Once Upon a Haunted Moon (The Keeper Saga) (12 page)

I sighed, switched back to wolf, and then trotted along behind the scent he left, following it a short distance until it faded away. He disappeared, leaving nothing but the dead deer as evidence he had ever been there. I decided I didn’t like the idea of leftovers.

I meandered around for a while longer, half-heartedly searching for something else for my wolf to hunt before I headed back and called Erik with a cat update. A snake slithered under a log. I didn’t like snakes, neither did my wolf, so we were both in agreement on that one. A skunk waddled by, and we both agreed on that one, too. I was getting ready to give up and start back toward home, when I saw it.

A deer. Very much like the doe from before. I watched as she walked slowly, head down, as if grazing. I tensed, ready to attack her, and then growled just the tiniest bit to let her know I was there. It didn’t seem fair not to let her know I was there, when I clearly had every advantage over her. I had to give her something in return for being such defenseless, easy prey.

She moved differently, so I assumed my warning had been heard, and that she was getting ready to take flight. But instead, she moved to face me, with a weird shuffling kind of gait, her head still bent toward the ground.

Then I realized why her head hung low…there wasn’t anything left of her neck to support her head. She was the same deer that I had left just a short while ago.

There really was bad magic in Chase.

That doe was dead…

…and she was walking around the forest.

***

“We’ve got BIG problems!” I hissed in Nikki’s ear the next morning at school, as she shoved some books in her locker, “There is a zombie deer in the woods!”

“No way! You’re joking,” she turned, staring at me. Her brown eyes looked only slightly less sad as they were replaced with wariness over my undead announcement; my mental health was now apparently under scrutiny.

“I’m
not
joking! This is not something I’d joke about!” I hissed again, steering her over to a less populated corner of the hallway where I recounted the previous night’s adventures of Bambi deer, bad mountain lion, and then zombie deer. I deliberately left out the last part of the night, where I, Keeper of the forest, strong and fearless protector, ran out of the forest faster than I ever had before, vowing I would never return to hunt alone again.

“Wow,” Nikki remarked, her eyebrows raising an inch, “I’m glad I didn’t have a vision of that! I wouldn’t know what to do about it.”

“Well, honestly, I didn’t know what to do about it, either. After all, how do you kill something that’s already dead?” I shook my head, trying to dislodge the memory of the deer, and decided to change the subject to someone who had looked much better, “What’s Tori doing while you’re here and your mom’s at work?”

“She’s heading to the library. She’s stuck on finding out more about Eleanor Brown and why she isn’t dead, according to my family tree,” Nikki rolled her eyes, and then switched the conversation back to the deer, “You need to tell Erik what you saw last night.”

“Yeah, I called him when I got home. He wasn’t his usual happy self. I don’t think he liked it that I found one of the cats when I wasn’t trying to after they had been at it for hours. He said he and the others were skipping school today to search some more,” I shrugged, and then grinned, “He also said that I’m still supposed to watch you. So you’re stuck with me when school lets out. I came as wolf, so I’m riding back with you in your car.”

“You’d better not get seen ‘as wolf’ or Mr. Giles will flip out and be calling animal control on you,” Nikki laughed.

“I came through the woods at the back of the building, no one saw me. But regardless, somehow I don’t think Giles would flip out over seeing a wolf, he’s not exactly what he appears to be either.”

“What is he then?”

I grinned, “Tommy tells me he’s the principal.”

“So what does Michael say he is?” Nikki asked, knowing the cousins did everything together, including finishing each other’s sentences.

“A forest gremlin. And they’re both right. He’s both. The only advice I can give you is not to make him mad or he’ll throw a desk at you.” I advised, in my most serious tone.

Nikki smiled, but it still didn’t reach her eyes.
Her eyes haven’t smiled since Adam disappeared. They always look sad now.

She must have heard me thinking that, because she suddenly bit her lip and those sad eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, as I tried to take my thoughts back, “I’m a jerk — but I can’t help that you heard that. Please just ignore what goes on in my head, okay?”

She nodded, rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes to quickly brush away the tears that managed to spill over. She ducked her head, hoping I hadn’t seen the emotion play on her face. “Yeah, sure. Listen, I’ll see you later, I’m late for class.” I nodded, and watched as she walked away.

It was then that I noticed the faint, white aura around her again. If I hadn’t been staring after her, I never would have seen it. I shook my head, and looked again. It was still there and so faint is looked like she was edged in a light fog as she made her way down the hallway.

Chapter Fifteen
Ella

Round Mountain

November 21, 1774

She stood within inches of the cliff, but it wasn’t enough. She knew she would have to stand on the very edge to gain the Great Spirit’s attention.

Ella shuffled closer.

Small pebbles in front of her feet clattered, bouncing down the rock face of the mountain. She watched them in a detached sort of way. The trees below looked so tiny from where stood. She could barely see the tiny wisp of smoke that came from the fire in Old Mother’s hut.

Ella had come a long way.

It had taken her hours to climb the highest mountain. She didn’t remember it. She could only see Bright Eyes’ face, and heard the Fire Witch’s last words echoing in her mind over and over, “…your life will be long…looong…”

She didn’t want a long life. She didn’t want any life without Bright Eyes. A future without him would be endless torture. He had been her soul. Even though her heart was still beating, she didn’t feel like she was really living. When he died, part of her died with him, and from what she could tell, that was the only part of her that had mattered.

She hadn’t cried since he took his last breath in her arms — even when the Keepers brought him back to the village and Old Mother fell to the ground sobbing over the body of her grandson, feeble hands running over his still form in a futile search for signs of life. She stayed strong and kept her grief bottled inside, turning instead to care for the old woman who had become very much a mother to her.

Days passed, and then weeks, and the sadness that mounted up inside her soon became more than she could bear. Her heart was so broken that it felt like some giant hand reached in to kill the parts that were left, strangling and choking her so that it felt she couldn’t ever take another deep breath again. She was so, so broken inside…

“…love shall never find you again…never…never…” the Fire Witch’s raindrop voice hissed through her mind.

A few more pebbles gave way, as Ella’s toes pushed across the rock and into open air. She balanced on the balls of her feet, teetering on the edge as a soft wind blew against her body. She lifted her arms out, steadying herself, as she stared up at the Moon. She was ready.

She had come to make her bargain with the Great Spirit.

“Give him back to me,” she said in a heartbroken whisper to the full harvest moon. “Give him back or put me in the sky…”

She waited, knowing a response would come. She closed her eyes, swaying in the night breeze, ready to fall…

***

The Wolf watched the tiny white-haired creature. He had seen her when she first reached the summit, small shoulders stooped with the burden of grief her soul carried. She had aged so very much in such a short time. Her blue eyes that had once been courageous and full of life now looked dull and vacant, as if her very spirit had left her, and she was as dead as the one she loved.

He knew why she had come to this place, to the very top of the mountain. Ironically, it was the same mountain, and the very edge, he had also come to so long ago. And she, too, had come for the same reason he had.

To bargain… to beg…

He watched as the girl stood at the edge and made her heart’s plea. He hoped the Great Spirit would grant her wish, but he had very strong doubts. After all, he had made this exact request, once, too, and things hadn’t worked the way he had hoped. If anything, the consequences of his request and actions that followed it had been downright disastrous.

She swayed slowly back and forth with the wind, as if she had given the night air control of her fate. He got to his feet, following behind the girl to save her should the breeze turn. He didn’t want her fate to be the same as his own. A long, lonely existence with no end…

Just as he closed in behind her, though, he stopped, and watched in wonder.

***

“White Wolf must live,” a voice whispered on the breeze, “…must keep life…”

Ella’s eyes filled with tears when she realized the voice was that of Bright Eyes. “Please…” her voice broke, and The Wolf caught himself wishing the same thing for her, even though seconds before, he had been ready to pull her back from the edge, “…please let me go, too…”

The wind stirred, pushing her back from the danger of the cliff, and the shadowy, translucent form of the boy’s spirit appeared near the girl’s arm. He reached out and stroked her white hair, his fingers brushing lightly through the strands. She felt him, turned and gasped. Then she fell sobbing as she melted into his arms. He held her for a few moments, and then gently took a step back.

“White Wolf must stay. Not time,” the boy’s spirit flickered as he reached to cup her cheek. He turned his golden stare to The Wolf, “Shining Star say same. Not time. She stay Moon and watch Swift Foot always. One day, Great Spirit put in sky where belong. Both Swift Foot and White Wolf in sky when time come. But not now. Not time.”

The boy’s spirit flickered again. He turned the girl’s face up to his, “Bright Eyes go now. Stay near Shining Star. White Wolf see sky and remember words. Love always. Wait for White Wolf until time come.”

She nodded, still crying, as his spirit disappeared. The Wolf, feeling his loss anew, threw his head back to cry to the Moon.

Ella knelt down and wrapped her arms around the big gray wolf, who had howled as if his heart had been broken all over again. She buried her face in his soft fur, still crying, but was thankful there was someone else who shared in her sadness. They stayed on the mountain until dawn, staring up at the Moon that shone even brighter, and at a bright, new star that sat near her, gleaming like silver in the night sky.

Even though her heart was still broken and would never truly heal, the Great Spirit had granted a different wish. Once again The Wolf had come to save her.

Even though she was still broken —

She wasn’t alone.

Chapter Sixteen
Brian

“We’ve got to go! NOW!” Nikki took my hand and jerked me down the hall and out the double doors. Luckily we were between periods, and kids were everywhere, so no one spotted anything unusual as she dragged me out of school.

“What’s wrong? Where are we going?” I was being pulled across the parking lot now, toward Nikki’s blue Jeep. She hadn’t slowed down a bit. She still towed me along, and I was nearly twice her size.

“Something’s wrong with Tori!”

Well, that particular bit of information made me move faster. I beat her to the Jeep, hopped in, and slammed the door before she could get in on the other side.

Her hands shook as she tried to stick the key in the ignition, and I noticed the white mist outline her again, this time stronger. I didn’t want to try to calm down a new wolf, after all, I hadn’t had great results with a mountain lion. I needed Nikki to stay human, so I slowly reached over, put my hand on hers, and guided the key in for her.

“Easy now, just take a deep breath. We’ll get to her, everything’s going to be fine,” I said, trying to calm her down, while doing my best not to let my own anxiety come shining through. What had happened to Tori…did they take her to the same place they had taken Adam…was she hurt?

“Just take one long breath in and out,” I advised her (and me.)

She nodded and visibly calmed as her breath whooshed out.

“Do you need me to drive?”

“No, I’m okay now,” she tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace when she started up the Jeep and pulled out of the parking lot.

We rode for a minute in silence. I didn’t want to upset her more, but I really needed to know what had happened and prepare for what I was about to see.

“So, can you tell me what’s going on?” I asked carefully, still trying to keep a calm, neutral tone.

“I was in English class, in the middle of a test, when I saw my house,” Nikki did actually grimace this time, gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles turned a chalky white, but thankfully the rest of her stayed normal-colored, “The door was open, and I heard a scream. It had to be Tori, no one else is home!”

My heart fell to my stomach, and then I watched my own black and white, sparkling mist edge around me. My wolf was getting ready to come see what was going on.

“Easy now,” Nikki repeated my words back to me with a tight smile, “There isn’t room in here for your wolf. He’s too big to fit in my Jeep.”

“Right,” I let out a deep breath, the mist left, and my wolf went back down into his shadows.

It took forever to get to her house. What should have taken ten minutes took an eternity instead.

Finally, we pulled up in the driveway, and jumped out of the car, racing up the yard and across the porch.

“Wait! Wait!” I hissed at Nikki, trying to push her back, “You stay behind me! There may be someone still in there!” I managed to get her behind me before we got to the front door that stood wide open, inviting everything, good or bad, in.