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

healed your world when the Dark Sorceress released the Black Fire. If not for her, your Garden would not be the beautiful place it is today. She may have been caught in the Spider Witch’s spell, but at heart she is still the healer you know and love.”
    A smattering of applause greeted Kara’s presentation, but it was clear the majority of the crowd awaited the Fairimentals’ opinion.
    “Your loyalty is commendable, blazing star,” Ambia said, “but the healer is a dark mage.”
    “And what proof do you have?” Kara demanded.
    “She has done what every dark mage before her has done,” Gwigg explained.
    “And what’s that?” Adriane challenged.
    “She killed her bonded.” Marina’s voice was filled with sadness.
    A stricken look crossed Emily’s face.
    Adriane refused to back down. “That was an accident, she was under the witch’s control.”
    Gwigg rumbled, twigs shaking. “Ozymandias was not killed by the Spider Witch.”
    In a quavering voice, Emily confessed. “I wanted to fix the web, I needed magic...”
    Ambia nodded. “The healer has sealed her fate, and once again, fulfilled the Dark Prophecy.”
    “But you can’t close off The Garden,” Marlin protested.
    “And you certainly can’t just hide here,” Zach added.
    “We have no choice,” Gwigg told him.
    “Hold up,” Kara said, pondering this. “You Fairimentals knew all along that one of us would turn dark.”
    “The Dark Sorceress was right!” Adriane said angrily. “You used us.”
    “You were the chosen ones. Nothing could have stopped you if you had really worked together,” Ambia said.
    “We were so working together!” Kara argued.
    “You were trying to strangle me,” Adriane reminded her.
    “Oh, that.” Kara waved dismissively.
    “The mages have failed,” Ambia declared. “Avalon is lost forever.”
    “Let me through, you clambob!” a voice cut through the crowd.
    Everyone whirled around as a group of about thirty curly haired elves marched into the meadow.
    “The elf contingent from the Moorgroves,” Tasha observed.
    The elves averaged about four feet tall. Guys wore tan leather pants, white linen shirts, and assorted bright vests with shining buttons; girls had long dresses dyed in vibrant hues and pretty ribbons adorning their long curls.
    “Move it, bub!” A highly agitated elf shoved his way through the throng. His sandy colored curls whipped this way and that as he kicked a huge troll foot. “I must see the ’mentals!”
    “Patience, good elf. The Fairimentals are busy,” the troll rumbled.
    “Gah! I must get to Ravenswood,” the elf insisted.
    “No one but the mages have access to Ravenswood,” answered the troll.
    “I am a mage, you twit!”
    Emily bolted upright. That voice! It sounded so familiar.
    She stepped in front of her friends, scanning the crowd of elves. She froze. Shivers ran down her spine as the gathering of elves seemed to blur and fade away, leaving the one elf with the mop of sandy curls. He stared at her with penetrating brown eyes.
    “It’s you!” the elf exclaimed. He made for Emily. Dreamer and Lyra immediately leaped into position, trying to block his way, but the little guy would not be deterred. He pried them apart and scrambled through to Emily. With a great sigh of relief, he beamed at her. “Thank goodness I found you.”
    Emily found herself confused but strangely elated. “Who are you?”
    “I’m Ozzie.”



C HAOS ERUPTED IN The Garden as everyone started talking and arguing at once. In the middle of it all, Emily stood stone still, staring at the curly haired elf.
    “Ozzie’s dead,” she said coldly. She couldn’t allow herself to believe this was really him—it couldn’t be true—it would be too devastating to believe only to discover it was some cruel joke.
    “Lyra.” Kara snapped her fingers.
    The large spotted cat pounced, pinned the elf to the ground and sniffed him over.
    “Gak!”
    “Smells like him,” Lyra confirmed.
    “Sounds like