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

The blazing star stood, arm raised. In her hand, the diamond-white unicorn jewel pulsed with power.

Lorren groaned. “Oh, great.”

The bulwoggles’ eyes flashed with hunger.

Kara held her gem with trembling fingers. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, she thought, surveying the mass of magic starved creatures around her.

“It’s only a girl,” the bulwoggle taunted.

Kara felt the hot rush of power flowing through her as the jewel erupted with blazing white magic. The bulwoggle howled as its angry companions dove out of the way.

“Kaaraaa!” Goldie’s claws dug into her shoulder.

The d-fly’s voice snapped Kara back to reality. She had to get control of her magic before she lost herself completely in the brilliance of her own power. Screaming with the effort, she wrenched the magic back.

The crowd of costumed creatures stared at her in shocked silence.

A cluster of fairies zipped above her head, forming a bright blue spotlight. Her jewel pulsed, draping her in shards of sparkling diamond magic.

“She’s got a jewel!”

“A unicorn jewel!”

“It’s the blazing star!” squeaked a pixie, hopping so excitedly her pickle costume fell off.

Costumed creatures shoved and pushed each other, everyone trying to nose in and get a good look at Kara and her magic. The Forest Prince began ushering her to the door. A riot was about to break out.

“Take a picture!” Kara cried, holding up the sparking gem. “It’ll last longer!”

Jagged lighting split the skies over the isle as clouds swirled. A gust of wind howled through the rave. Discarded masks skittered across the dance floor and fairy lanterns bobbed in midair.

Something flew from the clouds, spinning like a whirlpool. It glided down, skimming over the heads of the crowd. Partygoers yelled and cheered. The swirling light came to a stop and landed right in front of Kara, expanding as it spun in rainbow spirals. This was no light show. It was a portal.

“Kara!” Emily’s voice echoed through the portal. “Can you hear me?”

“Emily!”

“Jump through,” Emily screamed.

The portal followed Kara as she turned and moved away.

“Not without Lyra!” Kara yelled, backing away from the snarling bulwoggles.

“This might be your only chance,” the healer’s voice echoed desperately. “Tweek doesn’t know if it will open again!”

“Give me the magic!” the bulwoggle leader roared, his crazed eyes locked on Kara’s jewel.

“Stay away from me!” Kara shrieked.

“What?” Emily asked, startled.

“Not you, the bulwoggle!”

“Bulwoggle?!” Ozzie screamed from the other side of the portal.

The bulwoggle lunged, huge muscled arms outstretched.

“Stay back,” Lorren yelled. Sword in hand, he took on all three bulwoggles, trying to keep them away from Kara.

Something rattled in Kara’s purse.

“I gotta go. I have a situation.”

The bag burst open and Mirabelle flew out. “I couldn’t stay away, let me reflect your radiant beauty—
arkq!”

A giant clawed hand swiped at the clamshell mirror sending her spinning as Puffdoggie sprang out. It hit the bulwoggle in the nose with an explosion of twinkly puff powder.

“Ahhhh
ChOOOO!”

Mirabelle, Puffdoggie, and Goldie tumbled head over heels as the bulwoggle staggered backward.

“Oh no!” Kara watched in horror—as the vicious lizard creature fell into the swirling portal and vanished.

Kara waved her arms, trying to swat the portal away from the dance floor. The portal veered crazily on its axis and dove sharply into the screaming crowd. Three more creatures were sucked in.

“We have to get out of here before the entire rave falls through!” Lorren yelled.

“Hooooweeee! This rocks, dude!” A dwarf whirled skyward and vanished into the portal.

“Let’s move!” Lorren yelled.

Stuffing Mirabelle and Puffdoggie in her purse, Kara grabbed Goldie and ran after the prince. The portal followed, zipping overhead.

Troves of trolls dove out of the way, overturning the food stands.

Together, princess, prince, and dragonfly charged through the mists and out of the archway, skidding down to the water’s edge.

Hordes of enraged creatures poured from the archways, chasing them.

“You sure know how to show a girl a good time,” Kara commented.

“Thank you.” Lorren let out a piercing whistle.

With a whoosh of wings, the giant bat swooped out of the night. The crowd ducked and rolled as a clipped bulwoggle went flying face first into the muddy bank. Lorren took a running leap, grabbed hold of the saddle and hauled himself up.

He reached out his hand. “Shall we escape?”

Kara hesitated. Her new friend was not only an outlaw, but also a goblin. But bandit or not, she had to trust someone.

Grabbing Lorren’s hand, she swung into the saddle behind him. In a flash, the bat was airborne, the Fairy Isle shrinking far below. The portal followed, zipping into the sky, trailing after them.

“Emily!” Kara squashed Goldie to her ear. “Come in, Emily!”

But all she heard was screaming, crashing, and the sounds of her room being completely trashed.

T
HE SPINNING PORTAL
shimmered and glowed like a small sun in Kara’s closet. Everyone had stepped away, huddled in the center of the room except—

“The portal’s opened!”

Musso and Sparky barreled for the bright circle of light.

“Incoming corporeal particles transporting across the astral planes!” Tweek announced, focusing his jewel like a magnifying glass over the swirling hole.

“What?” Musso asked, running by the little twig figure.

“Something is coming thro—
Argghk!”

A mass of scaly muscles crashed through the portal, sending Musso and Sparky flying back into the bedroom.

Roaring with fury, the bulwoggle destroyed a row of Kara’s summer dresses with one deadly swipe of its claws.

“Bulwoggle!” Musso cried, crawling from the windowsill, fumbling with his utility belt to free a few spells. “Mercenaries! The war has started!”

Tearing a pile of pink sweaters off its head, the lizard creature stomped to the closet door. “What place is this?” it bellowed, scanning Kara’s bedroom.

“Go back!” Adriane yelled, as she and Dreamer stepped in front of their friends. “You don’t belong here!”

Yellow slitted eyes moved from the snarling black mistwolf to the golden magic sparking from the warrior’s wolf stone.

“I will take that magic!” the monster bellowed, eyes shining wide.

Adriane spun and kicked the closet door closed. Twisted hangers shot from the closet as the beast smashed the door back open, crushing Tweek into a mass of flattened mulch.

Ozzie dove under the bed as Spinnel suddenly barreled out of the portal, smacking into the back of the bulwoggle’s head.

Trying to pry the bear creature loose, the bulwoggle rampaged across Kara’s room, wreaking havoc.

Dreamer leaped, locking teeth into the monster’s leather armor, spinning around the room in a wide circle. He crashed into Musso, sending the hobgoblin’s fistful of spells flying. Magic splattered against the shelves, covering two stuffed bears, a hippo, and a moose. The stuffed animals twirled to the ground in a fluffy tangle of limbs just as a flailing dwarf flew from the portal and crashed through the canopy of Kara’s bed.

“Whoa, dude! Is this the PIG room?” the dwarf hung upside down as the ripped material caught his feet.

“I will swallow your magic, and you with it!” the bulwoggle roared.

“Eat this!” Adriane yelled, Dreamer at her side, Fred and Fiona on one shoulder, Barney and Blaze on the other, lending their magic to her intense golden wolf fire.

A bolt of magic slammed the beast right in its armored chest. The bulwoggle tottered and fell across the bed, bringing the canopy down with it. The bedspring collapsed, and the bed crashed to the floor.

“Hey, keep it down up there!” Mrs. Davies’s annoyed voice floated up the stairs.

A screaming bunny with dragon wings hurtled from the portal and bowled Ozzie into Kara’s stereo, sending CDs flying.

“Sorry!” Emily answered Mrs. Davies, her stone glowing bright blue as she grabbed Ozzie out of the way. A panicked mookrat leaped on the windowsill, clawing up the curtains. “Just helping Kara rehearse!”

A large red, yellow, and blue fox dressed like Robin Hood in green tights and cape stepped from the closet and bowed. “Colfax, Fairy Underground. May I be of some assistance?”

“What is this, a convention?” Ozzie exclaimed, sliding across the floor on loose CD cases.

“Roll it up in the quilt!” Adriane commanded.

The mages, Ozzie, the d-flies, Dreamer, Spinnel, Elfan, Colfax, and Kara’s stuffed animals all jumped on the roiling lump entangled in the fluffy quilt.

“Your friend has caused quite a scene at the rave.” Colfax smiled, holding down the monster’s thrashing tail.

“Leave it to Kara to find a party,” Adriane commented as she and the others lugged the rolled-up creature back toward the closet.

“Give me that magic!” the bulwoggle mumbled, now wrapped like a mummy in Kara’s quilt. The monster’s massive foot ripped through the quilt, long claws wiggling. Barney bit a scaly big toe, keeping the lizard pinned inside the bedroll.

“The portal’s shrinking!” Tweek yelled, sticking his flattened mossy head dangerously close to the flashing circle.

The portal was swirling in on itself.

Together, the group heaved the screaming quilt into the closet.

The bulwoggle fell into the portal, Kara’s blouses and sweaters tangled on flailing scaly limbs.

“Hurry!” Emily shouted, herding the fairy creatures toward Kara’s closet.

Elfan, Colfax, and Spinnel dove through, the dwarf charging behind.

“Thanks for the party, dudes.”

Sparky ran at top speed, Musso right on his heels.

But just as the dwarf disappeared, the portal shuddered and vanished.

Sparky and Musso hurtled through the suddenly empty space and smashed nose first into the back of Kara’s closet.

“I see stars…” Musso said dreamily, sliding down the wall into a heap.

“Tha webbbb ith bootifull,” Sparky slurred, and toppled nose first to the floor.

“Tweek, is it going to open again?” Adriane asked anxiously.

Everyone gathered around the little Fairimental as he raised his turquoise gemstone and scanned the closet. After a tense moment of silence, he smiled broadly.

“No problem,” the little E.F. said, rifling through holographic numerals. “It should open again in about three years.”

L
ORREN’S GLOVED HAND
gently clasped Kara’s as she slid from the bat’s saddle into the fairy palace bedroom window.

“Thanks for a great time!” She tossed her bag onto the dresser.

“Hmph!” Goldie snorted, then flew into the room, shaking off her costume.

“Hey, it could have been worse. We could still be raining fairy creatures all over the kingdom,” Lorren quipped.

“And my Capris with them!” Kara turned her eyes down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that portal would follow me.”

“Hey, I’m sorry, too,” Lorren said, then paused. “If I’d known the rave was going to be so dangerous, I never would have asked you there.”

“At least it wasn’t boring,” she answered, smiling, but then frowned as she looked up at his masked face. “Prince Lorren, or whatever I should call you.”

He touched the edge of his mask absently. “The Fairy Realms are in real trouble. I can’t work with the underground if everyone knows who I am,” he explained, then smiled. “Besides, my parents would lock me in the dungeon if they knew what I was doing.”

“Maybe your parents would like the Forest Prince,” Kara suggested.

“Were yours thrilled when you told them you were a mage?” he countered.

“Well, I, um, see your point,” Kara stammered.

Lorren nodded. “Ironic, isn’t it? I have to hide who I am so I can be myself. You should understand my secret better than anybody, blazing star.”

Kara gazed into his pale green eyes with new understanding.

“Look, I have no right to ask you, but if you still want to go after the fire stallion, I can take you to Tangoo,” he said, gathering the bat’s reins.

“But you said you didn’t trust him.”

“It was his idea to combine the blazing star with a Firemental horse to attract the power crystal. If anyone knows how to find the fire stallion, it’ll be him.” He looked at her, waiting.

Kara wondered if she should trust Lorren. It was all so confusing. But if he’d wanted to hurt her, he could have left her to the bulwoggles. Instead, he’d risked himself to save her. And if he had secret-identity issues, well, so did she.

The boy turned away, bowed his head, and raised the reins, about to fly off.

“Lorren,” Kara called out as the bat moved away from her window.

“Yes, Princess?” He turned, his face a silhouette rimmed in starlight.

“See you tomorrow.”

Kara watched him glide over the gardens until the darkness swallowed him.

“He’s cute!” Skirmish broke the silence, clattering across the vanity table.

Kara’s purse wiggled and fell open. Mirabelle flopped open on the dresser. “What a party!”

Kara walked to the bathroom to put on her robe.

Puffdoggie burst out barking, sprinkling powder over Angelo.

“This is completely against regulations!” the comb cried to the stowaways. “You really rattle my teeth!”

“They were a big help,” Kara said as she walked from the bathroom, wrapping the fluffy robe around her.

“Well?” Whiffle asked Kara, huffing a cloud of lilac. “Details, we need details.”

Kara flopped on the bed, exhausted. “Oh, you know, bulwoggles, flying bunnies, riots, random portals, secret identities—everything a girl could want.”

“Oooo!” Skirmish shouted, leaping up to brush out Kara’s hair. “How were the snacks?”

“Shhh, Skirmish, can’t you see she’s tired?” Mirabelle scolded.

Kara sunk into the big pillow. Tomorrow she would visit the Goblin Castle and Tangoo. But what if Lorren was wrong? What if the sorcerer couldn’t help? Lyra would melt into nothing, all because Kara couldn’t control her magic. Then she’d be trapped and alone in the Fairy Realms, in the middle of a war that could destroy everything she loved. Even if by some remote chance she found the fire stallion, how could she bond with it? Her magic sure didn’t work last time. And how could she possibly find the power crystal? What if the Dark Sorceress got her hands on it first! Hot tears stung her eyes. Why was all this resting on her shoulders? If only she’d never had magic in the first place, this never would have happened.

Goldie nuzzled into Kara’s neck.

“Goldie, can you call Fiona?” Kara asked, petting the d-fly’s soft, golden hide.

The mini settled next to Kara’s ear and sent a series of squeaks to Fiona.

“Kara?” Emily’s voice asked.

“Hi,” Kara sniffled. “Anyone miss me?”

“Everyone misses you. How are you?” Emily asked.

“I dunno,” Kara answered quietly. “How’s my room?”

“Well, Blaze and Barney are redecorating, but everything’s quiet, finally. Ozzie took Musso and Sparky to Ravenswood for the night—”

“I messed up so bad,” Kara cried, words suddenly pouring out. “If I lose Lyra, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’m not strong like Adriane. And the fire stallion hated me. I don’t know what to do!”

“Kara,” Emily said gently. “You can’t change what happened. There’s so much we don’t know about our magic.”

“Yeah, but your magic
works
. I don’t know what mine is supposed to do, except make a giant disaster out of everything. I wish I didn’t have it at all!” Kara started sobbing.

The enchanted accessories clambered onto the bed, trying to calm the princess, brushing and spritzing everywhere.

“Your magic is part of you now, Kara,” Emily said. “Wishing you didn’t have it is like wishing you weren’t yourself. We all know there’s only one Kara, and that’s the way we like it.”

Kara hiccupped a bit of laughter. “Guess I’m stuck with me no matter what.”

A strange beeping noise blared from Goldie.

“Hold on, call waiting,” Kara said. She poked Goldie’s belly, making the d-fly giggle.

“Kara, are you there?” Adriane’s voice asked worriedly.

“Hey.”

“How you doing?”

“Better, thanks, I’m on the other line with Emily,” Kara said. “Let me see if we can do a conference call.”

Goldie gurgled, and Kara heard the other two mages talking through their dragonfly phones.

“I’m glad you called, Adriane,” Kara said.

“Where did all those creatures come from?” the warrior asked.

“Long story short, I went to a fairy rave with the masked mystery guy,” Kara said. “The portal followed me. And guess what else.” Kara rolled onto her stomach, propping herself on her elbows, knees bent, feet in the air.

“What?” Emily asked.

“He’s really the Goblin Prince Lorren in disguise!”

“No way!” Emily and Adriane chorused.

“Totally.”

Emily giggled. “You’re dating a goblin!”

“Somebody get Mrs. Davies a valium,” Adriane laughed.

“And get this, Lorren is totally cute!” Kara exclaimed, then felt herself blushing. “I mean, he’s, like, different than other goblins we’ve seen.”

“No warts?” Adriane asked.

“No.” Kara paused, feeling a sudden smile spread over her face. “He’s just like a real boy.”

“So what if he happens to be green,” Adriane chuckled.

“Yeah, so, anyway,” Kara continued seriously. “I have to find the power crystal to save Lyra.”

“And you need the fire stallion to get the crystal?” Emily asked.

“Yeah, Lorren thinks this goblin sorcerer can help me find the horse. Supposedly the combination of our magic will draw the power crystal to me.”

“Magic attracts magic,” Emily concluded.

“What if I can’t…” Kara’s words faded.

“Listen to me, Kara,” Adriane said firmly. “You’re not going to lose Lyra. Okay?”

Kara sniffled again. “Okay.”

“We’ll cover for you tomorrow at the play,” Emily told Kara.

“I totally forgot! Someone is bound to notice me missing.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Emily assured her. “Get some rest. Fiona and Fred are here if you need us.”

“Okay, guys. Thanks.”

Kara lifted Goldie from her ear, breaking the connection. She hugged the d-fly close, clinging to the words of her friends and the strength of their magic.