Trial By Fire (Avalon: Web of Magic #6) (17 page)

Adriane slowly backed away. There was no chance of beating this thing, she was just too exhausted. She stared at the monster and—did that thing just
wink
at her?

Adriane couldn’t believe it. She looked at Lyra. The cat seemed to be—
smiling?

The witch approached the manticore as the portal glowed behind her. “Take them!” she ordered.

“Oookee dookee.”

What was that?

Something fluttered. Adriane looked closer.

Fiona, the red dragonfly, was sitting on the Dark Sorceress’s head! The little d-fly peered into her face. “Peeyew!”

“Ahhhhhh!” the sorceress screamed, waving the creature away.

“Ahhhhh!” The little red dragonfly freaked and popped out.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

“DeeDee!” Fred landed on Adriane’s shoulder, nuzzling into her neck.

“Kill them all!” the witch screamed at the manticore.

The creature’s eyes flashed. It opened its razor-toothed mouth—and spoke. “I don’t think so.”

It wasn’t the voice of a monster. It was—
Kara’s
voice.

Adriane could feel the strong magic of her friend inside the thing. There was no doubt the creature was Kara.

The Dark Sorceress stared in confusion. “How…”

But Adriane was already in front of her, wolf stone raised.

“Would you like to do the honors?” The manti-Kara gestured to the portal with its twisted claws.

Adriane stepped forward, her jewel blazing.

Shock registered across the witch’s face.

Adriane looked at her jewel and lowered her arm.

“What I think she needs…” the warrior began, “is a little human touch.”

With that, she connected—with a right cross! The sorceress flew backward, straight into the portal.

The dragonflies gleefully whizzed around the portal, spinning and twirling.

The manticore transformed, its huge body melting away to reveal a slim blond-haired girl in its place.

“You!” the witch stammered.

Lyra howled.

Kara waved at the Dark Sorceress. “Buh-bye now.”

For a moment, the sorceress’s eyes remained visible, radiating hatred.

The dragonflies squeaked and chirped as the portal got smaller and smaller, until with a twinkle, it vanished—taking the sorceress with it.

Kara stood wiping her hands. “Pretty smelly, huh? What?”

Adriane looked at her in shock. “That was amazing! How did you do that?”

Kara smiled and waggled a sparkling jewel in her friend’s face. “I got a jewel. I got a jewel.”

Adriane raised an eyebrow. But before Kara could gloat some more, Emily’s voice rang out in their minds,
“Adriane, come quickly!”

K
ARA, ADRIANE, AND
Lyra entered the crystal chamber. It was in complete chaos.

Mistwolves were everywhere, snarling and growling; crystal shards littered the floor, sparking and crackling. The ceiling had been blown open, revealing thick clouds of green. Black Fire fallout engulfed them in a glittering, pulsing glow.

The mistwolves howled as Adriane ran into the fray, frantically searching for Storm.

“Kara!” Ozzie called. “Over here!”

Kara and Lyra found an exhausted Emily, still working to heal the wolves.

“Kara, are you all right?” Emily ran her hand over a brown-and-grey wolf and sent it on its way.

“I’m fine.”

“What happened?” Emily asked.

“Never mind about me. How are you doing?” Kara wanted to know.

“The mistwolves are well enough to leave.” Emily swept back sweat-streaked hair from her face.

“What’s stopping them?” Kara asked

“They
refuse
to leave!” Zach ran to them, giving Kara a quick nod, then looked at the ceiling. “They’re keeping the Black Fire from spreading.”

The roiling fire pulsed and glowed around them. The cloud continued to darken, becoming almost black.

“I don’t know what else to do!” Tears spilled down Emily’s face. “I can’t keep healing them!”

“Emily!” Kara held her friend’s hands, looking deep into her eyes. “Remember when I asked you how far this thing would go?”

Emily nodded, sniffling.

“And why were we chosen?”

“Yes,” Emily answered.

“We
weren’t
chosen,” Kara said. “We were the ones who chose!”

Emily looked at her friend. She was right. Emily had chosen to become a healer. Adriane had chosen to follow Storm on the warrior’s path. And Kara had chosen to join them.

“Now we have to follow our path wherever it leads. With the help of our friends!” Kara turned to include everyone in the room. “And we choose now to finish this!”

“She’s right!” Ozzie joined in. “The magic is sick and needs to be healed, just like all of you and the other creatures of Aldenmor.”

“Gather around us!” Kara shouted. “Feed your magic to Emily. We will heal the magic!”

Suddenly, Emily, Kara, and Adriane, Ozzie, and Lyra were surrounded by a hundred mistwolves.

Emily rolled up her sleeves and concentrated. The rainbow jewel began to pulse with blue-green light. But the light was duller than usual, dimmed by the ominous black cloud.

“I need everyone’s help,” Emily told them.

Silence filled the room. The mistwolves shone with magic, sending their strength back into Emily’s stone.

Ozzie’s whiskers twitched as he hugged Emily tight. The rainbow jewel brightened, then pulsed.

Lightning flashed across the chamber. The walls shuddered as one collapsed in a cloud of dust and debris.

“Stay together!”
Moonshadow ordered.

Kara turned to Adriane. “Are you ready?”

Adriane stood next to Kara and held out her hand.

Kara grasped it. “Ready, Emily?”

Emily nodded, placing her hand over those of her friends.

The healer raised her rainbow jewel, sending waves of blue up and around her arms. Adriane raised her wolf stone, wrapping golden fire around Emily’s blue magic.

Then Kara held up her unicorn jewel. It blazed like a diamond star.

Everyone watched in amazement as ribbons of blue and gold raced around Kara, covering her in magic. Fueled by the jewel of the unicorns, the magic built to a fiery crescendo.

“Let’s do it!” she yelled, and let the magic go.

Magic fire burst from the three gems, streaming like rockets into the cloud above.

The cloud rippled into a whirlpool of power.

With all of their hearts, the three mages focused on healing the twisted magic.

“Emily, go!” Ozzie shouted.

Supercharged by her friends and Kara’s new jewel, Emily had no fear, no hesitation. The light of her magic could pierce through any darkness, even the Black Fire. With a final breath, Emily drove her shield into the heart of the darkness and washed it away.

Suddenly, the clouds exploded upward and streaming rays of multicolored lights lit the sky.

The chamber rocked as another wall collapsed.

“Let’s get out of here!” Ozzie yelled.

The mistwolves bolted, running from the chamber in a wave. Emily grabbed Ozzie, hoisting him into her arms as Kara and Lyra herded the final wolves out.

Dust flew and the rumbling grew louder.

“Adriane!” Kara screamed, grabbing the warrior and pulling her out of the chamber.

“Storm!” Adriane cried. But there was no reply. Only silence echoed from the emptiness in her heart.

“We have to go
now
!” Kara dragged Adriane into the hall.

With a thunderous boom, the chamber behind them collapsed in a pile of rubble.

The girls burst through the front doors and into the bright light of the Shadowlands.

The mistwolves fanned out to make sure no guards or monsters stood in their way. Nothing did. Word had spread fast. The reign of the Dark Sorceress was over.

“Zach!”
Drake swooped down from the sky, stirring up eddies of dust as he landed. Zach ran to his friend, hugging the dragon tight.

The group made its way to the top of the dunes and looked to the skies.

It was incredible! Bands of light formed and drifted overhead, brightening into giant curtains rippling with reds, blues, oranges, and purples. Glittering colors swirled like pinwheels as magic rained from the sky.

The magic drifted through the air, over the Shadowlands, bathing everything in a fine, shimmering mist. The healing of Aldenmor had begun.

As the group watched, the land began to transform. Dry, blackened earth drank in the magic and sprouted tender grasses and wildflowers. Charred tree and shrub branches burst with lush leaves.

Emily felt giddy, hugging Ozzie tightly, laughing and crying at the same time. She let the rain wash over her, never wanting this feeling to end.

Kara sat beside Lyra, hugging her friend close. She took a deep breath, inhaling fragrant spring blossoms. In her hands, the unicorn jewel felt warm.

Zach stood next to Drake, the big dragon refusing to let the boy leave his side.

The mistwolves surrounded them, howling in song, reveling in the healing of their planet. But then the wolfsong grew somber, filled with sadness and loss.

On the windswept hillside, Adriane stood alone watching the magical light show.

Kara, Emily, Lyra, and Ozzie joined the warrior.

Tears welled in Emily’s blue eyes. “There was nothing you could have done.”

“I know,” Adriane said.

“Storm saved us all.”
Moonshadow slowly approached Adriane, Zach at his side.

Kara and Emily put their arms around Adriane as the warrior leaned into them.

“No tears.” Adriane wiped at her eyes. “She wouldn’t want that.”

“One mistwolf held a hundred of us,”
Moonshadow said.
“Do you know how she did that?”

Adriane looked at the large black wolf.

“Because she was thinking of you. Her love for you gave her the strength.”

“Thank you,” Adriane smiled.

“We weep for your loss, warrior.”

The group was startled by the new voices they heard.

“You have guided magic back to Aldenmor and the Fairy Glen.
” The voices of the Fairimentals echoed in their heads. “
And you have changed the future forever.”