Keelie abruptly ended the conversation. She’d have to be careful talking to trees about goblins if they thought the goblins were their friends. Something was badly wrong with them, and with Dad too. She thought about her actions the past two days, but couldn’t think of anything strange about herself other than bone weariness and a growing hatred for the smell of woodsmoke. Whatever was going on, it was affecting more than tree shepherds.
A knock at the door interrupted Keelie’s thoughts.
“Hey, Human. Somebody is at the door. Can you ask them if they have some fertilizer? It will be an improvement over the company in this place.” The goblin tree swatted a branch at Knot as he strolled past on his way to the door.
Knot hissed and smacked the air in front of the pot.
Keelie needed a shovel to bury… no, to replant the tree in some clean, nourishing soil that might help with its attitude. Maybe a personality transplant could be done too.
She opened the door of the RV, blinking in the bright daylight that streamed in. Outside, Lily Limerton was looking up at her. She wore a T-shirt and jeans, and looked like a mundane except for the fake glittery wings still on her back.
“Finch said she needs to see you in her office,” Lily announced.
“When?”
“Like an hour ago,” Lily Limerton said. “I got lost.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thanks. I don’t want to make her mad. She scares me.”
“Me too.” Keelie wondered if she and the fairy girl could become friends. She seemed nice when she wasn’t in character.
Lily pursed her lips and rocked back on her heels. “You know, I shouldn’t ask, but I was wondering, since you and Sean aren’t together right now, if it would be okay if I went out with him?”
Keelie felt as if she’d been knee-punched in the stomach. How had word gotten out so quickly? Forget the part about being friends. “Sean is a big boy,” she managed to say.
“Thanks.” Lily smiled. “Hob said you were scary, but I don’t see it.”
“Hob said that about me?” Maybe she and Finch hadn’t been as discreet about their investigation as they’d thought.
“He doesn’t seem to like you.”
“I don’t know why.” Keelie felt miffed. Hob had certainly pretended to like her.
“See you later,” Lily Limerton waved, spun around, and walked away, almost skipping.
Keelie slammed the door.
“Sounds like Hob and I need to have a drink together,” the goblin tree said.
Tired and mad at the world, Keelie decided she might as well make her way to Finch’s office. She thought she’d take the path by the elven village in hopes of maybe seeing Dad or Sean. Give both of them a piece of her mind.
Crossing the bridge over the stream, Keelie listened for the water sprite, but she wasn’t revealing herself. If she’d had time, she would’ve tried the To See Truly spell. Cricket followed her, munching on bits of trash he found along the way. Knot kept step with her. He’d been by her side almost constantly lately. Good old Knot.
Sticks crackled in the bushes nearby. Keelie’s pulse quickened, but she steadied herself.
Keep calm, she thought.
She felt the Dread when she got within several feet of the path that, hidden among the trees, led to the elven camp. She clasped a polished rose quartz tightly and felt the elves’ strong aversion spell being beaten back by Earth magic. Her anxiety eased.
The bushes rustled again. Keelie’s heart raced with real fear as she searched the darkly shadowed trees for any sign of goblins.
An elf stepped out in front of her. She started to relax until she saw that it was Sean’s father, Niriel.
“Halt! Who goes there?” Niriel raised the sword in his right hand.
He knew who she was. Keelie lifted her hands to show she was unarmed. “It’s me.”
Knot hissed at Niriel.
“Identify yourself. You might be a goblin in disguise,” Niriel commanded.
Keelie sighed. “Keliel Katharine Heartwood, daughter of the Lord of the Dread Forest.” She needed to remember to act like the daughter of the Lord of the Forest when dealing with Niriel and other Council elves. “I was walking past the camp, and I thought I would see if Dad was out of his Council meeting.”
“Keliel, you may be the daughter of our Lord of the Forest, and some of the elves may think you’re special, but to me you’re an abomination, a mutt. Something that should not exist in this world.” Niriel narrowed his eyes. “Why you? Why were you chosen to be blessed with magic? I don’t understand.”
Cricket climbed up Niriel’s leg, chirping in delight at the chain mail leggings, which made an easy climbing wall of metal links.
“Speaking of abomination-this creature needs to be destroyed. The fewer of them, the better.” Niriel pulled Cricket off his leg. The goblin’s little legs scrambled in the air, looking for purchase.
“Hey, let him go.”
Niriel threw Cricket, not even turning to watch where he landed. “Take your goblin and get out of here. Your kind isn’t wanted. The Council has moved to banish you until the end of the faire. If I see you or that creature skulking in this area, then I will have no choice but to turn you in.” He flourished his sword at Keelie. “Or I may mete out your punishment myself.”
Keelie plucked Cricket from the ground and cradled him. “Banished? When did that happen?” She wasn’t upset, since hanging out at the elven village wasn’t among her favorite activities.
“At a recent Council meeting, according to our laws.” Anger simmered underneath Niriel’s cool elven exterior, and she had to admit he was scary.
“Glad to hear you get stuff done at those endless Council meetings.”
“You scoff, Keliel Heartwood, but you will find how serious a matter this truly is. It is good to see your father acting like a true elf.” Niriel peered down his nose at her. “I suggest you follow his example.”
“Come on, Knot. I know where we’re not wanted.”
“Smart move, girl. I never understood what my son saw in you.”
Keelie blinked back tears as she clenched her fists. She wanted to hurl a green energy ball at Niriel, but it would be considered an attack, and Dad would experience the consequences from the Council. She didn’t want him to lose his position because his mutt daughter had lost her temper and used magic against the elves.
She remembered what she’d said in the Redwoods, when confronting Bella Matera, the mother tree of the forest. She wondered if it would confuse Niriel.
“Ever heard of the karma fairy?” Keelie kept her voice calm.
He shuddered and his voice constricted. “Karma fairy?”
“She balances magic and punishes those who do wrong.” Keelie projected her voice like Mom would in the courtroom, making her appear more confident and stronger. Convincing. “If I were you, I’d be careful, because you know I have fae blood-which makes me, as you put it, a mutt. But the karma fairy still sees me as one of her own.”
“Then leave before you befoul me with your evil magic.” Niriel’s nostrils flared and his ear tips turned red as he shoved his sword back into his scabbard. “Be gone and take your creature with you.”
Keelie marched away with Knot following her. She grinned down at the fairy cat.
“Meow not trust him.”
“No kidding.”
As Keelie traveled up the East Road, she stopped in at Mrs. Butters’ and grabbed a turkey-on-whole-wheat sandwich. She just about inhaled it, she was so hungry. Shimmerlight and Lavender Lollipop were back in costume and character. They sat at a corner table along with Thomas the glassblower.
“I think we need to run Vangar out of the faire,” Thomas was saying.
“Hob’s got our back, but Finch doesn’t. How are we going to entertain the people when our jousting arena has been burnt?” Lavender said in a conspiratorial whisper. She caught sight of Keelie and her face flushed bright red.
