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

by Rachel Roberts

  “What? I took a shower.” Suddenly she gasped. “Oh great, will you look at this!” Mud had stained the glittering hem of her dress where the squirrels had been.

  “Sssshorrrible.”

  “Take it easy, Lyra,” Kara said, brushing the mud away. “The dry cleaner can get it out.”

  “That wasn’t me,” the cat answered, crouching low, green eyes searching the woods.

  Something moved among the trees. Hints of light sparkled from yellow eyes.

  “What else am I attracting?” Kara asked, suddenly aware of how vulnerable they were.

  “Stay behind me,” the cat ordered, hackles raised.

  A screeching wail made her turn sharply. Kara felt a tingling sensation spread from her jewel and knew it meant danger. Her hand grasped the fur of her friend.

  There was something in the shadows. It was as if the trees themselves had spawned horrible misshapen creatures. Their bodies were thick wood, standing on bowed legs. Thorns sprouted from thin arms ending in long, sharp fingers. Wide, flat faces rimed with thorns displayed mouths full of long, splintered teeth. They did not look friendly.

  “What you dooin’ in deesss woods, witch?” one of them snarled.

  “Um, we’re lost. If you could show us the nearest portal we’ll be on our way in a jif—”

  Scratching and hissing voices scraped the air as the creatures closed their ring tighter.

  “—fy.”

  Lyra snarled, teeth bared.

  The creatures stopped short. “We take witch’s magicsss!”

  Shaking with fear, Kara pointed her unicorn jewel at them. “You stay away from us!”

  The gem crackled with energy as light shot straight up, twisting into a diamond beam. Kara winced as her magic dissolved into fragments, shooting in all directions at once. She’d managed to slow the advance of the tree monsters, but she had not stopped them. Kara would eventually tire, or worse, have to find the ladies room.

  Lyra carefully eyed the ones on the left side. “When I say so, run.”

  “No! I’m not leaving you,” Kara declared.

  “Comes closer, crisspy critter. Ssso tasty.” Sharp fingers beckoned as the creatures taunted the cat.

  Kara looked around desperately. She had to hold her magic together. Lyra wasn’t going to win this fight on her own, and without Kara’s magic, they were helpless.

  “AieooOO!”

  A bloodcurdling scream tore through the forest.

  Something black flew across the glade, extending a deadly looking sword and swiping it over the creatures’ heads. It yelled again, savage and loud.

  The tree creatures grumbled angrily but melted back into the shadows of the woods… leaving Kara and Lyra alone with this new menace.

  The figure let go of a thick vine, landing right in front of her.

  Kara’s jaw dropped. It was a boy. Well, it looked like a boy. He was covered in black. What she thought had been wings, was really a sleek black cape.

  The boy bowed deeply. “Good day, milady.”

  “Who are you?” Kara demanded.

  “I am the Forest Prince.” The boy stood. “And I am at your service.”

  “Great, then you can kindly lead me to the nearest portal,” Kara responded. She could play this game.

  “When you failed to show at the ring, I thought you could be in trouble,” he said cheerily. “And by the looks of those wrags, I would say my arrival was quite timely.”

  Sheathing his sword, the stranger approached Kara. He was dressed completely in black, from boots, pants, and shirt to gloves. A black bandana around his head concealed even the color of his hair. He looked young, maybe a few years older than Kara, but with a black mask covering his features, it was hard to tell. All Kara could see was a pair of pale green eyes.

  Lyra moved in front of Kara, daring the boy to so much as breathe.

  “Whoa, nice kitty.” The boy raised his arms and took a step back. “Are you injured?” he cried, looking at the bent wing of Kara’s costume.

  “Fine,” Kara answered, impressed with his concern for her fairy costume. “Didn’t even rip it.”

  The boy stared at Kara in amazement. “You are truly a vision of beauty.”

  “Oh, um…” She brushed her stained dress self-consciously. “I usually look much better than this, but I’ve had a rough morning.”

  “The woods are full of magic hunters. Allow me to escort you.”

  “Okaaay.” Whoever this guy was, Kara needed to steer him toward a reality check. “Thanks,” she said brightly. “Leave me your email and I’ll get back to ya.”

  He sprang toward her, generating a warning growl from Lyra. “Everyone’s waiting for you.”

  “Exactly! Molly, and Heather, and Tiffany. I’ve got a play to rehearse for—”

  “We must hurry.” The boy’s voice took on a new tone of urgency as he reached to grab her arm.

  “Wait a minute. I’m not going anywhere with you!” Kara declared, hands on her hips. “What’s going on here? Where am I? And why are you all dressed like Zorro?”

  The boy looked puzzled. “You are in the Fairy Queen’s enchanted woods.”

  When Kara didn’t budge, the stranger pressed on. “The Five Kingdoms have gathered to meet you. Any lost time will only goad them toward the path of war.”

  “I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not staying,” Kara answered. “Where’s the portal that brought me here?”

  The mysterious stranger started canvassing the nearby bright purple bushes, waving his sword this way and that. “No portals connect to the Fairy Realms, Princess.”

  “Then how did I get here?”

  With a clink, the sword hit something.

  “You arrived here through this.”

  Kara walked closer and saw the outline of a rectangle set upright in the ground. It was large, thin, and completely flat, with no frame. The gray surface seemed to absorb everything around it, making it virtually invisible. Kara ran her hand over the front, sending ripples fanning out along the surface. Deep silver gleamed beneath, revealing Kara’s image like a reflective pool.

  “A mirror?” Kara asked.

  “We only use mirrors around here,” the boy explained.

  “Then how did those two knuckleheads get in my closet?”

  “Ah. The two adventurers Master Tangoo hired to bring you here,” Zorro guessed.

  “I was kidnapped!” Kara protested.

  “The mirror was connected to the portal. Very dangerous way to travel to the Fairy Realms. But you’re here.” The boy smiled, warm and unthreatening.

  “Listen, Forest Gump,” Kara said. “How do I go back?”

  “Are you a mirror master?”

  “No!”

  “Then you can’t. Only a mirror master can open a traveling mirror to the web.”

  “Well, stand back, Zorro. I have my own traveling accessories,” Kara said. She closed her eyes, fighting the fear creeping along her spine. “Dragonflies! Attention all minis. Front and center!”

  Instantly, the air began to bubble. Bright lights erupted like popcorn.

  Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

  Five mini dragons dove around Kara, squealing and whirling with excitement. Red Fiona, purple Barney, orange Blaze, and blue Fred all buzzed happily. Yellow Goldie landed and nuzzled Kara’s neck. “Kaaraa!”

  “I’m glad to see you, too,” she cooed, stroking the mini’s head. Goldie’s golden jewel eyes swirled in pleasure.

  The stranger in black gaped at her. “Fairy dragons! Surely you are a princess of magic.”

  “Yeah, just call me Snow White,” Kara quipped. She turned to the dragonflies. “I need you guys to make a portal home, pronto.”

  The d-flies had helped the mages before by creating portals for them to jump through—surely they could make one now.

  The minis put their heads together, squeaking uncertainly. After a few seconds they locked wingtips, spinning into a circle. The air between their wings stretched and warped, spi
tting flashes of jagged light.

  “What’s wrong, bad reception?” Kara asked.

  The dragonflies stopped spinning and faced Kara.

  “Nokee dokeee,” Barney said sadly.

  “Flooieee,” Blaze added. The other four d-flies nodded in agreement.

  “It’s too risky for you to use their portal to travel across the web,” Lyra interpreted.

  Kara couldn’t believe it. “How am I supposed to get home?”

  “If I may make a suggestion, Princess Snow White,” the stranger in black offered. “Tangoo is a very powerful mirror master. He would be able to get you back home.”

  “How do I find this Tang-dude?” Kara eyed the maze of giant trees stretching in all directions.

  “He’s at the Fairy Palace. I’ll take you.”

  Kara narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why should I trust you if you won’t even show your face?”

  “Those tree creatures that were so interested in you are called wrags,” the boy in black said. “They’ll be back. And there are others. Ever since the web went wild, creatures of all sorts have shown up hunting for magic.”

  Kara sighed. “Okay, but I need to do something first. Don’t look!” she warned.

  The boy spun around, his back to Kara. “Your wish is my command.”

  Kara quickly huddled the five minis close together and whispered. “Can you make a d-fly portal phone? Please tell me you can at least find Emily and Adriane.”The brightly colored dragonflies scrunched their jeweled eyes, working through the challenge, then nodded eagerly. Locking wingtips again, they whirled in a circle.

  “No peeking!” she called to the boy, shielding the small window.

  Blaze and Fred peeped, signaling a connection had been made. A pulsing light formed in the center of the d-flies’ wing circle. Kara held her jewel tight and leaned in close, trying to see what the minis had found.

  She looked at a pocked, white surface, indented with rings and rivulets. It moved back and forth, swaying to a beat.

  “What is that?” Kara asked, shifting back.

  “Deedee!” Fred squeaked.

  The craggy image moved, revealing a seat—right in the middle of the school auditorium. Adriane sat forward, her long, dark hair spilling over the seat. She slid a pair of headphones to her neck and looked into the portal. Kara had been looking at the bottom of Adriane’s sneaker.

  “Fred?” Adriane whispered. “Is that you?”

  “Is meemee, Deedee,” Fred chirped back quietly. “KeeKee heer.”

  “All right, all right, enough with the small talk.” Kara pushed her face to the little window. “Hey.”

  “Kara?” Adriane gasped. “Where are you?

  “I’m in the Fairy Realms.”

  “What!?” Adriane cried, then quickly contained her voice to a whisper. “How did you get there?”

  “A portal opened in my closet and I fell into it,” Kara explained hurriedly.

  “Wow. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah, fine. Lyra’s here with me. No time to explain right now.”

  “Everyone’s expecting you here in like a half hour!” Adriane exclaimed. “Can you get back?”

  “Not yet. This is the best the d-flies can do. And Heather, Molly, and Tiffany will be at my house any minute. You have to get over there and cover for me until I can find a way home,” Kara said. “Oh, and there’s a mookrat and a hobgoblin in my closet. Keep them away from my shoes!”

  “Huh?”

  The window shifted left as the mini dragons tried to hold it together.

  “Wait a minute, who’s that?” Adriane could see the boy in black standing patiently to the side.

  Kara didn’t quite know how to answer. “He’s a little light on the shining armor, but he’s taking me to some dude to see about getting out of here.”

  Adriane thought for a second. “Can the d-flies talk to each other if they separate?”

  Fiona nodded her little head. “Eezee, Keekee.”

  “Okay, I get your drift.” Kara eyed the dragonflies. “We can all keep in contact through d-fly phones. Fiona, you go and stay with Emily. Fred, go with Adriane. And Blaze and Barney, go to my room and keep an eye on those two chuckleheads. Goldie stays with me.”

  “Sounds good,” Adriane approved. “And be careful.”

  Kara nodded. “D-flies, let’s move out.”

  The window winked out in a flurry of rainbow bubbles, taking four of the five dragonflies with it. Goldie remained, sitting on Kara’s shoulder, preening her golden wings.

  “Can I turn around now?” the boy in black asked.

  “Okay,” Kara answered. “Let’s go.”

  “Right this way, Princess Snow White.” Adjusting the silver sword at his side, he started into the woods, Kara and Lyra following close behind. “May I call you Snow?”

  “No.”

  The boy eyed her warily.

  “But you can call me Kara.”

  There was no trail, but the stranger strode confidently along a twisting course. The fairy creatures of the forests soon began converging again, following at a distance, scuffling and giggling.

  “I’ve never seen anyone attract so many creatures,” the Forest Prince said.

  “You should see me on a good day,” Kara quipped. “How’d you find me anyway?”

  “It wasn’t hard, the wraiths put on quite a show,” he said, walking alongside Kara. “People search their whole lives to just see one.”

  “Back off, bub!” Goldie squeaked harshly.

  The boy stepped back. “You have some very loyal protectors.”

  “And don’t you forget it!” Lyra snarled.

  Kara gave Goldie a scritch between the mini’s wings, the d-fly’s favorite scritching spot. The mini nuzzled into Kara’s neck, eyes whirling happily.

  “So, I take it you’re from around here?” Kara ventured, hoping to find out something about her mysterious new friend.

  He nodded. “I’m familiar with all of the Five Kingdoms in the Fairy Realms.”

  “Huh?”

  “The five major races that live here: Goblin, Troll, Dwarf, Elf, and Fairy,” the boy replied, pulling aside a thorny branch hanging in the path. “You should have arrived in the Fairy Ring.” He gestured for Kara to walk ahead.

  “The what?”

  The Forest Prince pointed a black-gloved hand. “There.”

  Kara squinted through the tree trunks. Stepping around the giant trees, she stood at the edge of the forest. “Oh... my...” she gasped.

  Before them stretched an organic city made entirely of flora. At one end, an enormous palace seemed to grow from the gardens themselves. Deep golden trees formed elegant shining towers, and thick, blooming vines intertwined to make lush green walls. Countless bright flowers adorned the palace, framing arched windows and encircling the high towers. Other structures lay sprawled among the grounds.

  “Follow this path through the main gardens,” the Forest Prince instructed. “You’ll find the Fairy Ring on the far side. Good luck.” The stranger in black bowed and began backing into the woods.

  “Aren’t you coming with me?” Kara asked.

  “I can’t.” He edged farther back into the woods, his masked face hidden in the shadows. “Be seeing you, Princess.”

  He melted into the darkness and vanished.

  “Not if I see you first!” Kara called.

  “He did help us.” Lyra moved onto a pathway lined by silvery green weeping willows.

  “Uh huh,” Goldie concurred.

  “Well, if he’d been lost in an enchanted mall, I totally would’ve helped him.”

  Smoothing her hair, Kara walked forward, Lyra following. She wished she had a comb. A little lip gloss wouldn’t hurt either.

  Kara followed a winding path through the gardens. She turned a corner and before her stood a huge, round amphitheater made of purple wisteria vines. Four archways wrapped in bright pink and yellow flowers served as entrances and exits to the open-air structure. />
  Angry voices echoed inside. Kara toyed with her unicorn jewel nervously. The Forest Prince said she was expected, so she assumed she could get help. But Kara had learned it was dangerous to assume anything when magic was involved.

  “I guess we’ll just have to announce ourselves,” Kara said, walking into the Fairy Ring.

  Suddenly Kara stopped in her tracks. A huge gathering of creatures was crowded within. Enormous trolls, green goblins, delicate fairies, squat dwarves, and nimble elves were crammed into the Fairy Ring. Several were standing in the ring, shouting.

  “I grow weary of waiting!” an angry troll yelled, pacing on huge, knobby feet and waving a giant calloused fist in the air.

  “You talk about saving the Fairy Realms, yet each day it grows worse,” accused a stout dwarf.

  “We demand to know where she is!” an enraged goblin jumped and shouted.

  “And so I shall tell you!” a clear voice rang out. The argument instantly ceased. Kara could barely see a tall figure in long robes adorned with strange symbols. Long green hair tied back, his gaunt face sported a goatee, hawkish nose, and deep black eyes that bore straight into Kara. “The answer we have been waiting for is here.”

  KARA STOOD AT the arched entrance to the Fairy Ring, shocked and speechless. The only thing anchoring her to reality was Lyra’s reassuring presence by her side and Goldie’s nervous twittering at her shoulder.

  Inside the Fairy Ring, five pairs of thrones grew from the gleaming wood of the structure. The rulers from each of the Five Kingdoms, Elf, Goblin, Fairy, Troll, and Dwarf, occupied the royal pedestals. Circling them, crowds of creatures sat upon tiered toadstool seats, crammed all the way to the top.

  A regal woman adorned with a jeweled crown and richly embroidered robes glided gracefully toward Kara. She was a tall, delicate fairy, with flowing hair the color of honey. Sparkling wings of swirling rainbow patterns fluttered at her back. Her rich violet gown accented her almost purple eyes.

  She must be a queen, Kara realized.

  “Welcome, Princess Kara,” the Fairy Queen said, smiling brilliantly.

  “Look, she’s got a fairy dragon!” A wood nymph stood in the bleachers, pointing a long, green finger.

  Goldie waved excitedly. One glittering wing of Kara’s costume, already loosened in the forest, ripped off and clattered to the floor.