Shadows of the Redwood - By Gillian Summers Page 0,56

was licking her eyelids. Before she opened them, she grabbed for the psycho feline. She was going to strangle him, but he was gone before she could wrap her hands around his neck.

“You two have a very strange relationship, even for the fairy world,” Coyote commented, sounding like a nature-show narrator.

Keelie bolted upright. A big orange furry butt was climbing back into the back seat for sanctuary. She leaned back. “You’d better stay up there.”

Laurie looked in the rearview mirror. “Is Keelie being mean to the sweet kitty cat?” Purring filled the car.

Sean was awake, and watching her. He reached out for her hand. He turned it around and kissed her wrist. It was such an intimate touch, even in a crowded car. In that second, Keelie’s world narrowed to a sharp focus on just Sean and herself. Her stomach churned like white water in a rapidly flowing river.

He held her hand for a while, as if he had to feel her pulse and know how fast her heart was beating. She felt lonely when at last he released her and she turned back to face the road.

Knot and Coyote watched them closely.

They passed the Redwood Forest park entrance just before sunrise. Coyote lifted his head. “Let me out here.”

“Why?” Keelie asked. They’d already dropped Sean off at the stables, so he could check on the jousters and the horses.

“I want to investigate.” Coyote lifted his nose and sniffed. “I sense a familiar magic.”

“What if people see you?” Keelie was concerned about his safety in the woods. She liked Coyote. Knot meowed darkly from the backseat.

“I’ll be safe. I’ve been living in L.A. Nobody saw me there.” Coyote lowered his eyelids, as if he didn’t want to reveal too much of himself.

Keelie opened the door and Coyote slipped out. “Be careful.” She watched him disappear into the deep green forest.

In the festival parking lot, a hairy fairy stood in front of Sir Davey’s RV. Keelie relaxed and smiled. It was Sir Davey, except he was wearing gauzy blue fairy wings that twinkled in the sunlight. He motioned for Laurie and Keelie to come inside. Risa dragged along in their wake, Knot strolling beside her.

Sir Davey held open the door of the luxurious motorhome. “Ladies!”

Keelie pointed toward his back. “Very fashionable!”

He shrugged. “I just got back from the costume shop. If you ask me, I think they bought them at the local discount store.”

Risa grimaced as she joined them and studied Sir Davey. “Your wings are prettier than mine. That’s not fair. I’m going to register a complaint.”

“Talk to the costume shop,” Sir Davey suggested.

“I will. If I’d known that I had to go back there, I would’ve gotten out with Sean.” Risa twirled on her heels, but then pirouetted around like she’d suddenly remembered something. She looked down at Knot, who was enjoying the fresh morning air. “Are you coming?”

He bolted inside the RV.

Shaking her head, Risa stomped off in the direction of the Globe theater.

Sir Davey arched an eyebrow and smiled mischievously. “Problems with the lovebirds?”

“I think the feelings only run one way.” Keelie gazed in the direction of the RV door. “In fact, I’m worried about Knot. He seems stressed.”

“How so?” Sir Davey asked.

“His fur is all mussed up. He’s not being himself.” How did you describe a cat not acting like a cat? It could be that Knot was stressed out about Coyote showing up, too.

“Maybe he needs a nap, and being away from Risa will do him a world of good. As long as he sticks by you and does his guardian duties, then I say he’ll be fine,” Sir Davey said. “Some days we handle stress better than others.”

Laurie walked up the RV steps, yawning. “That nap idea sounds great.” She yawned again. Sir Davey and Keelie followed her.

“Your grandmother wanted you two to stay around here, rather than go to the elf village. She wants you to help with some tree shepherd stuff while she’s busy with the play. Her performance as Queen Elizabeth has impressed everyone.”

Keelie rolled her eyes. Great, her grandmother would win a Ren Faire Oscar for her supposed acting ability. What everyone didn’t know was that she was like that all the time. A grump. An imperious grump.

As she shoved her hands into her pockets, Keelie felt the parchment. She pulled it out and looked at it.

“What can you tell me about this, Sir Davey? It was inside my mother’s safe at our old house, but everything else was missing,