All's Fairy in Love and War (Avalon: Web of Magic #8) (4 page)

“Extraordinary!” the Dwarf Queen declared, looking closely at the frozen cat.

“Wow, look at that!”

“She’s good to go!”

The crowd broke into excited cries.

Kara burst into tears.

“Obviously, the girl has power,” the Fairy King bellowed, examining the smoking trenches that now scared the ring. “Raw, but impressive.”

“Calm, child,” Queen Selinda said. “Now turn your friend back.”

“I… I don’t know what I did!” Kara wailed, a distressed Goldie crying on her shoulder.

“Quicksilver,” Raelda concluded, examining the gleaming silver cat.

Kara watched in horror as a drop of glimmering silver melted from Lyra’s tail and landed in a small puddle on the ground. “What’s happening to her?”

“She is melting,” Raelda explained unsympathetically.

Kara pleaded to the queen through blurred tears. “How do I turn her back?”

The Goblin Prince kneeled, studying the Lyra statue. “Master Tangoo, what say you?”

Kara glanced at the teenage boy: tall, lanky, and—green.

“Hmmm.” Tangoo inspected the frozen cat. “I haven’t seen this kind of spell in years, Prince Lorren.”

“How long do we have?” Selinda asked.

“A day, maybe more,” the sorcerer replied casually. “Once the cat melts completely there is no way to counter the spell. But,” he added emphatically, “a very powerful gem like the power crystal could certainly cure her.”

Kara gulped. This couldn’t be happening. But one look at Lyra, melting into the scorched earth, and she knew it really was.

“I suggest we proceed immediately, my lady.” Tangoo stepped forward, adjusting his long robes.

Kara’s stomach lurched. If he expected her to use magic again, she had no idea what would happen. But she
had
to find the power crystal now!

“The elemental fairy horse is ready and waiting,” Tangoo said excitedly. “All she has to do is ride it.”

“With such a powerful steed, she will become an even stronger magic magnet,” the Elf Queen mused. “The power crystal will surely be drawn to her.”

“I can do that,” Kara said immediately, so relieved she almost laughed. This was her big magic thing? Lyra would be cured in no time.

“An excellent idea,” the Fairy King approved. “We are all anxious to finally see the horse you have created.”

Tangoo smiled smugly. “You will not be disappointed.”

“I rode a unicorn across the magic web,” Kara boasted, holding out her jewel but quickly pulling it back when the crowd gasped and ducked. Giving the kings and queens her best winning smile, she faced the ring. “I’m an excellent rider. Of course I can ride some cute little fairy pony.”

The Fairy Queen addressed the other monarchs. “We will give Princess Kara twenty-four hours to find the power crystal.”

“Agreed. But if the girl fails,” the Goblin Queen said, her glimmering green eyes glaring harshly, “we will meet on the battlefield.”

The trolls and dwarves rumbled in agreement, but the elegantly dressed Goblin Prince looked queasy, his green eyes wide with fear.

“It will not come to that,” the Fairy Queen said confidently. “The blazing star will not fail.”

“She has one day!” the Dwarf King said. “Our armies will be ready.”

Kara’s head was pounding. If she hadn’t turned Lyra into a melting statue, she could’ve walked away from all this and figured out how to get home by herself. She could regroup with Emily and Adriane and they’d work out a plan, like usual. But now she had no choice. She had to save Lyra.

“I
T’S ABOUT TIME
!” Ozzie, the golden brown ferret, had been nervously pacing Kara’s front lawn, waiting for Emily and Adriane to show up.

“We had to catch the cross-town bus from school,” Emily explained.

“What’s happening?” Adriane asked as they quickly made their way up the walkway to the Davies’ large Tudor home.

“Kara’s parents left,” Ozzie reported, adjusting the leather collar that secured his golden ferret stone. “Her brother is still inside. Rasha, Ronif, and Balthazar report no activity from the Ravenswood portal.”

“So this portal is isolated to Kara’s closet,” Emily mused.

“She does have a knack for attracting magic,” Ozzie pointed out.

“Any other strange visitors?” Adriane asked, hoping they wouldn’t be surprised by other portals opening.

“Not so far. Dreamer’s been canvassing the grounds.” Ozzie waved a paw at the large black wolf pup emerging from the trees.

Dreamer, a mistwolf and natural magic tracker, trotted to Adriane’s side, his rich ebony coat shining in the sun. On his chest, a star of snowy white matched the white bands on his paws.

Adriane ran her hand over her packmate’s smooth fur. “What’d you sniff out?”

Scrunching his long nose, the mistwolf’s voice echoed in the others’ minds.
“Something smells terrible!”

“Gah!” Ozzie sniffed under his arm. “My shipment of ferret shampoo is behind schedule!”

Emily gave the ferret a stern look.

Adriane hid a smile and nodded at the others. “Let’s go.” She rang the large brass doorbell.

Almost instantly, the double doors swung open. “Hark, what wind through yonder doorway breaks?” Kyle was doing equal opportunity damage to a chocolate Pop-Tart and Shakespeare. He grinned at them. “Forsooth, it’s the odd squad.”

“Charming as always, Kyle,” Adriane quipped.

“Hey, boy, how you doin’?” Kyle ruffled Dreamer’s head. “What are you feeding him—he’s huge!”

“Poop toots!!” Fred and Fiona squeaked inside Emily’s backpack as she struggled to hold it in place.

“Say, you finished with that?” Ozzie asked, eyeing the half-eaten snack in Kyle’s hand.

“No way.” Kyle looked at the ferret, confused. “Huh?”

“I said is Kara finished… getting ready?” Emily covered up, pushing Ozzie behind her and pointing to his magical ferret stone. He was supposed to use his jewel to speak telepathically when around others.

“The princess is upstairs,” Kyle said, wiping sugar sprinkles from his shirt. “Hey, guess who’s here?”

“Who?” Emily asked, anxiously peering beyond Kyle.

“Joey. You’ve
got
to see his costume!” Kyle walked back toward the kitchen.

“Joey?” Adriane said incredulously. “I just left him backstage. He was setting up the lights—”

“Oh, so that’s why you were hanging out in the auditorium,” Emily teased, walking into the foyer.

Adriane’s cheeks flushed bright red. “Not! Joey asked me to help him, that’s all.”

“
It’s in there.
” Dreamer pointed his nose toward the kitchen.

Adriane raised her wrist to check her amber wolf stone. The gem was not pulsing. “I don’t sense anything dangerous.”

“Just be careful.” Emily checked her own rainbow jewel. Although hers reacted to animals in distress, it, too, would warn her of impending danger. “These are the first creatures to cross over in months,” she continued anxiously. “No telling what kind of magic they have.”

The mages entered the kitchen and stifled gasps of shock. A strange-looking boy—really strange—was at the breakfast table, greedily pouring a bowl of cereal into his mouth. Dressed in a weird pirate costume, which included aviator goggles and tan knee-high boots, no one would guess he was human. Which, of course, he wasn’t.

Two dragonfly heads popped out of Emily’s backpack. “Froot Loops!!”

The costumed creature turned big gray eyes to the group and,
“Splooof!”
spit out the cereal in shock. The bowl crashed to the floor as he leaped to his feet, reaching into his utility belt for several colored vials.

“Goblin!” Ozzie yelled, then quickly slapped his paws over his mouth and telepathically added,
“It’s a goblin!”

Adriane instantly swung into a fighting stance, crossing her arms in front of her face. Dreamer crouched to strike, teeth bared, a deep growl rumbling in his throat.

“Mistwolf!” the creature screamed, edging backward and knocking into Kyle.

“Freeze, goblin!” Adriane hissed, her jewel pulsing with constrained fire.

“I’m not a goblin!” The creature raised his hands, eyeing the glowing jewel with fear. “I’m a
hobgoblin
!”

Kyle howled with laughter. “Shakespeare is way cool!” he said, slapping the startled hobgoblin’s shoulder.

Emily gently pushed Adriane’s arm down. “So… Joey,” she said carefully, sending calming magic to Dreamer. “Nice of you to… drop in.”

“I came for the princess! She is—”

“Yes,” Emily cut him off. “We all want to find the princess.”

The hobgoblin’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “The reward is already claimed.”

“Dude, you’re way too into this play,” Kyle chortled.

“My name is not Dude,” the hobgoblin said, still eyeing the mages warily. “My name is Musso.”

Honk! Honk! Honk!

A car horn sounded from the driveway, followed by the ringing doorbell.

“There’s Kara’s ride,” Kyle said, jumping to answer the door. “What’s taking her so long?”

The minute Kyle walked away, Adriane demanded, “Listen you, whoever you are! Where is our friend?”

“The princess is in Queen’s Fairy Ring,” the hobgoblin blurted.

“No she’s not, she’s in some forest!” Adriane countered.

“Uh-oh.” Musso scratched a pointy ear. “The porta-portal must have misfired.”

“Who else is with you?” Emily asked.

“Sparky—he’s a magic tracker. We are great adventurers. Perhaps you’ve heard of us?” Musso puffed out his chest. “We braved the web in a magic bubble to get the prin—”

“You mean kidnap her!” Adriane snapped.

“Yeah!” Ozzie added.

“PhoooL!” the dragonflies chimed in from inside the backpack.

“How do we get her back?” Emily asked the hobgoblin.

Wiping milk-soaked hands on his red leather pants, he pulled a round blinking ball from a deep vest pocket.

Adriane swung her arm up, wolf fire blazing to life.

“No, wait!” the hobgoblin squawked. “It’s a fairy map! The portal is moving. I can’t tell when it will open again.”

“Hark, what reeky, clay-brained dewberry arrives?” Kyle called from the foyer.

“Stay here!” Adriane warned the hobgoblin.

“’Course, my calculations could be off—the web is totally flooie.” Musso examined the map. “I have to find the nearest portal!”

The mages raced through the foyer just as Kyle opened the door, bowing deeply. Sparkling fairy wings, silky outfits, and expertly applied glittery makeup twinkled in the morning sunlight.

“I do believe in fairies. I do believ—”

“Zip it, Kyle,” Heather said, stepping past him. “Where’s Kara—”

“What are
you
guys doing here?” Tiffany asked. Her pale green brow furrowed as she looked at Emily, Adriane, the golden ferret, and the large black wolf pup.

“Uh, just here to check on Kara,” Emily explained.

“Shake a wing, girls,” Molly said impatiently, heading for the stairs. “My mom’s already late for work.”

“You can’t go up there!” Adriane cried.

“Why not?” Tiffany demanded.

“Kara’s sick,” Emily said quickly.

“She is?” Heather asked.

“She is?” Adriane echoed, then caught herself. “Oh, totally.”

“She’s got a stomach ache,” Emily blurted—

Just as Adriane said, “Really bad pimple. On her stomach!”

“We talked to her, like, an hour ago, and she was fine.” Tiffany swept past Kyle, her pale yellow wing smacking him in the face.

“We’ll tell her you were here,” Adriane promised, blocking the stairs.

“Jeez, you guys are weirder than normal,” Heather said as she and Tiffany and Molly edged past Adriane and trotted upstairs toward Kara’s room. “We’ll tell her ourselves.”

Emily and Adriane ran after them, Dreamer following close.

“It’s probably just a little stage fright,” Tiffany said, her hand already on the door to Kara’s room. “She asked us to pick her up.”

The mages winced as she flung the door open.

Kara’s room was empty.

“K, you in here?” Tiffany asked, scanning the cluttered mess.

“Zzzrrrrp.” A sleepy grunt came from a lump under Kara’s fluffy pink and white quilt.

Adriane pushed past the trio and dashed inside, pulling the covers down tight as the lump began squirming.

“Hey girl, what’s wrong?” Molly asked.

“FooaaaRTT!”

“Bad taco,” Adriane concluded as she struggled with the lump.

“Oh Kara, you sound awful!” Tiffany exclaimed.

“You poor thing!” Heather added.

Emily gulped as she saw Barney and Blaze sitting frozen in a pile of Kara’s stuffed animals.

“She got sick, like, so totally fast,” Tiffany said worriedly.

Honk! Honk! Honk!

“Come on, my mom’s waiting.” Molly waved a painted green hand.

“Kara, you just rest up,” Tiffany said.

“BlaaaaPHH!”

“See, she’s feeling better already,” Adriane said, smiling.

“We’ll check on you later, K,” Heather called out.

“She’ll probably be taking a long nap,” Emily said, “so just leave her a message.”

“Bye!” Emily, Adriane, and the d-flies chorused, cheerful smiles plastered on their faces.

As soon as Heather, Tiffany, and Molly closed the door behind them, Adriane yanked the quilt back. A long, whiskered nose popped out, attached to a big, fuzzy head.

“What are you trying to do, smother me?” the mookrat demanded, whiskers twitching. His beady eyes widened as he saw three magic jewels trained on him.

“Ahhh!” He dove back under the covers.

“Come out of there,” Emily said. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“Much,” Adriane added.

The mookrat stuck his nose out again and took in the group. “Sparky’s the name,” he said, quivering voice muffled by the quilt. “Magic’s my game.”

“We just heard the news,” said a new voice from Kara’s window. A little figure made of twigs and moss was perched atop a beautiful white owl.

“Just in time, Tweek.” Emily walked over to the little Earth Fairimental. “Hi, Ariel,” she greeted the magical snow owl.

The owl ruffled her feathers, displaying shimmering streaks of gold, lavender, and turquoise.
“That is not Kara
,” the owl observed, liquid eyes looking accusingly at Sparky.

“It’s the mookrat who kidnapped Kara!” Ozzie informed her, glowering.

“We were hired to find her,” Sparky protested, pointing his nose toward Kara’s closet. “We followed the portal into that chamber.”

Tweek leaped from the owl and dashed into the closet. Lifting a sparkling turquoise jewel from a chain about his neck, he started scanning Kara’s shoes. “Hmmm, magical residue.”

“Stay here with Barney and Blaze!” Adriane ordered the E.F. and Ariel. “If this mookrat moves a whisker, you call us.”

“We have to get that hobgoblin,” Emily said.

“There’s one,”
Ariel said, perched on the windowsill.

“What?”

The group rushed to the window. In the driveway, Kyle was climbing into Molly’s mom’s minivan. Musso clambered in behind him, hands poised by his utility belt full of strange vials. He slid the door closed just as the minivan pulled out of the driveway.

“Oh no!” Emily groaned. “Kyle’s taking a hobgoblin to school!”