Keelie stroked the pear tree’s smooth trunk. She’d propped him against a friendly willow so that he could soak his roots in the creek that flowed through the rear of the school property. The tree was finally calming down.

Sean sat on the bank next to it and watched the kids playing on the school’s fields. “Soccer seems to be a fun game.”

“Only if you’re not forced to play it.”

Laurie and Risa had gone to the local Orchard Supply Hardware store to buy a shovel, leaving Keelie and Sean to babysit the tree.

Knot chased a butterfly over some rocks in the creek. “Don’t get wet, kitty,” Keelie warned him. “Laurie doesn’t want to drive around with a soggy cat.” There was a splash and an angry yowl. Knot never listened.

Philia, the willow, was crooning to the little tree in a sweet motherly tone. He’s barely older than an acorn.

Keelie patted the pear tree’s trunk. I think he’ll be happy here.

The little tree showed Keelie his face, snub-nose and little eyes pushing through its bark. Thank you, tree shepherdess.

You’re welcome. A dark blur whizzed by, followed by two others. Knot froze, intent on their movement. Feithid daoine. Keelie grinned at the bug fairies.

“Well, well, isn’t this a lovely little scene,” a voice said nearby.

Startled, Keelie looked up. It was the coyote, facing her from the opposite bank. His gold and brown fur almost blended with the woods.

Sean jumped up. “Is that a wolf?”

“No, just a coyote. They’re like rats, shaped like dogs.” Keelie glared at the coyote.

“I’ve never seen a talking rat. Or a talking wolf.” Sean stared at the coyote. “But that’s not a natural being. I smell fae.”

“You catch on quickly.” A breeze blew and the coyote turned to face it, laughing as the wind ruffled his fur.

“I saw you at the park,” Keelie said. “You didn’t talk then.”

“Nice park. Nice old tree. He’s been filling me in on you.” The coyote yawned, showing sharp canine teeth.

Knot bolted up beside Keelie and shook his fur off. Water droplets sprinkled her. He glared at the coyote.

“Yeah, well, that’s one reason why I’m here. I’ve been sent to keep an eye on you, too,” the coyote told Keelie.

Knot hissed.

The coyote’s ears moved forward. “He’s not happy. Competition for your affections, plus he thinks he should be your only guardian.”

Sean laughed.

Keelie looked from Knot to the coyote. “I don’t think you’re my type.”

“You’ll grow to like me. Chicks dig boys on the wild side.” The coyote wiggled his ears like he thought he was being sexy or something.

“Who sent you?”

The coyote scratched an ear with his hind foot. “Let’s just say you have friends in high places.”

“You’re a fairy, right?”

“You got it, Einstein.”

Knot hissed. “Yeow poser.”

Keelie stared down at Knot. “Wow, you must really hate him. I like him better already.”

Knot ignored her and washed his butt.

“I don’t know what you need to plant a tree,” Laurie said, as she arrived carrying a shovel, a watering can, and a bag of plant food. Her hair was disheveled and she had a smudge of dirt on her nose. “I’ve never been in a hardware store before, but since I’ll be banned from the mall for stealing a bush, I might as well get used to roughing it.”

Risa was dragging a huge bag of potting soil, and Sean hurried to help her. Risa glared at Laurie. “I told her we needed manure, but she said not in her BMW.”

Laurie stared at Keelie, at the tree, at a wet Knot, and then across the creek at the coyote. She froze.

“Hello, there,” the coyote said in a deeper voice. He stood up and paced back and forth.

“A coyote! Holy cow, they carry rabies. Get behind me.” Laurie dropped the watering can and the bag and held the shovel like a baseball bat. “Just let him come over here. I’ll bean him all the way to Wilshire Boulevard.”

Keelie couldn’t help but smile as it dawned on Laurie that she’d heard the coyote talk.

“Did he just speak to me?”

Keelie nodded. “He’s a fairy.”

“Being your friend keeps getting weirder and weirder.” Laurie lowered the shovel. Risa came to stand next to her.

“The coyote spoke?” Risa stared at him. “Do all coyotes speak here?”

Keelie ignored them and stood up. “What about me? My life keeps getting weirder and weirder.”

Knot grinned up at Keelie, then began washing his tail.

“Forget the coyote. Let’s plant this tree.” Keelie reached for the shovel.

“What are you doing with a coyote?” Laurie couldn’t seem to take here eyes off of him.

“I’m Keelie’s new guardian.”

Knot stopped washing his tail and hissed.

“No you’re not,” Keelie said. Risa took the shovel from Keelie and started to dig, laughing and ignoring all of them.

Laurie looked confused. “You have two guardians. Why do you need two guardians?”

“See, she has accepted the fact that I’m a talking coyote and that I’m your guardian,” the coyote said, peering at Keelie with disapproval.

“What’s your name?”

“Just call me Coyote. It’ll make life easier.”

“Like some cartoon character?” Keelie asked.

“I like it. It’s basic.” Coyote smiled, his shiny sharp teeth bright in the sun.

I’m ready to go into the earth. You’re right, I like it here. The pear tree rustled its branches.

“Grab that sack of dirt and rip it open,” Risa told Laurie.

“But he’ll die. Oh, you mean the potting soil, not the coyote!” Laurie laughed.

Keelie rolled her eyes, forgetting her promise to Grandmother, and helped them pull the tree out of the creek. Risa carefully arranged its roots around the deep hole and then they poured dirt into it, patting the soil, tucking him in. Laurie filled the watering can three times to make sure he had enough water, and then they were done.

The little tree sighed with relief. He reached out to Keelie with his branches and she accepted his prickly hug. He hugged Risa and Laurie, too.

You two take care of each other.

We will. Philia sent waves of green to Keelie.

Coyote hopped over the rocks, avoiding getting his feet wet.

“You did a good thing, kid, rescuing that tree. He’ll have a good life here. Before, the odds were stacked against him, being in that mall and with the …” He seemed hesitant to continue.

“And with the—what?”

“Just that the mall attracts unsavory types.”

Sean sauntered across the lawn. “Finished here? I cleaned out the car.”

“You made Sean clean your car?” Keelie couldn’t believe it.

“Duh,” Laurie said. “You should see all the dirt that your pet tree left in the trunk. It was disgusting. We could have planted crops back there.”

“Actually, no,” Risa said. “Crops require sunlight, although you might have planted mushrooms under certain conditions.”

Laurie stared at Risa as if she’d just landed her spaceship. “I’ll keep that in mind for the next time we kidnap a tree.”

The minute the BMW’s doors opened, Knot jumped into the back seat, followed by Coyote.

“Oh no,” Laurie said. “I draw the line. He smells like a dumpster.”

Coyote grinned. “The best meals are those that are tossed out. People have no appreciation for aged meat.” Sean made a face and Risa looked queasy.

Keelie sighed. “I’ll sit next to him.”

“Hope you have your shots,” Laurie said.

Risa was torn between grabbing the front seat and sitting in the back, but finally the lure of Knot’s company won out. She sat next to Keelie. Sean took the front passenger seat.

“You really are, um, fragrant,” Keelie told Coyote. “You’re also bigger than I thought you were. Can you scooch over?”

“I don’t want to muss my tail. I have it just right,” he said. He looked out the window. “Are we going to the forest now?”

“I certainly hope so,” Sean answered fervently.

Keelie understood. She, too, couldn’t wait to return to the redwoods. She’d never thought she would want to leave Los Angeles, but this wasn’t her home anymore.

Sean closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep. Knot crawled up onto the rear deck and curled up. Laurie turned onto the L.A. freeway.

“I think it’s faster going up the coast road.” Coyote pointed his ears forward.

“The day I take driving directions from a coyote is the day I see a unicorn,” Laurie declared.

“Well, we know that ain’t going to happen,” Keelie muttered.

“I heard that.” Laurie drove on, but then took the next exit and they made their way to the coast road.

Keelie smiled. It was funny seeing Laurie arguing with a coyote.

“How about we stop at In-N-Out Burger?” Keelie hadn’t had one of their burgers in a year.

“They have great dumpsters.” Coyote licked his black, doglike lips.

“Eww!” Laurie and Keelie said in unison.

The coyote turned his golden eyes to Keelie. “Listen, it’s not like I can drive through and ask for a burger. A coyote has got to do what a coyote has to do to get a bite in this town.”

Keelie had never thought about how hard it was for a coyote, or any animal, to exist in an urban environment. She didn’t want to ask him about what else he did for survival in L.A.

“I like In-N-Out dumpsters,” Coyote was saying. “It’s a part of life. But if you really want to show a lady a good time, you’ll take her to Beverly Hills—Wolfgang Puck’s garbage cans. Delicious.”

“How about we drive through and buy you a real burger?” Keelie suggested. “Let’s skip the dumpster diving.”

“You’re kidding me? Right?”

Laurie nodded. “I think it’s a great idea.”

Coyote laid his paw on her shoulder. “Can we get fries?”

“Sure.” Laurie glanced dubiously at the paw.

Knot snorted, as if disgusted.

At the drive-through window, Keelie got another surprise. Coyote knew how to read. And now she wondered if Knot could, too, because the two animals stared intently out the window at the menu board. Knot would meow, and Coyote would say, “Large or small?”

Risa was the only one baffled by the menu. They ended up with many white bags full of food, and stopped at a sandy-beach overlook to eat. The wind was blowing steadily from the Pacific and the waves sparkled in the sun.

The elves looked healthier here, and more alert the farther they got from the city. Keelie felt better too. There was something about the concrete and steel that had sapped her energy.

After they resumed their trip north, the elves slept deeply. Keelie didn’t mind letting Sean ride with Risa in back, because they were both out of it. Coyote had curled up on the floorboard, too, and Knot was in his spot on the rear deck.

The miles went by as Keelie and Laurie talked about school and plans for the future. When Coyote woke up, Keelie listened to Laurie and Coyote talk about all the cool places to hang out in Los Angeles. Coyote and Laurie had even attended some of the same concerts.

Keelie accepted this as part of her strange new reality. She wondered what it would take to really startle her.

She glanced into the back seat at Sean, who still slept. She knew he had been wiped out, but she figured he could join the conversation. She had been thinking about how their relationship had heated up. Where were they headed? They had years ahead of them. Of course, Sean was ridiculously older than she was, even though he acted as if he were her age.

But. She turned her head and studied the long blond lashes resting against his cheeks. Asleep, and so handsome. Her heart quivered as if it had been shot by Cupid. She had no idea what her own lifespan would be. Would she be like Dad and live hundreds of years, or like Mom, who never made it to forty? That was her last thought before she fell asleep.

When she woke up, something was licking her eyelids. Before she opened them, she grabbed for the psycho feline. She was going to strangle him, but he was gone before she could wrap her hands around his neck.

“You two have a very strange relationship, even for the fairy world,” Coyote commented, sounding like a nature-show narrator.

Keelie bolted upright. A big orange furry butt was climbing back into the back seat for sanctuary. She leaned back. “You’d better stay up there.”

Laurie looked in the rearview mirror. “Is Keelie being mean to the sweet kitty cat?” Purring filled the car.

Sean was awake, and watching her. He reached out for her hand. He turned it around and kissed her wrist. It was such an intimate touch, even in a crowded car. In that second, Keelie’s world narrowed to a sharp focus on just Sean and herself. Her stomach churned like white water in a rapidly flowing river.

He held her hand for a while, as if he had to feel her pulse and know how fast her heart was beating. She felt lonely when at last he released her and she turned back to face the road.

Knot and Coyote watched them closely.

They passed the Redwood Forest park entrance just before sunrise. Coyote lifted his head. “Let me out here.”

“Why?” Keelie asked. They’d already dropped Sean off at the stables, so he could check on the jousters and the horses.

“I want to investigate.” Coyote lifted his nose and sniffed. “I sense a familiar magic.”

“What if people see you?” Keelie was concerned about his safety in the woods. She liked Coyote. Knot meowed darkly from the backseat.

“I’ll be safe. I’ve been living in L.A. Nobody saw me there.” Coyote lowered his eyelids, as if he didn’t want to reveal too much of himself.

Keelie opened the door and Coyote slipped out. “Be careful.” She watched him disappear into the deep green forest.

In the festival parking lot, a hairy fairy stood in front of Sir Davey’s RV. Keelie relaxed and smiled. It was Sir Davey, except he was wearing gauzy blue fairy wings that twinkled in the sunlight. He motioned for Laurie and Keelie to come inside. Risa dragged along in their wake, Knot strolling beside her.

Sir Davey held open the door of the luxurious motorhome. “Ladies!”

Keelie pointed toward his back. “Very fashionable!”

He shrugged. “I just got back from the costume shop. If you ask me, I think they bought them at the local discount store.”

Risa grimaced as she joined them and studied Sir Davey. “Your wings are prettier than mine. That’s not fair. I’m going to register a complaint.”

“Talk to the costume shop,” Sir Davey suggested.

“I will. If I’d known that I had to go back there, I would’ve gotten out with Sean.” Risa twirled on her heels, but then pirouetted around like she’d suddenly remembered something. She looked down at Knot, who was enjoying the fresh morning air. “Are you coming?”

He bolted inside the RV.

Shaking her head, Risa stomped off in the direction of the Globe theater.

Sir Davey arched an eyebrow and smiled mischievously. “Problems with the lovebirds?”

“I think the feelings only run one way.” Keelie gazed in the direction of the RV door. “In fact, I’m worried about Knot. He seems stressed.”

“How so?” Sir Davey asked.

“His fur is all mussed up. He’s not being himself.” How did you describe a cat not acting like a cat? It could be that Knot was stressed out about Coyote showing up, too.

“Maybe he needs a nap, and being away from Risa will do him a world of good. As long as he sticks by you and does his guardian duties, then I say he’ll be fine,” Sir Davey said. “Some days we handle stress better than others.”

Laurie walked up the RV steps, yawning. “That nap idea sounds great.” She yawned again. Sir Davey and Keelie followed her.

“Your grandmother wanted you two to stay around here, rather than go to the elf village. She wants you to help with some tree shepherd stuff while she’s busy with the play. Her performance as Queen Elizabeth has impressed everyone.”

Keelie rolled her eyes. Great, her grandmother would win a Ren Faire Oscar for her supposed acting ability. What everyone didn’t know was that she was like that all the time. A grump. An imperious grump.

As she shoved her hands into her pockets, Keelie felt the parchment. She pulled it out and looked at it.

“What can you tell me about this, Sir Davey? It was inside my mother’s safe at our old house, but everything else was missing, and there was some kind of spell on it.”

Frowning, Sir Davey took it. He held it up to the light. “It’s not parchment.” He sniffed it and nibbled an edge. “Not vellum, either. It doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen.”

He waved his hand over it, closing his eyes and making a strange humming sound. Keelie hadn’t seen him do this before. Maybe it was a new way of doing a magical analysis. Finally, Sir Davey opened his eyes. He shook his head. “If it’s associated with magic, it’s not Earth-based magic. If it’s fairy magic, then stay away from it, Keelie lass. You’ve messed with that once, and it changed you.”

Keelie took the scrap of paper from him. She rubbed it between her fingers, remembering the fairy spell that had briefly appeared when she first held it. It wouldn’t take a giant mental leap to think that Mom had used fairy magic, given her fairy blood. Of course, anyone who’d known Mom would have denied it. Keelie remembered how her mom had tried to scour anything magical or fantastical from their lives. The only toy that Keelie ever really played with were her My Little Ponies. The beautiful wooden toys that Dad sent her were special treats; Mom always gave Keelie nonfiction books and toys that had educational value.

Keelie studied the paper scrap. She had to know what this was from. The more she learned about her Mom, the less she really knew her.

“Why don’t you call your father?” Sir Davey suggested. “The cell phone is on my dresser. Let him know what you’ve been up to. I need to run to Admin,” he added. “They’ve received a delivery from my brother in Arkansas.”

Keelie went back to the bedroom to get the phone, and was not surprised to see the movie The Two Towers playing on the big-screen television mounted at the foot of Sir Davey’s bed. Saruman was commanding the Uruk-hai to destroy the humans. Something about Saruman reminded Keelie of Bloodroot. It could possibly be that the tree was a lot like a wizard. She took the iPhone from its charging cradle and went back to the front of the RV.

Laurie had crawled onto the couch and pulled a quilt over herself. Knot sat in the window looking out into the parking lot. She knew something wasn’t right about him.

“Are you waiting for your girlfriend?” she asked.

He didn’t turn around. She reached out to pet him and he moved his head so she couldn’t touch him.

“Are you mad about Coyote?”

Knot wouldn’t look at her.

“You’re my guardian. He’s just a friend.” She didn’t like having Knot upset with her.

His tail twitched angrily.

“Maybe you could use the extra help.” Keelie had to be honest with him. “I feel like you’ve been preoccupied ever since we came here. And I don’t trust the redwoods.”

Knot turned and stared at her. Keelie reached out to pet him and he snagged her arms with his claws.

Keelie disengaged them and rubbed her arms. “Good. Glad to know we have an understanding. If you’re stressed, I can make you some catnip tea.”

Knot gave a slight nod.

“Okay, I’ll make you a cup.” She put water on to boil and rooted in the cupboards until she found a baggie of catnip. She wanted to hear Dad’s voice, but first, she’d call the person who knew the most about fairy magic.