Part 11 (1/2)

King Gneiss walked over and leaned close to Keelie. ”Ermentrude always had a flare for the dramatic. When she stands on ceremony, she scares the fae to bits.”

Keelie wasn't quite sure what to expect. She did feel better being near King Gneiss. However, she wasn't quite sure how the elves were going to take having a dragon as a guest, even if she was in human form. This was going to be pus.h.i.+ng their hospitality tolerance to a new level, which wasn't very high to begin with.

Ermentrude walked up to Elia, who trembled under her draconic gaze. Ermentrude reached out and placed a hand on the elf's rounded belly. A protective surge for the child welled up within Keelie. She didn't know what Ermentrude planned to do. She'd never been exposed to dragon magic, and the Compendium never said anything about dragons, but she'd promised Uncle Dariel she would look after his child. Visions of the evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty came to mind, when Maleficent cursed the newborn princess.

Sean moved toward them, ready to step in and protect Elia from whatever would happen. As Keelie was ready to step forward, King Gneiss placed a rough-skinned hand on her arm. ”It'll be okay, child. No harm will come to the elf and her unborn child.”

Ermentrude turned around and winked at Keelie. ”This child will be a blessing to you and your people.”

The crystal at the end of Ermentrude's staff glowed, and a stream of magic flowed from it and wound its way around Elia's stomach. Elia looked up with wide, tear-filled eyes and smiled at the dragon. Relief flowed through Keelie as she realized Ermentrude wasn't going to curse Elia or her child.

Elia sighed and placed her hands protectively over her belly. She bowed her head. ”Thank you for your blessing.”

King Gneiss leaned in close again and held up his hand. ”Fairies won't dare do anything to Elia's child. It's now under the protection of a dragon.”

Ermentrude bowed her head and walked to Sean, grabbing his chin and tilting his head to the right and then to the left as if she were inspecting a cabbage at the supermarket. ”Shadows edge your heart, elf, and you will have to face them before you can have what you desire.”

Sean cut his eyes toward Keelie, and she knew that Ermentrude meant her. But what did the dragon mean by shadows edging Sean's heart? Ermentrude sounded like a faireground tarot card reader. The only thing missing was a tent and a crystal ball.

A smile crept over the dragon woman's face and her eyes burned bright as she rounded on Keelie. Sweat beaded on Keelie's forehead and she clenched her clammy hands. She wondered if you could dehydrate because of exposure to a dragon.

Ermentrude looked her square in the eye. ”You are the one I wanted to see. You have information I want.”

Knot strolled over to the dragon and meowed up at her in a commanding tone. ”Meow here.”

Ermentrude looked down at the fae cat and scowled. ”Well, I wondered where you were keeping your sorry b.u.t.t. Don't worry about your little charge. I like her.”

Not the greeting Keelie had expected for Knot. More like burnt-cat-on-a-stick, because Knot had that way about him.

The dragon turned around and her expression darkened. ”He says he's your guardian. How's it working for you?”

Keelie nodded. ”He's a good guardian. Sometimes.”

Knot scowled, and then he purred.

Snorting, Ermentrude looked down at Knot, who now was was.h.i.+ng in between his toes as if he didn't care that he could be insulting a dragon. She turned around and shook her head. ”You're too kind in your remarks about him, and I'll give you that, but I should've flamed him years ago.”

Knot purred.

”What say we leave and catch up on old times, my fae feline friend?” the dragon proposed.

Queen Vania frowned. ”I must insist you take your rest and entertainment with us, Lady Ermentrude. We shall have the finest rooms in my castle prepared for you.”

Ermentrude exhaled. ”Thanks, Vania, but what I need is an ale, and I think I would like to talk to Keelie on my own and visit my elven friend without bothering your court.” She turned her gaze toward Fala and Salaca. ”I want to find out what's happening in the big world again.”

Keelie didn't know if she wanted to have a conversation alone with a dragon. She might say something that would make her mad.

Vania cleared her throat. ”I need Keliel Heartwood here. She can't leave.”

”She can leave.” Flames danced around Ermentrude's walking cane.

Keelie fanned herself, because it was definitely getting hotter in the room. Fairies stepped back as the tension in the air crackled with energy, like the coming of a storm. A fire storm.

Please take note: Don't tell a dragon what it can and cannot do.

Keelie felt a bit like a p.a.w.n in a game of chess and wondered if the evening would ever end. The last thing she wanted to be involved with was a showdown between a dragon and the fairy queen.

A male voice whispered in her mind. You don't have to stay. Vania has no power over you. But she speaks truly. She needs you. That does not mean it is in your best interest. Keelie remembered that sweet, dark voice. Herne. She looked around quickly, but he was not in the room.

She was so tired. She'd cooperated with Vania as instructed, and even though she may not have produced the outcome that Vania, or the elves, had wanted, there was no way she was going to stay here. ”I want to leave, along with Elia, Sean, Coyote, and Knot, and arrive at Grey Mantle in the same condition we were before.” She knew to spell out her wish very precisely.

The dragon turned and smiled at Keelie. ”Good. You've got backbone.”

”We are not finished, but I will grant you part of that wish,” Vania replied. ”We still have to figure out what went wrong with the magic. If the magic keeps escaping, then the Earth will quickly grow closer to its end. Do you want to be the reason that humanity will die?” The queen held her shoulders high, looking like an avenging angel bringing judgment.

Keelie glared at her. ”I'm only one person. I can't be the only one who has the magic to bind the rift. Don't put this responsibility on me.”

The dragon pounded her cane on the ground. The room echoed its loud vibration, and all heads turned to her. ”The child is right. Others must step in to help.”

Queen Vania stepped down from her dais. ”She sealed the rift in the Earth with little help from me. But it did not hold.”

Ermentrude frowned at the queen. ”What did you expect?”

”And you think the elves can help?” Vania asked, sneering. ”What can they do?”

”It seems they can do a lot,” Keelie said, indignant. ”It seems you need their magic, or why would you need a tree shepherdess?” Stunned, she realized that she was defending the very people who'd snubbed her and treated her as an outsider.

The queen waved her wand, and the vortex of light reappeared in the middle of the court. The fairies backed away for fear of being sucked into it. The sound of Johnny O'Hare's fiddle once more played in tune to the pulsing funnel. Keelie heard the ticking of a clock and the Timekeeper's voice: Time for you to return to your world.

The Timekeeper had ensured that all would be as it was when they left the High Court, but Keelie knew much had changed. She looked through her lashes at the dragon woman and wondered how she was going to explain her presence to the grumpy elves.

Sean reached for Keelie's hand and gripped it tightly. ”I won't let anything happen to you.”

Keelie looked into his leaf-green eyes. ”Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you.”

”Let's go,” he said. ”I have something very important to tell you.”

Despite the danger she'd been in, the threats that had been casually exchanged by beings more powerful than any she had ever met, Sean's words thrilled her. She wondered what he wanted to say.

Their hands clasped, and Keelie prepared to jump. She saw Elia, with Knot and Coyote close at either side, leap into the light and vanish. Just as she and Sean were about to jump, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. She leaned into the kiss and put her arms around his neck. ”Don't let go.”

”Never,” he swore. And they jumped together.

Keelie and Sean landed lightly next to the others. Once you knew what to expect, the vortex ride wasn't so bad.

Apparently Keelie was the only one who thought so, because Elia was bent over, being sick a few feet away, and Ermentrude stood in the middle of a wide, sloped meadow, weaving around on unsteady but human legs. Smoke trailed from her ears.

”Where are we?” Keelie thought they'd be in Grey Mantle. Hadn't the queen promised? The fairy's words came back to her-she'd said that only part of the wish would be fulfilled. Keelie s.h.i.+vered, wondering what else might be different.

The dragon tucked stray wisps of her red hair behind her ears. ”What a ride.”