Circles in the Stream (Avalon: Web of Magic #1) by Rachel Roberts Page B

of stones. But none of them glowed, no matter what she did. After a while, she sat down, picked out the nicest stone, and held it tightly in one hand.
    Emily noticed and nudged Adriane. The two girls watched, trying not to laugh, as Kara bent over the stone, wrinkle-browed and frowning, a look of intense concentration on her face. Realizing she was being observed, she glared icily at the other girls.
    “What are you doing?” Adriane asked incredulously.
    “Resting—what’s it to you?” Kara got up and tossed the stone away in disgust.
    “One of the stones you find is bound to be special,” Emily consoled her.
    Kara upended her backpack, pouring the stones on the ground. “None of these are any good!”
    “Face it, Barbie,” Adriane said, “the magic doesn’t like you.”
    Kara jumped to her feet, slinging her empty pack over her shoulder. “That’s it! Look, I am Kara Davies, and you are a couple of weirdos. If you think for a minute I’m going any farther into these woods in my brand-new sandals, you’re as crazy as you look! I am turning around right now and going to the mall, where normal people go!” She stalked off angrily.
    “Now what?” Emily asked. “We can’t let her wander around the woods alone.”
    “She’ll be completely lost in about, oh, fifteen seconds,” Adriane said.
    “Aaahhh!” Kara’s scream cut through the forest.
    “Correction: ten,” Adriane said. “Come on.”
    Emily and Adriane cut back in the direction of Kara’s voice. They found her off the main trail, on a smaller path, looking down into a ravine.
    “What now? Did you see a bee?” Adriane taunted.
    Kara pointed to a gully ahead of her. “What’s that?”
    Emily looked—and her breath caught in her throat. With a cry, she slid down the incline.
    “Emily, wait!” Adriane cried. But all of Emily’s senses were focused on the wounded creature that lay there, half buried under debris. Carefully, she cleared away the branches and wet leaves. As if in a dream, she saw her stone pulsing wildly with blue light. She felt light-headed.
    “Ariel!” she cried.
    The owl lay in the gully, her body torn and bruised almost beyond recognition. One wing was mangled and bent at an impossible angle. A sickly green glowed in spots on the owl’s body. Carefully, Emily felt the owl’s chest to see if she was breathing. She was alive—just barely.
    “Ugh! That's disgusting!” Kara said, peering down.
    “I need something to carry her in!” Emily called up.
    “Leave it, it’s dead,” Kara said. “Aahh—hey!”
    Adriane was pulling Kara’s silk jacket off her shoulders.
    “What are you doing? That’s a DK!” Kara protested.
    Throwing it down to Emily, Adriane said, “If either of us had a jacket, believe me, we wouldn’t want yours.”
    Emily gently wrapped the owl in Kara’s jacket, then carefully carried her up out of the ravine.
    “Is she all right?” Adriane asked.
    “No. We have to get her to Phel—quickly.”
    “What about her ?” Adriane nodded in Kara’s direction.
    Kara stood, silently fuming.
    Emily’s only concern was the owl. “Ariel’s going to die if we don’t get her to Phel right now!”
    “Let’s go. This way.” Ignoring Kara, Adriane started down the small path. Emily followed, cradling Ariel in her arms. When Kara realized she was being left behind, she ran to catch up.
    “Where are you going?” she demanded.
    Adriane whirled around. “We need to get this animal to where she can be healed!”
    “She’s hurt bad,” Emily said softly.
    “Well, lucky I found her, huh?” Kara said. Then she paused. “What’s a Phel?”
    “Look, just remember your promise,” Adriane said sharply. “You tell no one about what we show you.”
    “I knew it! A secret place you weren’t telling me about!” Kara’s eyes sparkled.
    “I’m serious! Promise!” Adriane insisted.
    “Okay, okay, I promise,” Kara said.
    Emily hurried along the trail, Adriane at her side. Kara was falling