Shadows of the Redwood (14 page)

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.