Power flared from Kara’s jewel, enough to make the amulet pulse radiant silver.
“Look!” Tweek said. “It’s working.”
“FLEeepBaaARrrG!” Spruce unleashed a blast of off-key noise.
Dante and Pollo sang louder, each trying to outdo the other.
Calliope tried to drown out the boys.
Kara’s magic undulated strong and bright, threatening to burst free of her control. Emily and Adriane twined their magic around Kara’s, holding it steady by creating a braid of diamond, amber, and topaz.
In a bright flash, the amulet projected a small, shimmering bubble hovering in the air.
“Holy HORARFF!” Tweek exclaimed.
Everyone watched as glowing lines appeared within a network of stars. A fiery pulse swept along a path of shining points.
Tweek’s quartz spun in his bushy head. “You’ve unlocked a fairy map!”
“We’ve seen plenty of those,” Kara said, making Tweek jumble. “Each one of those stars is a portal.”
“That’s where we started from,” Pollo said, pointing a hoof at a blinking light at the edge of the map.
“So then,” Emily said, following the bright line to a last blinking star, “there is where you have to go, Dalriada.”
“Inconceivable!” Tweek blustered, twigs flying. “They can’t open a portal without their horns. Besides, we can’t trust this map to be accurate anymore. Who knows where you’ll end up?”
“We’ll worry about that later. Right now we need to get the shield over the entire ranch,” Adriane said, guiding Kara between herself and Emily.
Dreamer and Lyra stepped closer. The unicorns closed their eyes in concentration.
Emily reached out with her magic. She could feel her power coursing through the map. “I add the protection of healing magic,” she called out.
Adriane’s amber wolf magic pulsed bright. “I add the strength of a warrior!”
Now it was up to Kara. She took a breath and lifted her jewel high. “I add the fire of the blazing star to bind it together!”
The fairy map was replaced by a glittering dome hovering in the air.
“That’s it!” Tweek yelled.
The mages stepped back, allowing their magic to stretch the shield wider and wider. It floated to the ceiling in shimmering blue, gold, and white magic, passed through the roof, and vanished.
“I can’t believe my quartz—you did it!” Tweek yelled, handing the amulet back to Kara.
“How long’s it good for?” Adriane asked.
“Few days, maybe,” Tweek said, pacing wildly.
Emily plopped down in the hay, exhausted. Clio, Spruce, Violet, Pollo, and Snowflake piled over her, snuggling close.
“We rock!” Ralphie brayed proudly.
“What’s Dalriada?” Kara asked, carefully draping a blanket over the hay so she and Calliope could sit without getting dusty.
“That’s where the Unicorn Academy is,” Calliope responded, nudging the others away from the blazing star.
“I’m going to run the web!” Dante snorted.
“I’m going to run it faster!” Ralfie said.
Dante and Ralfie began tussling, rolling over Ozzie.
“GarG!”
“I’m going to run with a blazing star.” Calliope eyed Kara lovingly.
“We have to get these unicorns to Dalriada before their horns sprout!” Tweek stumbled over the mages to examine each of the unicorn’s foreheads closely.
“What do you mean, Tweek?” Emily asked.
“The first thing they’re trained to do is tune magic with their horns. Without proper supervision, it would be disastrous—O’ me twig!” Tweek’s quartz eyes began spinning wildly.
“Whoa.” Dante went cross-eyed as Tweek stood on the unicorn’s nose, brushing away his forelock.
“This is awful, just terrible!” the E.F. wailed.
“What’s wrong?” Emily asked.
“Look!” Tweek shuddered uncontrollably, pointing a twig at Dante’s head. “His horn is about to sprout!”
“That’s right, I’m bad!” Dante proudly displayed a small nub protruding from his forehead.
“OOOOO!!” The unicorns all started concentrating, trying to make their horns sprout.
“AHHH!” Tweek was in a frenzy.
Ozzie grabbed the distraught E.F. “Keep yourself together, man!”
“There’s thirty unicorns. It’s an almost inconceivable amount of power! If they can’t control their horns, it could throw the entire web off balance!” Tweek cried, shuddering dangerously. “I’m just a rookie!”
Bang! The E.F. burst apart in an explosion of twigs and shrub.
“Not much for good-byes, is he?” Ozzie commented.
Violet brushed shyly against Emily. “You can teach us how to tune our horns, Emily.”
“Pleeeezzzzz!” the others pleaded.
“We’ll see,” Emily said, rubbing her eyes. “But right now we’re tired. It’s been a long night. Ozzie, I want you to stay here.”
“What?” The rest of the ferret’s protest was lost as the unicorns nuzzled up to him.
“I’ll stay as well,” Lyra said.
“We’re hungry, Fuzzy,” Clio complained, dancing on her socked legs.
“You did say something about feeding them, as I recall,” Emily said, smiling.
“Food! Food! Food! Food! Yay, Fuzzy!”
“‘Ozzie!’” the ferret protested. Then, throwing his paws up, the ferret gave in. “Fine, I’ll get you some… uh… what do you eat?”
“Unicorn food, what else?” Ralphie laughed, making his spotted coat jiggle.
“Er, remind me again what’s in it.”
“It’s easy,” Dante said.
“Pure morning dew,” Riannan began, swishing her beautiful tail.
“And a handful of starlight,” Spruce honked loudly.
“Don’t forget fresh honey!” Electra pushed clumsily to the front of the group.
Licking his lips so enthusiastically he lapped his big round nose, Pollo chimed in. “And you have to stir it exactly nine times under the light of the moon.”
Ozzie gaped in disbelief. “How much of this stuff do I have to make?”
“I could eat two whole batches!” Snowflake exclaimed.
The others squawked and tootled in agreement.
Leaving Lyra with Ozzie, the weary mages walked back to their cabin. This day had been like nothing Emily ever could have predicted.
She looked at the star-filled sky and thought about what Tweek had told them. The unicorns had already attracted strong magic. If their horns sprouted, there might as well be a neon sign over New Mexico advertising thirty baby unicorns.
A simple protection amulet wouldn’t do much good, then. And according to Tweek, the mages’ combined Level One powers didn’t even have a chance against whatever evil was out there.
Emily had to get these unicorns to safety. Their lives depended on it, and somehow she knew Avalon and the entire magic web depended on it, too.
GLOWING GOLDEN SUNLIGHT crested the horizon over the Happy Trails Ranch. The mages and Dreamer walked quietly but quickly past the cabins. They’d awoken at dawn to check on the unicorns while the rest of the resort was still sleeping.
“So, what’s the plan?” Kara asked the healer.
“I don’t know, okay?” Emily said, more grouchily than she meant. “I’m sorry. All I know is, we have to get them to the academy before their horns appear.”
“What about the d-flies?” asked Adriane.
“No go.” Kara shook her head. “Its just too far.”
Adriane sighed. “We’ll just have to chance using the fairy map.”
“You heard Twighead. Without their horns, they can’t open a portal,” Kara reminded them.
“Then we’re going to need as much unicorn power as we can get.” Adriane eyed Kara’s gem.
“Don’t look at me, I can’t even turn my nails pink without making my head green.” Kara
bit her lip. “What if I have to give it back?” she wailed, clutching her jewel on its silver chain. “Maybe it was a mistake!”
“Kara, the jewel was meant for you,” Emily reassured her. “It attracts and amplifies magic like you do. It just has to be tuned a little differently than ours.”
“Absorbing all that fairy magic didn’t help, Rapunzel,” Adriane commented.
“It’s making it worse,” Kara conceded, looking at her friends.
“We won’t let anything happen to it, or you,” Emily pledged.
“We’re in this together, got it?” Adriane concluded.
“Okay,” Kara said meekly.
As they entered the barn, the horses nickered in their stalls, but otherwise it looked empty.
For a split second, Emily thought it had all been a bad dream.
“How does this taste?” Ozzie’s voice wafted across the barn.
“Yuck!”
“Phooie!”
Inside the feed room, a gaggle of unicorns huddled around a big bucket overflowing with a white, bubbly pudding-like concoction.
The ferret held a large ladle, offering a dripping sample to Clio and Spruce.
“Emily!!”
All the unicorns gathered around the mages.
Dreamer sniffed the bucket and shook his snout.
“No luck making unicorn food?” Adriane asked, trying not to laugh.
“I’d rather eat a stinkberry!” Riannan complained.
“Well, I think it’s delicious.” Ozzie tasted a mouthful and gagged.
Emily took a quick survey. “Ozzie, are all the unicorns here?”
Ozzie looked around. “Front and center,” he yelled, pushing Violet and Snowflake to the center of the barn. “Roll call. Just like we practiced.”
The unicorns scrambled around the ferret as he called out each of their names. “Riannan, Spruce, Violet, Clio…”
As each one answered “Here,” the ferret nodded his satisfaction.
“Daphne, Kalinda, Ruby, Snowflake, Lysander, Phoebe, Boodle, Harvard, Mailai, Beowulf, Dulcinea, Barnabus, Pierre, Sibby, Quincy, Cromwell, Elvis, Windmill, Zoey, Riccardo, Celia, Electra—”
There was no answer from Electra.
“Where’s Electra?” asked Adriane.
“Hey, where are Dante and Ralfie?” Spruce asked, checking the stalls.
“And Pollo and Calliope?” Violet looked around.
“Well, that’s only five missing,” Ozzie said, shrugging.
“Where’s Lyra?” Kara demanded, closing her eyes to contact her friend.
“Everyone stay here,” Emily told the unicorns. “We’ll find the others.”
The three mages and Dreamer ran to the barn door—and right into a startled Sierra.
“Sierra!” Emily exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“I work here,” the brown-haired girl said, trying to peer over the mages’ shoulders.
Adriane and Kara shifted to block her view.
The sounds of scuffling and giggling were heard along with a “Gak!” and a “GarG!”
“What are you doing here?” Sierra wanted to know.
“We got up bright and early to help with the chores,” Adriane said quickly.
Sierra gave them a puzzled look as she strolled into the barn. “Well, that’s unusual for guests, but thanks.”
“Ahh!” Kara screamed as Electra trotted up to the door, right behind Sierra.
The mages scrambled to block Electra from Sierra’s view. The unicorn tried to poke her nose between the girls’ waists.
The short-haired teen stared at Kara. “Are you all right?”
“I get, like, totally excited by a good… chore,” she stammered, looking over her shoulder for the unicorn.
Sierra shook her head as she walked to Apache’s stall, Electra trotting right behind her.
Adriane made a grab for the unicorn, but Electra stumbled forward, bumping into Sierra.
“Hi.”
Sierra gasped. “Where did this filly come from?”
The girls shuffled, looking at each other.
“Her hide.” Sierra bent to examine Electra. “It’s practically sparkling! Where did you come from, you sweet thing?”
“Palenmarth, on the north side of the web.”
Sierra cocked her head. “Funny, I thought she said something.”
“Ha ha!” Kara laughed.
“Look, Sierra,” Emily began. “Remember I thought an animal was in trouble?”
“This is it?” Sierra raised an eyebrow. “She looks perfectly healthy.”
“Yes, well, good thing we found them, er, her,” Adriane said.
Sierra furrowed her brow. “She must have wandered away from the Triple A Ranch about ten miles east of here.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a shiny red apple. “Here you go, sweetness.”
“Ooh, thank you. I’m very hungry.” Electra chomped the apple happily.
A dozen unicorn heads peered from the stall.
“Hey! We want apples too!”
“What’s going on here?” Sierra asked, turning to the stalls.
The unicorns quickly stumbled backward, squashing another “Gah!” from Ozzie.
“Sierra, wait!” Adriane said. “We can explain.”
“We can?” Kara asked.
“How many others are in there?” Sierra asked slowly.
“Oh, just a few,” Kara said.
Twenty-four unicorns tumbled out of the stall, flattening the ferret to the floor.
Sierra’s mouth opened in shock. “I have to call Uncle Tex right away!”
“No, wait!” the mages cried in unison.
“We have to get them back to the Triple A!”
“You can’t tell anyone about them, Sierra!” Emily blurted out.
“Why?”
“Because…” Adriane looked to Emily.
“You know that we’re caretakers for all kinds of animals at the Ravenswood Preserve,” Emily explained carefully.
“You mean like Dreamer?” Sierra asked, crossing her arms.
The girls exchanged glances.
“I know a wolf when I see one,” Sierra declared. “But I’ve never seen a pony like this!”
“Sometimes we deal with, well, unusual breeds,” Adriane said.
“We’ve handled animals like these before, and we want to make sure they get home safely,” Emily finished quickly.
Sierra seemed unconvinced.
“You have to trust us on this, Sierra,” Emily pleaded. “Promise you won’t tell anyone, it’s really important.”
Sierra considered. She seemed to deliberate for a long time. “Okay. I can close the barn for the day, but you’re going to have to muck the stalls if no one else can come in here.”
“Thank you, Sierra,” said Emily, relieved.
Sierra nodded. “Meantime, I’ll get a barrel of apples in here.”
“YaY!”
Sierra looked at the unicorns and giggled. “I swear they’re talking. But that’s so silly, isn’t it?”
“Hysterical,” Kara agreed.
Sierra shook her head and left the barn.
“Oh, this is just great!” Kara cried. “Now I have to muck!”
“She’s cool, Kara,” Emily said. “And a little cleaning work won’t hurt you.”
“Sierra may be cool, but others won’t be,” Adriane pointed out. “We better round up the escapees.”
“Lyra’s spotted Pollo and Calliope out back by the corrals,” Kara reported.
“Okay, Adriane you take those,” Emily said. “Kara, you check the spa.”
“Right.”
“And the rest of you,” Emily ordered the unicorns. “Stay here!”
EMILY RACED BETWEEN the cabins, almost missing Ralfie’s spotted rump. His head was poking into an open window.
“Emily, there you are!” a smooth voice rang out. The step-monster.
The healer stopped in her tracks. “Uh, hi.”
“I’ve been loo
king all over for you.” Veronica walked up, Pollo trotting alongside.
“Hi, there.”
Emily’s eyes went wide.
“Look what I found,” Veronica said. “Isn’t he just adorable?”
“Has anyone else seen him, I mean, where—what—”
Emily caught Dante trying to push Ralfie in the window.
“I brought him to you right away,” Veronica said. “I think he’s lost.”
Emily smiled, relieved. “Oh, good—I mean, I’ll take care of him.”
“Say, I’m going to an art gallery in town. Would you like to go with me this afternoon?” Veronica’s red lips curved in a hopeful smile.
“Um… I’m—” She was about to say busy, but managed to be more polite. “I have my friends and everything.” Emily caught Ralfie’s long legs flailing. “I really have to go now.”
“Yes, of course,” Veronica said. “You know Emily, maybe I’m out of line here, but I really hope we can be friends. You’re the whole world to David, and I can understand why.” She smiled.
“Thank you,” Emily mumbled, slightly embarrassed.
“Tell you what, meet us at the barbeque later. It’ll be fun.”
“Okay,” Emily agreed.
“Great. See you then.” Veronica sauntered off.
Emily caught Pollo smiling at her. “What?”
“What’s a barbeque?”
“It’s not for you. Come on, help me get the others.”
IT WAS LATE afternoon when the girls finished cleaning the stalls. When they were sure all the unicorns were accounted for, they put Ozzie in charge and left the barn.
“There you are, girls!” David exclaimed as he and Veronica marched toward the mages. “What have you been up to? You haven’t been at any of the activities, Em.”
“We were—um…” she stammered.
“They were helping Sierra round up some stray ponies, David,” Veronica explained. “You know how good Emily is with animals.”
“Yes, she certainly is,” David agreed, smiling proudly. “Come on, I’m starved. Texas Slim promised the best barbeque this side of Memphis.”
The mages followed, the sudden thought of barbeque making their mouths water.
The cookout was behind the ranch near the corrals. A huge barbeque pit sizzled with ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and chicken. Resort guests sat on bales of yellow hay ringing a crackling campfire. Everyone was chowing down and chatting merrily.
Song of the Unicorns (Avalon: Web of Magic #7) Page 7