Read Earth's Magic for Free Online

lake.”
    “That place. Go quick and very secret.”
    “When?”
    “Now.”
    Merlin groaned, but his tiredness had vanished. This sort of thing could sound like a trap, except that he totally trusted both Troll and Blanche.
    “All right, I’ll go.” Then he peered at the silver dragonlet asleep on his shoulder. “But could you take this thing for me?”
    “Troll take? No, no! That worm little but got sharp claws and hot fire. Great Wizard make behave.”
    “Maybe,” Merlin muttered. “But thanks for delivering the message.” Careful not to disturb the sleeping dragon, he fastened his cloak more securely against the cold. Then, gripping his staff, he set out into the night. The streets of Keswick were deserted. People had weighed the biting cold against the possibility of aftershocks and gone back inside.
    Once out of town, the only light came from two sources. One was the waning moon, its light diffused by the high clouds and reflected back by the white snow. The other light, far more disturbing, was from the comet spangled across the southern horizon. If anything, it seemed a little brighter now.
    Merlin took the old road down to the lake, its once-paved surface broken by centuries of frost and thaw. The whole of Derwentwater was no longer frozen as it had been in the depths of winter, but a wrinkled film of ice still floated on the surface,glowing like silver dragon skin in the pale light. He cast a worried glance at the baby dragon now stirring restlessly on his shoulder. The little thing probably needed to be fed again. But fed what? Then he remembered a withered carrot he’d put in his pocket intending to take it to his black mare in the stables that afternoon.
    Fumbling in his pocket with gloved hands, he drew out the carrot and offered its tip to the dragon. A quick sniff, then rapid crunching and noisy smacking. With a satisfied puff of smoke, the dragon curled up again and closed his ruby red eyes.
    “Good boy, Sil. I suppose that name will do, since your true Faerie name, whatever that is, stays secret. But I assure you, Sil, you could find a better, safer person to pal around with than me.”
    Merlin looked up and realized that in the brief time he’d been paying attention to the little dragon, the weather had changed. A heavy mist was rising out of the lake. Odd, he thought, since the temperature didn’t seem right for mist. Still, a white wall of it was rolling over the water toward him.
    He frowned. This had a whiff of magic about it, though of what kind he wasn’t sure. And who, exactly, was he supposed to meet? Faerie was full of strange, powerful, and unpredictable characters. Pushing rising anxiety aside, he cautiously continued his way around the north end of the lake and then down its far side. The cluster of leafless birch trees stood like white-robed women knee-deep in mist. As he approached, the mist rose higher, cloaking the trees completely.
    He knew that this rare pocket of trees lined a rocky inlet of the lake, but the mist was now so thick, he didn’t notice he had reached the inlet until his booted feet splashed into water. He stepped back, and feeling his way with the tip of his staff, he carefully followed the indented shore.
    Suddenly the nature of the air changed. Diaphanous mistbecame rippling silver light. He knew he had crossed from his world into another. Or perhaps into a place between worlds.
    Merlin shivered, not with fear but with awe. Ahead at the edge of a silvered lake, a glowing shape was forming. Light wavered and became solid. A figure beckoned. He knew her.
    The Lady of Avalon.

M EETING
    “L ady,” Merlin whispered as he stepped toward her. Her hair was the color of afternoon sunlight, and her moon-pale face was exquisitely beautiful. She stretched out her hands in greeting, but her welcoming smile seemed oddly tinged with fear.
    “Come, Merlin, young-old hawk, I have much to tell you but fear I have little time.”
    “What could
make you
afraid,