Into the Wildewood (35 page)

She vaulted over the gate and marched into the tent where her father lay. The elf guard ran after her. “Stop. You must leave immediately.”

Her father was pale, his eyes closed. He still had a blue tint to his skin and was weak from the venumiel.

Then he opened his eyes and saw Keelie. “I’m proud of you. I don’t know how you tapped such Earth magic, but you’ve saved the unicorn, the Wildewood, and the elves. I was wrong when I said you couldn’t handle it. But Keelie, I was so afraid, and you could have been killed.”

“I think Elianard would have killed me. In case you haven’t noticed, the elves don’t exactly adore me. That woman wouldn’t let me see you. I’m a Round Ear.” She spat the word out.

Dad took her hand in his cool one. “Just as there are mean-spirited people, there are mean-spirited elves. Elianard and Elia for example. Don’t judge us all by those two.”

“I think they’re totally evil. Just because Elianard wanted to save the Dread Forest, does that mean he was right to try to kill the unicorn?”

Dad flinched. “What?”

“Elianard said that he was trying to save the elven home forest. He thought that justified killing Einhorn, to take his power.”

Dad’s expression turned grim. He seemed shocked at her revelation.

“I don’t think I can live in the Dread Forest. My human side seems to be the only part of me that they see.”

“I need for you to be tough when you get to the elven forest,” Dad answered quickly. “You have friends among the elves, but prejudice is in every culture and society, whether it be based on the color of your skin or the shape of your ears.” He pointed to her heart. “As long as this guides your life, then you can face anything that is thrown at you, whether it be elf, human, magic, or injustice. You’re strong like your mother.” He closed his eyes, exhausted.

Keelie kissed his forehead. “Thanks, Dad. I love you.” The answers to her questions would have to wait.

twenty-nine

Dinner the next day was an open-air feast. Because of the three-state blackout caused by the power plant’s “inexplicable” failure, all of the Faire’s freezers had been emptied, and a vast barbecue had been set up featuring lots of turkey legs and steak on a stake.

Raven had spread out quilts by Davey’s RV, the only decent sleeping place around, and Keelie flopped down on one, exhausted. She had spent the day helping to clean up from what the papers were calling a “freak storm.” But from the shell-shocked looks on some of the faces around her, everyone remembered the tree rampage and no storm story would convince them otherwise.

Janice’s shop would need big repairs, but luckily most of the damage had been to the upstairs living quarters. Lady Annie had moved into Lulu’s shop. Lulu had last been seen hanging by her feet from a spruce tree, her mouth sealed with resin.

Elianard’s room at the lodge had been empty, and Elia’s things were gone as well. Keelie wondered why the elf girl had helped her, and whether she knew what had happened to Einhorn’s broken horn. No doubt she would run into her again in the Dread Forest. Keelie was not looking forward to it.

In the parking lot, Finch was in her element, barking orders and shouting at slowpokes. Sir Brine had turned out to be a hero, or at least that’s what he told everyone as he recounted his valiant effort to hold back the trees with catapulted pickles. Dad was talking to him, because the little weirdo had his eyes set on the old Lady Annie booth right next door to Heartwood. No way would he set up his perma-pickle stand that close to them.

Keelie looked up at the blue sky, and listened to the sound of the river nearby and the murmur of the trees in the breeze. Gone was the oppressive feeling of the forest. Dad had scheduled a Tree Lorem for later.

Knot ran past, yowling, a
bhata
riding him like a stick cowboy.

She rolled over onto her stomach and laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

Keelie turned over again, and looked up at the figure that was blocking the sun. She brought a hand up to shade her eyes, but he dropped down next to her. He brushed blond hair from his forehead, his blue-green eyes on her.

“Sean.” He looked just as handsome as he had when she’d last seem him in Colorado. She sat up, feeling shy and wishing she knew what had been in those letters. Had they been friendly, kind of “Hey how are you?” or had they been dreamy love letters? She was at a serious disadvantage.

“Your father told me you were coming. I didn’t know if you wanted to see me again.”

His eyes clouded. “I wasn’t too sure myself. Why didn’t you answer my letters?”

“I never saw them, Sean. Your dad said that you’d written. I thought you’d forgotten me, or that you’d met someone else.” The last words faded in volume as he leaned forward, eyes fixed on her lips. This was totally okay. Life had suddenly improved more than one hundred percent. Her heart thudded, feeling as if it was fluttering in her throat. Did he feel the same? Their lips met, his mouth warm and firm on hers. His hand covered hers on the blanket and she felt his pulse, fast against her skin. Okay. That answered that.

Knot streaked by again, and this time ran right over the quilt, making Keelie and Sean pull apart. This was a good thing, since Dad appeared a second later.

“Sean, well met. Your father told me you were coming.”

Sean stood and the two men bowed their heads to each other, elf fashion, and then shook hands. From the look on Dad’s face, maybe he’d seen too much.

“You should go now. The feast at the lodge is starting soon.” Dad looked meaningfully at Sean.

“You are coming, too, are you not?” Sean smiled at Dad, then down at Keelie. His smile warmed.

“I’ll make an appearance,” Dad said. “Keelie will not attend.”

“First I’ve heard of it,” Keelie announced, then shut up, as she realized she’d probably not been invited.

Sean looked from Keelie to her father, and back again. “Not attending? But it’s in appreciation of what you did. You saved the forest.”

“The dinner is for the Response Team,” Dad said.

Keelie shrugged. “The dinner is for the full-blood elves, is what he means. No Round Ears need attend. I don’t care. My friends are here.”

Sean looked shocked. “If that is so, then I won’t go either. I’ll stay here with you.”

Zeke’s smile grew frosty. “Lord Niriel will not be pleased.”

Keelie wondered if Dad was being snarky about Lord Niriel just because he was Sean’s dad, or if there was another reason. Not that it would help to ask. He never told her anything.

Sean bowed again. “As Keelie said, my friends are here.”

His words warmed her. With Sean beside her, the Dread Forest wouldn’t be so lonely.

Laurie and Raven came flying up, laden with plates, and stopped, eyes wide at the elf face-off. Keelie patted the quilt beside her.

“Sit down, ladies. Raven, you know Sean o’ the Wood. Sean, this is my old friend Laurie.”

Dad raised his arms in surrender and headed for the lodge, leaving the girls to admire Sean.

After dinner, they all walked up the trail to an overlook that Raven remembered from previous stays at the Wildewood Faire. They could see down to Rivendell from here, and the lilting strains of Jared playing an instrumental version of
The Three Marys
floated up to them. They started back down when Rigadoon was tuning up. The dancing was about to begin.

Keelie’s eyes caught a glimmer in the forest to their right. “Go on, guys. I want to look at something.”

Sean stopped, too. “Need my help?”

“No, you go down. I’ll catch up.”

She watched Laurie and Raven converge on Sean and laughed. He loved the attention. She walked into the forest.

“Lord Einhorn?”

A beautiful man in a snowy white shirt and pristine white jeans stepped out from behind a great tree. His skin glowed, leaving no doubt that he was the unicorn.

“I didn’t know you could be a person, too.”

Einhorn smiled, and it was as if a star had kissed her.

He held out a hand. Dangling from his long fingers was the Queen Aspen’s charred heart, and also a cord on which hung a silver acorn entwined with thorns. Elianard’s amulet.

Keelie took the charred heart, but left the other. “Thank you.”

He still held out Elianard’s pendant. “This is for you as well.” His voice was like chimes in a breeze. “You saved my life, you saved my forest, and you’ve brought me my mate.”

Mate? She didn’t remember that part, but she took the necklace and dropped it over her head, hiding it inside her shirt. It felt cold and sharp against her skin.

“Keelie? You here?” Raven’s voice came from the path.

“It was my honor to be of service to you.” Keelie bowed her head in the elven way. Dad would be so proud of her, even if she wasn’t too sure about that mate business. Surely he didn’t mean her? Or, worse, Elia?

Underbrush rustled behind her. “Keelie, is that you in here? Who are you talking to?” Raven stepped forward. Keelie looked at her, wondering if she’d still be able to see the unicorn, or if last night had been part of a greater magic.

Einhorn extended a pale, long-fingered hand, and to Keelie’s astonishment, Raven took it and went to stand at his side, her darkness striking against his light. He lifted her hand to his lips, and the two stared at each other for a long moment.

Then Einhorn shimmered, and the unicorn stood before them. He bowed low, so that his horn touched Keelie’s forehead. It felt as if he were blessing her. Then he reared up, turned, and galloped away.

Raven brushed her fingertips over Keelie’s brow and smiled gently. Then the old, no-nonsense Raven was back. “So, weren’t we headed down to Rivendell?”

“You and Lord Einhorn?” She didn’t have to speak the rest of the question. The answer seemed obvious.

“From the moment I saw him in the clearing. We have a date tomorrow night. He’s kind of old-fashioned.” Raven picked her way toward the path.

Keelie followed, her head still spinning from the idea of Raven being the unicorn’s mate. “Married to a unicorn. That’s just so weird.”

“Not really. And hey, I won’t have to worry about Rennie wenches going after him. They won’t even see him.”

Keelie laughed, then thought that maybe one day she wouldn’t see him either. Sean waved to her from the bottom of the hill, and Laurie yelled to them to hurry.

Raven linked her arm through Keelie’s. “What’s really weird is that I’m grateful to Elia, if she was responsible for messing up my gig at Doom Kitty. Without her I’d still be there, instead of finding my true love.”

Keelie laughed again. “Grateful to Elia. That
is
strange.”

“Einhorn wanted to know where Elianard and Elia were. Did they just disappear?”

“Yeah, but I have a feeling they won’t be gone for long. Dad thinks they’re headed for the Dread Forest. He says Elianard has friends who share his views.”

Raven looked troubled. “What does that mean for Einhorn? Will they be back?”

Keelie shook her head. “Who knows?”

“No one’s going to hurt my mate, or the Wildewood,” Raven said, suddenly fierce. For a second she looked proud and strong, a warrior queen protecting her realm.

Whatever sort of creature Raven’s dad might be, he’d be proud of her. Keelie was relieved that she wouldn’t have to worry about the Wildewood again, or Einhorn.

That night, the remaining elves held a Tree Lorem. It was a very different ceremony from the one they’d held for the Queen Aspen at the High Mountain Faire. There, the elves had praised Keelie, and she’d received the Queen’s charred heart.

At this Lorem, she stood at one end of the tree that represented all the ones that had fallen. It was Bruk, the oak, and Keelie’s cheeks were wet as she remembered the tree’s pain when they’d been briefly mind-bonded. As her father laid his hands on the scarred bark, Bruk’s face appeared, serene now, and then faded back into the wood. Keelie felt the forest lighten, as all the tree spirits faded into the Forest Beyond, leaving behind the green and the living.

Raven stood at the edge of the gathering, the white cat cradled in her arms. Keelie looked into its eyes and saw her pain reflected there.

Lord Niriel looked from Keelie to Raven, and down at the cat, and a curious expression crossed his handsome face. Even though he was Sean’s father, she felt uneasy. Something about him reminded her of Lord Elianard. They were both tall and handsome older guys, but that should be the only resemblance. Lord Niriel was always polite. Even now, when other elves had sneered and whispered about Raven, who they thought was human, attending their ceremony, Lord Niriel had welcomed her graciously.

Keelie smiled at him, and he smiled back. Why had Dad said she should stay away from him? Lord Niriel was charming. Dad had told her to stay away from the unicorn, too, and good thing she hadn’t listened to him.

Lady Etilafael stepped forward, and all eyes turned to her. “Keliel Heartwood, we thank you and your friends for your extraordinary efforts.” She turned to Raven. “Lord Einhorn’s lady, Raven of the Shining Ones—” A gasp went up from the elves and everyone craned their necks to look at Raven, who seemed puzzled by the name she’d been called. “You honor us with your presence at our ceremony. The Wildewood is in good hands.”