“That’s crazy.” Marlin looked away, his mouth forming a sullen pout. “No one likes me.”
“I do.” Emily smiled shyly. “And Niva loves you.”
“Truth is… I kinda like Niva,” he admitted.
“I know.”
The sun burned like a red ember as mist began billowing over the Flyer. Abruptly, the boat was shrouded by dense fog.
“Ack! This fog is thicker than me mum’s chowder!” Cribby lit a wrought-iron lantern hanging from the mast. The bright light shone through the mist, illuminating dark shapes ghosting in and out of fog.
“I can’t see a thing!” Marlin exclaimed.
“Do you know where we are?” Emily asked anxiously.
Cribby scratched his knobby head. “Of course I know where we are. We’re right here!” He pointed a stubby finger at the chart. “Surrounded by deep waters, as far from land as—”
With a loud groan, the Flyer ground to a halt.
“Flibber me giblets!”
“Stuck,” Indi announced, peering over the side.
The Flyer was wedged between two gigantic rocks, held in a stone vise.
Emily’s breath caught. Broken masts, tattered sails, and pieces of wood littered the rocks like a junkyard. Skeletons lay sprawled across the rotting decks. They were trapped in a graveyard of lost ships.
“Hooweee,” Cribby whistled. “I gots a bad feeling aboot this.”
Heavy mist hung over the water, making it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of them.
Beside her, Indi’s horn pulsed in dark colors. Something was very wrong. Emily shivered as magic tingled around her.
“In an ocean of tears, we wait.”
From the gloom, a lonely, singsong voice floated as if the ocean itself called to her.
“Waiting, longing for home.”
Entranced by the achingly beautiful sound, homesickness washed over Emily. She suddenly missed Ozzie and her other friends terribly. How would they ever find her? She needed to go home.
“It’s the most beautiful ting I ever heard,” Cribby said, swaying back and forth, his eyes glassy as he stared into the rolling fog.
Another voice joined in the eerie melody, then another, building into an otherworldly chorus.
“Cribby, snap out of it!” Emily yelled.
Indi poked the elf captain in the rump.
“YeowZir!” The elf covered his ears, eyes wide with sudden fear. “Sirens of the deep! They’ll lure us in and drown us!”
“There is no today.”
“No tomorrow.”
“No place to go.”
Spectral voices swept around them like ghosts. They seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
“What do we do?” Marlin asked.
“Every seafaring elf knows how to protect himself from the siren’s lure.” Cribby leaped to the foredeck and started hopping around like a jumping bean. “Get wig-jiggy with it!”
The sea elf danced and spun, belting out his best pirate chantey.
“O’ me belt is a boot in a pirate’s hat.
Swab the decks with a scurvy rat.
Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of—aK!”
“Cribby?” Emily turned and gasped.
The sea elf was frozen like a statue. His mouth gaped like a fish, his eyes wide in terror.
“Marlin?”
Marlin stood stone still at the railing, spellbound.
Someone was using powerful magic on them. Emily knew exactly what kind: spellsinging!
“Stay with us forever.”
“It is time to come home.”
She had never felt so homesick. Eyes half closed, she let the sweet melody fill the unbearable emptiness growing inside. “Where are you?”
“Come closer,” the voices sang.
Iridescent sparkles passed under the surface. Something was moving toward her.
Reds, greens, blues, and oranges dazzled her eyes as shimmering fish-like bodies slinked past the boat. Wide tails flipped to the surface and slapped the water, then disappeared.
“Come to us.”
Dreamily, Emily gazed into the water, cool mist brushing her face, washing away all her worries, all her cares.
The water was her element, her home. Emily wanted to be immersed in the eternal depths. “I want to go home,” she said, not knowing if she spoke aloud.
Slowly, she climbed over the railing. She saw her reflection distorted in the black water. Then she saw other eyes staring at her. A beautiful face gazed at her from just below the surface. Cold, gleaming eyes, soulless and deep as the ocean itself, locked her in their spell.
Something wet and slimy slithered across Emily’s ankle as long claws reached from the waters. Cold, webbed fingers slipped around her arms, pulling her into the icy depths.
“You belong to us now, witch.”
EMILY KNEW SHE should be frightened as her feet silently slipped into the water.
“Come to us and slee—”
“—hooOOoop.”
Through the watery surface, the creature’s pale blue lips smiled reassuringly. Scales shimmered in the haze as slender hands reached for her. Emily barely felt their clawed fingers clasp her legs, dragging her down.
The spellsong washed over her with the endless rhythm of the ocean, calling her home.
“The ocean is your ho— ”
“—bLaaaRRrp!”
Her eyes drooped as she drifted away, slowly lowering herself overboard. The dream would last forever; she never wanted to come bac—
“—aAKKKKKKK!” A blaring noise suddenly cut through the spell. Emily’s eyes flew open and she screamed, grasping desperately for the boat railing.
The creatures thrashed and hissed like snakes. Iridescent hair of pale green, blue, and amber swayed with their every move. Glistening tails caught the sunlight as cold eyes reflected the blues and greens of the ocean.
Mermaids!
They were everywhere, sinuous, scaly bodies shimmering like ghosts in the water.
A mermaid floated upon the surface, pale lips covering rows of serrated teeth. Glittering eyes gazed out of a beautiful doll-like face. Emily could make out the unmistakable red aura of the water sickness shimmering around the mermaid.
“You cannot escape.” The mermaid’s voice was sharp as a knife, nothing like the gentle melody of the enchanting song.
“PhoOOoof!”
A purple unicorn muzzle pressed over the rail close to Emily’s face, horn shining bright.
The mermaids snarled and shrank back from Indi’s magic.
Emily grabbed on to her bonded’s neck as he pulled her from the water. She fell on the deck in a heap, scrambling away from the creatures. In a few seconds she would have been pulled under.
“FlooT! wHarK!” Indi honked wildly, shattering the last of the spell that held Marlin and Cribby.
The prince stared, openmouthed, at the wild creatures. “I don’t believe it!”
“I think it’s working,” Cribby said, stomping madly around the deck. He looked over the side and blanched. “Clam almighty!”
Marlin grabbed Emily’s arm, pulling her away from the railing. “Wild mermaids! Look, they still have tails! It’s so primitive.”
Emily gulped. “You mean you’ve never seen a real mermaid before?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Have you?”
“No.”
A blue-haired mermaid rose from the depths, gleaming eyes locked on Emily. “You bring darkness upon us.”
“I’m a healer,” Emily protested.
“You will kill us all,” another mermaid hissed.
Emily flashed on her dark visions—so many animals trapped in her web, their magic ripped away by her power.
“It was an accident.” Emily shrank back from the angry creature, ashamed. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
“You can talk!” Marlin stared at the mermaids, astonished.
“Great prince.”
Dozens of ice-cold eyes focused on Ma
rlin.
“You are the one.”
“Who, me?” Marlin goggled, shying away.
“You saved the sea dragon,” a mermaid said.
“Word travels fast,” he said.
“Talk to them,” Emily urged.
“I don’t speak fish.”
Cribby pushed the merboy forward. “Stop floundering.”
The mermaids swarmed around the boat. “We knew you would come, Prince. But why do you bring the dark witch?”
“She will destroy us,” another hissed.
Emily’s heart pounded. It was an accident—wasn’t it?
“What do you want from me?” Marlin asked.
The mermaids’ shimmering scales trailed magic in the dark water.
“You shall be a great king of legend and restore the magic of the oceans.”
“We have foreseen it.”
“Hey, did you hear that?” Marlin beamed at Emily. “I’m going to be famous.”
Emily stepped forward cautiously. “I—we want to heal the sea creatures.”
“You cannot,” the mermaid snarled.
Emily shrank back.
“The water magic is making us sick,” another mermaid wailed
“The water magic?” Emily repeated.
Of course! That’s why all the animals were infected. The virus was in the water itself. Panic raced along her spine. She couldn’t travel to the source of every stream, river, and lake—it would take forever. Healing the water would require elemental magic way beyond her abilities.
“No problem,” Marlin proclaimed, suddenly full of confidence. Then he turned to Emily. “How do we do that?”
“You must use great magic, merprince,” a mermaid told Marlin. “Find the Crystal Caves.”
Maybe this wouldn’t be impossible after all, Emily thought.
“The Crystal Caves don’t exist,” Marlin snorted. “They’re a child’s fairy tale!”
Emily’s heart sank. “Great.”
Then something tickled in the back of her mind. Emily turned to Indi. She had seen a place—a place with hundreds of magic jewels.
“Magic,” Indi confirmed.
“Marlin, I think they do exist,” Emily said. “I saw them… in a vision.”
“That’s silly.”
“No,” she insisted. “There must be a power crystal there twisting all the water magic.”
Marlin eyed the mermaids. “If the water magic is bad, why can’t you go fix it yourselves?”
“We are bound to this place.”
“You mean you’re trapped here?” Emily asked.
Marlin smiled brightly at the mermaids. “I officially decree you’re free to go.”
“There is nowhere left for us.” The mermaids looked away, eyes glistening with pain. “We are all that remain.”
Emily couldn’t help thinking of what it must have been like once upon a time, when incredible creatures like sea dragons and these mermaids filled the world.
“You must help us find this magic,” the healer pleaded. “Please.”
“Such power is not safe in your hands,” the mermaid told her scornfully.
Emily was stunned.
“You really saw this place?” Marlin asked Emily.
She and Indi nodded.
“And you think there’s a power crystal there?”
“It would make sense for one to be drawn to all that magic.”
The merprince took a deep breath and spoke to the mermaids. “If I promise to heal the water magic, you must let us all go, including the, um, witch.”
The mermaids scowled. “She belongs to the sea.”
“I am the great merking and I won’t leave without her!”
The mermaids swam in a tight circle, blue, amber, and green hair swirling in a gleaming cloud.
“You shall all be free, but heed our warning.”
“How do we find the Crystal Caves?” Marlin asked.
“Behind the Rainbow Veil you will find what you are looking for.”
“The Rainbow Veil?” Emily repeated.
“The moon and sun will show you the way.” Ice-cold eyes locked on Emily’s. “Be warned, witch, the darkness is upon you.”
Goosebumps prickled along Emily’s arms as the mermaids slipped silently beneath the waters and vanished.
“Nobody’s goin’ nowheres, mermatey,” Cribby whispered hoarsely.
“Why’s that?” Marlin asked.
The elf leaped to his feet. “Because, ya scrubwheel, we’re held fast in these rocks!”
But suddenly, a thick mist blew across the deck, setting the Flyer free from the mermaid’s spell.
“Avast!” Cribby grabbed the wheel.
Through the rolling fog, flashing lights began swirling, faster and faster. The water around the Flyer surged, catching the boat in a whirlpool. In its churning center, pearly blue and green magic crackled as a shimmering portal swirled open.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Marlin called out.
“Me too.” Emily hugged Indi close.
The unicorn looked at her with eyes full of trust. Finally Emily had what she always wanted, a bonded animal. But it wasn’t at all as she’d imagined. Instead of stronger magic for healing, she had accidentally used her powerful magic to hurt—even kill—animals.
The mermaids’ words were a chilling reminder of what Miranda had told her: her magic would only cause pain.
“I’LL BE A MAGE’S monkey!” Cribby exclaimed, turning his charts upside down. “We’re halfway up the Snake River!”
The Fearless Flyer floated through dense jungle. Along the banks, thick vines curled into the swift waters. Colorful birds swept through moss-laden trees.
“The mermaids were guarding a portal.” Marlin shielded his eyes from the sudden sunlight dancing over the deck. “How weird is that?”
Emily shot the merprince an exasperated look.
Marlin raised his hands in defense. “I’m still new to this magic stuff. I guess it can get plenty weird.”
“Hooobop!” Indi pranced across the deck practicing his singing.
“You have no idea,” Emily muttered. When it came to magic, weird was only the beginning.
“Onward to the Crystal Caves, Captain Cribby,” Marlin called to the sea elf.
Cribby shuddered. “We’ll never survive to tell the tale.”
“What makes you say that?” Emily asked.
“Anyone who’s ever tried has never been seen, heard from, or sung of again. Just a final painful shriek and then—ArK.”
“What?”
“ArrRRkkKK!” Cribby repeated loudly.
“Oh.” Marlin shook his head.
“We can heal the water magic there, I know it,” Emily insisted.
“And jus’ what ye be lookin’ fer in these caves?” Cribby asked in a hushed tone.
“Jewels,” she said. “Hundreds of them.”
“Merman the mainsail!”
Marlin pulled the rigging tight, sending the Flyer leaning into the wind.
Emily gazed down the river as it curved out of sight. Fear wormed its way into her heart. Would she be able to heal the water magic without hurting anyone else?
Indi pressed close to Emily’s side, sensing her worry. “We make magic together.”
She leaned against Indi’s soft mane. She wasn’t alone anymore. No matter what happened, her bonded was there to help her.
When this was over they’d have all the time they needed to grow together and work on their magic. She couldn’t wait to show him the forests of Ravenswood. He was going to love it there with all the other magical animals—although she’d have to be careful. Her mom would faint if she saw a purple unicorn poking around the Pet Palace! There was so much they had to look forward to, all the things she had longed to do when she finally bonded with an animal.
“It’s not just sea dragons, is it?” Marlin asked, breaking her thoughts.
Emily shook her head.
“The whole ocean is in dang
er, my entire kingdom.” Realization filled the merteen’s eyes with sadness. “I was taught to prepare for a world without magic. Then, I find Niva, you find Indi, and we bump into real mermaids. I don’t know anything anymore.”
“You can’t deny what you are, Marlin,” Emily told him. “You’re connected to the water and its magic. You always were.”
“Yeah, next you’re going to tell me Avalon really exists,” he scoffed. When Emily didn’t smile, he continued. “If Avalon were real, magic wouldn’t be disappearing, would it?”
“Avalon’s been lost for a long time.” Emily turned away, Miranda’s words haunting her. “We need to find nine power crystals or the magic of Avalon could wind up in the hands of terrible people.”
“If you can classify the Spider Witch and the Dark Sorceress as ‘people,’” Marlin quipped. “What do these crystals do?”
“Open the Gates of Avalon. But they’re unstable and very dangerous, powerful enough to twist magic.”
“How many have you got so far?” the merprince asked.
“Four, but one was destroyed. So that’s five more to go.”
“But if you’ve destroyed one, you’ll never get enough.”
Emily had no answer for that.
“You think there’s one in the crystal caves?” Marlin asked.
“Yes.”
“And it’s twisting the water magic.”
Emily nodded.
“Well, what do we do with them once we collect them all?”
“I don’t know,” Emily admitted. “We don’t know where the Gates of Avalon are.”
Marlin shook his head. “Geez, nobody really seems to know anything about magic.”
“Some things are worth fighting for—even if they seem impossible,” Emily said quietly.
“I turned my back on magic, and now the dragons could become extinct because of me.”
“No, Marlin,” she said, looking into his eyes. “They’re dying because the magic is sick. And if what the mermaids said is true, you must help them. And Niva.”
“I…” Marlin cast his eyes down. “Emily, I don’t know what to do.”
“You can protect the magic that’s left before it’s too late.”
“Truth is, the merkingdom needs a warrior, a dragon rider, not me. I don’t deserve to be heir,” he said in a small voice.
Heart of Avalon (Avalon: Web of Magic #10): Page 8