Spellsinger (Avalon: Web of Magic #5) Read Free

the ground and take her camera?”
    “That’s why you’re here.” Adriane grinned. “We need some presidential action.”
    They flew past the hedge maze and took a path into the woods. Only a small barrier of trees separated the Rocking Stone from the glade where so many of the homeless animals from the magical world of Aldenmor now lived.
    Mrs. Windor was determined to shut down Ravenswood through any means necessary; if she could show the Town Council pictures of strange creatures—or even what looked like bizarre animals—running loose in the preserve, she’d almost certainly get her way. And that would only be the beginning. A video would be a sure hit on YouTube and then the truth would be discovered. Scientists or some government agency would take the magical animals away; they would remain in cages, possibly the subject of experiments—or worse—for the rest of their lives.
    They could not let that happen to their new friends. Kara and Adriane raced toward the stone marker.
     
    B EASLEY WINDOR TRIPPED half a dozen times on roots she could have sworn were trying to snag her. She had whacked her head twice on low lying branches that she was certain swept in out of nowhere—it simply couldn’t have been that she was looking one way and walking another. This was a dangerous place.
    It had to go.
    Giggling whispers floated through the woods.
    Who was that?
    A flutter of leaves made Mrs. Windor turn toward a large outcropping of willow trees. She carefully tiptoed off the trail.
    Hunching over, she peered into the small screen of the digital camera she had borrowed from her niece.
    Strange creatures were here, and they were playing games with her. They were certain they had nothing to fear—and that would be their undoing.
    “I’ve got you now,” she whispered.
    Kara and Adriane hid behind a tree, watching as Mrs. Windor walked directly toward a space between two bushy willow trees.
    “She’s moving away from the glade,” Kara whispered. She couldn’t believe their luck—
    Adriane gasped, pointing. “Right into trouble.”
    A pack of duck-like quiffles were pulling a large branch back tight, ready to let it fly at their unsuspecting visitor. Their big, webbed feet tapped with anticipation as the woman moved closer.
    “We’ve got to do something!” Adriane said urgently.
    “We can tell her they’re migrating visitors from Canada,” Kara suggested.
    “Uh-huh, and what about that?” Adriane pointed behind the quiffles. “A visitor from Atlantis?”
    Kara’s eyes widened. Standing a dozen feet beyond the quiffles, in a pool of warm, golden-glowing light, stood a pony with green and purple wings—a pegasus. All Mrs. Windor had to do was turn to the right with her camera and she would get the video of the year!
    “Do something!” Adriane pushed Kara.
    “All right, all right. Here.” Kara tapped Adriane’s jewel.
    A searing bolt of golden light ripped from the stone, smashing into a treetop with a terrible explosion.
    Whammm-crrrackkkk!
    Three quiffles went flying as their branch shot forward. Mrs. Windor shrieked and whirled around—where a collection of seared branches toppled down, quickly piling up to obscure her view of the pegasus.
    Adriane gave Kara a stern look. “I didn’t say to knock down the whole forest!”
    A small blur of gold and brown dashed behind the new barrier, kicking the magical animals away and herding them deeper into the wilds of Ravenswood. Kara breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Ozzie, the magical ferret, give her a thumbs-up—well, actually a paws-up.
    Mrs. Windor was frantically looking in every direction. “Who’s out there?”
    Kara and Adriane poked their heads out from either side of the tree just in time to see Mrs. Windor about to trip over Rommel the wommel!
    “Hey, watch where you’re—!” Rommel started, but his warning came too late.
    Mrs. Windor, still holding onto the camera with trembling fingers, looked into the face of the small, talking