Full Circle (Avalon: Web of Magic #12) by Rachel Roberts Read Free Book Online

as young cats, griffins, and other creatures kept their eyes on the healer, stepping back as she walked by.
    “How’s she doing?” Tasha whispered to Kara and Adriane, glancing at Emily, who trailed behind them, her eyes downcast.
    “She’ll be okay,” Kara replied, meeting Adriane’s gaze.
    “Hey, Emily, look!” Adriane called over her shoulder as she spotted a herd of baby wildebeests and ran over to pet them. The size of hippos, these “babies” would have been extinct if the mages hadn’t healed Aldenmor.
    Emily’s face brightened as she joined Adriane, stretching her hand toward the wooly creatures. But her gesture was met with frightened snorts—the babies turned tail and galloped away.
    “It’s the dark mage,” a spriggan hissed. “What is she doing here?”
    Hundreds of wary eyes focused on the red haired girl.
    Emily swallowed hard, her heart aching. “They think I’m going to hurt them again.”
    “Memo to Aldenmor,” Kara announced, cupping her mouth like a megaphone. “Emily’s fine. She’s not under the Spider Witch’s spell any longer.”
    “So you say,” a purple spriggan fretted, hopping from foot to foot.
    “This was a bad idea,” Emily said, wincing as the animals scrambled aside, terrified of the dark mage. “I should leave.”
    Kara pulled Emily close as Adriane, Tasha, Dreamer, and Lyra huddled around the worried girl. “It’s okay. We’re right here.”
    “We won’t let anything happen to you,” Adriane assured her as the animals pressed close. “You got it?”
    Emily nodded.
    The warrior and the blazing star marched Emily past the circular amphitheater known as the Fairy Ring. The flower-covered structure was jammed with more refugees.
    “Kara!” Lorren ran up to Kara, giving her a quick hug. He nodded to the others and patted Lyra. “How’s Emily doing?”
    “Not great.”
    Out of nowhere, a joyful roar thundered across The Garden. It came from a fiery red dragon swooping overhead. Skimming across the grassy meadow, he came to a stop as two teenage boys, one blond, and one green, slipped off his back.
    “Hi, Mama!” the dragon rumbled happily.
    “Drake!” Adriane scritched her baby boy’s nose.
    “’Sup?” Zach greeted the warrior, eying the blazing star warily.
    Adriane smiled at the blond dragon rider. “That’s what we want to know.”
    “Emily!” A tall, handsome merboy beamed at Emily. He wore the traditional garb of the merfolk dragon riders, a wet suit several shades darker than his green skin, which set off the emerald tinge in his brown hair and eyes. A bright star-shaped jewel hung from a chain around his neck. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. Didn’t you get my d-fly calls?”
    “Hello, Marlin.” Emily stood stiffly as the cute merprince hugged her.
    “You should see all the sea dragons you helped save, the hatchlings are humongous!” he said excitedly, oblivious to her coolness.
    “That’s nice.” Emily turned her back on him and abruptly walked away.
    “Where are you going?” Marlin held up a data crystal. “I have all the egg reports.”
    Kara stopped him. “She’s not herself yet.”
    Marlin swallowed hard and nodded, hurt and bewildered by Emily’s behavior.
    The blazing star smiled sympathetically and turned to rejoin Tasha, but Zach stopped her in her tracks.
    Kara hesitated, uncertain. “Hey, Zach.”
    Things had been tense between them since she’d taken control of his magic to help save a cave full of sea dragon eggs. But now Kara was even less sure what Zach thought of her. At the Gates of Avalon, she had stabbed Drake, using an enchanted dagger. She’d done it to reach the shadow dragon hiding inside of him. Drake hadn’t been harmed, but Kara understood how protective a mage could be of his bonded.
    “Drake told me everything,” Zach said.
    Kara nodded, relieved. “I know I was acting pretty crazy, but I would never hurt him.”
    “That shadow dragon would have killed him.” Zach patted