Read Online Dark Mage (Avalon: Web of Magic, Book 11) by Rachel Roberts - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rachel Roberts
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sparkling inside.
“What is that?”
“ Power crystal!” Dreamer howled.
The smoky coils thrashed as if alive, snaky threads twisting into a shape with venomous eyes and gleaming teeth.
This wasn’t just smoke. It was some kind of creature. Adriane raised her wolf stone as the monstrous apparition turned burning eyes to face her.
Fear ripped through her, deep and fierce. She was falling, caught in a vortex of shadow and smoke, the air knocked from her lungs, helpless. Sharp panic seized her heart. All she wanted to do was run away. She gasped, but didn’t have breath to scream as blackness engulfed her—she was a little girl lost and alone in the dark, no one was coming for her, no one would find her . Pure fear wrapped around her tighter and tighter, her throat constricting until she knew she would drown in absolute terror.
Then suddenly it stopped.
Adriane found herself on the ground, dust blowing over her sweat-soaked body, a wolf howl ringing in her head.
Beside her, Dreamer snarled, hackles raised, saliva frothing from his mouth.
Adriane scrambled to her packmate. Ignoring his snapping teeth, she cupped Dreamer’s head firmly. “It’s okay. You’re okay now.”
Dreamer calmed, hanging his head low. “I was alone with no packmate.”
“That will never happen, you hear me?” She looked deeply into the wolf’s green eyes.
Drake’s huge head swung over Adriane’s shoulder protectively.
“Mama!”
Adriane stroked the dragon’s head, scratching just above the eye ridges.
“It’s okay, I’m here now.”
The dragon sat on the sandy ground with a thump, sending a cloud of dust skyward.
“What was that thing?” Adriane shuddered.
In a burst of twinkly blue, Fred appeared and dove into Adriane’s arms. “Adee!”
“Oh geez, Fred!” The warrior hugged the little dragon as Dreamer leaned in close. Drake’s wings folded over them, completing the group hug.
“Much better, Team Wolf.” She ran her hand over Drake’s flank, checking for wounds. It seemed his thick dragon hide had protected him.
“I was scared,” Drake said.
“Yeah,” Fred squeaked.
“Me too.” Adriane anxiously scanned the landscape. Wind and sand had sculpted ancient rocks into strange, looming shapes. Cliff walls in the distance created narrow shadowy passages.
But the monster was gone. And it had taken the power crystal with it.
“Any scent on the crystal?” she asked Dreamer
He sniffed the air. “No. It’s gone—” the wolf abruptly snapped to attention, a growl buzzing in his throat.
From behind a jutting rock several hundred yards away, wide purple eyes stared at them in astonishment.
“I don’t believe it!” Adriane gasped. “It’s a—”
With a swift movement, a giant jet-black creature stepped into view. Its long neck, horse-like head and shimmering scales were unmistakable. Lifting its sleek head, the creature opened immense shimmering wings and roared.
“Dragon!” Drake finished.
“W E’RE NOT IN Podunk anymore.”
Kara, Lyra, and Goldie walked along a wide blue and green pathway. Colorful highways of light looped and swirled around them as far as they could see, forming the intricate pattern of the magic web.
Kara stomped her boots, testing the solidness of the glittering path. Magic thrummed through her, moving beneath her feet to places she could only imagine—and some she couldn’t.
Looking closely at the strands, Kara frowned. The surface was torn and faded in spots, like fabric that had frayed. In the distance, sections had crumbled completely, leaving huge gaps. Pieces of web unraveled, strands drifting like loose threads.
She had been on the web several times before, the last time astride the white unicorn on a mad mission to save Aldenmor, but she had never seen the web in such bad shape.
“Wow, how can the web be so flooie this close to Dalriada?”
Her stomach fluttered with anxiety. It was the unicorns’ job to run the web, spreading magic. If the web was
“What is that?”
“ Power crystal!” Dreamer howled.
The smoky coils thrashed as if alive, snaky threads twisting into a shape with venomous eyes and gleaming teeth.
This wasn’t just smoke. It was some kind of creature. Adriane raised her wolf stone as the monstrous apparition turned burning eyes to face her.
Fear ripped through her, deep and fierce. She was falling, caught in a vortex of shadow and smoke, the air knocked from her lungs, helpless. Sharp panic seized her heart. All she wanted to do was run away. She gasped, but didn’t have breath to scream as blackness engulfed her—she was a little girl lost and alone in the dark, no one was coming for her, no one would find her . Pure fear wrapped around her tighter and tighter, her throat constricting until she knew she would drown in absolute terror.
Then suddenly it stopped.
Adriane found herself on the ground, dust blowing over her sweat-soaked body, a wolf howl ringing in her head.
Beside her, Dreamer snarled, hackles raised, saliva frothing from his mouth.
Adriane scrambled to her packmate. Ignoring his snapping teeth, she cupped Dreamer’s head firmly. “It’s okay. You’re okay now.”
Dreamer calmed, hanging his head low. “I was alone with no packmate.”
“That will never happen, you hear me?” She looked deeply into the wolf’s green eyes.
Drake’s huge head swung over Adriane’s shoulder protectively.
“Mama!”
Adriane stroked the dragon’s head, scratching just above the eye ridges.
“It’s okay, I’m here now.”
The dragon sat on the sandy ground with a thump, sending a cloud of dust skyward.
“What was that thing?” Adriane shuddered.
In a burst of twinkly blue, Fred appeared and dove into Adriane’s arms. “Adee!”
“Oh geez, Fred!” The warrior hugged the little dragon as Dreamer leaned in close. Drake’s wings folded over them, completing the group hug.
“Much better, Team Wolf.” She ran her hand over Drake’s flank, checking for wounds. It seemed his thick dragon hide had protected him.
“I was scared,” Drake said.
“Yeah,” Fred squeaked.
“Me too.” Adriane anxiously scanned the landscape. Wind and sand had sculpted ancient rocks into strange, looming shapes. Cliff walls in the distance created narrow shadowy passages.
But the monster was gone. And it had taken the power crystal with it.
“Any scent on the crystal?” she asked Dreamer
He sniffed the air. “No. It’s gone—” the wolf abruptly snapped to attention, a growl buzzing in his throat.
From behind a jutting rock several hundred yards away, wide purple eyes stared at them in astonishment.
“I don’t believe it!” Adriane gasped. “It’s a—”
With a swift movement, a giant jet-black creature stepped into view. Its long neck, horse-like head and shimmering scales were unmistakable. Lifting its sleek head, the creature opened immense shimmering wings and roared.
“Dragon!” Drake finished.
“W E’RE NOT IN Podunk anymore.”
Kara, Lyra, and Goldie walked along a wide blue and green pathway. Colorful highways of light looped and swirled around them as far as they could see, forming the intricate pattern of the magic web.
Kara stomped her boots, testing the solidness of the glittering path. Magic thrummed through her, moving beneath her feet to places she could only imagine—and some she couldn’t.
Looking closely at the strands, Kara frowned. The surface was torn and faded in spots, like fabric that had frayed. In the distance, sections had crumbled completely, leaving huge gaps. Pieces of web unraveled, strands drifting like loose threads.
She had been on the web several times before, the last time astride the white unicorn on a mad mission to save Aldenmor, but she had never seen the web in such bad shape.
“Wow, how can the web be so flooie this close to Dalriada?”
Her stomach fluttered with anxiety. It was the unicorns’ job to run the web, spreading magic. If the web was
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