Shadows of the Redwood - By Gillian Summers Page 0,33

stuck with a customer, not her. She was anxious to catch up with the crowd headed to the Globe. She didn’t want to miss the opening act, and she wanted to get a good seat.

“Keelie, wait up.”

Turning, Keelie was astonished to see her Earth magic teacher, Sir Davey. His elegantly garbed and very short figure was hurrying to catch up with her.

“I didn’t know you were here already!” Keelie rushed back to where he stood, huffing and regaining his breath.

“Your father got me here.” It was unusual for an elf to be close friends with a dwarf, but Dad and Sir Davey were best buds. Keelie was torn between feeling relief that she had Sir Davey to rely on, and irritation at Dad for thinking that she’d need help. “Did you set up your rock shop here?”

He looked at her sideways. “The Dragon Hoard, milady. Didn’t you hear that we must call each other lord this and lady that and mention our shops by their full names? Admin says it’s good for business.”

“Don’t want the mundanes catching on to the fact that everyone leaves here and returns to being schoolteachers, actors, and carpenters, right?”

Sir Davey put a finger along his nose. “They might even believe in elves and fairies,” he said.

“Or dwarves who can pull magic from the Earth.” Keelie smiled, enjoying herself. Sir Davey was like a favorite uncle. Even when he was teaching he had a way of making everything fun.

“Exactly so.”

They hiked up the hill to the Globe. Keelie’s leg muscles ached from her midnight stroll the other night. But she sensed no tree wraiths hanging around. From up here she could see glimpses of the Pacific ocean through the trees. Today was a cool day—sweater weather, and just right for the garb she wore. No clouds of mist hung over the ocean. This could change, but right now, Keelie enjoyed a delicious sense of freedom.

At the Globe she set aside her anger at her grandmother and was thrilled to see her sitting in the middle of the theater on a carved throne, dressed as Queen Elizabeth the first, waving to the crowd. Several of the costumed actors had gathered around and from the expressions on their faces, they were enthralled. They’d tone down the admiration if they knew the person under the clown-like white makeup.

She noted that the actors weren’t under any sort of enchantment now. They were livelier, and definitely into their parts. Keelie wondered if they remembered anything from the other night. She thought about Bloodroot’s power over humans, and Peascod, who seemed to be immune to it.

Just as Keelie was about to walk inside the Globe, one of the Admin people stopped her and handed her a sheet of paper with instructions for the “townspeople.”

“You don’t get a speaking part in this festival, but you’ll need to know how to act when street theater happens around you for next week’s performance.”

Keelie was peeved for a moment that she didn’t have a speaking part, but then she laughed. She sure didn’t want one. She had enough to do.

“I wouldn’t be so upset if I were you,” Sir Davey said as he glared at the departing Admin person. “Last vendor in gets the only part available,” he groused.

“I don’t understand,” Keelie said.

“I’m going to be the Mustard Seed Fairy.”

Laughter overcame Keelie. She envisioned Sir Davey dressed in a glittering costume with gauzy wings, flitting around like a bearded cherub.

“I can’t wait to see you in cute little wings.” Keelie wiped her eyes and leaned against a tree (hemlock).

“If you’re through having your hissy fit, then I’d like to show you something. Laurie contacted me.”

Sir Davey held up an iPhone. Keelie felt saliva gathering in the back of her throat. “Oh, my precious!” She swallowed hard, afraid of drooling like a bulldog anticipating a steak.

He held it out, and Keelie took it reverently. She missed technology. It wasn’t like she didn’t have a cell phone, but hers was hooked up to trees, and regular cell phones often didn’t work either in the town of Edgewood or in the Dread Forest. Zabrina said sometimes magic and technology canceled each other out.

Keelie read the message:

Leaving L.A. On way 2 Redwd.

Stopping to shop

Arriving Monday

Can’t w8t 2 C U

XOXO

Laurie

“She’ll be here Monday.” Reluctantly, Keelie gave the phone back to Sir Davey, who slipped it into a leather pouch.

Sir Davey nodded. “It’ll be good for you to have your friend with you. Your father called her mother, and the woman said