Part 20 (1/2)
Herne offered her a plastic bottle full of soda.
”This isn't some fairy trick, is it?”
”No, it came from that machine over there. It's human food, though it doesn't seem to have any food in it.”
”Why are you here?” Keelie pulled the top off the soda, heard the fizz, and took a sip.
”I came to show you something.” Herne called a goblin to him, one of the little ones she'd seen all over Underthe-Hill. Keelie backed up, ready to jump back through the motel room door.
”Stop, it's safe. He's mine, look.”
The goblin came up and squatted at Herne's feet, putting its spidery arms around the forest G.o.d's booted leg. His skin looked chitinous, a s.h.i.+ny black that glowed in the slanting arctic sun. His round, protruding eyes looked up at her.
”I thought Peascod controlled the goblins. Did you kill Peascod?”
”No. I'm not sure where the accursed fool went, but I discovered that when he's not around, his influence fades, and the goblins look to me. At least they still band together. It's easier to control them that way, when I can.”
”Permanently? What happens if he comes back?”
Herne shrugged. ”I don't understand the power Peascod has over the wild magic. But I don't think he's working alone.”
”I still can't figure out how you lost control,” Keelie said. ”I mean, you're a G.o.d, right?”
Herne's expression turned stoney. ”I was.”
”What's the difference between a G.o.d and a fairy?”
”Power. Much of my power came from my wors.h.i.+pers, although most of it comes from nature itself. Few practice the old ways.” He seemed reluctant to say the words.
”Don't look at me. I'm not a wors.h.i.+ping kind of girl.”
Herne met her eyes. ”I could make you.”
Keelie s.h.i.+vered, sure that he could. She wondered how many other G.o.ds there were. Eager to look away from Herne, she glanced down at the little goblin. He was hideous, but seemed content to sit there. The little fellow looked up at Keelie and his eyes zoomed to her soda. He licked his lips.
Keelie offered it to him, careful to keep her hands away from his sharp talons. He s.n.a.t.c.hed the bottle, ripped it in two and poured the liquid out, then calmly chomped down on it.
Keelie stared. ”Do they all do that?”
”Table manners are not part of goblin life.”
”No, I mean eat plastic.”
Herne looked at the little creature. ”I suppose. They eat all kinds of garbage.”
She remembered how clean Big Nugget had been. No wonder. And of course, that's why cities were full of goblins. They ate garbage. Plastic. The idea excited her-a recycling solution. Although if the cities were full of goblins, you sure couldn't tell the difference.
”I have to go to bed,” she said to Herne. ”Thanks for coming by. I'm glad the goblins seem to be yours once more.”
He bowed. ”I'll see you soon. This alliance idea is so amusing.
”No more mention of consorts, okay?”
Herne's eyes flashed. ”Oh, yes.” Keelie felt that tingle again and stepped back.
”Don't fight it, Keelie. You are dark fae, and your blood sings to me.”
She stood tall. ”I'm also part elven and part human, and you have no sway over those.”
Herne grinned again. ”So you think.” He bowed, and vanished.
Her elf guard moaned from the ground. She needed to go inside before he saw her out here or he would tell Dad. She put a hand on the doork.n.o.b, and the trees moved with a breeze that spoke to her in Herne's voice. I do love a challenge.
Two hours later, as Keelie tried to read the dragon magic book, her eyes closed. She swore she smelled the familiar scent of Ermentrude's charcoal cigarettes and the purring of Knot as he snuggled up against her.
She felt as if she were falling, and then she landed in a valley tucked between snow-capped mountains. The air was crystal clear and the gra.s.s was soft beneath her feet. Sunlight shone on her shoulders, warm on her skin. Knot played among the red and blue flowers. In the spring-green gra.s.s, Coyote rolled on his back with his legs up in the air.
It all seemed so real. It had to be. Keelie wished Sean were here with her. It would be a calm, serene place for her to pour her heart out to him, and he'd understand.
”It is beautiful, isn't it?”
At the sound of the voice, Keelie almost fell over. She didn't turn around. She didn't want to look for fear the speaker wouldn't be there.
”We're here, Keliel,” Grandmother Josephine said.
Keelie turned. Her grandmother's voice was the same as she remembered, but in this place she was so young and beautiful. Another woman stood slightly behind Grandma Jo, and as she stepped forward, Keelie cried out with every bit of grief and anguish in her heart and soul.
”Mom!” The word floated and echoed around the mountain.
The wind blew and rustled her mother's dark hair. Tears streamed down Keelie's cheek as she stared at her through blurry eyes.
”Hey, sweetie,” Mom smiled lovingly at her, but there was sadness in her eyes. ”You've grown so much.”
Knot and Coyote ran to Keelie's side, then bounded in front of her, blocking her way as she was about to run to her mother.
”No, Keelie,” Coyote yelled. ”They're here to give you a message, but you cannot touch them. The fairy magic that flows within you, and within them, is what is allowing the contact between this realm and the spirit realm.”
”The magic is leaking into the spirit world,” Grandma Jo said. She placed her hands across Mom's shoulders as if to give her comfort.
”What?” Keelie wanted to run to Mom so badly, but Coyote stopped her by sinking his teeth into her s.h.i.+rt and tugging her back.
”There is a dark force who wants to release the dead to do his bidding, if he is allowed to be free. He has slept for a long time. You have to mend the rift within the Earth to stop him,” Mom said. ”Mend the rift first, to stop the wild magic. Then you'll be able to use your tree magic to mend the crack in Gaia's Dome.”
”Our time is almost up,” Grandma Jo said sadly.
”What? You just arrived,” Keelie protested.
”I know, my darling,” said Mom.
Knot rubbed his head up against Keelie's leg. He purred. ”Meow time.”