Part 21 (2/2)

Elia ran to Keelie, and she wrapped her arms protectively around her.

”What are we going to do?”

”I don't know.”

Keelie tried to telepathically contact the trees, but it still didn't work.

Peascod stood in front of Keelie, and he didn't look happy. He waggled his index finger. ”No, no, no. Trees can't help you now.” His jester's suit was stained and ripped. He sneered at her, and from underneath his creepy mask, his green bloodshot eyes glowed with hatred.

”Because of you, I have lost my position with Herne. Because of you, Keliel Heartwood, my plans for obtaining the magic have been ruined, but I'm going to enjoy killing you and your pregnant friend. That baby contains a lot of magic, and it will make a worthy gift to my master.”

Elia hid behind Keelie, and she s.h.i.+elded her with her body.

Peascod chuckled. ”It won't help to hide, elf. If you'd been smart, you would have stayed home in the Dread Forest where you and your child were safe.”

Keelie sought out the Earth magic running through the ground beneath the cafe, and it was weird. It felt like soil that had been tainted with blood. She'd sensed this before, in the Redwood Forest, but this was a darker form of magic.

She stared at Peascod, who laughed. ”Yes, blood sacrifice strengthens our magic.”

”I knew you were evil, but this goes beyond what I'd imagined.”

”Thank you. I've been working on my evil ways for many years.

At that moment, a loud pounding on the door erupted. ”Kill him!” Peascod yelled to the goblins at his side.

Keelie knew Sean was outside, probably circling around the cafe ready to attack, and he was walking into a trap.

Cats, birds, and squirrels crashed through the window, shattering gla.s.s everywhere. They scrambled in and attacked Peascod. Crows pecked at his face, squirrels dangled from his clothes, and the cats scratched at his exposed skin with sharp claws. The nasty jester shrieked underneath the attacking ma.s.s of fur and feathers. Coyote rushed in and bit him on the b.u.t.t, ripping his jester pants. Oh, gross! Peascod went commando.

Grabbing Elia by the hand, Keelie guided her toward the back of the cafe. They could make their escape through the kitchen. Sean came charging in the back door, sword drawn.

”Keelie, Elia, this way.”

”Where do you think you're going?” an armored goblin yelled. He looked like something from a video game.

Sean attacked, smas.h.i.+ng his sword down on the goblin's head.

That had to hurt.

Keelie had to get Elia out of there while Sean kept the goblins busy. As they exited the back door, she looked all around, but she wasn't expecting what happened nextPeascod spinning up from underneath the ground in front of her. She s.h.i.+elded her face from the flying debris as the disgusting jester blocked their escape.

”Where do you think you're going?” Blood dribbled in rivulets from the scratches on his face and his arms.

A mop in a bucket of water stood at the back door. Keelie grabbed the mop and shoved it at Peascod's face. Mop water as a weapon worked for Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz; maybe it would work for Keelie.

Peascod laughed. ”That's not going to work.” He seemed to know where she was going with this.

From his red and black pants pocket, he removed a gla.s.s sphere and tossed it up in the air. ”You're going to die, just like she did.” He laughed maniacally. ”Linsa was powerful, like you, and her blood was a very good vintage.” His eyes glittered madly.

An image of a lifeless Linsa formed in the reflection of the gla.s.s. Peascod was standing over her body.

”This is not the image you showed Herne,” Keelie said.

”No, Lord Herne has not seen what really happened to the s.h.i.+ning One he loved. Nor does he know that I killed her. Linsa had discovered that I was gathering my own goblin army, and she was on her way to tell Herne when-oops! Somebody died. It was easy to make it look as if Herne had done the deed, and Queen Vania believed it.” Peascod laughed. ”Linsa's death caused the rift, which widened. Now there's a rift among the creatures of the Northwoods, too. The symbolism is rich.”

”I'm shocked you even know what symbolism means,” Keelie said.

Peascod narrowed his eyes. ”You're a mongrel. You're a mixture of everything, and you'll never truly belong.”

He wasn't going to try this psychological angle on her.

”You know, I've heard the same thing over and over,” Keelie retorted. ”Living with elves toughens you up to the real world.”

Peascod carefully moved forward. ”It's always a rewarding experience to be sure of one's self.”

Keelie heaved the mop at him. The smell of Pine-Sol filled the air and some water droplets landed on him.

Looking past the shrieking jester (who knew he could jump that high?), she saw Sean sneaking up behind Peascod. But he whirled around in time to stop the surprise attack.

”Oh, look, I'm caught in a love triangle. Shall we all kiss and make up?” Peascod began laughing. He threw the gla.s.s sphere up in the air, and as it rose, it arced over toward her.

”Keelie, watch out,” Sean shouted as he barreled over to her.

Peascod spun around and disappeared into the soil. The sphere stopped midcourse and then turned, hovering as if it was on a seek-elf trajectory. It zoomed toward Sean.

”Sean!” Keelie screamed.

He lifted his arm up and s.h.i.+elded his face.

As Peascod spun back into the ground like a mad harlequin dancer dancing a frenzied dervish, Keelie picked up the bucket of mop water and threw it. It splashed everywhere, but missed its intended target. The ground was wet and muddy where Peascod had dug his hole.

Blood dripped down Sean's arm. He'd been protected by his armor, but some of the gla.s.s had penetrated the exposed skin. Small fragments were embedded in his face.

”Sean, are you okay?”

”Yeah! What about you? Elia?”

”Elia-she's not here.” Panic filled Keelie as she remembered what Peascod had said about Elia's baby being a worthy gift for his master.

”We need to find her. Don't move. I need to see where the tracks lead us,” Sean said, his armor clinking as he ran.

Keelie bit down on her lips. She needed to calm down. She closed her eyes and reached out for the trees. I need your help.

Peascod's dampening field of magic had been removed. She dreaded to think what else he had up his jester hat.

Milady, what can we do?

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