Shadows of the Redwood (11 page)

Grandmother stood. “Keelie, I believe Lord Mortimer and I will take a stroll. Mind the shop.”

The two drifted down the path, drawing admiring glances from the mundanes. Keelie sat there, thunderstruck. She’d just been ditched by her grandmother, she was starving, and she had no backup.

Scott came out of his shop and leaned against the doorway. Keelie gestured frantically. He trotted over. “Something wrong?”

“Yes. My grandmother’s gone bats. She just took off with some guy called Lord Mortimer.” She pointed down the road. “She’s abandoned me here with no lunch, no backup, and who knows when she’ll be back?” Keelie aimed a kick at the post, but stopped before she hurt her toe and made her day even worse than it was. “I’m starving, too.”

“I’ll get us something.” Scott looked really good in the afternoon sun. “The meat pies are tasty. Want me to get you one?”

She smiled at him. “And lemonade?”

“You got it.” Scott raced off, abandoning his shop.

Keelie stretched and grinned at the passersby. Life was suddenly looking good. She would never have guessed that Scott would turn out to be hot and nice. Maybe she had a little elven charm and didn’t know it. On the other hand, it could just be the power of womanhood.

“Do you have a human stashed at every festival?” came Risa’s sarcastic voice from behind her. Keelie swore to herself. She’d totally forgotten the elf girl.

“Gosh, Risa. Some folks got it, and others have to flaunt it to get attention.” The power of womanhood was still roaring through her when Sean walked by, Peascod trailing behind him. Keelie decided to try it out on him and sauntered out, swinging her hips. “Hello, Lord Sean. How goes your day?”

Sean stared at her. She ran a hand over her shirt front. She noticed that Risa was watching from behind her cart, which gave her a taste of déjà vu. It was like her daydream, Keelie thought. Risa watching as she flirted with Sean. She shivered.

“Keelie, they only had diet lemonade, so I got you an iced tea.” Scott’s arms were laden with bundles from the food court. His eyes grew tight as he saw Sean close to Keelie.

Peascod, who had also stopped walking, pointed toward Scott. “See?” he said to Sean. “I told you he’s always around her.”

Keelie’s face burned. Sean looked Scott up and down. “Gone for the groceries, lackey?”

Scott dropped the wrapped packages as his fists came up and he assumed a martial arts stance. Knot dashed in, grabbed a mouthful of greasy paper, and started to haul a meat pie backwards to safety.

“You two stop it,” Keelie said. “Scott, you dropped your stuff.”

“That is not ‘stuff,’ Keelie,” he said, eyes on his rival. “That is the lunch that we were going to eat together.”

“Oh, together.” Sean looked him up and down. “Like a lady and her dog.”

They were acting like toddlers, but Keelie didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make them madder. Peascod was grinning broadly from the sidelines.

“Mind your shops, m’lords and m’ladies.” Master Oswald’s booming voice filled the clearing. He strode and stood, fists on his hips. He glared at Peascod. “You, jester. The fairies need you at the Globe.” Peascod slunk away without answering.

Master Oswald glared at Scott. “I expected better from you, sirrah.” His head swiveled to include Keelie. He shook his head, as if he’d heard she was a troublemaker and expected no better. “Lady Keliel, a word with you in private, please.”

Risa grinned and followed, clearly enjoying the moment, as Oswald escorted Keelie into her shop.

Keelie cocked her thumb toward the road. “Hit it. Go on, Risa. You’re not a part of this.”

Master Oswald frowned at Risa. “Tend your cart, lass. Curiosity killed the cat.”

At the word cat, Risa’s eyes widened and she looked around frantically. “Where’s Knot? Oh my beloved kitty, where are you?”

She ran outside, looking for him. Scott had picked up the remaining sandwiches and was now eating alone and looking miserable on a chair in front of his shop. Sean was nowhere to be seen.

Master Oswald cleared his throat. “You know your lady Grandmother is helping us by playing Queen Elizabeth at the theater?”

Keelie’s mouth dropped open. “Is that why she has a new costume?” Little part, indeed.

“We’ve invited her to play the Queen throughout the run of the festival. She’s a natural.”

Keelie stared at the big man, dismayed. “The whole festival? I can’t run this shop alone.” And she couldn’t search for Viran as often, either.

“Nor will you. Peascod has volunteered to help you.”

“Oh, no. No need. I think I can manage.”

“Are you sure?”

Keelie nodded emphatically, and Master Oswald bowed and backed out of the shop. The shop that she now had to run by herself.

Under the counter, Knot lifted his face from the remains of the meat pie that he’d snagged. Keelie didn’t mind. She’d lost her appetite.

“Here ye, here ye. The play begins at the stroke of six bells.” A town crier yelled. He wore a big green poofy hat that matched his doublet and hose. “Hie thee to the Globe, good gentles.”

People began to stream out of the shops near Heartwood. Several patrons stumbled out of the Queen’s Alehouse. The din of loud conversation filled the air as the costumed crowd followed the crier. Each day was to begin and end with a Shakespearean play at the Globe. Today’s evening performance of
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
would be performed by the professional actors, with the vendors helping out.

Keelie glanced around Heartwood, glad that the shop was empty and that it was time to close. She was tired, but she wanted to watch the performance. She started to put away the cash box and receipt book.

Scott waved to her from Tudor Turnings. He had one last customer in his shop, a woman hemming and hawing over a chair. Keelie wasn’t going to say anything to Scott, but she thought the quality of his pieces wasn’t up to Heartwood standards. She hoped he wouldn’t mention the confrontation with Sean next time they talked. She’d flirted a little, yes, but this was the real world, not some Shakespearian tragedy. Men didn’t start fights over meat pies and sandwiches.

Keelie ran her hand along the counter. The heavy Compendium she was supposed to be studying rested on a shelf beneath it. The board was barely strong enough to hold it. She ignored the ominous bend in the middle of the board and would continue to ignore it, at least until her guilt at not getting her charms memorized grew as heavy as the book. She was always good at cramming, though. How hard could it be to study a few little spells? Make that a few hundred spells.

Risa had packed up her cart and left for the Globe earlier in the afternoon, since she had a costume fitting. She was to be one of Queen Titania’s backup handmaidens. This would give her something to feel superior about without actually adding to her workload. Typical.

The laughter from the Queen’s Alehouse proved to be two women, one dressed in a cerulean blue overdress who lifted her skirts delicately as she stepped down from the deck and onto the road. Her friend, wearing a maroon velvet Francesca costume, laughed as she held up a pewter tankard. Beads of condensation dripped down its sides and onto her skirt. Knot walked beside the woman, tail held high as if he were her escort. He leaned a little to the left and teetered. The cat had been hitting the mead again, Keelie knew. Maybe the stress of dealing with Risa had driven him to drink. Keelie so understood.

She narrowed her eyes. Wait a minute. Knot was supposed to be her guardian. Ever since the ale house had opened he’d forgotten all about his guardian job. Keelie leaned out and saw that a tree spirit disguised as a cloud was hanging over the shop. People were glancing up, noticing the cloud in the otherwise blue sky.

By the time the crowd thinned, Keelie had closed Heartwood. She stretched her arms back as she stepped out on the path, then reached overhead, moving her muscles. Furniture selling was hard work, and it felt good to be finished. Dad would be pleased at her sales today. She glanced over at Tudor Turnings. Scott was still dealing with the customer who couldn’t make up her mind, and she could tell he was losing his patience.

Keelie was glad that he was the one stuck with a customer, not her. She was anxious to catch up with the crowd headed to the Globe. She didn’t want to miss the opening act, and she wanted to get a good seat.

“Keelie, wait up.”

Turning, Keelie was astonished to see her Earth magic teacher, Sir Davey. His elegantly garbed and very short figure was hurrying to catch up with her.

“I didn’t know you were here already!” Keelie rushed back to where he stood, huffing and regaining his breath.

“Your father got me here.” It was unusual for an elf to be close friends with a dwarf, but Dad and Sir Davey were best buds. Keelie was torn between feeling relief that she had Sir Davey to rely on, and irritation at Dad for thinking that she’d need help. “Did you set up your rock shop here?”

He looked at her sideways. “The Dragon Hoard, milady. Didn’t you hear that we must call each other lord this and lady that and mention our shops by their full names? Admin says it’s good for business.”

“Don’t want the mundanes catching on to the fact that everyone leaves here and returns to being schoolteachers, actors, and carpenters, right?”

Sir Davey put a finger along his nose. “They might even believe in elves and fairies,” he said.

“Or dwarves who can pull magic from the Earth.” Keelie smiled, enjoying herself. Sir Davey was like a favorite uncle. Even when he was teaching he had a way of making everything fun.

“Exactly so.”

They hiked up the hill to the Globe. Keelie’s leg muscles ached from her midnight stroll the other night. But she sensed no tree wraiths hanging around. From up here she could see glimpses of the Pacific ocean through the trees. Today was a cool day—sweater weather, and just right for the garb she wore. No clouds of mist hung over the ocean. This could change, but right now, Keelie enjoyed a delicious sense of freedom.

At the Globe she set aside her anger at her grandmother and was thrilled to see her sitting in the middle of the theater on a carved throne, dressed as Queen Elizabeth the first, waving to the crowd. Several of the costumed actors had gathered around and from the expressions on their faces, they were enthralled. They’d tone down the admiration if they knew the person under the clown-like white makeup.

She noted that the actors weren’t under any sort of enchantment now. They were livelier, and definitely into their parts. Keelie wondered if they remembered anything from the other night. She thought about Bloodroot’s power over humans, and Peascod, who seemed to be immune to it.

Just as Keelie was about to walk inside the Globe, one of the Admin people stopped her and handed her a sheet of paper with instructions for the “townspeople.”

“You don’t get a speaking part in this festival, but you’ll need to know how to act when street theater happens around you for next week’s performance.”

Keelie was peeved for a moment that she didn’t have a speaking part, but then she laughed. She sure didn’t want one. She had enough to do.

“I wouldn’t be so upset if I were you,” Sir Davey said as he glared at the departing Admin person. “Last vendor in gets the only part available,” he groused.

“I don’t understand,” Keelie said.

“I’m going to be the Mustard Seed Fairy.”

Laughter overcame Keelie. She envisioned Sir Davey dressed in a glittering costume with gauzy wings, flitting around like a bearded cherub.

“I can’t wait to see you in cute little wings.” Keelie wiped her eyes and leaned against a tree (hemlock).

“If you’re through having your hissy fit, then I’d like to show you something. Laurie contacted me.”

Sir Davey held up an iPhone. Keelie felt saliva gathering in the back of her throat. “Oh, my precious!” She swallowed hard, afraid of drooling like a bulldog anticipating a steak.

He held it out, and Keelie took it reverently. She missed technology. It wasn’t like she didn’t have a cell phone, but hers was hooked up to trees, and regular cell phones often didn’t work either in the town of Edgewood or in the Dread Forest. Zabrina said sometimes magic and technology canceled each other out.

Keelie read the message:

Leaving L.A. On way 2 Redwd.

Stopping to shop

Arriving Monday

Can’t w8t 2 C U

XOXO

Laurie

“She’ll be here Monday.” Reluctantly, Keelie gave the phone back to Sir Davey, who slipped it into a leather pouch.

Sir Davey nodded. “It’ll be good for you to have your friend with you. Your father called her mother, and the woman said Laurie had her permission. She’s driving a BMW, and that’s a perfectly safe automobile.”

“Laurie’s mom has always had a different view of the world.” Keelie was quoting something Mom always said about Laurie’s mom.

Loud feminine laughter, mingled with a horse’s whinny, drifted to Keelie. For a brief moment, it was hard to distinguish the two. Sean and the other jousters were leading their horses to the nearby paddocks.

Maybe that feminine laugh had been one of the horses. Weird.

Sir Davey motioned his head toward the jousters. “Have you forgiven them for being Niriel’s army?”

Keelie blushed. “Shh. Sean is coming near, and Niriel is his Dad, you know.”

Nodding, Sir Davey smiled mischievously. “I get it. You’re still sweet on the elf.”

“Niriel is doing community service,” Keelie said out of the side of her mouth.

“Prithee, tell me what that rapscallion is doing that could be recompense for his actions.” Sir Davey’s smile transformed to a tight line as he pressed his lips together.

“Niriel is helping Uncle Dariel, and he’s working with Zabrina. Together they’re mending the rules that the mayor of Edgewood broke when he let humans into the forest. Niriel has people skills,” Keelie said in a soft voice. She wondered if Niriel was using his elven charm to help convince the Edgewood city council.

As Sir Davey and Keelie neared the jousters, she saw Risa was with them, standing close to Sean.

Keelie’s eyebrows rose when she realized it hadn’t been a horse that had laughed. Risa tossed her red hair across her shoulder. She was dressed in a green satin gown with fake fairy wings that glittered cheaply in the early evening light. Keelie could almost imagine Risa being one of the Shining Ones, even with the tacky wings.

Sean turned to look at Keelie, and flashed a smile at her. He waved to her, secretly pointed at Risa, and crossed his eyes.

Warmth flowed through Keelie as she waved back. Sean wasn’t falling for Risa’s flirtation. Instead, he was making a jest about her, and Risa was oblivious to it.

Keelie watched as Sean said something to Risa and the other jousters. He motioned toward Keelie. Risa smirked and finger-waved at Keelie as if saying “Look at me, I’m with Sean, and you’re not.” Then she grinned wickedly as she placed her hand on Sean’s shoulder and leaned intimately against him.

A growl formed in the back of Keelie’s throat. If she had a wand, she’d make Risa’s wings become real and take to the air, and then elf girl would crash into the ocean. The image eased Keelie’s jealousy. She shouldn’t think things like that, but sometimes a girl couldn’t help herself.

Sean shrugged Risa’s hand off and moved away from her. Risa glared malevolently at his retreating figure.

“Holy Granite. That girl never gives up,” Sir Davey said in a loud voice, loud enough that Risa must have heard him because she turned around and scowled at them.

As if on cue, Knot threaded his way through the jousters and sat down near Risa. He started washing his tail. Risa’s expression transformed from evil-vulture glower to besotted love ogle. She dropped to her knees and her wings bounced up and down as if preparing to take flight. “Knot, my love, come to me.”

The cat stood and backed away from Risa. His tail swished back and forth as the jousters gawked at the spectacle. Sean laughed. He left the group.

“Earthworms from Mars, what has happened to that girl?” Sir Davey said, his eyes popping out of their sockets.

Risa advanced on Knot. He leaped, and then bounded away and was lost in the gathering crowd of people waiting to attend the play.

“What is that about?” Sir Davey looked up at Keelie.