Moon Spun (17 page)

Could I trust Ryker? I wasn’t sure, but the bit about his mother seemed real. I pulled away from Ryker and spoke to Melia. “If I help you, I’d like a favor in return.”

“If it’s within my power,” she said.

“I want you to come through the portal and meet with my mother.”

Ryker jerked in surprise. The pixies squealed and the water sprites gasped. Uncle Davey harrumphed, “Foolish human! Queen Melia cannot risk the mortal world in her weakened condition.”

Melia raised a hand. “Quiet, all of you! I will agree to the terms.”

My grandmother and I touched hands, sealing the deal.

Then, we huddled together, formulating our plan to free Melia’s subjects. Her plan was this: First the pixies would do reconnaissance, the theory being they’re practically impossible to see. Second, Uncle Davey and the water sprites would slip into the moat. “And do what?” I asked. Melia shrugged,

“They’ll figure it out.” Third, Ryker would enter the dark queen’s fortress and tell Phaedra that Melia and her granddaughter were willing to help her curry favor with Luminata. Once inside the fortress, we would devise a plan to free Melia’s people.

Luminata. Once inside the fortress, we would devise a plan to free Melia’s people.

“You’re our insurance policy,” Ryker said. “If it all goes wrong, you use the moonstone to summon Luminata.”

It sounded like their entire plan hinged on me bailing them out of trouble. And, could I? Nobody really knew for sure. The whole faery crew was pretty bummed when I told them it wasn’t going to happen that night. I yawned. “Remember, I’m mortal. I need my rest.”

I went on to explain I could only come to Boundless on a cloudless night, since I couldn’t stop 334

time without the moon. “But, I promise, I’ll get here as soon as I can.”

Ryker scowled, “The moon is waning and will soon disappear for three nights.”

I scowled back at him. No guy, even a hot biker-boy, love talking faery was going to boss me around. “Like I said, I’ll get here as soon as I can.”

We all joined hands and sealed our pact, except for Uncle Davey, who raised a hoof and bobbed his gigantic head. Before Ryker and I left, I kissed my grandmother goodbye. Looking stronger than she had when we arrived, she whispered, “You have given me hope, Ava. Hug Faye for me. I will see her soon.”

I whispered back, “If it’s dangerous for you to come through the portal, I won’t hold you to your promise.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “I would risk anything to see Faye. For so long, I’ve dreamed of holding her in my arms once again.”

Before we left, Melia took the braided chain that protected Ryker from iron, held it in her cupped hands and rattled off an incantation.

Ryker slipped it over his head and put a hand on my shoulder. Before I could say, “Let’s go,” we were back at the oaken door. I tested it to make sure it would open, then wiggled the iron nail free and stuck it in my pocket. We climbed swiftly out of the cistern and back into a world cast in silver and frozen in time. I pulled the moonstone from my shirt and clicked it back to original setting. I held my breath and waited, counting the beats of my madly thumping heart. Nothing happened. Oh my God, what if I’d screwed up and stopped the world forever? I’d have to go back to Boundless until I figured out how to fix it. I was almost dizzy with panic as I pictured myself popping out of the cistern for a visit with my mother as she sat, permanently cast in silver, with the phone in her hand.

“Oh, no!” I wailed.

“Easy, girl,” Ryker said. “Try to remember the exact sequence.”

Then, I remembered. Last time, I’d turned away from the moon. My hands were shaking as I held the moonstone skyward, turned it to the “stop time” setting and waited a few ticks. When nothing changed, I turned my back to the moon, making sure the moonstone was in the shadow of my body and clicked it back to twelve o’clock.

“Yes!” I whispered, as the world began spinning again. I breathed deeply, savoring the sweet summer air that smelled of hay and ripening apples. Treetops waved gently in the evening breeze. Cars and trucks zipped down Peacock Flats Road. Faye stood in the doorway. “Are you coming in, Allie?”

“In a minute.” I looked around for Ryker, but he was gone. Then, I heard scree, scree and looked skyward. The silhouette of a red-tailed hawk appeared, backlit by the moon, as it flew higher and higher. I watched until he vanished into the night. I knew he’d returned to the place he belonged. As I walked toward the trailer and my mother, I knew one thing for certain. It was his world, not mine. We were both where we belonged.

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Chapter Twenty One

The next day, Tuesday, Chad and I were at the fruit stand for the pre-dinner rush. If I listened carefully, I could hear pop, pop, pop as my mother shot tin cans off the fence post. After her experience with Chris Revelle, a nasty Trimark who threatened to cut off her fingers one by one, Faye was never without her gun.

I was busting my butt bagging up veggies and carrying out boxes of fruit. Chad sat on a stool behind the counter, absorbed in his Nintendo. He was still miffed about the whole Boundless thing. I hadn’t said a word, but somehow, he’d figured out we’d gone without him. Every time a vehicle pulled into the parking lot, he looked up, hopefully.

“When’s Ryker coming back?” he asked over and over.

Mercedes sighed. “I told you, muchacho, he and Manny were here this morning. They brought the corn.” She looked over at me and rolled her eyes. I shrugged.

We caught a break around four. I’d just opened the cooler and pulled out a soda when a brand new white Honda Accord pulled up and screeched to a stop. The driver’s head was barely visible over the top of the steering wheel. A teensy Hispanic lady popped out and slammed the door, harder than necessary.

“Oops,” Mercedes said.

I opened the soda can and took a long pull. “What do you mean, oops?”

“You don’t know who that is?” Mercedes asked. Her brown eyes were wide with surprise. “After what you and Junior meant to each other, I can’t believe it.”

“Just tell me.”

“It’s Maria Martinez. You know, Junior’s mother.”

The tiny, fierce-looking Mexican woman marched over to the counter. When she spotted me, she thrust out an accusing finger. “You!”

Mercedes murmured, “Told ya.”

Shocked, I clapped a hand over my heart. “Are you talking to me?”

“You Allie Emerson?”

When I nodded, she said, “Because of you, my Junior no more in TV show.”

I was speechless. “Well, uh,” I stammered, “I don’t think it’s primarily because of me. Junior said he was going to be in movies now.”

Maria Martinez pounded a fist on the counter and screeched, “No! Was my favorite show. All my friends watch it. Now, because of you, my Junior not in it. You, bad girl.

Very bad girl!”

I whispered to Mercedes, “Help me, please. When school starts, I’ll do your homework for a month.”

“Two months,” she said.

I looked at the furious little Mexican woman, then back at Mercedes, “Deal.”

A flood of Spanish followed, most of which was too fast for me to follow. Thanks to Mercedes, when Mama Martinez left, she still looked angry, but my life wasn’t in danger. That was good, considering a lot of other people wanted to kill me.

Junior’s mom punched the gas pedal and peeled out of the parking lot, her tires spitting gravel and stirring up dust.

“What did you tell her?” I asked Mercedes.

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“I said you had a new boyfriend and had absolutely no interest in Junior.”

“That’s a lie and you know it.”

“Well, from what you told me, you and Beck haven’t officially broken up.”

“Well, yeah, but I’m not sure what’s going on with Beck,” I hedged. Mercedes huffed, “Hey, you wanted me to save your ass and I did. Let’s have a little gratitude here.”

“Picture me doing your homework for two months. That’s gratitude.”

“By the way.” Mercedes’ eyes were dancing with excitement. “Junior’s coming home this week to get things rolling on the restaurant.”

Before I could get all the juicy details, Manny and Ryker pulled into the parking lot in the flatbed. Chad squealed and jumped down off his stool. When Ryker climbed out of the truck, Chad ran to him and grabbed his hand. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but Ryker listened attentively.

“Man, that Hostetler kid sure likes Ryker,” Mercedes said. She waggled her eyebrows. “What about you? He’s hot and you’re single again.”

“According to you, I’m not . . . remember?”

Manny took off his work gloves, stuffed them in his back pocket and strolled up to the counter,

“We’re ready to wrap it up. Need anything more from the warehouse?”

“We’re good.” Mercedes handed him a bottle of water.

Ryker leaned against the truck, listening to Chad talk a mile a minute, but he never took his eyes off me. When Chad paused for breath, Ryker put one hand on his shoulder, leaned over and murmured something. Chad scampered back into the fruit stand. “He wants to talk to you and I’m getting him something cold to drink.”

He said the last bit as if he’d been sent on a secret mission to save the world. Mercedes giggled and gave me a little shove. “Remember what I said? You’re single now.

”

I ignored her and walked slowly across the parking lot. Chad raced by, holding a bottle of water. Ryker drank it down without pausing for breath and handed the empty bottle to Chad. “Hey, little man, how about putting this in the recycle bin behind the fruit stand?”

Chad dashed off again. Before he disappeared around the corner, I yelled, “Be careful, there’s dangerous stuff back there.”

Ryker threw back his head and laughed. “Dangerous stuff? Like what? A shovel?”

“Not funny. What did you want to see me about?”

“The moon will soon be gone. We should go to Boundless tonight.”

Truthfully, I wasn’t too keen about climbing back into the cistern. But, having given my word, I couldn’t very well worm out of it. I glanced at the sky. Clouds were rolling in from the west. “Okay, nine o’clock, if it’s a clear night. Should be fully dark by then.”

Ryker nodded. “I’ll be there.”

After Ryker and Manny drove off, I went looking for Chad. He wasn’t behind the fruit stand. I walked around to the front, fully expecting to see him sitting on a stool. No Chad. I fought off a wave of panic and dashed behind the counter, checking out all the places a small boy could hide.

“Chad!” I yelled. “If you’re hiding from me, get your butt out here right now!”

Mercedes, who was sweeping a pile of dirt into a dustpan, said, “What’s your problem? Chad’s not here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, duh, I’ve been in here the whole time.”

My pulse kicked up to double time. “Do you think he’s with Ryker and Manny? Maybe he climbed into the truck when they weren’t looking.”

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Mercedes grinned. “Listen, girlfriend, we’ve got six kids in our family. If one goes missing for a while, no big deal. They always come back.”

“This isn’t funny, Mercedes. We’re talking about Mr. Hostetler’s kid. I’m supposed to be keeping him safe.”

She sighed, pulled out a cell phone and punched in a number. “Hey, Manny! Is Chad with you?”

She listened for a while. “Are you sure? Look behind the seat.” My heart sank to my shoe tops.

“Okay, thanks.” Before she could disconnect, I yelled, “Wait! Wait! Tell them to come back and help look for him.”

Mercedes rolled her eyes, but dutifully repeated my message. When she clicked off, I said, “Call 911.”

“Are you nuts? He probably just wandered off. Let’s look for him first.”

I hoped and prayed she was right. “Five minutes. Then, we call 911.”

Of course, Mercedes didn’t know the whole story and that made all the difference. An icy band of fear gripped my chest and squeezed, leaving me breathless. Maybe someone trying to get to me had snatched Chad. I put that idea out of my mind. If I allowed the panic to grow, I wouldn’t be able to think straight.

Pop, pop, pop. The sound of Faye’s target shooting added another layer of fear. What if Chad had wandered out into the pasture and one of her bullets went astray? I tore off across the parking lot and down the narrow shoulder alongside Peacock Flats road. I was in a full-out sprint when I hit Uncle Sid’s driveway. Manny and Ryker were just pulling out.

“Check the barn. Chad likes to sit on the tractor,” I gasped and took off running toward the sound of the gun shots. I found Faye behind the trailer. With Blaster gone, the gate to the pasture was open and Faye was blasting away at a scarecrow dressed in one of Brain Dead Roy’s old shirts. The shirt was full of holes.

“Faye!” I yelled. “Hold up. Chad’s missing.”

Faye pointed the gun at the ground and turned to face me. “Did you call 911?”

I shook my head.

“I’ll do it.” She jogged around the end of the trailer.

I saw the flatbed pull in by the barn. Since Ryker and Manny had that area covered, I ran toward the apple tree. That’s when I saw Chad and my heart stopped.

Straining with effort, he was trying to lift the cover off the old cistern.

“Chad, no!” I screamed as I ran to him.

He looked up at me and smiled. “I heard my name. Somebody was calling me. Would you help me lift the lid?” It didn’t seem possible, but he was paler than usual. His eyes were huge and held a dreamy, faraway look, making me wonder if he even knew where he was. Tempted as I was to yell at him for scaring me to death, I simply took his hand and led him away from the cistern. After a couple of steps, my trembling legs collapsed. I pulled Chad down beside me, wrapped an arm around his frail body and held him close. Now was not the time for scolding. Faye popped around the corner of the trailer with the phone in her hand. She spotted Chad, waved in acknowledgement and spoke into the phone.

Chad and I sat together silently until my breathing slowed. The rapid fluttering of his heart against my body felt like tiny butterfly wings. Finally, he whispered, “Don’t you see? I’m supposed to be there. It’s where I belong.”

Before I could come up with a good answer, Ryker appeared. He stood with his arms folded across his chest, staring down at Chad. “Little man, you gave us a fright.”