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

SECRET OF THE UNICORN

Copyright © 2012 Red Sky Entertainment, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher, except where permitted by law.

Electronic Edition

Published by Premiere Digital Publishing, Inc.

Made in the U.S.A.

ISBN-10:   1938582586

ISBN-13:   978-1-938582-58-5

Cover and interior illustrations by Allison Strom

E
MILY FLETCHER DANCED
.

Swirling, soft lights surrounded her as the melody carried her away. It was like no song she’d ever imagined—lyrical, dazzling, enchanting. Bathed in the sweet sounds, she longed for the song to go on forever. Snowflakes spun like crystalline notes, moving the music faster. The melody curved, arcing like a graceful bird, then fell like the sea, crashing to the shores in timeless rhythm. Arms outstretched, Emily twirled like a ballerina. Reaching for the dizzying notes, she felt the melody slipping away on snow-white silken wings. She ached for the music to find her again. Somehow she knew that she was the only one who had ever heard this song. It was part of her, something important that needed to be sung and she was the only one who could bring it to life.

T
HE DREAM WAS
still as vivid as it had been when she’d awakened that morning. Summoning her memory of the song, Emily raised her flute and—

ScroooK!

That sure wasn’t it. Furrowing her brow, Emily placed her fingers against the keys. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the mouthpiece to her lips and blew into the instrument again.

A series of lovely notes wafted into the air. Gaining confidence, she replayed the melody in her mind as her fingers flew faster toward the final phrase.

SKEoooW!

Emily wrinkled her nose. She turned the flute over in her hands. The metal felt smooth and sleek against her palms.

“That’ll sure make an impression at the audition,” she muttered, tossing a strand of curly, reddish-brown hair from her face. She glared at the flute, its clean lines and gleaming, polished surface catching sparkles of light from the large window in her bedroom. The beautiful instrument seemed to mock her weak, off-key attempts to play such an exquisite song. She glanced around her bedroom helplessly, wondering why she’d even bothered in the first place.

Don’t drop the music because of me,
her father had said over the phone the evening before.
That’s really cool you’re trying out for the jazz band.

She hadn’t bothered to explain that there was no jazz band at Stonehill Middle School, only a marching band—not that she’d thought one way or another about joining it. In fact, she hadn’t even bothered to unpack her flute case until that very morning. Even though it had been almost a year since her parents had divorced and her whole world had broken apart, she still didn’t feel much like making music. It was easier just to stick with everyday, necessary things—school, homework, helping her mother at the veterinary clinic—and now her involvement with the Ravenswood Wildlife Preserve and all the magical animals that lived there.

How could she explain that to her father, though? An enthusiastic amateur saxophonist, he had been thrilled when he’d realized that Emily had inherited his gift for music—right along with her mother’s knack for animals. She remembered those lazy afternoons playing music together. Dad riffing on the sax, dancing around like a rock star, Emily tootling along on the flute. Mom always covered her ears, but Emily didn’t care what they sounded like. The important thing had been sharing those moments—moments now faded like remnants of a tattered dream. Trying to reconnect with those feelings, she had taken out her once-prized possession. But now Emily couldn’t seem to find the right notes. Her mind could no longer wrap around the music and flow with it. She felt the loss piling up inside, even as she tried so hard to keep it at bay. Maybe she once had musical talent, but that had changed.

That wasn’t the only thing that had changed lately.

Emily held up her wrist and eyed the rainbow-colored stone on its beautiful silver bracelet. Nobody would have guessed that it was anything other than a pretty piece of jewelry. Only Emily and her friends, Kara Davies and Adriane Charday, knew the rainbow jewel had special powers. Together, the three of them had discovered magic and the unique talents each of them had as mages, magic users.

Emily was a healer. She had helped dozens of injured magical animals who lived at Ravenswood by focusing her healing power with the rainbow jewel. Adriane was a warrior. The gem she had found looked like a tigereye, but ever since she bonded with the mistwolf called Stormbringer, she’d called it her wolf stone. She and Storm trained together tirelessly, learning to use their magic to enhance the warrior’s speed, strength, and combat skills. Kara was a blazing star. Even though she didn’t have a jewel, she could magnify the magic of others, attracting, strengthening, and sharpening it.

As if in response to her thoughts, the rainbow jewel caught a ray of light through the window and sparkled.

Too bad I can’t magically remember how to play music, Emily thought, sighing.

She closed her eyes and let the warm sunlight dapple across her face as she thought about the dream. The notes of the song danced through her head again, haunting her like ghosts. Quickly, before they could slip away, she lifted the flute and played. The music poured easily out of the instrument, each note clear and shimmering. But as she neared the elusive end, the notes danced out of reach, and the melody faded. She paced her breathing, knowing what her father would say:
Follow the music, Em. Don’t be afraid to really feel it
.

She couldn’t let herself give up. She wasn’t a quitter.

Closing her eyes tightly, she reached inside, trying to find the notes that would bring just the right ending. Her fingers moved to form a high C—no, not a C, it should be an
F sharp
! She hit the new note, blowing with all her might.