All's Fairy in Love and War (Avalon: Web of Magic #8) (2 page)

“Ooo, blazing star!”

“I’m not going anywhere!” Kara said adamantly. “So go back wherever you came from.”

“But there’s major trouble,” Musso cried. “Everyone needs you!”

“Take a number,” Kara said, holding up her jewel. The gem suddenly erupted with diamond-bright light.

“Ahhrg!” Musso and Sparky dove out of the way as the portal pulsed wildly, drawing in the magic of the unicorn jewel.

Kara was jerked forward, her necklace biting into the back of her neck. “Ahh, Lyra! It’s pulling my jewel in!”

Lyra sprang in front of Kara, pushing the girl back.

Musso and Sparky jumped to their feet, pushing Kara forward.

“Hurry, it’s closing!” Musso yelled, looking anxiously as the bright portal spun in on itself.

With a fierce growl, Lyra swiped at the two intruders. They scrambled apart, trying to avoid the sharp claws.

Kara went flying forward, jewel first, into the portal. “Lyra!” she screamed.

Lyra raced into the closet and leaped, diving through the dwindling hole. The portal closed and vanished, leaving a perplexed Musso and Sparky stranded in Kara’s bedroom.

K
ARA FELL LIKE
Alice down the rabbit hole, tumbling and landing in a heap.

“Lyra!” she called frantically, struggling to untangle herself from her voluminous skirt, spitting blonde hair from her face.

“I am here.”
The cat was behind her, emerald eyes warily surveying the immediate area.

Kara followed Lyra’s gaze. Golden brown trees with thick trunks soared overhead, twisting sunlight into shafts of shimmering shadows. She’d fallen into a glade in the woods. A clump of purple heather had cushioned her fall. Jasmine and peach blossoms filled her senses.

Something flew by Kara’s face, accompanied by a flourish of tinkling bells.

“Hey!” Kara stammered, readjusting the straps on her fairy wings.

Two more swept in, stopping abruptly in front of Kara’s face. They were tiny figures, about the size of butterflies. Translucent wings pulsed with light and formed swirling patterns in the air. Luminous wide eyes stared at Kara as tiny hands covered thin mouths. They were giggling.

“Uh… hello,” Kara started—then jumped. Three more had zipped under her skirt, forming moving lumps in the pink silk.

“Hey!” Kara quickly stood, shaking her curious visitors loose. “It’s rented!” She smoothed out the long dress.

“Fairy wraiths,”
Lyra explained as they merrily whirled around her.
“We must be in the Fairy Realms.”

“Great! No sign of a portal for weeks, and then one opens in my closet!”

Catching a glint out of the corner of her eye, Kara spun around. Furry heads peeked out from behind rocks. Something that looked like a small bear with glimmering purple fur sat staring at Kara with big golden eyes. Birds of deep greens, reds, and purples fluttered above her head, chirping excitedly.

“Shoo!” Kara tried to swipe them away. “Let’s just find that portal and jump back through,” she said to Lyra.

“That’s what I’ve been looking for. There’s no sign of a portal anywhere around here,”
Lyra responded.

A troop of brave, squirrel-like creatures with orange tufted ears had moved toward Kara’s feet. Their bushy tails swept the forest floor as they investigated the girl.

“Scrooch?” One of the orange squirrels had scampered up a rock for a closer look at Kara.

“No, thank you.” Kara looked down to see the front of her dress glowing with a brilliant hue. She fished the unicorn jewel from inside her bodice. The gem was ablaze with light.

“I’m a magical lighthouse!” Kara quickly willed her jewel to calm down.

“Scritch!” the orange squirrel thingy demanded.

Kara sighed. “Fine. One skritch.” She reached out—but the animal squealed in horror.

In a mad rush,
all
the creatures bolted, leaving Kara and Lyra alone.

“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, spitting 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?
”