Free The Emerald Dragon (The Lost Ancients Book 3) by Marie Andreas Page A

spelled me, and that shall not be—”
    Garbage cut her off by flying in front of her and sternly placing her hand over Covey’s mouth. Surprise alone kept Covey from launching her tirade again.
    “No, you all listen. This serious.” Once Garbage was certain we’d all been cowed by her fierce glare, she continued. “They have been stolen. You need fix.”
    A chill went down my spine and I hoped she was talking about some rocks in her collection. “What has been stolen, sweetie?”
    Then Garbage did something I’d never seen—she started crying. “My friends. They stole my friends! Bring them back!”
    I almost started crying as well. Someone stole the girls and Bunky? I always counted on them being able to protect themselves, and Bunky as well.
    Alric looked almost as upset as I felt. “Come here, sweetling, and tell me what happened.” Now that was a voice I’d never heard from him. Confident and secure, and far older than he looked. This voice could belong to an elven high lord.
    Garbage wiped her tears and flew over to land on his outstretched hand. I’d never seen her so distraught.
    “We go over boom. Crusty see something. Then Leaf go too. I see something over plains. I come back, they gone.” She sat down on his hand. “No feel them!” She pounded both sides of her head.
    Covey and Harlan both moved closer. “You can feel them in your head?” Covey may have been yelling at Harlan moments before but Garbage’s fear and sadness was contagious.
    “Not anymore. They gone.” Garbage ignored the sugar Harlan put down in front of her. I’d have to re-think my opinion of the faeries. Garbage always seemed like she tolerated the other two but now it was clear she was having a major breakdown at their loss.
    I tried thinking of both Leaf and Crusty specifically. I wasn’t sure how to tell if the image went out since I avoided adding Garbage to the image. I thought harder, adding a feeling of come here now and images of as many treats as I could think of.
    A huge wall of black engulfed me, and I found myself lying on the floor of Covey’s kitchen. Surrounded by the others looking concerned, freaked out, and trying to help me back into my chair.
    Garbage watched me from the table and shook her head. “You tried calling. Not work.”
    “Calling?” Harlan was the one who finally got me into my chair. “Calling who?”
    “Today I found out that if I think of them specifically, I can call the girls to me. And yes, Garbage is right, I tried calling Leaf and Crusty and it slammed back and smacked me down.” I shook.
    “We need to try to find them. Whoever has them is blocking both of you from feeling them.” Alric had shaken off his worried look. “And no, I don’t think they are dead.”
    I wasn’t sure how he knew it, but I didn’t want to ask about it. Right now I needed to believe my little friends were still alive.
    “No.” Garbage sat down and shook her head. “They no go.” She pointed to Covey, Harlan, and me. “Me no go.” Her scowl overwhelmed her tears at that point. “Only you.” She pointed to Alric.
    “Agreed, it’s too risky for the others to go.” Alric dug through the bag he carried, pulled out a few small items, most likely weapons, then handed it to me. “Guard this.” It felt remarkably smooth for the weight of it. Most likely a magic bag, a larger version of the tiny ones the girls carried. I was sure there’d be no way I’d open it without him.
    “They’re my faeries; I should be the one to go.” I sounded tough. But whatever had happened in my head when I flung that thief had now combined with whatever had smacked me down when I tried to reach the girls. I doubted I could even get out of this chair right now.
    As usual, Alric knew me too well. “Can you even move?” When I finally shook my head, he gave a quick nod and turned to Harlan and Covey. “She did some unexpected magic earlier and I have a feeling the reaction is now getting to her. You all need to