Laurie’s mouth gaped at the elven village high up in the trees. She clutched the rose quartz that Keelie had given her to fend off the sickening nausea and fear of the Dread, which was strong enough by the village to deter even the most determined hiker.

“Where are the Ewoks?” she asked.

“No Ewoks. Elves,” Keelie corrected.

“How do you get up there?” Laurie pointed up, her face pale. “You’re not expecting me to climb, are you? I don’t climb. If you need to read the Laurie book of instructions—it says no climbing. Born with a fear of heights.”

“Maybe I can find a charm for your fear of heights.” Keelie had lugged the Compendium home from the shop after she’d caught Knot reading it. He had opened it to the charm for fresh breath. It had worked, too. His breath was minty with a hint of catnip. Maybe the book was going to prove more useful than a doorstop after all.

Knot sat next to her. He blinked and yawned as if saying, “Chicken.”

Keelie focused on the tree. Could she do this on her own? She almost felt like she had, already, even though she’d always had an escort. “You’ll have to hold my hand,” she told Laurie.

“Do you need help?” Risa said, in a superior, snarky tone that grated on Keelie’s nerves.

“We can do it.” Keelie juggled the Compendium in the crook of her left arm.

“Fine.” Risa closed her eyes. Whoosh! Away she went.

“Whoa,” Laurie said. “Where did she go?”

“She’s up there.” Keelie pointed upwards.

Way, way up high, a small figure waved down to them.

“Close your eyes,” Keelie said. She grabbed Laurie’s clammy hand.

“You mean you can do this, too? How often do you whiz up and down trees?”

“First time for everything.” Keelie visualized traveling up the tree, green sap pulsing in her mind. Take us up, she told Wena.

The glow of the tree’s magic enfolded them. Beside her, Laurie’s eyes bugged out.

Whoosh!

She’d done it! They were on the wooden rope bridge outside the tree house. Keelie tried to keep the silly grin off her face, in case Risa was looking. Laurie dropped to her knees. She stuttered as she clung to Keelie’s legs.

Holding out her hand, Keelie reached for Laurie’s. “You’re fine. Just don’t look down.”

“I don’t know if I can breathe.”

“Easy,” Keelie encouraged her. “It gets better.”

Laurie accepted Keelie’s hand and got shakily to her feet.

Keelie slowly scooted, with Laurie clutching her shirt, to the tree house door. Once inside, Laurie collapsed onto a chair. Her face drawn and pinched, she closed her eyes. Keelie noticed her friend’s hands trembling.

Opening the Compendium, Keelie searched for a charm for fear. Under “Calming Charm,” she read about the magical words and the energy she needed. It required her to tap into “nature” and pull a string of magic. Nature?

Keelie scratched her head. She wasn’t quite sure what the book meant by “nature.” Maybe it was tree magic. Earth magic? But elves didn’t tap into the deep Earth for energy. She peered more closely at the text. She didn’t want to use tree magic, not here in the redwoods.

Keelie turned to the index: “Nature: pages 1000-1003.”

“You’re reading while I’m dying over here.” Laurie opened one eye and glared. “I’ve seen some weird things with you, but this ranks right up there.”

“I’m looking for a cure for you.”

“Nature: The energy of the living earth, the sun, the wind, and the energy of living things. When creating charms, it is important to have a base of nature to energize the magic.”

Keelie closed her eyes and imagined sunlight reaching out to Laurie, wrapping her in a blanket of calm. Keelie felt warm as she recited the words of the charm. Then there was a tug from within her as she felt power flow from her. Her hands became hot, and when she opened her eyes, her hands glowed with yellow light. She lifted them up, and the golden light formed a sphere.

The light floated over to Laurie and bounced over her head like a beach ball. Then, like an egg cracking over a bowl, the light spilled out and poured into her body.

Keelie sniffed. The aroma of lemon oil and cedar shavings filled the air. It smelled like the Heartwood shop after she had polished the furniture.

Laurie bolted upright and blinked several times. “Wow! I feel like I’ve been to the spa and had a detox avocado body wrap with a lemon juice tonic.” She stretched her arms. “What did you do?”

“I used a calm charm to help you recover from your fears,” Keelie answered.

“A charm? Isn’t that the magic thing your Dad did to whammy that town council woman at the Wildewood Faire?”

“It’s one of the charms the elves use most,” Keelie said. “I’m learning.” She gazed down at the Compendium.

Laurie’s expression darkened. “I’m not going to have any side effects, like growing cat ears or a tail?” She pressed her hands to her face. She touched her nose as if seeking reassurance it hadn’t returned to its pre-surgery shape.

“I don’t think so.” Keelie hadn’t thought of side effects. She’d have to ask Elianard about them. She wanted to be confident in front of Laurie, but she’d have to keep an eye on her friend.

“Is this appropriate for L.A. and the mall?” Risa walked into the room, holding out a beautiful green gown with flowing sleeves, the elven fashion norm. She held up another one, a blue empire gown (Jane Austen inspired) with puffed sleeves at the shoulder.

Laurie and Keelie exchanged looks.

Keelie hauled out the street clothes she’d packed. She had jeans, T-shirts, and tennis shoes. Her wardrobe had become sort of rustic since living with Dad. Back to basics. When you lived in the Dread Forest, you didn’t wear Dolce or Stella to the Edgewood Diner.

“You want me to wear this?” Risa sneered, inspecting the clothes.

“You’ve been shopping online from Enviro Girl, haven’t you?” Laurie said with disbelief in her voice. “I told you to stay away from that website.”

“I’m a tree shepherd—I can’t go around wearing Prada in the forest. I have to at least attempt to blend in.” Keelie was about to pack her clothes away. Let Risa wear her elf clothes and face the ridicule.

Risa lifted a shirt with the tip of her index finger. The shirt hung limply, like the droopy flag of some forsaken country that had lost its independence.

Laurie frowned. “Your clothes aren’t cute. There isn’t any style to them. It says Nature Geek.”

“What do you mean they aren’t cute?” Keelie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She picked up a green T-shirt with a crackled and fading image of the planet and the words “arth, a Great Place to Live.” The “E” had disappeared several washings ago.

Risa nodded. “They’re ugly, too.” She wrinkled her nose as she held up a pair of camo cargo pants with several pockets down the leg.

Shocked, Keelie looked at her wardrobe. Risa and Laurie were right. A lot of her clothes were various shades of green and brown—like a tree. She was dressing in forest colors. She’d buy some bright new happy colors at the mall in L.A.

“Maybe we need to stop at La Jolie Rouge,” Laurie suggested.

Risa turned to Laurie. “What is this La Jolie Rouge?”

Laurie beamed. “It’s this awesome store with cool clothes.”

“I would like to go shopping at this La Jolie Rouge,” Risa pointed to Laurie’s shirt, a pink and white top with an embroidered sunflower. “I like your clothes. Maybe you can guide me in my selections?”

Laurie’s face lit up with radiant happiness. “I’d love to be your stylist.”

Keelie listened as Laurie and Risa talked about clothes. The two had similar styles. Laurie and Keelie used to talk about clothes at Baywood Academy, when her life had been focused on the mall, fashion, and their friends. Now it was the trees and Dad. Keelie lifted her battered “arth” shirt. She had changed a lot.

“I need to get ready for tonight’s show,” Risa said, looking out the window and noting the position of the sun in the sky. She turned to Laurie. “Why don’t you come with me, and we can continue our discussion about fashion.”

Laurie was about to agree, but she stopped and her eyes held Keelie’s with a searching gaze. “I think we’re going to go to that French restaurant in Juliet.”

Keelie nodded.

“Perfect. We can all meet after the show.” Risa smiled like she’d just negotiated a treaty for world peace.

“Works for me …” Laurie said tentatively. “Keelie?”

Keelie glared at Risa. She hated how the elf was worming her way into every aspect of her life. A sharp pain lanced through her temple, and just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

Suddenly, fatigue drained the energy from her muscles. Keelie sat down. Maybe she was tired from using the charm. She didn’t have the energy or the inclination to argue with Risa right now. “Sure, why not?”

Two hours later, Keelie, Laurie, Risa, Sean, and two other jousters met up under the Globe’s arched doorways. Streams of theater-goers pushed past them, leaving the building.

“Your friend Scott is coming too, along with three of his friends,” Risa told Keelie.

Sean scowled. “Who invited him?”

Risa batted her eyelashes. “I did. Are you jealous that Scott talked to me?”

“No, but I saw Knot sitting with one of Queen Titania’s handmaidens at the Queen’s Alehouse. He was purring as she scratched underneath his chin,” Sean said.

Risa shot him a venomous look. “How long ago?”

Sean shrugged. “Possibly fifteen minutes ago.”

“I have to hurry. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

As Risa rushed away, Grandmother appeared, still in makeup. She allowed herself to be photographed, and signed autographs while making her way toward Keelie. She motioned for Keelie to join her in a corner. “Kalix has summoned us back to the forest. It’s an emergency.”

“What’s going on?”

“Norzan is missing.”

Stunned, Keelie stared in disbelief at her grandmother. “We have to find him.”

She thought about Sean and Risa being together at the French restaurant. Everyone would be having fun and hanging out while she, once again, would be trudging through the forest. A pang of envy zapped her. At least Laurie would be there to keep an eye on Risa, in case she forgot Knot and made a move on Sean.

“Okay, Grandmother. Give me a moment.”

Grandmother patted her arm, adjusted her jewelled red wig, and returned to the crowd awaiting their queen.

Keelie sighed heavily and looked toward the stage. Sean now sat on the boards, one leg raised and the other dangling, looking like any other gloriously hunky teen guy. She knew that, being an elf, he was way past eighty years old. So why did she still think he was so hot?

He was laughing at something his friend Bromliel said.

Oh yeah, because he WAS so hot.

“Sean, I can’t go to dinner.”

He jumped off the stage and took a good look at her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Norzan is missing. I have to help Grandmother find him.”

“We’ll all help.” Sean looked over at his elven jousters.

Keelie grabbed his sleeve. “No. You’ll start some kind of war here. It’s tree shepherd business until declared otherwise. Go to town. I’ll try to catch up with you guys.”

Sean cupped her face with his hands, then kissed her. Keelie closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment, which was made even more delicious by Risa’s hiss and Laurie’s gasp of delight. Some moments were just perfect. It almost made up for not being able to go into Juliet City.

Back at the tree house, Keelie put on her camo pants and her “arth” shirt—tree shepherd attire. Normally, she would’ve opened herself to the trees and asked for their help, but that was no use in the redwoods.

Grandmother noticed Keelie’s uneasiness. “I wouldn’t suggest this, but given the situation, I recommend we join our magic and shore up our defenses.”

Keelie and Dad had a telepathic bond. Did she share one with Grandmother? “Can you read my thoughts?”

“No, I cannot,” Grandmother said. “Nor would I want to be privy to your half-human musings.”

Relief flowed through Keelie, even considering the insult.

“But if we both want a door, one will open between our minds,” Grandmother suggested, her gaze level with Keelie’s.

Keelie recalled the first time she and Dad had a mental “talk.” She wondered what they had done to make it happen.

A tickle touched her mind. It was very different from the green thoughts from the trees. The tickle became stronger and moved her thoughts to a vision of a door opening, golden light pouring forth.

Can you hear me now?

Grandmother smiled. I can.

Wow! The power of Grandmother’s mind was strong, Supergranny strong. She was way more powerful than Dad.

Grandmother smiled wickedly, like “yeah!”

If she was this strong, Keelie was going to have to figure out how to keep Grandmother out of her mind. With Dad, she did it by imagining defensive walls around her mind, but she didn’t know if that would work with Grandmother.

Lady Keliatiel extended her hands, and Keelie took them. She dropped her mental defenses, and once more that golden light connected them. It felt like being wrapped in strong arms—utmost safety. Keelie had never felt anything like it. She sadly realized that this was as close as she and Grandmother would ever get.

She felt a pang of echoing sadness. Startled, she looked at Grandmother and saw sadness flash in her eyes, revealing vulnerability within the power. Insight filled Keelie—Grandmother’s magic was so powerful that if she unleashed it on an unsuspecting person, they would fall immediately in love with her. It was sort of like a charm. Then the aloofness Grandmother wore like armor was back.

“Norzan needs us.”

Keelie nodded. They headed out.

In the Redwood Forest, with their minds bonded, Grandmother and Keelie cast their thoughts to the trees. Ancients, we seek your help in finding the Northwoods Tree Shepherd.

“Should we ask about the Redwood Tree Shepherd?” Keelie whispered.

“I already asked them earlier,” Grandmother replied.

An unfathomable, soaring voice answered. We cannot find either of the tree shepherds.

This was the true voice of a redwood. But the green that Keelie associated with tree speak was tempered with dark flashes. She wanted to return by day to see what she could find there. She’d bring Knot with her—the fairy would be able to see things that she could not. She felt Grandmother’s approval.

A misty cloud spiralled down from above. It was Bella Matera, her eyes pinpoints of silver light.

Terror surged from a nearby stand of hemlocks. Keelie and Grandmother turned their attention to the trees, but a wall of magic blocked them. Sharp pain pierced Keelie’s mind. She couldn’t break through. But then the pain disappeared just as quickly as it came.

Bella’s essence swathed Keelie’s mind. You are frightening the trees. I am only protecting them from their fear. I am deeply worried that we cannot find the two shepherds. I vow to continue to search for them.

Thank you, Grandmother replied. Your trees need not fear us. We are tree shepherds.

The tree spirit drifted into the sky, and as she vanished, the wall of magic dissolved.

Keelie turned to the hemlocks. You can trust me.

We trust no one.

Grandmother looked at Keelie, frustrated. “We must continue to search.”

Although Keelie wanted to go to bed, she knew that her grandmother was right, and wondered what had happened to the little trees to frighten them. “Let’s go.”

Risa and Laurie were already in the bed by the time Keelie collapsed on the skinny strip of space the bed hogs had left for her. Thank goodness she was able to travel the sap by herself. She was so exhausted that she didn’t think she could have waited for someone to come down and help her. She would have drifted off right there between Wena’s roots. She was not going to have any problem going to sleep tonight.

She moved her feet and her toes curled up against something large, lumpy, and furry. Knot swatted at her foot, snagging a claw in her skin.

Keelie jerked her foot away, kicking Laurie in the back. Laurie, in turn, rolled over and her arms landed on Risa. Risa fell out of the bed with a large thunk.

“Ow!” Risa rose up on her knees and slammed her fists on the bed. “Somebody isn’t going to live until morning.”

Knot dug himself out of the covers, growling as he jumped down onto the floor.

Risa turned, watching him leave. “Don’t go,” she pleaded. “I’ll go and you can sleep on the bed.”

He stopped in the doorway, the light from the bathroom casting a golden glow on his orange fur. He meowed and walked away.

Minutes later, Grandmother bellowed, “Damn fairy!”

Soon all was quiet.

“Why can’t I sit up front?” Risa’s whine was like a dentist’s drill. She was dressed in a Juliet City Shakespeare Festival T-shirt and a pair of Laurie’s jeans.

It had taken forever to get organized, so it was evening before they were finally ready to drive to Los Angeles. Keelie proposed they drive all night, taking turns behind the wheel of Laurie’s car. That left the whole next day free for L.A., then they would turn around and drive straight back.

Obviously, Risa would do no driving, and Keelie wished she would shut up.

She glanced into the back seat and saw that Laurie was rolling her window down, probably preparing to throw the elf girl out. Keelie was in the front passenger seat, and Sean was driving. It had been like a desperate game of musical chairs as they’d jockeyed for spots. After Laurie had decided to let Sean drive, Keelie knocked Risa aside as she quickly jumped into the front seat next to him. Knot hopped in next to her, further infuriating the elf girl, who ended up stuck in the back with Laurie. At one point, Knot was in the driver’s seat. That was so not going to happen.

“I’m totally happy back here,” Laurie called out as they bumped down the road. “I’m going to get some sleep. If I had a hammer, I’d make sure Risa did, too.”

Knot was now sitting in the front seat between Keelie and Sean, the air from the vent blowing his fur. He rode sitting up, eyes closed as if meditating.

“Risa, put your seat belt back on,” Sean said, eyes on the rearview mirror. He was a good driver, and Keelie relaxed after she realized that they were not going to all die before they got to the highway. He wore a Silver Bough shirt, jeans, and leather jacket. He looked good. Real good.

“I’m going to die back here.”

If Risa kept up the annoying whine, she might vanish on the road to L.A., Keelie decided.

They stopped for a snack at a burrito stand on the side of the road. Despite Keelie’s efforts, Knot snagged a burrito from their picnic table and wolfed it down. They’d all pay for that, Keelie knew. The gasbag kitty would be at poisonous levels.

The road down to L.A. was mostly arid, with ocean and sand and palisades on one side, and rock and gorse and hills on the other. Risa didn’t like it, and even Sean looked uneasy at the lack of trees and greenery. No elves here, Keelie thought. And that’s probably exactly why Mom had chosen to live here.

They neared Los Angeles as the sun was rising, and Sean pulled over at a restaurant. Everyone piled out to wash their faces, eat breakfast, and brush their teeth. Laurie decided to drive the rest of the way, and Sean gave Keelie the evil eye (or was it the “save me!” eye) as he climbed into the back with Risa. Keelie gritted her teeth as Risa cooed, but she wanted to have a front-seat view of her old hometown.

Laurie drove confidently, making Keelie jealous as she smoothly negotiated the crowded freeway and streets like a pro.

“Want to see our old school?”

“Why?” Risa sounded bored. “Let’s just get this errand done, okay?”

Keelie glared at her, then smiled at Laurie, who was grinning as she drove. “You know I want to go by there.”

“We can’t let anyone see me because I’m skipping, but we can look.”

“What’s ‘skipping’?” Sean asked from the back seat.

“That means not going to school when you’re supposed to,” Keelie explained.

“Lord Elianard would come to my house to find me if I did that. And my father would never allow it,” Risa said.

Sean nodded. “We studied when it was time to study.”

“Understood. There are no elf slackers. But here, a bus comes to pick you up at your home and take you to the school building, and there you spend the day working, and in the afternoon the bus takes you back home.”

Sean and Risa looked interested at this insight into human life. As Laurie turned into the street that went by the back of Baywood Academy, they leaned forward to look. Laurie pulled over and they got out.

The soccer fields were in back, separated from the street by a row of slender Bradford Pear trees, now in full stinky bloom. Dozens of girls in burgundy shorts and dark blue T-shirts with the gold Baywood logo were playing soccer. They laughed and talked, and occasional blasts of the referee’s whistle split the air.

Keelie’s surge of nostalgia at the familiar sounds and smells was marred because she also heard the thoughts of the trees. She knew now that the Bradford Pears were watered too little and their roots were shallow, planted by landscapers looking for an inexpensive solution.

We need water.

I’ll try and find you water, she promised.

Although sad for the trees, Keelie was also annoyed. She couldn’t enjoy her moment of remembrance of her life that once was without it being invaded by the needs of the now.

“Why did we stop? There’s nothing interesting here, just a bunch of girls playing a game. We could have stopped in the garlic fields. That was interesting, but no, you all said it was stinky and just farms.” Risa crossed her arms and stalked back to the car.

Sean didn’t say anything, but Keelie could tell he didn’t see the point of stopping here, either.

“I’m sorry if it’s boring,” Keelie said. “I had some really good times here.”

“It’s good to remember,” Sean said. “Did you wear one of those outfits to play?”

“No, I ran track. My shorts were shorter.”

His eyebrows rose. She left him to think about that.

Laurie was back behind the wheel. “I don’t want to be seen. Hurry up.”

A moment later they were back on the road, this time passing through neighborhoods and shopping areas that were familiar to Keelie. Here was where Mom’s chiropractor’s office was, and there her dentist. They passed the organic supermarket, and the nail salon Mom visited every week. Now they were in Hancock Park.

Laurie turned onto Citrus Avenue, then slowed the car down and pulled up in front of the house. A “sold” sign was slapped across the red and white real estate sign.

“We’re here.” Laurie said in a soft voice.

Knot hopped up on the seat back and climbed onto Keelie’s shoulders, then walked down into her lap and sat with his paw on the door handle.

Laurie stared at him. “Look, he’s giving you kitty love.”

“He’s being a pain in the hiney.”

Keelie looked out the car window at the house, which seemed like a vision from another lifetime. She didn’t know if she could go inside. It might hurt to make the memories more real. It was like her heart breaking into shards of glass, again.

She breathed in, trying to still the grief washing over her in waves. “I can do this,” she said, as if the words would be a life preserver in the crush of emotions.

Laurie reached over and placed her hand on Keelie’s shoulder. “That’s why I’m here. We don’t have to go in until you’re ready. Want to get a coffee at the mall?”

Keelie exhaled. “I need to do this. The sooner the better.” Looking at the “sold” sign, Keelie realized that soon a new family would grow up here. The story of Mom and Keelie as a family was over. Now, it was Keelie and Dad. It was a new chapter, but she wanted one more chance to see the backstory of her life.

Risa was fascinated. “So few trees, but the gardens are beautiful.”

“People pay a lot of money for their landscaping,” Keelie agreed. Her mother had probably chosen this neighborhood because there were so few trees here. There were trees on the other side of Citrus Avenue, but here there were none. Her house was a sparkling white Mediterranean with a bay window in the front. Colorful landscaping decorated the sides of the house, and over the roof she saw the tops of three palms that were actually a block away.

Sean and Risa jumped out. Keelie sat still for a moment, savoring the view of the small neat yard, with its river-rock borders and the flagstone path that led to the back, and the round-topped front door with the little window.

She opened the car door and Knot stretched. He dug his back claws deep into Keelie’s thigh as he propelled himself out the door like an acrobat. He landed on the ground with a thud.

Stupid cat!

Somewhere nearby someone was mowing their lawn, probably Mr. Heidelman, who cut his lawn at odd hours, even at midnight. It had driven Mom crazy. “Who does yard work at midnight? You’d think we had vampires in our neighborhood.”

Keelie wondered if Mom had known about Uncle Dariel. There were so many things Mom had never told her, and now she would never know Mom’s side of the story.

Knot sat on the front walkway and meowed. He looked directly at her as if saying, “Come on.”

Years of memories rolled through Keelie’s mind. They were running into one another, a cluttered collage of film clips from her life: trick-or-treating on Halloween, Chrismases with artificial trees, Thanksgivings, even just bringing in the groceries—the years were heaped on one another.

Keelie wanted to relive them all, capture them in a locket and keep them with her. When she walked out of this house today for the last time, would she lose them?

The others were already trying the locked door and looking through the windows when she got slowly out of the car. Would she feel her mother here?

The solitary orange tree next door sang a song of welcome, and her nose burned with tears. When had she heard this familiar song? Had the trees always sung for her and she just hadn’t heard them? Aching with memory, Keelie went to join her friends.

Yes, I’m back, she told the tree.

She would say goodbye, then leave forever.