his eyes as if to block the memory. “In that one terrible moment, the power crystals turned dark. Sylvan and Miranda fought, but Miranda turned the dark magic on Sylvan, horribly transforming her.” He stopped short, as if continuing the story was too painful.
“And Lucinda?” Kara asked breathlessly.
“Lucinda tried to stop it but she was caught in the blast of magic and…” Gardener broke off, a haunted look shadowing his features. He took a shaky breath and continued. “The Fairimentals knew what had happened and took the power crystals away. They hid the island so Miranda could not find the Gates again.”
“And she’s been trying to find it ever since,” Kara realized.
“What did you do?” Emily asked Gardener.
“I returned to Ravenswood. I purchased the land in 1810. The magical animals stopped coming, and without their magic, I could not open the portal back to Aldenmor. All I could do was wait, hoping there would be new mages to begin the quest again.”
“You must have started wondering if new mages would ever show up,” Emily said.
“I kept busy studying crystals, trying to learn the secret of bonding with the mistwolves.” He smiled at Dreamer and Adriane.
The warrior hugged her packmate close.
“Then one day, about two years ago, the portal at Ravenswood suddenly opened.”
“Just before I came,” Adriane told him.
“Animals from Aldenmor were seeking sanctuary in Ravenwsood, telling stories of a terrible dark mage destroying their home. I knew their arrival meant new mages would be coming. I jumped through to find the power crystals. But something was terribly wrong on Aldenmor. Portals were shifting, the web was in a rapid decay. And worst of all, Miranda had evolved into the Dark Sorceress. She captured me before any of you even got to Ravenswood.”
“The Fairimentals didn’t tell us any of that!” Kara fumed. “We couldn’t get a straight answer out of them!”
“The Fairimentals do not think like you and I. They are elemental creatures, focused only on protecting the magic of Aldenmor.”
Adriane poked at the fire. “At least we know why the sorceress was after the mistwolves and the unicorns, and wanted Drake’s egg so much. She’s been stealing animal magic to try and open the Gates of Avalon.”
Emily stared into the flames thoughtfully. “I thought Avalon was supposed to be filled with good magic to flow along the web to all worlds.”
“Perhaps it was, once.” Gardener shrugged. “Whatever lies behind the gates bears no resemblance to the original Avalon.”
“But how could it have gone dark?” Kara demanded. “What happened?”
“The legend of the dark mage goes way back. During the time of the original Avalon, many humans and animals worked together. Until some humans realized they could simply steal magic from animals.”
“You mean betray their bondeds,” Adriane growled.
Gwyx rumbled. “ That is how the shadow dragon was created. A human sold its bonded dragon for magic.”
“That is correct,” Gardener said. “The path to dark magic has always been through the betrayal of bonded animals. Legends tell of the crystal city. And in its center lies an ancient pool, the very source of all magic. It is known as the Well of Tears.”
Emily sat up, startled. She had seen a well in her vision of Avalon when she was still under the Spider Witch’s spell.
“That sounds sad,” Kara said.
“Indeed,” Gardener agreed. “Nevertheless I still believed that three mages would have one last chance to complete the quest before the web unraveled.”
Firelight flickered over the awed faces of the healer, the warrior, and the blazing star.
“You mean us,” Adriane said quietly.
Gardener told them solemnly, “You are the last mages.”
The enormity of the simple words hung in the air like a thundercloud.
“According to the Fairimentals, it’s all over,” the warrior said angrily. “We failed.”
“But it seems no one became the dark
“And Lucinda?” Kara asked breathlessly.
“Lucinda tried to stop it but she was caught in the blast of magic and…” Gardener broke off, a haunted look shadowing his features. He took a shaky breath and continued. “The Fairimentals knew what had happened and took the power crystals away. They hid the island so Miranda could not find the Gates again.”
“And she’s been trying to find it ever since,” Kara realized.
“What did you do?” Emily asked Gardener.
“I returned to Ravenswood. I purchased the land in 1810. The magical animals stopped coming, and without their magic, I could not open the portal back to Aldenmor. All I could do was wait, hoping there would be new mages to begin the quest again.”
“You must have started wondering if new mages would ever show up,” Emily said.
“I kept busy studying crystals, trying to learn the secret of bonding with the mistwolves.” He smiled at Dreamer and Adriane.
The warrior hugged her packmate close.
“Then one day, about two years ago, the portal at Ravenswood suddenly opened.”
“Just before I came,” Adriane told him.
“Animals from Aldenmor were seeking sanctuary in Ravenwsood, telling stories of a terrible dark mage destroying their home. I knew their arrival meant new mages would be coming. I jumped through to find the power crystals. But something was terribly wrong on Aldenmor. Portals were shifting, the web was in a rapid decay. And worst of all, Miranda had evolved into the Dark Sorceress. She captured me before any of you even got to Ravenswood.”
“The Fairimentals didn’t tell us any of that!” Kara fumed. “We couldn’t get a straight answer out of them!”
“The Fairimentals do not think like you and I. They are elemental creatures, focused only on protecting the magic of Aldenmor.”
Adriane poked at the fire. “At least we know why the sorceress was after the mistwolves and the unicorns, and wanted Drake’s egg so much. She’s been stealing animal magic to try and open the Gates of Avalon.”
Emily stared into the flames thoughtfully. “I thought Avalon was supposed to be filled with good magic to flow along the web to all worlds.”
“Perhaps it was, once.” Gardener shrugged. “Whatever lies behind the gates bears no resemblance to the original Avalon.”
“But how could it have gone dark?” Kara demanded. “What happened?”
“The legend of the dark mage goes way back. During the time of the original Avalon, many humans and animals worked together. Until some humans realized they could simply steal magic from animals.”
“You mean betray their bondeds,” Adriane growled.
Gwyx rumbled. “ That is how the shadow dragon was created. A human sold its bonded dragon for magic.”
“That is correct,” Gardener said. “The path to dark magic has always been through the betrayal of bonded animals. Legends tell of the crystal city. And in its center lies an ancient pool, the very source of all magic. It is known as the Well of Tears.”
Emily sat up, startled. She had seen a well in her vision of Avalon when she was still under the Spider Witch’s spell.
“That sounds sad,” Kara said.
“Indeed,” Gardener agreed. “Nevertheless I still believed that three mages would have one last chance to complete the quest before the web unraveled.”
Firelight flickered over the awed faces of the healer, the warrior, and the blazing star.
“You mean us,” Adriane said quietly.
Gardener told them solemnly, “You are the last mages.”
The enormity of the simple words hung in the air like a thundercloud.
“According to the Fairimentals, it’s all over,” the warrior said angrily. “We failed.”
“But it seems no one became the dark
Similar Books
The Evil That Men Do: FBI Profiler Roy Hazelwood's Journey Into the Minds of Sexual Predators
Stephen G. Michaud, Roy Hazelwood
