, you can say it,” Adriane urged.

“The wolf hunts at night.”

“That settles it.” The warrior looked at Kara. “Four against one.”

“I’m not going to miss the mudbath to go wandering around in the dirt!” Kara glared, and her hair stuck out like a porcupine.

“Nice,” Adriane commented.

“It’s at least three miles. How are we going to get there?” Emily asked.

“The Bride of Frankenstein here was kind enough to secure us a ride.” Adriane pointed through the screen door. A shiny new golf cart sat in front of the cabin.
FOUR WINDS RESORT
was stenciled on the sides in looping turquoise.

“No way! I’m not walking, like, way over there.” Kara headed to the cabin’s bathroom and yelped when she saw her hair in the mirror.

Dreamer huffed, the equivalent of a mistwolf laugh.

With a brilliant zap, Kara tamed her hair back to normal. Satisfied, she cleared Emily’s and Adriane’s toothbrushes off the shelf and started carefully arranging her lipstick from palest to darkest pink. “Maybe I’ll just keep it like Veronica’s.” As Kara spoke, her blond tresses twisted and shimmered into Veronica’s flowing black mane.

“Don’t do that!” Emily said angrily.

Kara gulped and shut her eyes in concentration. Her hair turned blond. “Sorry.”

Emily paused on the woven Southwestern rug. “It’s not funny.”

“It’s not a fashion accessory. Get your jewel under control!” Adriane ordered.

Kara fretted, twisting the unicorn jewel in her hand. “I am, I’m trying…”

Emily caught a glint of fear in Kara’s eyes. “Okay, you stay here, Kara,” she said, plucking the jean jacket from her suitcase.

“Let’s move out,” Adriane ordered, zipping her down vest. “Anything happens, you call us right away,” she said to Kara.

“Check.” Kara saluted.

Adriane, Dreamer, Emily, and Ozzie barreled out the cabin’s screen door.

“Your carriage, m’lady.” Adriane bowed formally, gesturing to the golf cart.

“Thank you, kind knave,” Emily giggled, stepping into the front passenger seat. Dreamer and Ozzie climbed in back.

Adriane swung into the driver’s seat and started the ignition, Dreamer and Ozzie hanging anxiously over her shoulder.

“Hey, no sweat. I’ve been driving lawnmowers since I was seven.”

The cart jumped backward.

“Okay, eight.” The cart lurched forward, crunching along the gravel-covered path that wound between clusters of cabins.

“The trail starts beyond that big rock.” Emily pointed.

Adriane swung the cart off the main road, jostling over small rocks and brush.

The last purple glow of sunset had disappeared, swallowing the desert in darkness. Adriane switched the headlights on, projecting a bright circle of light. They rode through an earthy sea of rolling hills and vast plains. Emily and Ozzie directed them by landmarks spotted earlier that day as they moved into wide open desert.

“There’s Echo Ridge.” Emily pointed to a shadowy wall looming in the distance. “Follow the ridgeline east.” She moved her finger. “The canyon’s about a mile… over there.”

Adriane steered the cart toward the canyon. The rising moon cast its ghostly white glow over the land, making everything stand out in stark relief.

At the wide entrance to the canyon, Adriane brought the cart to a stop.

Mages, Ozzie, and Dreamer sat listening to the night sounds of the desert. Insects chirped and buzzed, a coyote yipped in the distance.

“There’s a big cave on the far side of the canyon,” Ozzie said.

The warrior looked at her jewel. It lay quietly on her wrist.

Dreamer raised his nose in the air and sniffed. With a bark, he leaped from the cart.

“What you got?” Adriane asked.

“Magic.”

“Okay, but stay close.”

With Dreamer leading the way, eagerly sniffing the night air, Adriane drove the cart into the canyon.

“Mage?”

A soft voice crept into Emily’s head.

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Are you really a mage?”

“Yes.”

“Then what’s my name?”

“Quiet, Clio! Don’t speak to strangers!”

“Clio,”
Emily answered.

“Ooo, you hear that, Riannon?”

“She heard me say that you bubblebrain!”

“Another message?” Adriane asked, sensing Emily’s thoughts.

“Yes, let’s hurry.”

Emily’s jumbled thoughts settled on the memory of a beautiful white unicorn.

Lorelei was her name. The Dark Sorceress had captured Lorelei and cut off her horn in an effort to steal the unicorn’s magic. Emily shuddered, not wanting to think about what they were going to find. It was her job to feel that pain and heal it.

“Emily!” Adriane whispered, holding up her wolf stone. It blazed with a warning light.

The healer’s hazel eyes shone, reflecting the deep red of her pulsing gem.

“Where’s it coming from?” Ozzie looked all around, his stone also ablaze with a magical warning.

Dreamer sent an image of sand.

Adriane focused a beam of light across the surrounding sands. Nothing moved in the silvery desert dreamscape. “I don’t see anything.”

The mistwolf’s hackles rose, and he whirled around, growling.

The cart suddenly rose and lowered as if cresting a wave.

“Whoa!” Ozzie said. “Look!”

Behind them, the desert floor billowed and rolled like a stormy sea.

Emily held on tight, then stood, her jewel radiating light. The threat was all around them. “Faster, Adriane!”

“We’re going as fast as we can!” Her foot was flat against the cart’s floor.

“I think I see—
ooof!
”

Emily landed on the ground, face first in sand. She twisted around and looked up. The cart careened into the air. Spinning head over wheels, it landed with a dull thud.

Pushing to her knees, she frantically looked for Adriane.

A blaze of golden light caught Emily’s eye as she saw the warrior’s wolf stone spark to fire.

“Emily! Are you all right?”

“I think so.” She tried to clear her head and squinted. The sands swelled with movement. Something was
swimming
in there. A sharp fin rose, slicing its way toward her. She couldn’t outrun it, it was too fast.

The monster erupted from the sands not three feet in front of her! For an instant, Emily saw its massive shark-like head and maw of stalactite teeth.

Dreamer crashed headfirst into it, viciously ripping at the thing’s throat.

The shark twisted and leaped, its full body rising out of the desert sand.

Adriane aimed her fists, and golden fire flew in the night, striking fast and hard. The beast exploded in a cloud of sand and stone.

“It’s made of sand!” Emily shielded her eyes from falling debris.

Adriane cut the stream of magic, sharply pulling the fire back to her wrist.

“Warrior wolf!”
Dreamer growled proudly.

“Yes!”

Behind the dust, flashing lights suddenly appeared in the desert sky.

“Spaceships!” Ozzie yelled.

A whirlwind spun into existence. Bright reds, greens, and purples cast an eerie glow across the sand.

“Another magic whirlwind!” Emily cried.

Like a snake, the whirlwind burrowed into the ground. Amid the roiling desert, eight sharp fins materialized.

“Where’s the cave, Ozzie?” Emily shouted.

“Er… this way… no over there…
Gah!”

The ferret skidded to a stop as a huge dorsal fin burst from the sand.

“Dreamer! Cover our backs!” Adriane ordered, honing the glowing golden beam from her gem into a light saber. “Emily, take the right! Ozzie the left!”

“We can’t hold them, Adriane,” Emily cried. “Run!”

But it was too late. Dozens of black fins surfaced. The mages were completely surrounded.

U
NDER THE MOON’S
ghostly light, the desert churned as the creatures swarmed, sending rippling waves of sand against the four defenders of magic. Emily, Adriane, Ozzie, and Dreamer stood back-to-back, gems drawn. The mistwolf bared his teeth and snapped at the monsters.

“Steady, stay sharp,” Adriane commanded, wielding her sword of wolf fire.

“Look out!” Ozzie screamed.

Sand erupted as an enormous beast attacked. Its huge body surged from the desert, long teeth gnashing.

Adriane sliced the beast in half, raining sand everywhere. Dreamer tried to block another sand shark, but he accidentally barreled into Adriane’s legs, almost knocking her over.

“Dreamer, stay behind me!” the warrior ordered.

The second beast lunged. Silvery moonlight reflected off crystal teeth as the creature’s gaping maw stretched wide. Adriane fired a bolt of fire down its throat, exploding the thing into a cloud of sand.

Several more creatures came at the group from all sides.

“There’s too many!” Ozzie smacked his ferret stone, trying to make it do something.

A shadow swirled across the ground as a dark shape swooped from the sky.

“Incoming!” Ozzie cried.

With a fierce roar, the flying creature dove right into the attacking monsters, razor claws flashing. The beasts were ripped to bits of sand and rocks in a matter of seconds.

“Lyra!” Emily cried.

“Hurry, run!”
the flying cat called.

“Go, go, go!” Adriane yelled. She leaped and spun, lashing a stream of blazing wolf fire at another beast.

Dreamer leaped and barked.

Another whirlwind materialized, this one much smaller. Adriane landed in a fighting stance, ready to unleash her fire.

“Adriane, wait!” Emily yelled.

Veering crazily, the tiny whirlwind wobbled to a stop, revealing a small, twiggy figure.

“Tweek!” Emily cried.

“The magic’s gone wild!” the E.F. squeaked, quartz eyes spinning in his head. “Took me forever to get ba—” he found himself eye to quartz with another sand shark “—aaaaaaack!”

The shark swallowed Tweek whole.

Adriane whipped her golden light into a fiery lasso and wrapped it around the thrashing beast, ripping it in half.

The little twig figure fell to the ground in a cloud of sand. “Fascinating. This elemental magic is like nothing I’ve seen before.”

The desert rumbled ominously.

“Everyone into the cave!” Adriane ordered, herding the group across the remaining distance.

Stumbling over the undulating sands, Ozzie grabbed the E.F. “You’ve got some ’splaining to do!”

They entered the dark cave. The mages’ jewels wove gold and blue light across the interior, illuminating an immense chamber.

Lyra landed inside, and Emily ran to hug the big cat.

“I am
so
happy to see you!” she cried.

Lyra nuzzled her sleek head against Emily’s face, her bright green cat’s eyes dancing.
“I couldn’t let you go on an adventure without me.”

Adriane scratched behind Lyra’s ears. “Would never be the same. How did you find us?”

“
I just looked for magical mayhem,
” Lyra purred playfully.
“Of course, I was expecting to find the blazing star.”

Staring into the black depths of the cavern, Tweek, still in Ozzie’s grip, spoke quietly. “Adventure? Is this a normal day for you mages?”

“You have no idea,” Ozzie mumbled.

“Tweek, this is Adriane, Dreamer, and Lyra,” Emily introduced her friends.

“Pleased to meet you, I am an Experimen—
geek!”

“Yeah, we know,” Ozzie said, shaking a few loose branches from the E.F. “Why do you always show up just when something bad is happening?”

“Ozzie!” Emily scolded. “Put him down.”

“It’s not my fault,” Tweek said, straightening stray twigs and scrub. “Someone is using fairy magic to twist elements of nature.”

“Who?” Ozzie said, arms crossed over his chest.

“I don’t know.”

“What
do
you know?” Ozzie demanded.

“The square root of absolute shrub is four times the leaf.”

“What’s that?”

“Twigonometry.”

“So someone is after the lost magic,” Emily guessed.

“Yes, yes!” Tweek waved his twiggy arms.

“Hoooob.”

“Teeeeooo.”

“Squoooook.”

Everyone heard the mournful sounds echoing from the depths of the dank cave.

“What was that?” Tweek asked.

Emily stood still as a statue. The noises pulsed in a rhythm strangely familiar to her. “I think that’s your missing magic—unicorns.”

“Unicorns?” Tweek gasped. “Sounds awful!”

Adriane spread her golden light across the back walls, revealing a series of tunnels running in several directions. Shadows shifted across the rocky ceiling in reaction to the intrusive light.

“What is that?” Ozzie pointed.

“Bats,” Emily answered. “They live in the outer caves.”

“
Gah!
There must be thousands of them!”

Adriane knelt by Dreamer, gently stroking his neck. “Which tunnel leads us to the magic?”

More strange, out-of-tune noises echoed through the cave.

Dreamer barked excitedly, pointing his nose to the tunnel on the far right.

“Okay, lead the way,” Adriane told her packmate.

The tunnel snaked through honeycombed caverns, the mages’ magic gems illuminating eerie limestone fingers on either side. It was if they had wandered into some bizarre subterranean universe. They passed extraordinary natural sculptures that looked like frozen waterfalls and melted castles. Along the ground, weird lacy rocks twisted crazily and disappeared into the dark. Emily could sense they were going deep underground.

“Toot.”

“BLaaARP!”

“Lalala.”

“That way.” Emily pointed as the tunnel ended in several other offshoots. She edged in front of Dreamer, moving quickly. The noises were getting more agitated.

“It’s getting stronger,” Emily said.

Dreamer agreed, growling low in his throat.

“Be careful.” Ozzie walked in front of Emily protectively, his stone emitting a faint golden glow.

They passed a grand chamber. Enormous stalactites hung like icicles from the ceiling. Trails of iridescent water dripped onto spiky, yellowish stalagmite spires surging from the cavern floor.

“It’s got to be right around here,” Emily said, continuing down the tunnel, her stone now pulsing bright blue.

“I don’t see anythi—!”

Twonk!

Ozzie bounced off… nothing!

“Ozzie, are you all right?”

“Perfect.” The ferret leaped to his feet, whiskers springing back in place.

Reaching over the ferret, Emily’s fingers bumped up against an invisible barrier. “There’s something here,” she said, running her blue and lavender jewel light over the area. Wherever the light hit, a shimmering silver shield was revealed.

“A protection shield!” Tweek cried excitedly. “Ooo, Gwigg was right, you are good!”

“They’re in there,” Emily whispered. Placing both hands against the shield, she leaned in close. “Can you hear me?”

“Go away!”

“Leave us alone, you snarkmoose!”

“There’s no one in here!”

“Shhhhh!”

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Emily said, trying to send calming vibes through the barrier. She looked to Adriane and nodded.

The black-haired mage summoned a thread of golden magic from her fingertip and directed it carefully at the shield. It bounced off, ricocheting over Tweek’s head.

“Now what?” the warrior asked.

“HORARFF!” Tweek exclaimed.

“Bless you.” Ozzie patted the E.F. on the back

“No, no, the HORARFF: Handbook of Rules And Regulations For Fairimentals!” Tweek held the little turquoise gemstone at his neck. “This might tell us how to get past the shield.”

Tweek’s quartz eyes sparkled in concentration, and a glowing orb blossomed from the gem. Strange symbols and images flashed rapidly through the little sphere, casting shifting shadows upon the rocky walls of the cavern.

“It’s like a fairy map,” Adriane observed.

“Something like that,” Tweek said, studying the symbols. “The HORARFF is tuned to me, so I’m the only one who can operate it,” Tweek explained. “Ah, here we go. This barrier is a unicorn shield. The only way to get through it is to use unicorn magic. I don’t suppose anyone has some laying around?”

“We don’t, but—” Emily started.

“We know someone who does,” Adriane finished.

“You better call her, Lyra,” Emily said to the cat.

Lyra nodded.

“Who, who?” Tweek asked excitedly. “Another mage?”

“The pink one,” Adriane answered dryly.

“Who, who?”

“Calm down,” Ozzie said. “You sound like Ariel.”

“Tell her to get the dragonflies to open a portal,” Emily continued. “It’s the only way to get her here. We took her golf cart.”

The cat closed her green eyes to send the message telepathically to Kara. Lyra’s face scrunched, and her brow furrowed as if she was arguing.

“Wait!” Tweek exclaimed, jumping excitedly. “The blazing star, right?”

“Blingo,” Adriane muttered.

Lyra opened her eyes and grimaced. “
She’s not happy, but she’s coming.
”

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

Suddenly, bubbles of bright light like starbursts popped into the cave, each bearing a brilliantly colored flying mini dragon.

“Dee Dee! Emeee!”

Purple Barney, red Fiona, blue Fred, orange Blaze, and yellow Goldie flew about the mages excitedly.

“Ozooo!” Barney flopped onto Ozzie’s head.

“Gah! Get off me you pest!”

“Hi guys,” Emily said, scratching Fiona under her little chin.

The dragonflies immediately brushed against the shield, cooing and oohing.

“Yes, we need to get in there, but we need Kara.”

“Oooo!”

The five minis hooked wingtips together and formed a circle, spinning and whirring, creating a swirling mass of color. They were forming a portal. The glowing circle expanded and began flashing erratically.

The tunnel walls suddenly rumbled and shook as if a train had passed underneath.

“I don’t like the feel of that,” Adriane said, glancing at her wolf stone.

“You think whatever attacked us outside has followed us in?” Emily asked worriedly.

Tweek’s quartz eyes started spinning. “Something awful is coming!”

“KaaRaa!” Goldie squeaked.

In a burst of diamond light, a figure stepped from the portal’s center and into the cave.

“AHHH!” Tweek screamed, barreling into Ozzie as he tried to flee, twigs and sticks flying.

Kara scowled, cracking the thick brown mud mask plastered to her face. Her plush white terrycloth robe and matching towel turban only made the brown mask and cucumber eye patch stand out more.

“Try not to let her beauty blind you,” Adriane cracked to Tweek.

“This better be good!” the blazing star fumed.

“We found the source of magic, but it’s behind a shield,” Emily explained, pressing her hand against the barrier. “Tweek says we need your unicorn jewel to get past it.”

“I can’t!” Kara said adamantly.

“What do you mean you can’t?” Adriane asked. “Your jewel is the only thing that can open it.”

“Kara, what’s wrong?” Emily asked, sensing the dread in Kara’s words.

“I… well… you know…” Kara twirled the belt of her robe with trembling fingers and looked away.

The mages stared at her.

“My magic is all
flooie!”
she burst out.

“Flooie…” Tweek quickly began looking up ‘flooie’ in his brightly glowing jewel.

“Would you turn that off? It’s blinding me!” Ozzie yelled at the E.F.

“Kara, we know you’ve had some problems with your jewel,” Emily said gently.

“I’ll say! I turned the mudbath into Jell-O!”

“We’ll help you, okay?” Emily said soothingly. “Trust us.”

“Hold on to me.”
Lyra brushed by her bonded’s side.

“Lyra.” Kara hugged her friend. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Kara looked at the faces of her friends. “Fine,” she said, holding up her unicorn jewel. “But if I change you into a flobbin, I’ll blame you.”

Adriane and Emily stood on either side of Kara and raised their jewels.

Kara stretched her arms wide. “Do you mind?” she asked the pile of twigs at her feet.

The E.F. moved away to give her some room.

Kara gingerly raised her unicorn jewel. “Okay, let’s do this, my mud is caking.”

Emily and Adriane touched Kara’s hands. Shaking, Kara pointed her jewel at the shield.

Sparkling magic spilled from the gem, completely surrounding her. Only it didn’t have the desired effect. With a brilliant burst, her robe sprouted into a hairy red pelt.

“Does it come in black?” Adriane asked.

Kara’s face flushed.

“Try again,” Emily encouraged.

Unsteadily, Kara released another blast.

“Your face!” Adriane clapped her hand over her mouth.

This time, a rainbow of feathers had sprouted from Kara’s mud mask.