Into the Wildewood (32 page)

“Jared and Niriel are taking the horses and people down to town on the main road,” he said breathlessly. “We have to get to Admin. It has a stone foundation, so I can protect the building easily with Earth magic.”

They started to run toward the road, where they could see the bobbing lights of people running with flashlights. A propane tank exploded, illuminating the site with ghastly yellow light. Keelie saw that Little John had joined them. He held a piece of his splintered quarterstaff, now more like a baseball bat.

A wooden cage suddenly appeared around her, and a bar hit her waist. She felt herself being lifted, as if she’d gotten onto a crazy carnival ride. Laurie screamed nearby. The tree had followed them. They were being lifted into the night.

twenty-six

Keelie saw Sir Davey and the others far below. They had run ahead, and were almost at the path that led to safety. The branches were tight around her but she didn’t struggle, afraid that she would fall.

With a lurch, the tree turned. Now they were being carried in the opposite direction. Keelie remembered the feeling of flying in her dream, and of falling. She grabbed the branch around her with both hands.

Maybe she could connect with this one tree. They were headed back to the forest. The light of the burning cars showed that the Swiss Miss Chalet was undamaged.

“Laurie, shut up,” she yelled, trying to be heard above the screams, the shriek of smashing metal, and the crashing of wood.

Laurie’s shocked face stared at her from her tree branch prison. “Shut up?” she bellowed. “I’m being kidnapped by a tree.”

“I’m going to try something,” Keelie yelled back. “Get ready to run.”

She closed her eyes, trying to sense the tree’s energy, but the only thing she could feel was its anger. Extreme anger and pain. A
bhata
crawled onto her shoulder and touched her eyes, and she could see through the magic. These trees were dying. The blue luminous liquid covered their trunks and oozed from open sores in their bark. They were trying to save themselves, but dark magic had twisted their pain into anger, and now they wanted revenge against humans.

Keelie summoned Tavak, but he didn’t respond. She closed her eyes and opened her mind so that she could communicate through the trees’ pain. All she saw was a sticky black mist enshrouding each and every tree. She listened, and this time the unmistakable lilt of a harp’s music played in the distance. Elia.

Keelie closed her eyes and summoned the
bhata
, but none answered except for the one hanging onto her shoulder.

She called upon the evergreens in a valley several miles away.
I am the Tree Shepherdess Keliel, and I need your help.

The lovely scent of Christmas trees surrounded her. Dark green energy filled her mind as a conifer named Evas answered her plea.

Tree Shepherdess, we will do what we can, but the only one who can stop the trees is Lord Einhorn.

Evas, I need the energy of the evergreens.

It is yours. We will do what we can to help our brothers.

She followed Evas’ thoughts, and slid into the mind of the oak carrying them. His name was Ovrom. Keelie touched the pendants on her chest and felt, intertwined with the green magic, a dark, warm channel of Earth magic. The tektite. She pushed its earthy vibrancy into Ovrom, and felt his pain subside. The blue venumiel dried and flaked away
. I must help Lord Einhorn. You must stop attacking the humans, or I cannot help you, too.

The tree stopped moving and the branches lowered until she and Laurie could touch the ground. They wriggled free of their spiky wooden cages.

You have healed me, Tree Shepherd’s Daughter
, Ovrom answered.
But I am compelled. Her music makes us hurt more.

Keelie knew he meant Elia.

I will do what I can to stop her, but I have to find Lord Einhorn.
Keelie was already exhausted, and she sensed the Dread building. If the humans became too afraid to move, and the trees began their attack once more, they would have no hope of survival. Keelie’s lungs burned and head throbbed.

She touched the tektite around her neck, the rose quartz in her other hand. Calm, soothing energy flowed through her as if she’d been dipped in cool water, easing her pain.

The
bhata
clung to her hair.

“Keelie, we can’t stay here. We’ll die. We have to go.”

“No, Laurie, that’s just the Dread. I need you. We have to go on and find the unicorn, and I can’t do it alone.”

Laurie shrieked with fear and frustration. “I don’t want to die!”

Around her, tall forms moved in the night. Keelie saw green streamers rising from her friend’s head. Chlorophyll poisoning. Keelie was okay, but Laurie wouldn’t last much longer.

Someone shouted out above the wind’s howling din, “Come on! Sir Davey said to get everyone to the Admin building.”

Laurie let go of Keelie and started to run toward the voice.

“Come back,” Keelie cried. “I need your help.” She ran after her friend and tackled her. They rolled on the grass and watched as an oak smashed a pickup truck in two.

Laurie screamed and wriggled on the ground. Keelie knew the Dread had her in its grasp. The sound of creaking wood and smashing metal was deafening, and as she struggled to hold Laurie she saw others running toward the edge of the campground, where the path to the Admin building snaked beside the woods.

Laurie kicked out and connected with Keelie’s leg. Keelie cried out and dropped the rose quartz. Immediately, she felt the paralyzing fear of the Dread.

She wanted to curl up and scream, but forced herself to scramble to her knees and run her hands over the ground, trying to find her rock. She couldn’t breathe. She felt her fingers close around the rose quartz, but Laurie was on her feet and running.

Keelie cursed the trees and ran after her again. She’d never find Einhorn if she had to keep grabbing Laurie. A tree root swung over her head, and she ducked to the side, then channeled her inner track star and caught up with her friend, grabbing her long blonde hair and yanking her back.

Laurie rounded on her, eyes wide and panicked, and her fist connected with Keelie’s jaw. The rose quartz went flying again. Bright lights exploded as Keelie’s head rocked back, but with one hand she kept her hold on Laurie’s hair and wrestled her to the ground. She sat on Laurie’s back, dodging her kicking feet.

She needed the rose quartz. She felt for it with her mind, remembering the calming effect it had on the Dread. A trickle of its energy remained in her hand, and she extended it toward the spot where she’d dropped it. Amazed, she felt it respond. She drew on that thread until the Dread backed away, and then she wrapped the cool pink energy around her friend.

Laurie’s heavy breathing subsided and she turned onto her back, spitting out dirt and grass. “What the heck was that?”

“The Dread.”

Laurie shuddered. “Now what? It’s not over, is it?” The trees had followed the fleeing humans across the Faire ground, but the tektite had protected Keelie and Laurie. And with the rose quartz, they had overcome the Dread.

Keelie closed her eyes, pressing her hand over the tektite. She stood up and helped Laurie to her feet. The trail of the rose quartz seemed clear, and she found it in the grass a few yards away. It glowed pink when she picked it up.

“We have to get to the Admin building.” Laurie was looking around nervously, as if the trees might be back. From the crashing on the other side of the campground, the Faire would never be the same again.

Keelie grabbed Laurie’s arm. “We’re not going to the Admin building. We’re going to save the unicorn, and I need your help. Come on.”

The
bhata
scampered back up onto her shoulder and Keelie suddenly had a clear mental picture of the unicorn in the circle of dead trees near the power plant. Then an image of the EPA agents formed, and she saw that their search had expanded up the mountainside to the power plant, where the unicorn was too weak to move.

The problem would be getting up there in time. She couldn’t walk through the woods, which were dangerous now, full of pain-wracked trees and dark magic. Besides, it would take too long. But the path she’d hiked with Knot when she was fired from Steak-on-a-Stake was the old logging road.

“We can drive Dad’s camper up the abandoned logging road. Dad’s driven up and down roads that looked like water-park slides. We can do it, too. Or, you can. I don’t know how to drive.”

“Yeah, sure. We’ll drive straight up the mountain in your dad’s Jethro truck with possessed trees chasing us. And the evil witch will grant our wish and then we’ll click our heels together—”

“It’s not a joke, Laurie. It’s the only way we can get there in time to save Dad and the unicorn.”

As if on cue, Knot ran toward them, a jingling, shiny thing in his mouth. He dropped it at her feet. Dad’s key ring.

“That cat is something else.” Laurie looked down at him. “Where’s your little white friend?”

“He’s probably hiding out someplace safe.” Keelie turned around and held the rose quartz up high, and in its pink glow she saw that her friend’s eyes were still glazed with fear. The harp music sounded again from the forest, getting closer. Keelie grabbed the keys. “You go to Admin if you want. I’ll drive.”

“Do you think I’ll see the unicorn if I go with you?” Laurie sounded hopeful.

Keelie knew she would not, but didn’t answer.

Laurie sighed. “You can’t drive. Give me those keys.”

The Swiss Miss Chalet was, thankfully, unharmed. Keelie pulled dropped branches off the hood while Laurie cranked it up. Then Keelie jumped in, with Knot right after her.

“Drive to the end of the parking lot, then get on the little trail that goes toward Admin.” Keelie could feel the
bhata
clinging to her hair like a weird woodland hair bow.

Knot’s fur bushed out to maximum pouf. He hissed and looked toward the forest. Laurie turned the engine off. She hadn’t even turned the headlights on.

“Why did you turn it off?” Was she crazy?

“Look.” Laurie’s voice trembled. She was pointing a shaking finger at Elianard, who had stepped out of the forest. He held a glowing silver rope, and at the end of it floated Dad, limp and unconscious.

“Let go of him, you bastard,” Keelie screamed, opening the door.

Laurie grabbed the back of Keelie’s shirt. “It’s a trap.”

Elianard glowered angrily, his hawkish nose harsh in the moonlight. “So very human to resort to name calling, but as you wish, I’ll let go of him.”

He twirled his amulet and Dad dropped, landing on the ground like a discarded marionette. “Oops, didn’t mean to drop him so hard. I’m sure that wasn’t very good for his internal organs, especially in his weakened condition. This is a nasty disease, especially for elves.”

Keelie’s heart skipped a beat. Laurie stuck her head out the window and yelled, “Yeah, well, how come you’re unaffected?”

“This does not concern humans.”

The
bhata
touched Keelie’s eyelid, and she saw her father’s image flicker. She remembered her dream. Dad was in a cabin up on the mountain.

More crackling leaves, and this time Lulu walked out of the woods. Elianard didn’t look happy to see her.

“I can tell you why Elianard is able to resist the tree disease. He’s using the unicorn’s magic to protect himself and his daughter.” Lulu smirked at Elianard, apparently unafraid of his powers.

“Shut up, witch.”

Lulu almost hissed at him. “You think you’re too good for me. Well, I’m taking the unicorn’s horn for myself.”

“Vain witch. How do you propose to capture him? With your
charms
?” Elianard sneered at her, but moved farther away.

Keelie noticed her father cast no shadow in the moonlight. It really wasn’t him.

“You’ve caught him for me. Your daughter plays her harp and the poor beast can’t move. You think I didn’t follow you, to see for myself?”

“I should have known you would try to take his magic for yourself.” Elianard glared at Lulu. “The unicorn belongs to me.”

Keelie closed her eyes. She sought out her father, but his consciousness was blocked. She reached out to the trees who’d answered her before; she called out to Tavak. Nothing.

Evas.
No answer.

Elianard pointed to Keelie. “Blame her. She has fought against us and strengthened the trees. Einhorn called to her to help him break the enchantment.”

Lulu’s face hardened, her mouth contorted into an angry scowl. “I should’ve known. Ever since you showed up, kid, I’ve had the worst luck.”

“Laurie,” Keelie whispered. “Can you start the camper up again? No lights, just aim for the road that Sir Davey took.”

“But your dad—”

“I don’t think that’s really Dad. I think you’re right—it’s a trap.”

Keelie heard shouts of men in the distance. “Hey Char-lie, that strange light’s coming from down here.”

“It’s the EPA.” She felt panicked. “They’re going to find us.”

Laurie cranked the camper, and with a howl of triumph shoved it into gear and stomped on the accelerator. The old Swiss Miss Chalet surged forward, bumping over branches and bits of abandoned camping gear as Laurie aimed it at the road.

Elianard held his amulet up. The glowing silver rope faded, and so did the image of Dad. It
had
been an illusion. A silvery lightning bolt streaked toward them, and Keelie screamed, “Faster!”

The bolt hit the back of the camper, and bits of gingerbread trim went flying past the cab windows.

Knot’s green eyes glowed with a hellacious hatred as they passed Elianard, who was just a blur in the darkness. The white figure of Lulu leaped back, and then they crashed over the curb and were careening down the path toward Admin.

Keelie watched the forest, feeling for the logging road. The ghost trees filled the woods with their spectral presence. “Here,” she yelled, and Laurie wrenched the wheel to the right, knocking Knot off the back of the seat. With a yowl of surprise he thudded to the floor, then crawled back up, hissing briefly at Laurie before squeezing onto the dashboard—an evil kitty dashboard ornament.