Dawnrunner addressed the pack. “No one get gets left behind.”
The mistwolves howled as everyone gathered behind Adriane.
“We have to stop that sylph!” Tweek rattled atop Ariel’s back as the owl landed. “If she takes the magic of Ravenswood to the spirit world, she’s going to get the power crystal.”
“Where did she go?” Kara nervously asked.
Wind screamed through the forest, tangling the webs in the trees.
“That way.” The warrior pointed toward broken branches and downed trunks littering the forest floor.
“I can smell the foul thing,” Moonshadow confirmed.
The group moved cautiously to the edge of the glade, following the trail of destruction. Moving into the forest, they could feel the air itself heavy with magic and the scent of decay.
“Tweek, where is it?” Adriane whispered, eyes narrowed, jewel held high as she swept a beam of magical light over the area.
The trees stood in stark relief, half-hidden by swirls of mist. It was deathly quiet.
Tweek stretched his twigs out like antennae, pointing to a giant fir tree. “O’ me, me, me—”
“Keep your twigs together, man!” Ozzie shouted.
“Me!” Tweek exploded in a burst of mud and sticks.
With a wrenching crack, the tree trunk split, spewing red light across the ground. The mutated forest sylph emerged.
“Orenda!” Adriane gasped as the demon’s twisted magic slammed into her.
The sylph had been monstrously transformed. Red eyes glowing from its shifting, translucent form, the nightmarish thing floated in the air. Root legs reached out like spider limbs. Crooked needle fingers grew from bent limbs. The sylph’s once beautiful features were wracked by livid scars, pulling her mouth into a malicious grin.
Adriane’s tears felt like fire on her face.
“Warrior,” the demon sneered, expanding its ghostly form. Leaves, branches, and pieces of earth flew toward it like a powerful magnet. “Help me. You have nothing left here.”
The magic of Ravenswood swirled inside the vengeful spirit, pure green and gold warping to red. Adriane’s wolf stone erupted in a shower of red sparks.
Zach and Kara fired their jewels, slamming dragon and unicorn magic into the thing.
The demon roared, gathered its thrashing roots, and plunged into another tree. Bolts of energy raced through the trunk as the demon fed on the tree’s earth magic.
Adriane doubled over as the screams of the trees burned through the wolf stone.
Golden magic shimmering along their fur, Dawnrunner and five wolves lunged at the infected tree. Shrieking at the touch of the wolves’ pure magic, the demon zipped out, disappearing into the next tree.
Struggling as her gem flickered between red and gold, Adriane fought the demon’s pull. Her friends were firing volleys of magic, but without her earth elemental magic, they could not heal Orenda.
The demon shot into the depths of the forest, devouring everything in its path.
“What do we do?” Kara shouted, unicorn jewel sparking. “Can we heal Orenda, turn her back?”
“We have to get her in one place long enough to find out,” Emily responded.
“We need to set a trap,” Adriane said.
“What’s the bait?” Zach asked.
“We give it what it wants.” Adriane held up her wrist, wolf stone pulsing with light.
“That’s crazy!” Kara cried.
“No way!” Emily protested.
Adriane faced her friends. “I’m the one with earth magic.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Ozzie exclaimed. “What if that only makes the demon stronger?”
“We have to try.” Before the others could talk her out of it, she quickly continued. “We need a distraction.”
Zach swung onto Drake’s back. “Leave that to us.”
“Lyra, follow Orenda!” Kara ordered.
The cat gave Ozzie a flick of her head.
The ferret reluctantly climbed aboard. “I really hate flying.”
The cat’s golden wings shimmered and unfolded as she soared upwards, Ozzie hanging on.
“Moonshadow, keep it away from the deep forest,” Adriane ordered.
The black wolf started barking orders. “I want four groups led by Dawnrunner, Whitefang, Comet, and Aja.”
“I will go with Adriane.” Dawnrunner stepped between Moonshadow and the warrior.
Moonshadow stood nose to nose with his mate. A spark flashed between their eyes as the pack leader submitted and padded to the other wolves.
“We’ll meet in back of the manor,” Adriane continued. “Good luck.”
A flaming maple tree shot into the air like a rocket, streaking across the sky as it disintegrated into embers.
“The demon is making its way through Turtle Bog!” Ozzie reported from high atop Lyra.
Moonshadow bounded into the woods. The rest of the wolves raced after him.
Adriane ran her hand over Drake’s neck, feeling the dragon’s strength. “Be careful,” she said to Zach.
“Let’s fly!” Drake snorted fire. With a beat of enormous wings, dragon and rider took to the skies.
Healer, blazing star, warrior, and mistwolf took off toward the manor.
Drake and Zach sliced through the sky, swooping in as the poisoned sylph burrowed through a line of pine trees.
Howling their battle cry, mistwolves forced the demon across a grassy clearing and into the topiary garden on the eastern hills of the preserve.
In a blaze of red dust, Orenda shot down a slope and engulfed a topiary brontosaurus.
The green dinosaur sculpture flashed red—and came to life. It swung a massive tail at the wolves. But Moonshadow bore down from the west, snarling and ripping at its haunches. A blast of dragon fire from the skies smacked into the bronto, forcing the demon to jump into the tyrannosaurus topiary. The huge sculpture shuddered, its neatly shorn leaves crackling and glowing red as it thundered toward the dragon. Zach and Drake rounded on the T-rex, encasing it with pure ruby dragon magic. The demon dino dodged aside, sinking glowing red teeth into Drake’s tail. The dragon bellowed, tail smoking.
“Drake!” Adriane cried, feeling the dragon’s pain.
“Come on, we have to hurry while it’s distracted,” Kara called, running past the mermaid fountain in the water gardens.
Emily slipped a steadying arm through the warrior’s as they followed Kara and Dawnrunner across the great lawn. They came to a stop at the forest’s edge.
“Which one?” Emily asked, scanning the magnificent trees bordering the lawn.
Adriane had to choose. She stopped in front of a giant oak. Its immense trunk rose into a mass of branches thick with green leaves.
“You must ask the tree to help us,” Dawnrunner urged.
Adriane placed her hands on the tree trunk, the bark rough against her palms. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Magic tingled up and down her arms. She could feel the gnarled roots draw strength from the land. She reached farther, touching another tree, then another. With love and patience, Orenda had woven each tree into an intricate network, nurturing the natural magic of Ravenswood.
“Great tree,” Adriane spoke quietly. “Orenda has given so much to make you strong and healthy. Please, help her now.”
The tree groaned and creaked. Adriane winced. She thought she heard the entire forest scream with the agony of the demon’s attack.
“I’m sorry,” Adriane whispered to the oak. “Please help us.”
As if acknowledging the warrior’s presence, the tree seemed to calm.
Wolf stone shining, Adriane sent earth magic into the tree. The healer and blazing star added their magic, entwining blues, pinks, and whites into the wolf stone. Adriane directed the flow of power through the trunk, into every root and every branch. The leaves glowed with swirling colors.
“We stand with you,” she told the tree as the magic shone into the sky like a beacon.
On t
he other side of the preserve, the dino-tope turned, attracted by the vibrant magic. With a withering red flash, the demon zipped away from its host. The enormous scorched leaf sculpture stood suspended for one precarious moment before crashing to the ground.
“Heads up!” Lyra soared over the mages.
“It’s coming!” Ozzie yelled, arms flailing. “Right toward you!”
The red glow of the demon filtered through the trees like an unnatural sunset.
Eyes blazing, it streaked across the lawn.
Dawnrunner snarled as she turned to face the oncoming monster.
Kara and Emily took position on either side of the tree, magic fire swirling from their jewels.
“Steady.” Adriane breathed deeply, struggling to contain the magic roiling inside the tree.
The mistwolves fanned out in a U shape, Drake zooming overhead, guiding the demon as it headed straight for the huge oak—and Adriane.
With a thunderous roar, Dawnrunner leaped forward, magic crackling along her coat.
“Dawnrunner!” Adriane cried.
“Stand strong, warrior!” The wolf held her ground, sending her magic not to defend herself from the demon—but to protect Adriane.
The demon collided with Dawnrunner in a sickening rush. For a split second, wolf and demon merged, exploding in a blaze of fire. Waves of twisted magic crashed over Adriane as the demon jumped into the glowing tree, sinking its venom into the rich veins.
Dawnrunner’s limp body sprawled across the ashen ground. Once again a wolf had sacrificed herself and Adriane hadn’t been able to stop it.
Emily ran to the downed wolf, healing stone blazing.
Keening howls sliced over the preserve as the wolves sensed the loss of their fallen packmate.
The warrior held up her jewel and met Moonshadow’s steely eyes.
“Fire!” Adriane ordered.
Five jewels erupted with magic, encasing the tree in a glittering force field. The wolves surrounded the tree, giving all they had left to help the mages.
The demon shrieked, thrashing the oak’s wide branches.
“Orenda, come back to us,” the warrior pleaded, flattening her palms on the tree, moving tendrils of golden magic into the demon.
The contact burned like fire. She could feel the energy of Ravenswood pulsing through the demon as the Spider Witch threaded each tree into her horrible spell.
Tweek’s magic had felt like this at first, all swirling and dark. She focused harder, desperately trying to touch the gentle forest sylph.
But Orenda was being controlled like a puppet, forced to destroy everything she had spent years building.
Adriane cried out. Utter blackness had consumed the sylph. The witch had wormed her way into the heart of Ravenswood and extinguished its light—Orenda was no more.
“It’s too late.” The warrior slumped to the ground, eyes glazed with tears. Once again, she had failed.
“Keep firing!” Kara’s jewel blazed with red, pink, and white fire.
The trapped demon shrieked in anger as the forcefield closed around it.
There was only one place the demon could go now—and there was only one thing left for Adriane to do.
The warrior rose, eyes sparking. Magic crashed through her, but it didn’t matter. Rage and sorrow burned inside. The mistwolves had come to her for help, to make their stand. Now Dawnrunner had paid for that trust. Chain’s words rang in her head, mocking her. How many more would suffer before this was over? How many more would she betray?
This was her fault. She had to make it right.
With all the strength she had left, she reached out and grabbed the demon, wrapping her golden wolf magic around its very core.
“Adriane!” Emily’s cry drifted away.
Brilliant dragon magic reached out to her, but she ignored it.
“Where is she?” Zach’s worried voice floated from a million miles away.
The faint cries of her friends faded as she fell.
Chain’s wolfish laughter echoed ahead of her in the swirling gloom.
Then everything went black as Adriane plummeted into the oblivion between worlds.
HER FEET HIT solid ground, crunching the thick layer of leaves and twigs on the forest floor.
What happened? Was she still in Ravenswood?
She turned. A stand of oaks was behind her. One of the trees had an ornately carved door leading right into it.
That’s very curious, she thought.
She opened the door and cautiously stepped inside. Following a long, winding tunnel, she finally emerged in a strange garden. Giant flowers bloomed beside golden geometric hedges.
Raucous laughter floated to her left. She recognized her friends’ voices. It sounded as if they were having a party! She darted around large hedges and found herself in a clearing.
Her friends were all sitting at a long table—plates, teacups, confetti, balloons, and party gear were piled high atop the fringed purple tablecloth. A giant cake with pale green frosting tilted precariously in the center.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little cat,” Lyra sang from her seat at the head of the table, wearing a large bonnet. Teacups and saucers clattered as the group turned around to stare.
Adriane gaped, openmouthed.
“How I wonder where you’re at.”
“Who are you?” Adriane ran a hand over the table. It felt real enough.
“That’s the mad catter, silly,” Ozzie said, floating in an orange and blue porcelain teapot.
“Have some juice,” Lyra offered.
“I don’t see any juice,” Adriane remarked.
“There isn’t any.”
“Who are you supposed to be?” Adriane asked Ariel. The owl perched on the table, wearing a sea captain’s hat.
“The mad hooter, of course,” Ozzie said.
Drake held a dainty teacup in his huge paws, trying unsuccessfully to drink.
“What is going on here?” Adriane asked, dumbfounded.
“What is going on here!” Ozzie demanded, scrolling over a long sheet of paper that fell to the ground in waves. “You are down for two!”
Zach stood up, straightening his finely tailored pinstriped suit and red silk tie. “Everyone is supposed to bring a guest,” he announced. “You can’t come here all by yourself.”
“Shhhhh!” Emily, her hair a mass of wild red ringlets, turned wide eyes to the boy. “She’s always alone, she doesn’t have anybody.”
“Where is your hat?” Kara asked. Her golden hair was pulled into pigtails with two giant pink velvet bows that matched her frilly, doll-like dress. “You can’t just come to our party looking like that.”
“Listen to me!” Adriane exclaimed.
“I’m all ears.” With a dramatic bow, Zach swept the cat ears off his head.
“Drake, what’s going on?” Adriane reached for the dragon’s warm magic.
“Tea party!” Drake snorted a burst of fire over his cup, making it boil.
This wasn’t the spirit world, Adriane realized. She had fallen into the dream state. It shouldn’t surprise me, she thought dully.
“I have to find Dreamer,” she said, backing away from the bizarre scene.
“Who?”
Everyone looked at one another, confused.
“He’s not on the list,” Ozzie announced, cramming the scroll in the spout of the teapot.
“Dreamer!” Adriane cried. “My packmate.”
“Mistwolf?” Tweek leaped up and pirouetted across several cupcakes. “Don’t be ridiculous. No one’s seen one of those in years.”
“They died out long ago,” Emily added. “Thanks to you.”
“What?” Adriane backed away in horror. “Don’t even say that.”
“That puppy was so cute!” Kara squealed.
“Where is he?” the warrior demanded.
“How should we know?” Zach asked. “You’re the one who lost him.”
“This is crazy,” Adriane muttered. Things were getting hazy, he
r head was swimming. She had to get out of here, figure out what to do.
She ran to a path on the opposite side of the clearing, dodging between bushy branches laden with giant pastel marshmallows. She sped around a triangular hedge and stopped dead.
“It’s her again!” Lyra exclaimed. A huge cowboy hat was crammed on her head.
Adriane’s pulse pounded. “How did I get back here?”
“I know, I know!” Emily raised her hand in the air excitedly. The rainbow feathers sprouting from her wide-brimmed green hat swayed. “Every path leads here.”
“Twingo!” Tweek, a mossy fedora on his head, tumbled across the table.
Adriane stood staring.
“You can’t do anything right.” Kara adjusted her pink beret, giving Adriane a scornful look. “You are such a loser.”
Adriane flopped into a large armchair at one end of the table. Orenda was dead, Dreamer lost, the magic of Ravenswood gone, Stormbringer fading away. Some earth warrior she was. She shook her head. This was surreal. She couldn’t think clearly.
Suddenly she gasped. “Where are your jewels?”
“What jewels?” Emily asked, looking over her sparkly plastic rings.
“Like this.” Adriane held up her wrist—and stopped cold. Her wolf stone had vanished. Even her bracelet’s tan line had disappeared completely. As if she’d never had it at all.
“I… I have to go,” she whispered.
“Where?” Kara asked.
“How?” Emily added.
“When?” Ozzie and Zach chorused.
“Hoot?” the mad hooter hooted.
“I… I can world walk away from here right now.” Adriane sprang to her feet. “Just watch me!”
She stepped forward, concentrating, and walked right into the table.
Everyone clapped.
“There’s no place to go—you might as well stay here.” Zach smiled.
“Nothing to do but eat cake.” Ozzie dove into the green cake.
“Just sit down and try to be normal like the rest of us,” Kara said haughtily.
Somewhere inside, Adriane knew this was all wrong, but she just couldn’t focus. Besides, they were right.
She slumped back down. She could walk away, but she could never leave—just keep going round and round and round, always ending up where she started. Destined to repeat all her mistakes, all her failures.
Ghost Wolf (Avalon: Web of Magic #9) Page 12