Song of the Unicorns (Avalon: Web of Magic #7) by Rachel Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

instant, Emily saw its massive shark-like head and maw of stalactite teeth.
    Dreamer crashed headfirst into it, viciously ripping at the thing’s throat.
    The shark twisted and leaped, its full body rising out of the desert sand.
    Adriane aimed her fists, and golden fire flew in the night, striking fast and hard. The beast exploded in a cloud of sand and stone.
    “It’s made of sand!” Emily shielded her eyes from falling debris.
    Adriane cut the stream of magic, sharply pulling the fire back to her wrist.
    “Warrior wolf!” Dreamer growled proudly.
    “Yes!”
    Behind the dust, flashing lights suddenly appeared in the desert sky.
    “Spaceships!” Ozzie yelled.
    A whirlwind spun into existence. Bright reds, greens, and purples cast an eerie glow across the sand.
    “Another magic whirlwind!” Emily cried.
    Like a snake, the whirlwind burrowed into the ground. Amid the roiling desert, eight sharp fins materialized.
    “Where’s the cave, Ozzie?” Emily shouted.
    “Er… this way… no over there… Gah!”
    The ferret skidded to a stop as a huge dorsal fin burst from the sand.
    “Dreamer! Cover our backs!” Adriane ordered, honing the glowing golden beam from her gem into a light saber. “Emily, take the right! Ozzie the left!”
    “We can’t hold them, Adriane,” Emily cried. “Run!”
    But it was too late. Dozens of black fins surfaced. The mages were completely surrounded.



U NDER THE MOON’S ghostly light, the desert churned as the creatures swarmed, sending rippling waves of sand against the four defenders of magic. Emily, Adriane, Ozzie, and Dreamer stood back-to-back, gems drawn. The mistwolf bared his teeth and snapped at the monsters.
    “Steady, stay sharp,” Adriane commanded, wielding her sword of wolf fire.
    “Look out!” Ozzie screamed.
    Sand erupted as an enormous beast attacked. Its huge body surged from the desert, long teeth gnashing.
    Adriane sliced the beast in half, raining sand everywhere. Dreamer tried to block another sand shark, but he accidentally barreled into Adriane’s legs, almost knocking her over.
    “Dreamer, stay behind me!” the warrior ordered.
    The second beast lunged. Silvery moonlight reflected off crystal teeth as the creature’s gaping maw stretched wide. Adriane fired a bolt of fire down its throat, exploding the thing into a cloud of sand.
    Several more creatures came at the group from all sides.
    “There’s too many!” Ozzie smacked his ferret stone, trying to make it do something.
    A shadow swirled across the ground as a dark shape swooped from the sky.
    “Incoming!” Ozzie cried.
    With a fierce roar, the flying creature dove right into the attacking monsters, razor claws flashing. The beasts were ripped to bits of sand and rocks in a matter of seconds.
    “Lyra!” Emily cried.
    “Hurry, run!” the flying cat called.
    “Go, go, go!” Adriane yelled. She leaped and spun, lashing a stream of blazing wolf fire at another beast.
    Dreamer leaped and barked.
    Another whirlwind materialized, this one much smaller. Adriane landed in a fighting stance, ready to unleash her fire.
    “Adriane, wait!” Emily yelled.
    Veering crazily, the tiny whirlwind wobbled to a stop, revealing a small, twiggy figure.
    “Tweek!” Emily cried.
    “The magic’s gone wild!” the E.F. squeaked, quartz eyes spinning in his head. “Took me forever to get ba—” he found himself eye to quartz with another sand shark “—aaaaaaack!”
    The shark swallowed Tweek whole.
    Adriane whipped her golden light into a fiery lasso and wrapped it around the thrashing beast, ripping it in half.
    The little twig figure fell to the ground in a cloud of sand. “Fascinating. This elemental magic is like nothing I’ve seen before.”
    The desert rumbled ominously.
    “Everyone into the cave!” Adriane ordered, herding the group across the remaining distance.
    Stumbling over the undulating sands, Ozzie grabbed the E.F. “You’ve got some ’splaining to do!”
    They entered the dark