The Quicksilver Faire (34 page)

His eyes flickered to a spot behind her and she felt Sean's warm hand at her waist.

"Of course," Fala added, "I'll need a queen." His eyes twinkled. "Know any powerful fairy girls?"

"No, she doesn't." Sean pulled her back against him.

King Fala bowed, and he and Salaca vanished.

"What did you do that for?" Keelie asked, turning to him. "Fala wasn't threatening us. You totally overreacted."

Sean's eyebrows slammed together. "I did not. You know how dangerous they are. We can't trust them. We had a temporary alliance, but now things are as they were."

He must have forgotten the fae blood that flowed through her veins.

Taking her hands in his, Sean said, "Keelie, you need to decide what you want. I know sixteen years seems like a small number next to my age, but now that you know you will not live a mortal life, don't play with my heart."

She looked into his green eyes-elven eyes, just like hers. Their expression was earnest, but with a bitter flatness of hurt lurking just behind, as if he was preparing himself for the worst.

Sean had been her hero from the start. He'd never called her names or looked down on her for being part human. She touched her rounded ear. Was she playing with his heart?

Herne and Fala were not for her. She didn't belong in this alien forest, nor in the High Court, nor Under-theHill. She belonged in the Dread Forest, with her family. Maybe with Sean, too. She stroked his cheek and kissed him. He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent, then drew her close to him. Keelie didn't fight free of his embrace, although she knew Dad might be aware of it now that he could speak to her telepathically once more.

"Keelie..." Sean started.

"Shh," she said, putting two fingers against his lips. "It's the wild magic talking. Let's discuss this when we're back home."

His face brightened with relief.

"Keelie!" someone called. Sean snarled.

"Keelie, where are you?" It was Dad.

"Out here."

"Don't you want to hear my speech?"

"Coming, Dad." She and Sean walked back toward the Council building, holding hands.

Tomorrow morning, she and Dad would be leaving for the High Mountain Renaissance Faire in Colorado, where all her adventures had begun. She couldn't wait to see her old friends-Raven, and her mother Janice the herb lady, and Tarl the Mud Man and his filthy crew of jokesters. Cameron, the birds of prey lady, would surely be there. And of course, Sean and his jousters would be coming too.

She glanced up at the tall trees that she'd never befriended, and the mountains that had been filled with dragons, goblins, and fae. What a place.

Dad was waiting on the broad path that led to the building. Keelie blew a kiss to the stag watching them from the forest's edge.

"That's Herne, isn't it?" Sean glared at the deer.

"Yup." She smiled at Sean. "Goodbye fairy drama, hello Ren Faire fun."

Sean glanced toward her father, then kissed her. "I personally guarantee your good time."

"Really?" She grinned. Oh yeah, she couldn't wait to get to Colorado.

The next day, as they took their seats on the sleek twelveseat Healer helicopter that would take them to the airport in Yellowknife, Dad warned her for the umpteenth time not to radiate her feelings while in the air.

"You don't want to broadcast your emotions to the forests below," he cautioned.

"Yes, sir. I'll probably sleep the whole way, and I've still got the Compendium to study." Lord Elianard would have a conniption when he found out that the book had stayed in her room the whole time, unread. Of course, now she could probably add a chapter or two to it.

Keelie jammed her backpack under the seat in front of her. Her spare T-shirt rolled out of the top of the bag and she stuffed it back in, then did a double-take. The pack's plastic buckles were gone.

"Weird. Looks like my pack's been mutilated."

"Knot probably did something to it." Stowing his bag in a compartment next to their seats, Sean didn't seem concerned.

A splash of cool water hit her ankle and Keelie looked down, startled. A little black goblin grinned sheepishly at her, the bottom of her water bottle still dangling from its shiny lip. She saw a chewed-up paper tag dangling from the goblin's wrist, and reached down gingerly and pulled it up. The goblin let her stretch up its spidery little arm, its oversized hand tipped with impressive talons.

Take care of him and he will take care of you, the mutilated tag read. It was signed with an H.

"Missing buckles explained. He must have eaten them." Sean was staring down at the goblin, eyes wide. "How are you going to explain him to your dad?"

Keelie sighed. "Maybe he'll just be pleased that our woodshop will suddenly be tidy." She reached for a candy bar wrapper someone had tucked into the seat pocket in front of her and handed it to the goblin, who brightened and munched it down.

The summer ahead had just gotten way more interesting.

A forest dweller, Gillian was raised by gypsies at a Renaissance Faire. She likes knitting, hot soup, and costumes, and adores oatmeal-especially in the form of cookies. She loathes concrete, but tolerates it if it means attending a science fiction convention. She's an obsessive collector of beads, recipes, knitting needles, and tarot cards, and admits to reading In Style Magazine. You can find her in her north Georgia cabin, where she lives with her large, friendly dogs and obnoxious cats, and at www.gilliansummers.com.

Latch for Book III of the Scions of Shadow Trilogy.

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