ten

Terrified by the shadow swooping toward her, Keelie ran, the sound of rushing water filling her ears. She was now close to the creek again. She didn’t see the sprite, which was wisely hidden away. Knot was gone, too—some guardian he turned out to be.

The aunties called out to her, their voices heavy and ancient. Cross running water, Tree Shepherdess. The evil will not follow.

The darkness touched her back, cold, and Keelie hurried down the bank of the stream and then launched herself into the air, briefly flying like Ariel before crashing down on the boulder. She grabbed at Orim’s trunk and held on.

Dad’s mind touched hers. Keelie?

I’m okay, Dad. I’m in the creek.

Don’t move. I’m on my way.

Bhata scrambled in the treetops, their borrowed limbs clicking like chopsticks. Keelie pulled herself to her feet, holding onto Orim’s trunk. She winced at the pain in her knees but sent soothing thoughts to the tree, who was alarmed at all the commotion. Then a movement on the opposite creek bank caught her eye, and she stared.

It was Jake, standing in front of a large deer. The animal was in some kind of trance. A wave of silver energy flowed from the deer to Jake. His eyes were closed, and his body glowed with the silver light that filled him. He was draining the life force from the deer.

“Stop it!” She jumped into the creek and picked up a fallen branch, lifting it like a sword, thinking only of saving the deer. She held the branch high over her shoulder, ready to wield, and forded the creek, water squishing through her already-wet tennis shoes. “You have some nerve, trying that again.”

Jake opened his eyes. They widened in surprise as he saw her climbing up the bank below him.

Dad’s voice filled her mind. I’m almost there.

“Stop it now. Let it go.” Keelie motioned toward the deer. “You’re killing it.”

“I’m not.” Jake gestured with his hands as if to break an invisible tether. The deer blinked, awareness returning. It pawed the ground then bounded away.

Relieved that it seemed to be okay, she turned to glower at Jake. “What were you doing to that deer? The same thing you did to the tree? And why did you attack me?” She lifted the branch, ready to defend herself if he jumped her.

“What are you talking about? I wasn’t harming the deer. What attacked you?”

Keelie scrambled up the bank and stormed over to him. “Game time is over. You’re going to answer my questions. I saw you in the forest draining the energy from a tree, killing it. Why would you do such a thing?”

His eyes darkened to flat black. “You saw someone draining the life force of a tree? That’s not possible.”

“It’s possible, and it happened. I thought you were different. Haven’t you learned anything? Of course the elves will kick you out of here if they find you. You’re a monster.” She held the stick like a baseball bat.

Jake flinched. “I don’t need blood, just energy. I only take enough to sustain me—I would never drain another creature of its life force.” His gaze held hers. “You have to believe me, Keelie. I’m not evil. And I don’t do trees.”

Keelie didn’t believe him, but Knot was weaving in and around Jake’s legs. There should be a warning label: Do not use your cat as a guidepost in decision-making.

“Where have you been?” Keelie glared at the hairball. “You abandoned me.”

He sat down and blinked at her—Kitty for you’re fine, quit your whining.

Green energy filled her as Dad connected telepathically. Keelie? Where are you? You’re not by the tree.

I’m okay, Dad. I was scared and ran. I’m in the woods, not too far from the creek.

Stay there. Don’t move. I’m on my way. Keelie felt a mental hug from her father. Like he used to do.

Keelie looked at Jake. She didn’t know why she didn’t want to reveal his presence to the elves, especially if he was a danger to the forest. “I don’t know what’s going on, but we need to talk. Knot seems to trust you, so I will, too— for now.” She pointed to the direction the deer had taken. “You’re going to have to explain what is going on in this forest. For now you need to get out of here. My dad is on his way, probably with help.”

Jake’s tense posture eased. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I will tell you everything.” He was gone with supernatural speed.

Seconds later, Dad was there. He grabbed her and wrapped her in a hug, almost squeezing the air out of her lungs.

He released her and brushed her hair from her eyes. “Thank the Great Sylvus you’re safe.”

She smiled up at him. It was like having Ren Faire Dad back.

“What happened?” His eyes searched her face.

Keelie swallowed. She couldn’t tell him about Jake— she’d promised him a chance to explain himself. She didn’t like keeping secrets from Dad, but she felt sorry for Jake. Earlier in the summer, she’d accused Dad of keeping elven secrets from her, and now she was the one with the secrets (of course, she hadn’t told him about the Wildewood unicorn at first, either). But when she had some time, she had to figure out why she couldn’t let him in.

Branches swayed as a wind began to blow through the trees. Keelie could hear murmurs and scratchy whispers— the trees were speaking to each other. The green leaves on the hardwoods flipped, showing their undersides as they liked to do when a storm was coming.

Dad closed his eyes. He was talking to the trees, although Keelie was blocked from the conversation. When he reopened them, his eyes glowed bright green. He stared at Keelie in shock. “It can’t be.”

Keelie shuddered. So he knew about Jake now. This was her chance to explain, but she couldn’t.

Deep male voices boomed nearby. Keelie recognized Niriel’s, then heard someone shout, “Milord, over here.”

Dad touched Keelie’s arm. “Say nothing. Let me answer the questions.”

She nodded. No problem there.

Dad’s face was drawn and tense. He kept Keelie close to him, his hand grasped tightly around her upper arm. She watched as he scanned the forest. Maybe he thought the fog thing would return.

She heard the pounding of horses’ hooves upon the ground before she saw them. The entire Silver Bough jousting company thundered up on horseback, swords drawn, ready to go to battle, led by Niriel. Sean, whose hair still looked a little bedraggled from his recent bhata encounter, was at his father’s side.

Keelie hoped he had a lifetime of bad-hair days for breaking her heart. He didn’t make eye contact, but Niriel stared at her as if she was a disgusting peasant and he some feudal lord coming to punish his errant servant. He reined in his horse near them. The big beast snorted and bobbed his head.

“Something evil plagues the forest, the Dread fades, and your daughter is at the middle of it,” Niriel said coldly. “Explain why you’re here in the forest.”

“I could ask the same of you, Niriel. Why is the entire elven patrol riding in the forest?” Dad looked regal in his elven clothes, a match for Niriel or anyone in the jousting company.

Niriel motioned with a gloved hand. One of the jousters rode forward. Keelie recognized him from the Wildewood Faire, where he’d escorted the elf girl playing the role of Maid Marian. He handed a burlap bag to Niriel, who scowled and curled his nose as he reached into the bag and pulled out a stiff rabbit coated in mold. It stank, and looked flat as if all the air had been sucked out of it.

Niriel threw it down at Dad’s feet. The rabbit’s head broke off and rolled away. Dust billowed out from the body, releasing more of the rotten odor. “We have a vampire in the forest, and when we find him, his fate will be quick. We’ll destroy his cursed soul.”

A cold fist squeezed Keelie’s heart. Jake. She looked at the rabbit. He’d told her he didn’t totally drain the life energy of animals, but rabbits were so little. Maybe he hadn’t meant to kill it.

Dad looked from the rabbit to Niriel. Keelie saw he was forcing himself to keep a stolid face and not wrinkle his nose in disgust. “Has the Council sanctioned this hunt?” His voice sounded calm.

Veins bulged in Niriel’s neck. “Etilafael has called for a meeting this evening. I’m sure as soon as she and Keliatiel understand the danger we’re in, they will approve extending the protection of our jousters to all our lands, as they were of old. Not only are we facing an ancient evil, but the Round Ear town mayor has canceled the harvest festival and declared the lands next to ours open for recreational use for all.”

“I wasn’t told of this arrangement.” Dad frowned.

Niriel leaned forward in his saddle. “The Round Ears are now allowed to bring their machines on the park land…” He snapped his fingers as if it would summon lost words. “ATVs, I heard one Round Ear call them. On our land.”

“The Dread will keep them out.” Dad still sounded calm, but Keelie noticed that his left hand was squeezing a piece of wood. He was tense.

“The Dread is failing,” Niriel said. “I will propose to the Council that we use the book.”

Keelie wondered if Niriel was talking about the book at her grandmother’s house. She glanced quickly at the spot where the sprite had put the amulet. The sprite splashed in the water, but no elf glanced her way. All eyes were on Dad and Niriel. Poor sprite.

“The old ways will not work. There would be repercussions from the humans and others if we use the forbidden magic.” Dad’s voice grew harsh as he struggled to maintain control.

Keelie had never heard her father refer to “humans” in such an angry way. It shocked her to her core. Had he forgotten she was half human?

It seemed Niriel hadn’t, as he looked from Dad to Keelie. “Yes, I agree, but seeing that you care for them so much, what do you suggest, Tree Shepherd? Will you send your Round Ear child to tell them to stop invading our land with their destructive ways? What about the trees— how will you protect them? Because mark my words, once they allow the humans access, the loggers will follow.”

Dad pulled Keelie close and wrapped his arms around her protectively.

“Names can’t hurt me, Dad.”

Before he could respond, a ripple of fear filled the air. It came from the trees, and the first wave was followed by a stronger one that made the rose quartz in her pocket grow hot.

The trees swayed as if a strong wind was blowing through their branches. In her mind, Keelie heard panicked cries from the trees.

Tree Shepherd, protect us.

The weight of their pleas pressed in on her. The jousters looked up into the green canopy above as if they too could hear them. The horses whinnied and pawed at the ground. Sean made soothing noises, trying to calm his horse.

Niriel smiled wickedly. “It is your duty as Shepherd to heed their call.” He held his gaze hard and fast on Dad.

Dad lifted his right hand, palm outward, then moved it quickly to his right in a cutting motion. A green light enveloped him and Keelie felt chlorophyll fill her body. She could see frightened faces in the trees, their eyes filled with anxiety and apprehension.

Dad’s loud telepathic message rang through the forest. I will protect you.

The aunties, the most ancient oaks of the forest, chimed in, their voices united. Calm yourselves. Listen to the Tree Shepherd.

“I have not seen you use your power often, Zekeliel. I have to ask myself why you don’t use it more in our times of need. Your daughter, as well. My son has told me interesting stories about your daughter’s magical capabilities.”

Keelie’s chest tightened with fear. Had Sean told him about the wooden sword?

“Everyone has a story about my daughter’s magical abilities.” Dad’s smile was tight. “She is a tree shepherd. The trees accepted her from the beginning, and she came to them in their time of need.”

“And now she can prove herself to us during our time of need?” Niriel looked at the other armed horsemen.

“You want her help, yet you call her a Round Ear. She doesn’t have to prove anything to the elves.” Niriel started to stammer a reply, but Dad was on a roll. “And whose time of need do you speak of, Niriel? The trees? The elves?” Dad lowered his head and aimed a hard look at Sean’s father. “Yours?”

Niriel’s eyes narrowed. “I speak for this forest. Our home. I will call a meeting to propose that we use the book’s magic to protect what is ours.”

“Then we will discuss it with the Council, not here in the open forest where all can hear.” Dad toed the rabbit carcass. “My daughter’s magic is not open for discussion by you or by the Council. This conversation is over. I have tree-shepherd business to which I must attend.”

Niriel bowed his head elegantly. “Later, then.” He tapped his feet against his horse, turned around and motioned with his hand for the jousters to follow. Sean looked at Keelie and then rode away with his father.

Dad tugged on Keelie and she trailed after him as they walked down the path to the ailing evergreen. She’d never heard Dad speak so forcefully in front of another elf. Okay, he’d spoken to Grandmother the other night when she challenged him about Knot’s guardianship. He’d taken on Elianard several times. But this time Dad had radiated power.

Keelie remembered that she hadn’t seen Elianard today. Not that she wanted to, but normally he would be right in the thick of things with Niriel, demanding use of the book. Maybe Elianard didn’t do horses.

She walked alongside Dad in silence. She was surprised that her magical abilities hadn’t gone unnoticed by the elves here. At the High Mountain Faire she’d taken part in the Tree Lorem for the Queen Aspen, but most of the elves had been sick at the Wildewood Fair, where she’d really used her magic. In typical elven fashion, it sounded as if they were finding ways of using her without acknowledging her. She didn’t like that idea.

They soon found the tree, which was scared out of its trunk. Keelie summoned her tree magic, and as green energy filled her, she could see its face. Thin, long-nosed, and with worry wrinkles lining his barky forehead, the poor thing was jittery, his eyes darting back and forth as if he were on the lookout for more trouble.

Dad circled the tree, examining it as a doctor would a patient. “Whatever drained it will be back.” He spoke aloud to Keelie, then said in mental tree speak, Fear not, Ernem. We will protect you.

Ernem shuddered his branches. It was terrible, Tree Shepherd.

Dad sent reassuring images to Ernem. I will place a strong spell of protection around you. Sleep.

The nervous tree closed its eyes. His branches drooped and he succumbed to slumber.

“How do we do put a spell of protection on a tree?”

“It’s a combination of Earth magic, securing the tree’s roots in the earth, and harnessing sunlight to create a shield around it.”

“Harnessing sunlight sounds dangerous. Should I get some SPF 45, sunglasses, and a hat?” Mom had always made her be careful about UV rays. Not to mention that Keelie had no clue what she was supposed to do.

Dad leaned against the sleeping tree, which was now snoring very loudly in tree speak. Keelie was glad she didn’t hang out in this part of the forest because there would be problems between Ernem and herself if she had to listen to him snore all the time.

“I need for you to use your rose quartz. Place your hand with the quartz on the ground—like you did with the power plant. Just open the channel, and I’ll control it.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.” In the Wildewood, her use of the crystal on the ground had unleashed enormous energy, enough to save an entire forest and also to knock out a power plant.

He nodded and smiled. “Sure you can. Except this time, I will use sunlight to transform the energy around the tree as a protective shield. It will give Ernem time to heal.”

She pulled the rose quartz from her belt loop and sat down cross-legged on the ground. She placed her hand flat on top of the quartz. She could feel the energy of the earth humming underneath her hand.

Dad placed his left hand on the trunk of the tree. He held up his right hand and it began to glow with green light. A slanting beam of sunlight swirled around him as it filtered into the green energy pulsing from him. Soon yellow sunlight and green magic whirled and twined around Dad and Ernem.

The rose quartz underneath Keelie’s hands pulsed and grew warm. She could feel power surging up from the earth and through the crystal. Keelie shot Dad a panicky look. What should she do with this power?

Dad nodded and she felt him draw on that power, and like sucking a milk shake through a straw, a thick stream of power rose through the quartz and to her father, joining the sunlight and green magic.

Keelie watched, awed, as her father wove the three streams of energy into a strong net which settled on the ground around them, then sank out of sight. She felt it pull tight around Ernem’s roots.

The rose quartz grew hotter. When it started to burn she dropped it, and just like that, she was free of the Earth magic. Then the Dread closed in on her with suffocating swiftness. She scrambled for the rose quartz and gasped with relief when she found it. She made a mental note to get a second one as a backup.

Her father still held the magic, and now the green magic and golden light rotated counterclockwise in a single coil of energy, focused through the rose quartz.

Keelie was about to rise but Dad shook his head. “Stay.”

From beneath Ernem’s roots a veil of green rose, flecked with yellow sparkles that glittered like teeny, tiny suns. It rose higher and higher, enveloping the tree, Dad, and Keelie.

“Wow!”

Dad smiled, his casual, laid-back self again. “We do good work, daughter. Ernem will heal and be protected.” He patted the trunk reassuringly.

It had grown dusky while they worked, and she held the light pink crystal in front of her to illuminate the area around them with its glow. “That kind of recharged its batteries.”

Dad laughed. “In a way, I guess it did.”

“How did you use the energy that I summoned?” Healing Ernem and protecting him made her want to work more in the forest with Dad.

“It takes practice, but I don’t think it’ll be hard for you to learn. You have more ability than anyone I’ve ever worked with, including my own father.”

Before she could ask about her grandfather, Dad’s relaxed demeanor vanished and he grew stern again. Oh great, he was back to being Dread Dad. The vision of them working together in father-daughter harmony disappeared.

“It’s time to go home, and it’s time for you to tell me exactly what you saw—I think you’re keeping something from me. ”

“Okay, Dad. But not in front of Grandmother.”

“Why not? She’s the Lady of the Forest.”

“Because—” She fell silent.

She couldn’t see a way out, but she’d have to figure out a way to save Jake—even though she knew the punishment would be extreme.