“You try it,” she urged.

  His eyes lit up. “Okay.” Using the forefinger of his right hand, and a half-moon shape with his left, he made the letter D. Goldie, Barney, and Fiona gleefully did the same. “This is too easy.”

  “Oh, wait!” Kara cried, as if she’d just thought of it. “I have the best game of all. Dragonfly charades. I think of a word, they form the letters—you have to guess!”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “You slay me, Kara, you really do.”

  Just wait, she thought. I’m not the blazing star for nothing! She said, “I’ll start.”

  Kara began with an easy word. The d-flies’ eyes swirled with excitement as they watched her form letters.

  Then with a flurry of activity, the d-flies created the letters using their little bodies.

  The Skultum guessed it: “Star.”

  Kara graciously bowed, extending her arm.

  It was his turn. He motioned and they flew into formation: Barney made a circle, Fiona, the squiggly line that finished the Q. “Queen!” Kara guessed what it was before they were finished.

  “You go,” he directed. She asked for “flobbin.”

  The Skultum's next word was another easy one for Kara: “banshee.”

  She still wasn’t close to what she needed. How could she make him say his name without realizing he was doing it? A silly joke she’d made to B*Tween came back to her. What, am I supposed to stand on my head? It was worth a shot.

  “Ooookayhey,” Kara sang. “You’re right. This is too easy. Let’s try it… upside down!”

  “That’s preposterous—” he started, then watched her with glee. He couldn’t help himself. The challenge was too, too tasty.

  Kara began a cartwheel and stopped when she was balanced on her hands, upside down.

  She urged the d-flies to form the letters: DOOWSNEVAR. The Skultum stood on his head and read it: “Ravenswood!”

  His upside down was: GNOSLLEPS: “Spellsong!”

  Kara was ready. She snapped her fingers and winked at the d-flies—they knew. “One last word—and this one’s for the money.”

  “One for the money, two for the show—this show is over, and I get to go!” He giggled, standing on his head and watching carefully as the dragonflies formed their last word: DRAWOH.

  At the top of his lungs, he shouted, “Howard!”

  His jaw dropped, his eyes bugged. Too late. He realized what he'd done.

  Bright green magic streamed from the fairy, covering Kara in light. Now back in its true and horrid form, the Skultum stood frozen. Its reptilian scales glistened as it faded away.

  The last words he heard were Kara's: “You won! You won!” Like a Cheshire cat, the Skultum disappeared, leaving only its surprised face. With a Pop! it vanished.

  Kara rounded up the dragonflies. “Great work, guys.”

  They chattered and squeaked, twirling happily in the air.

  “There’s just one more thing I need,” she said.

  The d-flies stopped in mid-twirl. “o.o”

  EMILY BRUSHED HER damp hair back as she stood in the center of the three crystals. The familiar feeling of hopelessness welled inside. It was mixed with a new feeling—dread. Then Emily felt something else. The room lurched and started shaking. The wave was getting closer, rising into a crest that would crash into the crystals, washing away everything in its path.

  “You did it before, Emily.” Ozzie stayed close on her heels. “Remember little Vela and the elves.”

  Emily nodded. She had been sick, her jewel infected with the dark poison. A hundred mistwolves were infected now. This was different... Or was it? She could feel the pull of the Black Fire, reaching for her. But it wasn’t as strong. She realized she had formed an immunity of sorts, a shield. Another gift from her friend, the fairy creature, Phel. She had healed herself and she believed with all her heart that she was strong, she was ready.

  Zach stood to her left, dragon stone pulsing with red power.

  “There are too many of us!” Moonshadow called. “Save yourselves!”

  “Keep quiet, brother,” Zach said. “You sound like a squeaky mouse.”

  “A mouse?! When I get out of here, I’m going to show you who’s a mouse!”

  “You are, that’s who!” Zach goaded his wolf brother on.

  Suddenly, the crystals began to pulse together in a unified rhythm.

  Emily pushed harder, her stone flashing with incandescent intensity. The crystals were shaking and rocking.

  “It’s too late!” she cried.

  “What’s happen—”

  Ozzie’s voice washed away under the thunderous roar as the massive wave of magic slammed into the cavern.

  Emily tumbled back, overwhelmed by its power. Cries of agony rose from the mistwolves as magic poured into the crystals, crushing everything in its way.

  There was a loud Crack!

  The base of one crystal had cracked! It forked and snaked its way upward. Flaming green liquid spurted from the gaps.

  “Look out!” Emily screamed, dousing the poison with blazing blue light.

  Green droplets splattered at their feet.

  “Gah!” Ozzie jumped back to avoid the burning poison.

  “Healer! Run!” Moonshadow called out.

  “No!” Emily shouted back.

  If the enormous crystal blew apart now, the Black Fire fallout would be worse than anything the already ravaged world of Aldenmor had suffered. But if she didn’t do something, the mistwolves would die.

  “Zach, when I say so, split open the crystal!” Emily ordered.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes! I’ve stabilized most of the wolves, I’ll finish the job as they come out.”

  “You hear that?” Zach yelled into the crystals.

  “Yes,” Moonshadow answered.

  Without taking her eyes off the first crystal, Emily held out her arms. The rainbow jewel was blinding. “I can do this.” There was not a single shred of doubt in her voice.

  Ignoring the deafening rumble and the glowing green flames erupting around her, Emily pictured the mistwolves, strong and whole. She firmly held up her shield of light. “Now!”

  Zach fired his dragon stone at the crystal, covering it in red. The crystal shook violently and shattered, exploding upward as if hurled from the earth itself.

  Thirty mistwolves leaped into the chamber. Some fell to the ground roiling in pain. Others, growling and snarling, tried to shake off the Black Fire.

  Ignoring his wounds, Moonshadow stumbled past them, herding the wolves into the light of the healer.

  “Moonshadow!” Zach recognized his pack brother at once. The wolf was badly burned, toxic green lines crisscrossed over his charred skin. Emily rushed forward and placed her hands directly over the searing poison on Moonshadow’s flanks.

  A shudder went through her body as she felt the great wolf’s pain. She could see the green aura of darkness emanating from the wolf, reaching for her like a gruesome specter. Then his heartbeat locked rhythm with hers, and Emily pulled the sickness from the wolf’s body. She wrestled with the Black Fire, forcing its green glow away from the packleader’s shining silver magic. Ever so slowly, the green lines began to disappear and the flesh started to heal.

  Emily whirled, covering as many wolves in healing light as fast as she could. She moved like a dancer, reaching the mistwolves with the power of her healing and restoring their true magic.

  Then Zach, Emily, and Ozzie ran to the next crystal. Dragon stone raised, rainbow jewel ready, fierce ferret face steady.

  “Ready?” Zach asked.

  Emily nodded. “Go!”

  SOMETHING OPENED AND something closed in Adriane’s mind at the same time. She felt the mistwolves—they were free! She searched frantically through the voices in her head. But she couldn’t find Storm’s. She wanted to scream but was suddenly knocked to the ground as the throne room shuddered. Chunks of rock fell from the high ceiling, smashing to the polished floor.

  The sorceress was on her feet moving toward the seeing pool.

  Adriane braced herself against the shaking wall. Lyra paced back and forth snarling. The cat was okay, as far as Adriane could tell.

  With a stir from her finger, the Dark Sorceress conjured an image in the pool—and her eyes went wide with rage.

  One of the crystals had exploded, leaving a cloud of magic hanging over the lair. The mistwolves had been freed!

  She whirled around to the star map, watching the oncoming wave. It was unbelievable—more magic than she’d even dreamed possible.

  Then she turned to Adriane. “Your friends are destroying the crystals, releasing Black Fire. They would trade the lives of the mistwolves for the destruction of Aldenmor!”

  “Either way, you won’t control the magic,” Adriane said cooly.

  “Such a waste.” The witch raised her arm, magic spinning from her long fingers. “The mistwolves cannot stand against my armies.”

  “Think again, loser,” Adriane spat.

  The sorceress’s eyebrow raised in suspicion. Suddenly her gaze snapped toward the pool as if hearing incredibly bad news. Her body was shimmering in anger, magic fire radiating around her.

  Adriane steeled herself and faced the evil witch calmly. “What’s the matter? Your monsters having a little dragon trouble?”

  With a screech, the sorceress hurled magic at Adriane. Lyra knocked the warrior aside as it hit the wall, ricocheting around the room. Adriane flung her arms out and shot golden fire. The sorceress held up her hands, but Adriane pushed harder.

  The witch’s feral eyes opened wide. She was being pushed back by Adriane’s power! What had happened? Adriane howled as the mistwolf pack sent their magic surging into her jewel. But it was not enough. They were at a stalemate and they both knew the sorceress was more experienced.

  Suddenly, bright white light spilled into the chamber—a portal opened right in the middle of the throne room! Something horrible bellowed. The manticore stepped through.

  Adriane gasped. It was more hideous than she remembered. Hunched over, the demon creature was enormous. Its huge apelike arms, rippling with muscle, hung down to the floor. Legs the size of tree trunks lumbered forward as it scraped its razor-sharp claws along the stone. Fire-red demon eyes scanned the room.

  The beast’s foul stench made Adriane cringe.

  The sorceress laughed. “It seems my dark creature has eluded your dragon.”

  Adriane slowly backed away. There was no chance of beating this thing, she was just too exhausted. She stared at the monster and—did that thing just wink at her?

  Adriane couldn’t believe it. She looked at Lyra. The cat seemed to be—smiling?

  The witch approached the manticore as the portal glowed behind her. “Take them!” she ordered.

  “Oookee dookee.”

  What was that?

  Something fluttered. Adriane looked closer.

  Fiona, the red dragonfly, was sitting on the Dark Sorceress’s head! The little d-fly peered into her face. “Peeyew!”

  “Ahhhhhh!” the sorceress screamed, waving the creature away.

  “Ahhhhh!” The little red dragonfly freaked and popped out.

  Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

  “DeeDee!” Fred landed on Adriane’s shoulder, nuzzling into her neck.

  “Kill them all!” the witch screamed at the manticore.

  The creature’s eyes flashed. It opened its razor-toothed mouth—and spoke. “I don’t think so.”

  It wasn’t the voice of a monster. It was—Kara’s voice.

  Adriane could feel the strong magic of her friend inside the thing. There was no doubt the creature was Kara.

  The Dark Sorceress stared in confusion. “How…”

  But Adriane was already in front of her, wolf stone raised.

  “Would you like to do the honors?” The manti-Kara gestured to the portal with its twisted claws.

  Adriane stepped forward, her jewel blazing.

  Shock registered across the witch’s face.

  Adriane looked at her jewel and lowered her arm.

  “What I think she needs…” the warrior began, “is a little human touch.”

  With that, she connected—with a right cross! The sorceress flew backward, straight into the portal.

  The dragonflies gleefully whizzed around the portal, spinning and twirling.

  The manticore transformed, its huge body melting away to reveal a slim blond-haired girl in its place.

  “You!” the witch stammered.

  Lyra howled.

  Kara waved at the Dark Sorceress. “Buh-bye now.”

  For a moment, the sorceress’s eyes remained visible, radiating hatred.

  The dragonflies squeaked and chirped as the portal got smaller and smaller, until with a twinkle, it vanished—taking the sorceress with it.

  Kara stood wiping her hands. “Pretty smelly, huh? What?”

  Adriane looked at her in shock. “That was amazing! How did you do that?”

  Kara smiled and waggled a sparkling jewel in her friend’s face. “I got a jewel. I got a jewel.”

  Adriane raised an eyebrow. But before Kara could gloat some more, Emily’s voice rang out in their minds, “Adriane, come quickly!”

  KARA, ADRIANE, AND Lyra entered the crystal chamber. It was in complete chaos.

  Mistwolves were everywhere, snarling and growling; crystal shards littered the floor, sparking and crackling. The ceiling had been blown open, revealing thick clouds of green. Black Fire fallout engulfed them in a glittering, pulsing glow.

  The mistwolves howled as Adriane ran into the fray, frantically searching for Storm.

  “Kara!” Ozzie called. “Over here!”

  Kara and Lyra found an exhausted Emily, still working to heal the wolves.

  “Kara, are you all right?” Emily ran her hand over a brown-and-grey wolf and sent it on its way.

  “I’m fine.”

  “What happened?” Emily asked.

  “Never mind about me. How are you doing?” Kara wanted to know.

  “The mistwolves are well enough to leave.” Emily swept back sweat-streaked hair from her face.

  “What’s stopping them?” Kara asked

  “They refuse to leave!” Zach ran to them, giving Kara a quick nod, then looked at the ceiling. “They’re keeping the Black Fire from spreading.”

  The roiling fire pulsed and glowed around them. The cloud continued to darken, becoming almost black.

  “I don’t know what else to do!” Tears spilled down Emily’s face. “I can’t keep healing them!”

  “Emily!” Kara held her friend’s hands, looking deep into her eyes. “Remember when I asked you how far this thing would go?”

  Emily nodded, sniffling.

  “And why were we chosen?”

  “Yes,” Emily answered.

  “We weren’t chosen,” Kara said. “We were the ones who chose!”

  Emily looked at her friend. She was right. Emily had chosen to become a healer. Adriane had chosen to follow Storm on the warrior’s path. And Kara had chosen to join them.

  “Now we have to follow our path wherever it leads. With the help of our friends!” Kara turned to include everyone in the room. “And we choose now to finish this!”

  “She’s right!” Ozzie joined in. “The magic is sick and needs to be healed, just like all of you and the other creatures of Aldenmor.”

  “Gather around us!” Kara shouted. “Feed your magic to Emily. We will heal the magic!”

  Suddenly, Emily, Kara, and Adriane, Ozzie, and Lyra were surrounded by a hundred mistwolves.

  Emily rolled up her sleeves and concentrated. The rainbow jewel began to pulse with blue-green light. But the light was duller than usual, dimmed by the ominous black cloud.

  “I need everyone’s help,” Emily told them.

  Silence filled the room. The mistwolves shone with magic, sending their strength back into Emily’s stone.

  Ozzie’s whiskers twitched as he hugged Emily tight. The rainbow jewel brightened, then pulsed.

  Lightning flashed across the chamber. The walls shuddered as one collapsed in a cloud of dust and debris.

  “Stay together!” Moonshadow ordered.

  Kara turned to Adriane. “Are you ready?”

  Adriane stood next to Kara and held out her hand.

  Kara grasped it. “Ready, Emily?”

  Emily nodded, placing her hand over those of her friends.

  The healer raised her rainbow jewel, sending waves of blue up and around her arms. Adriane raised her wolf stone, wrapping golden fire around Emily’s blue magic.

  Then Kara held up her unicorn jewel. It blazed like a diamond star.

  Everyone watched in amazement as ribbons of blue and gold raced around Kara, covering her in magic. Fueled by the jewel of the unicorns, the magic built to a fiery crescendo.

  “Let’s do it!” she yelled, and let the magic go.

  Magic fire burst from the three gems, streaming like rockets into the cloud above.

  The cloud rippled into a whirlpool of power.

  With all of their hearts, the three mages focused on healing the twisted magic.

  “Emily, go!” Ozzie shouted.

  Supercharged by her friends and Kara’s new jewel, Emily had no fear, no hesitation. The light of her magic could pierce through any darkness, even the Black Fire. With a final breath, Emily drove her shield into the heart of the darkness and washed it away.

  Suddenly, the clouds exploded upward and streaming rays of multicolored lights lit the sky.

  The chamber rocked as another wall collapsed.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Ozzie yelled.

  The mistwolves bolted, running from the chamber in a wave. Emily grabbed Ozzie, hoisting him into her arms as Kara and Lyra herded the final wolves out.

  Dust flew and the rumbling grew louder.

  “Adriane!” Kara screamed, grabbing the warrior and pulling her out of the chamber.

  “Storm!” Adriane cried. But there was no reply. Only silence echoed from the emptiness in her heart.

  “We have to go now!” Kara dragged Adriane into the hall.

  With a thunderous boom, the chamber behind them collapsed in a pile of rubble.

  The girls burst through the front doors and into the bright light of the Shadowlands.

 

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