Shadows of the Redwood - By Gillian Summers Page 0,69

although a small light glowed from one of the jouster’s tents.

Keelie tried contacting Dad telepathically, but a strange voice answered.

I’m here.

Who was that? It was definitely not Dad.

Where are you? she asked.

I’m in the forest.

It didn’t sound like Bloodroot’s strong voice and personality. In fact, it didn’t sound like a tree at all. Who are you?

I am part of them, now.

Dark green filled Keelie’s mind. She could feel her feet growing into roots sinking deep into the Earth, and her head elongated, her arms transforming into branches. Her trunk hardened, and bark protected her.

Keelie felt pleasure as ocean mist rolled in and dampened her roots. In the distance, she heard the echoes of a play being performed.

Gasping for air, Keelie awakened. Something hard had landed on her stomach. A loud purring brought her back to the moment. She opened her eyes. Knot was staring at her. Mist surrounded the tree house.

When had she gone to sleep? Her head ached as if she had an overdose of chlorophyll. Stumbling inside, she rubbed her cold hands together. Her nails were tinged green, the same color as the numbers on Laurie’s travel alarm clock, which was glowing 3:00 am.

Keelie really wanted to go to sleep. But wherever Laurie was, she had to find her. She needed to know that her friend was safe.

She walked to Grandmother’s door on tiptoe. Grandmother was asleep, looking kind of small under the covers. A big part of Lady Keliatiel was her personality.

Keelie crept outside, then traveled the sap to Wena’s base. Bromliel was standing guard, playing his Nintendo DS.

“Lady Keliel,” he said, surprised.

“Where’s Sean?”

Sean emerged from a nearby tent, dressed, but with his hair tousled from sleep. He looked adorable. His expression darkened when he noticed Keelie.

“What’s wrong?”

“Laurie never came home. I thought I’d go look for her on the festival grounds. She might be at a party.” Keelie tried to keep the worry out of her voice, but what was the point?

“I’ll come with you.” Sean nodded to Bromliel, who gave him the two-finger Boy Scout salute.

They walked toward the road, hearing the owls and night birds, and the crashing of small animals in the underbrush.

“Something is following us,” Sean said quietly.

Not again. Keelie stopped, but he grabbed her arm and kept her moving. “You don’t want to stop, Keelie. We’ll look around when we get to the road.”

The ferns moved to their left, and Keelie felt her heart thud against her ribs. “Did you bring a sword?”

“No. Nor a gun, nor a knife. Not even a spork,” Sean said grimly. “How fast can you run?”

“Kind of fast. There were always girls who were faster. But I don’t know about running through the woods at night. Isn’t that how the guy with the chain saw catches you?”

“No chain saws here. It’s probably just an animal.”

She hoped it wasn’t Peascod. She hadn’t heard the familiar dissonant jangle that preceded his arrival.

“Right. I’m ready when you are.”

Whatever was tailing them made a big clatter in the fallen branches of a small tree. Keelie took off at a sprint, with Sean right behind her. She dodged branches, jumped over small logs, and skirted big ferns. She tripped once, but Sean swept her up and carried her until they reached more level ground. Finally, they could see the road ahead. They put on a burst of speed, but whatever chased them was crashing through the underbrush, closer and closer. They hit the asphalt road just as the beast exploded from the ferns and small bushes. It rolled twice and then lay on its side, laughing.

“Coyote?” Keelie shrieked. Her fear ebbed to relief when she saw him.

“Fae prankster, you are dead.” It was an empty threat, because Sean was on his knees, breathless.

“Why were you two sneaking around in the forest?” Coyote sat up, still laughing.

“We’re going to look for Laurie,” Keelie said between gulps of air. “She never came home.”

“She’s in the dwarf’s RV with the human Scott,” Coyote said. “They got lost in the mist on the beach and ended up farther away than they expected. The dwarf went to pick them up, and then it was too late to go through the forest.”

“Well, she could have called me,” Keelie said, grumpy. “Of course, I don’t have a phone. So maybe she couldn’t have.”

A song drifted on the forest mist, and Keelie tried to hear it, but the melody was elusive. “What is that?”

Sean looked puzzled.

“Don’t you hear that music? Someone is singing.” It was a soprano voice, high