Heart of Avalon (Avalon: Web of Magic #10): by Rachel Roberts

sweeping her magic over the waters. Red auras bloomed like a sea of blood. Their sickness was much worse. Had she done this?
    “They’re not dead,” Emily declared. “But they’re so weak.”
    Indi leaned his head over her shoulder, concerned and protective.
    “Holy mackerel!” Cribby yelled.
    “Where?” Marlin scanned the ocean.
    “Over there!”
    Black fins sliced through the water. Thrashing tails propelled sleek beasts toward the helpless animals.
    “Sea wolves!” Marlin exclaimed.
    A huge shark-like creature lunged to the surface, jaws closing around a squirming dolphin.
    “They’re preying on the weakest animals.” Emily felt sick to her stomach.
    In a whirl of motion, several wolves were suddenly knocked backward by a large green and purple creature.
    “Oh, no!” Marlin cried.
    Niva burst through the water, leaping into the air. She roared loudly, shaking the sails and rattling the rigging.
    “Your sea dragon!” Emily exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
    Wolf heads, slick with matted fur, broke to the surface. The sea wolf pack headed straight toward Niva!
    “She must have followed us from Port Tuga! Emily, do something!” Marlin implored. “She’s too weak to get away!”
    Emily swung her wrist up automatically, forgetting for a second that her jewel was gone. Bright patterns of magic shifted before her eyes. Momentarily, she panicked. What if her magic only made it worse?
    “I… can’t.” She wrenched her power back from the chaos.
    The wolves tightened their circle, snapping razor teeth as the weak sea dragon bravely tried to defend herself.
    The glint of a knife caught Emily’s eye. Marlin was climbing out on the railing.
    “Marlin!” Emily screamed.
    “Niva!” Marlin dove into the water between his sea dragon and the snarling sea wolves. Emily looked on in horror as the merprince disappeared amid black fins and gleaming teeth.



“M ARLIN!” EMILY SCREAMED , frantically searching the thrashing waters. Magic surged inside her, struggling to break free. She shoved it aside, terrified of its power.
    And then the merboy’s head surfaced amid the pack, followed by his dagger, slashing furiously.
    “Stay away from my sea dragon!” Marlin smacked a sea wolf on its wide gray snout.
    “Arrr! They’re gonna eat the merboy!” Cribby hopped from foot to foot.
    Emily watched helplessly as the sea wolves bore down on Marlin and Niva. There was no way the merboy could fight off so many. She had to do something.
    “I help.” Indi’s wide eyes caught Emily’s gaze.
    Instantly, the magic of her healing jewel soothed her, focused her thoughts. Maybe she could use her magic after all—with Indi.
    “Okay. Keep the sea wolves away from Marlin,” she instructed, concentrating on the pulsing center of their magic, hers and Indi’s.
    The unicorn nodded, guiding their magic over the water in a bright wave. Emily’s breath caught as a fierce bolt suddenly blazed from Indi’s horn. Water exploded as magic tore across the ocean like a rocket out of control.
    “Stop!” With all of her will, she wrenched the magic back.
    Amid the frightened animals, several sea wolves floated, their lifeless bodies twisted in unnatural angles.
    “No,” Emily breathed. She had only meant to repel the sea wolves, not kill them. She turned wide eyes to the unicorn, horrified. “What did you do?”
    “I’m magic animal now.” Indi shrank back, head lowered in shame.
    “Come on, lad!” Cribby gave Marlin a hand as he scrambled back onto the boat.
    “Thanks.” The merprince slicked his wet hair back. “Emily, are you okay?”
    Emily’s eyes were locked on the dead sea wolves, tears running down her cheeks. All she had ever wanted was to use magic with a bonded animal. Now look what she had done. “He… I killed them.”
    “Emily,” Marlin said softly.
    “I—I just wanted the sea wolves to go away,” she stammered. Her whole body shook. What if her magic had killed the entire pack? They were only