Forest Moon Rising (45 page)

This is a con. Who’d notice anything out of the ordinary? I’ve already seen three Celestial Blade replicas in honor of characters in Tess’ books.

“Scrap, stay close and ready. I’m going to see if I can get the boys away from Phonetia,” Tess whispers as she edges up behind the two boys.

“No need, Lady Tess,” Oak says, skidding to a halt beside her. “I will contain my brothers.”

Huh? both Tess and I grunt.

“I want my sisters to be safe from all harm. Even that inflicted by the family.”

“Believe him, babe. He smells human. I can’t find a trace of elf, dark or light, or otherworld on him, except that he brings in a breath or two of fresh air hinting at rain washed forest.”

“Are you sure, Oak?” Tess asks him, almost as concerned for him as the girls.

That’s my Tess. She does love kids. Too bad she’s not likely to ever have any of her own. Even if Gollum does work out his problem with the elegant and fragile Julia so he can return to Tess.

We’ll have to settle for Sophia. Though she’s pure joy; not settling for less.

“I am sure.” Oak looks grim and sad. He knows what’s coming.

“You know what I have to do, Oak?” Tess clasps his shoulder and squeezes reassurance.

“I know. And though I cannot bring myself to do the deed, I trust another to do what they must to keep my sisters safe. Now I will remove Cedar from the premises. He is still confused about his loyalties. Fir is young enough and innocent enough to learn new ways. I entrust him to you, my lady.”

With that, the boy verging on manhood gives Tess a little bow of respect. Then he grabs Cedar by the collar and retreats out the fire exit onto the rain-slick streets of the city. No longer part of the con.

“Scrap, check Fir’s badge, see if it’s real or a forgery,” Tess says quietly.

“It looks real and smells of the people at the registration desk.”

“Then we’ll leave him to the game. Now let’s make sure E.T. is okay.”

“Hi, Sean,” I greeted my date.

He jerked his head back as if startled. “Oh, um, hi, Tess.” He paused in his inching progress through the computer room. “Do you see what’s on those computer screens? This is all very strange.”

“Agreed,” I chuckled, taking in realistic action figures jumping and shooting and diving through some arcane adventure. “I’m free until Opening Ceremonies at seven, then we have our choice of filk or Pictionary at eight.”

“Are the girls okay here by themselves for so long?”

“I believe they are.” I checked my link. As far as E.T. and Phonetia were concerned nothing existed beyond their games. Nothing alarmed them, except Fir’s next unorthodox move in the tabletop game.

“What about . . . you know, the forest folk?”

“I can account for the boys. They’ll be no trouble for a while. Scrap will tell me if Tree Daddy enters the premises.” I took Sean’s arm, companionably. “Come on, let’s do the art show before it gets crowded or I get too busy. Or if you’d rather, I think we can just sit and talk to my friend Lucia where she has set up camp in the garden café.”
And I can hold the baby
.

Sean looked around him nervously. “The art show sounds fun. I’d like to see some of the paintings that became book covers.”

We nearly skipped back down the newly bright corridor. The redwood tub still rolled on its side, spilling dirt, but the air had cleared. I smelled a new freshness instead of the usual hotel cleansers and recycled air.

Sean chose the path that took us around the central garden—on the opposite side to the café—and upstairs to the ballroom adjacent to the dealers’ room.

My heart didn’t even twinge when I spotted Donovan and Doreen, arm in arm, heads bent together entering the gallery ahead of us.

“A
S OF THIS MOMENT, your name is Doug,”I told Fir as I led him and the girls out to my car at eleven o’clock that night.

I sang my lungs out in filk, with Sean sitting quietly off to the side. And I had sung “Heart’s Path.” I was still working out what I would do if Gollum and Julia resolved their differences and stayed together.

I didn’t dare hope. So I buried my emotions in the problems of my growing household.

And then there was Sophia. Lady Lucia continued to hold court in the café with the tired and cranky baby. I needed to take that child home, give her a bath and a good supper, and put her to bed for about twelve hours.

Sean barely brushed the surface of my consciousness.

“Cool,” Doug said, scouting the parking lot. “Oak said I need to stay with you now. I’m not really a fir anyway. I’m more of a filbert.” He shrugged.

We call hazelnuts filberts in Oregon. And we grow a goodly portion of the world’s supply in the Willamette Valley.

Then he spotted my little hybrid car. “Can I drive?”

“No.”

“But I drive Father’s car. It’s a real tank. A 1974 Buick Riviera. Forest green. V-8. Automatic.
”
He proceeded to give me statistics on the engine and gear ratio that meant nothing to me.

“That car probably only gets fourteen miles to the gallon. It’s hypocritical for him to drive a gas hog like that when he claims to be the guardian of the forest trying to correct pollution and global warming.”

“That describes the old man perfectly,” Phonetia snorted as she claimed the shotgun position, relegating the backseat to Doug and E.T. He grumbled a bit about male superiority.

“But you’re gay, so you aren’t truly male,” E.T. objected.

“Just try convincing Father of that.” His buoyancy evaporated.

“The Nörglein and his opinions don’t matter anymore as far as you three are concerned. He no longer has authority over you,” I replied. “My imp is gay. So I have no problem with you preferring boys, Doug. I have no expectations from any of you on that front.”

Silence reigned on the short drive back to the condo. We were suddenly overcrowded again, lacking bed space, and three teens sharing one small bathroom guaranteed squabbles. Where would I put a crib? In my room. The only place left that wasn’t occupied.

I might have to sell at a loss to get into a bigger place sooner rather than later.

I’d worry about that next week, after the con. In the meantime, I had to come up with another cover story to explain the sudden addition of Doug into the family. No way could I pass the tall gangly youth as my own. I’d already stretched that lie to near the breaking point.

Time to consult Gollum,
Scrap suggested.

“I don’t dare call him tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow.” I had no idea how he fared with his own family issues.

Tomorrow. I’d deal with that tomorrow.

“Scrap, can you keep watch tonight? I really need some sleep.”

“I don’t subscribe to any porn stations. They’re boring.”

“But he can’t see you. Can he?”

“Does that mean your family is my family?” I’d really like to meet his harridan of a mum.

“You’re right,” I sighed in regret. I had always wanted children of my own, lots of them.

“What am I going to do, Allie?” I wailed into the telephone at six the next morning.

I could hear the children stirring. They’d want breakfast and an early start at the con. Soon I’d have to settle squabbles over who got the shower first and fix them something to eat. Maybe they’d settle for cold cereal.

“About the dark elf?” Allie asked. She sounded bright and chipper, but then she was three hours ahead of me and had probably slept the night through.

“That and Gollum. What if he and Julia make up their differences and stay together?”

“You’ll go on as you have been. How are things with Dr. Sean?”

“Okay.” I couldn’t drag any enthusiasm out of my tired mind.

“Concentrate on him until you know any different,” she advised solemnly.

“I know. But I don’t love Sean. Gollum’s the only man I truly want.”

“What did Lady Lucia tell you about family and relationships? They don’t fit with the life of a Warrior.”

I laughed at that. I hadn’t told her about the baby. Not until I knew for sure. “But now I’ve got the girls, and Doug. I have children,” I hedged.

“Teens. You have teens, not infants. Teens can be left alone occasionally. Teens can actually help you; act as spies and such. Teach them to be your allies.” The last sentence faded and veered off, as if she got distracted.

“Did I call at a bad time?” Dammit, she was my friend. She should be there when I wanted to talk about my problems.

“Steve’s in town for the weekend. We’re getting ready to go talk to the priest about the wedding,” she replied. “Look, I know you need a friend right now. But I’ve got to go. Call me tonight and we’ll hash it all out. There’s nothing you can do about Gollum until you actually talk to him.”

“What about the Nörglein and the kids?”

“Take that one step at a time. That’s what motherhood is all about. Live from one minute to the next. Deal with each crisis as it comes.”

“When did you get so smart?”

“Since your brother and I decided to get married and I started thinking about having children of my own. Wasn’t sure I could handle them while I was a cop. Now I’m not a cop and I really, really want babies. Lots of them.”

“So do I.” But I’d never get my own children. Just the strays that fell into my lap.

The Powers That Be had made sure of that. Unless . . .

What had Scrap called the crystal ball? A bargaining chip?

“Bye, Tess. I’ve really got to go. Call me tonight. Even if it’s the middle of the night.” She rang off, leaving me alone with my problems.

As alone as I’d ever been.

“You got first shower yesterday. It’s my turn!” E.T. yelled.

“What about me? I haven’t had a real shower in ages,” Doug chimed in.

Except now, I had to deal with three teens on my own.