Shadows of the Redwood - By Gillian Summers Page 0,70
and clear, and it sang of comfort and safety, as if every mother’s lullaby were rolled into one beautiful and perfect melody.
“I don’t hear it.”
Keelie waded through ferns, heading up the hill toward the voice.
“That way is the Grove of the Ancients,” Coyote noted. “I hear no song.”
“Keelie, stop. We need to go home.”
She heard Sean’s words, but it was more important to go to Mother. Mother needed her and she would make her proud.
Coyote’s voice sharpened. “Elf, grab her. Get her out of here.”
Keelie protested as a strong form knocked her to her knees. She cried out, “Mother!” And then her breath was gone and she was being carried away from the beautiful song. She started to cry.
Coyote followed them for a few steps. Then he stopped, ears pricked up, and turned and raced away.
At seven thirty the next morning Keelie was sipping her fifth cup of coffee, but her headache still had not subsided. Last night seemed like a bad dream. She remembered traveling back up the sap with Sean, and Grandmother and Sariela putting her in bed, but her dreams were haunted by the song. It was not Mom who sang, but some dark, fearful thing. She had not slept well, waking up time and again, only to fall asleep and have the same dream and the melody that haunted her heart.
At least she didn’t have to worry about Laurie, who’d been delivered bright and early by Sir Davey. Laurie was dressing for the festival, but first chance she had, Keelie planned to have a serious talk with her friend.
She sipped her coffee as Risa treated her cuts and scrapes with one of her salves, which actually made them feel better.
“She’s not going to fall in love with her coffee cup, is she?” Sir Davey asked. He was resting on the couch. After traveling the sap for the first time, he was still recovering.
Risa gave him a dirty look. “I need to go check on my herbs.”
“I needed to open Heartwood,” Keelie said. The shop would be a full-time project through Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, she desperately needed to reach Dad on Sir Davey’s iPhone. She didn’t dare say so aloud, however, with Kalix and Tavyn possibly within earshot.
“Well, I’m not looking forward to traveling the sap again,” Sir Davey said. “It’s unnatural for dwarves to fly. Just lower me on a rope.”
“It’ll be over in a second,” Keelie assured him.
When they were walking to the festival grounds, Keelie told him about the Tavyn-Bloodroot possession.
“Sounds like dark Under-the-Hill magic, if you ask me,” Sir Davey said gravely. He offered Keelie his iPhone and she eagerly dialed Dad’s number, but there was no reception.
Keelie had already tried her telepathic link with Dad, but her head pounded painfully with each effort. Knot stayed with them, and they glimpsed Coyote watching them through the trees.
The familiar routine of setting up for a day of business was comforting. Heartwood was the one normal thing in her life right now. She was plugging in the coffeemaker when Risa floated into Heartwood. “I’ve made five sales already,” Risa sang out cheerily.
Keelie stared at her.
Risa flinched. “What is wrong with you? You’re still green.”
“Tree shepherditis. The green lingers. Why are you so cheery?” The cheeriness made her teeth grate, but Keelie didn’t say so.
“I like working with the humans. I think of myself as an elven fairy godmother, here to brighten their day with my beauty and my knowledge of the Earth. Who knows? I may do what the tree shepherds can’t.” She skipped out to her cart, where Laurie was already looking over her wares. Laurie was wearing one of the gorgeous Francesca gowns that she’d bought at the Wildewood Faire, which still made Keelie jealous.
Keelie imagined Risa selling her products on the Home Shopping Network and cringed. She would probably be a hit, and romantic havoc would spread across the world.
Laurie finally came in, just as Keelie was pouring herself the first cup of coffee. She gaped. “Your skin is green!”
“Yeah, chlorophyll poisoning, like in the Wildewood,” Keelie muttered. “What happened to you and Scott? I was so worried and went looking for you. Then Coyote told me you were at Sir Davey’s.”
“I’m sorry, but there was no way to let you know,” Laurie said earnestly. “You know the phone problem. Still friends?”
“Of course.” They hugged, and Keelie was suddenly happy to just get to spend time with Laurie.
“So what’s new at Heartwood?” Laurie started investigating the shop.