The Quicksilver Faire (25 page)

"You look lovely." Dad wore one of his elven robes, too; it was long and richly embroidered, with wide sleeves over a tight-sleeved jacket. His long hair was loose and hung down over his shoulders.

Keelie tripped over the hem of her robe and Dad caught her. "Oops." Her knee-high Ren Faire boots gave her steady footing, but the long clothes took some getting used to and she'd only worn them once before.

The forest was full of armed elves on the lookout for goblins. Keelie and Dad started up the path to the Council building. In the Dread Forest, the Council met in a stone circle, but the weather must get intense here in the winter. Keelie couldn't imagine meeting outside when it was twenty degrees below zero.

"I'm proud of the way you've handled yourself." Dad looked down at her and smiled. "It hasn't been easy, I know."

"Thanks, Dad. It's nice of you to think that, even if I did mess the rift up even more." Keelie lowered her voice although the path was deserted. "These elves are really unfriendly. You should see how they treat Elia. It broke her heart."

He sighed. "They fear change, and Elia married Dariel. A unicorn. They could probably forgive his past disgrace, but anything not elven ... as you say, not so much."

"I guess that's what makes me the angriest. That they're mad at her because of Uncle Dariel."

"Queen Vania will not be here tonight," Dad said, abruptly changing the subject. "Do you think she would welcome another visit from you? Without Elia, of course."

"You'd be okay with that?" Keelie thought about the angry, powerful queen. "I'm not sure it would do any good."

Dad patted her back. "None of us knew how dangerous the situation was when we sent you, Keelie. We heard only that it was a disagreement between the elves and the High Court about how the humans were getting access to magic. We knew you would gain admittance in the High Court as no elf could."

"They let Sean and Elia come, though. No one stopped them." Keelie thought of the strange faire at Quicksilver. "We saw some weird things and met some really outrageous people. If you can call them people."

She stopped talking when they arrived at the Council building. Just off the main vestibule was a huge room. Long benches surrounded a fire pit, and the walls were covered by cloth hangings embroidered with elven symbols. Keelie felt a mix of elven and Earth magic around her and realized that the symbols held some sort of charm.

A group of elves in blue robes were seated around the circle. Elves were big on meeting circles. Maybe they needed some drums. They could pound out some good beats, although Keelie didn't think these uptight elves could produce a drum circle like the ones at the Ren Faires she'd attended. Maybe a keg of mead and some nachos would help.

She spotted a familiar, friendlier face and headed over to Norzan. "I'm glad to see you up and about, Lord Norzan."

"Good evening, Keelie." Norzan bowed his head. "Thank you for the help you've given us. We have put you in grave danger, I fear." He looked tired. Keelie knew that the drama among the elves, on top of the injuries he'd received in the Redwood Forest, must be exhausting for him, but she was so glad he was here.

Dad clasped Norzan's arm in his, and the two tree shepherds looked into each other's eyes for a long moment. Keelie had no idea what that was about.

"Now that everyone has gathered, we can begin." Miszrial stood to one side, hands lifted, palms up. She looked regal, but spoiled the effect when she tossed her hair behind her shoulder.

What was she doing on the Council? She didn't have the people skills for a leadership position.

Miszrial smiled at some of the other elves, and they returned her smile. One big happy family.

Keelie didn't have a good feeling about this meeting. She sat with Dad and Norzan. Terciel sat across from them.

Then Terciel stood up. "We must discuss the goblin invasion. Soon the dwarves will join us, and Herne and his dark fae brethren. But first, we must meet as elves." He turned to Keelie. "Keliel Heartwood, leave the meeting until such time as the others join us."

"What?" Keelie felt her mouth drop open. Talk about an unexpected action.

Dad's face paled, and Norzan stood shakily. "What is this outrage? We sought out Keliel Heartwood. She came here at our invitation, to help us speak with the High Court."

Miszrial leaned forward. "And if you remember I disagreed with that idea, and all of my predictions have come true. She didn't help us speak with the queen-she followed the queen's orders to repair the rift and made it worse. More magic is spilling out. We are battling goblins in our own forest. The only good thing to come of this, in my opinion, is that the humans have fled."

"And how is this Keliel's fault?" Dad spoke quietly, but his voice seemed to ring against the walls.

Miszrial gave him a pitying smile. "The elves of the Dread Forest are ancient, but you sent a poor representative. Her blood is tainted with fae and human elements that cause her great conflict. She knows not where her loyalties lay. Who can trust her?" She turned to Keelie. "Leave us now.

Keelie stood and put a hand down on Dad's shoulder to keep him from joining her. "What happens here affects the whole world. I'll wait outside until the others may enter."

She left, chin up, and wished she weren't so well-bred. She was trying to be dignified, but she wanted to give the haughty elf a middle-finger salute.

Outside, a few dwarves had already arrived. The dryad was there too, standing next to Ermentrude, who was wrapped in blankets and sitting in a chair. Sean, who was not invited to participate, was sitting at Ermentrude's feet.

As Keelie headed toward them, Sean stood. "Have you come to ask us in?"

"No, I got kicked out for being a mongrel." Keelie shrugged, trying not to let her hurt show. "I thought my mixed blood was what got me invited up here in the first place."

One of the dwarves, a female warrior, turned to her with a frown. "The elves evicted you from their meeting?"

Keelie nodded.

"I am Topaz. You know my cousin Jadwyn."

"I know him as Sir Davey." She looked over her friend's cousin. Despite the peaceful nature of the talks, the woman was wearing two knives and a sword.

Topaz smiled. "He speaks highly of you, unlike others." She shot a look of dislike at the Council building. "Excuse me." She rushed to the other dwarves and spoke earnestly. The group glanced at Keelie and talked more.

Great. Now everyone was gossiping about her.

"They're outraged, Keelie." Sean stood next to her. "As am I."

"They can do whatever they like," Keelie said. "Besides, Dad's in there. He and Norzan won't let the elves come up with any weird plans."

Sir Davey arrived and waved cheerily at Keelie, but he was stopped by the grumbling crowd of dwarves. As he listened to their words, his eyebrows rose and his eyes widened, and Keelie saw his hand tighten on the dagger he wore on his belt. He glanced toward Keelie.

The doors of the Council building banged open and Miszrial stepped onto the plaza. Behind her were Dad, Norzan, and Terciel, as well as some of the other elves.

"Forest peoples, welcome to the Alliance Summit. I am Miszrial, and I welcome you on behalf of the elves of Grey Mantle." She motioned to the others. "The elves welcome you.

The air changed, growing warmer, and with a dramatic thunder clap, Herne appeared, horned and majestic. He must have timed it. Sean frowned and Ermentrude laughed at his theatrical appearance, but it seemed to work on the elves. They gasped. The dryad straightened, then bowed. Keelie slipped behind a tree. She didn't want to add to the drama.

But Herne had other ideas. His stern gaze took in the assembled forest peoples, and he frowned.

"Where is my consort? Where is Keliel Heartwood, Forest Daughter?"

Keelie banged her forehead against the tree (a birch). So much for waiting. Thanks a lot, Herne.

Keelie stared at the dingy yellow wall of the No-Tell Motel, an abandoned motor court halfway between Grey Mantle and Big Nugget. The ride there, in the elven SUV on treacherous roads constantly watching for goblins, was bad, but not as bad as the Alliance Summit. Which hadn't even gotten started.

The motel walls were a fly-spotted, mildew-streaked yellow, all that was left of a once-soothing white. Keelie knew she had to calm herself Her father and the other Dread Forest elves had left Grey Mantle shortly after Herne's disruptive entrance, and it was decided that this motel was easily defended against goblins. Uncle Dariel and Elia were in the next room, and their voices rose as they argued.

Knot sniffed the musty shag carpet. "Meow stinks!"

Dad paced back and forth. He was thinking, and Keelie didn't want to disturb him; he had the I'm-going-to-losemy-temper look on his face. He had maintained a persistent beet-red glow ever since Herne had announced that Keelie was his consort.

Coyote was back with them, having mysteriously reappeared after they found rooms in the motel. Keelie hadn't yet had a chance to talk to him, and now wasn't the time. Coyote dug between his toes with his teeth, avoiding eye contact with Dad. Tension hung in the room like sticky cobwebs.

Above the beds hung a framed photo, a stag pose majestically in front of a stand of trees. Even this disgusting motel was reminding Keelie of Herne. She was so mad at him. How dare he show up and break up the meeting she'd worked so hard to arrange?

She hadn't really taken all of this consort nonsense seriously. Maybe she should have, but figured she'd find a way to handle the nature god. And part of her had wanted to be with him. Keelie recalled how strong and muscular he'd felt when they flew next to each another in Under-the-Hill. She'd felt safe.

Dad stopped and stared at her, as if he was picking up on her thoughts.

Keelie smiled, forcing her mouth muscles to work. "I was thinking of going to get some ice," she said, point ing toward the faux-wood plastic bucket on the even more faux-wood dresser.

Shaking his head, Dad began walking back and forth again. "You're staying right here." He was going to wear a hole in the carpet, which in her opinion would definitely be an improvement. Knot washed his tail, and Coyote was now working on cleaning out the toes of his other paw. No help from her guardians. She was on her own with Dad.

"I can't believe I chose to stay here. When we first arrived in Big Nugget, I wanted to stay in a motel instead of the elf village. Be careful what you wish for."

She missed Grey Mantle. She missed the stick-and-twig granola. She even missed Miszrial. Dad didn't reply.

Loud, deep singing replaced Uncle Dariel and Elia's arguing. The motel was crawling with dwarves, who had taken it over after Ermentrude's appearance. They were excitedly preparing for war, which consisted of consuming large quantities of beer and singing bad songs.

"Off on the road to the shores of Bagadoom, we'll march through the dark and the gloom..."

The door opened and Dariel and Elia entered, both scowling. Elia plopped down on the shiny nylon burgundy bedspread embroidered in sparkling thread. Her rounded belly stuck out like a mound.

Keelie watched as something moved within. Startled, she realized it was the baby. Eek. This was the first time it really hit home that there was a child growing within Elia. It would be here soon.

A sense of urgency filled Keelie. The cataclysmic images she'd seen at the High Court rushed back to her. In her mind's eye, solar flares baked the surface of the Earth. They had to find a solution to mend the rift, and soon, or all would be lost.

Elia placed her hands on her belly. "Dariel, come quickly."

He ran to her side and placed his hand over hers. His face melted with love as the baby seemed to move even more, as if it knew that Dariel was nearby.

Dad smiled and he looked at Keelie. "I remember when I first felt you within your mother." Keelie's chest clenched.

"I want to go home, Dariel. I don't want to give birth here." Elia lifted her hands to indicate the motel room.

Dariel smoothed back Elia's hair. "We'll go home soon, but right now, we're safer here from the goblins."

Keelie felt bad. She wouldn't want to give birth in a motel room, especially this motel room. They needed to resolve everything so they could go home. But she knew deep down that there wasn't going to be an easy solution. Like an apple with a rotten core, Peascod was at the center of the situation, working his manipulative evil. It was imperative she discover the identity of Peascod's new master, if Herne was right about him finding one. Peascod alone couldn't have weakened Herne.

She looked at Dad, and he met her gaze and frowned. It was as if he knew she was thinking about Herne.

"Why did you go to him? Why did you put yourself in peril?" His voice cracked, as if he had to force the words out.

Dariel strode over to Dad and placed his hand on his shoulder in a brotherly gesture. He turned to Keelie. "Help us understand how this all came to be."

She flicked her eyes over to the photo of the stag. "I don't know what the big deal is. I needed help rounding up allies to help me with the rift. Herne offered his help."