The Admin office was empty, and Keelie let herself in and waited. The thin walls did little to mute the noise of the happy throngs outside. The dragon clock ticked loudly. What was Peascod up to? Why had he disguised himself as a shop owner? She wondered what Knot would discover by following Peascod. She hoped the fairy cat kept a low profile.
Tick. Tick. Tick. The minutes passed slowly. Tapping her foot anxiously on the floor, Keelie didn’t know if she should search for Finch or keep waiting.
Goblins. Peascod. Keelie didn’t have any magical solutions. It was like she had used up all her luck in the Northwoods.
A lump of orange fur jumped through the open office window and landed on Finch’s desk.
“Knot!” Keelie ran to him, then stopped, aghast. Blood streaked the cat’s nose and slack skin flapped over one eye, loose from a deep cut.
“What happened to you?” Keelie asked, wondering if she should bundle him up and rush him to a vet.
“Meow, bad news.”
“What is it?”
“Meow, need to come.”
A sickening wave of Something Wrong welled up within Keelie. “Tell me.”
“I tried meow to save meow Cricket.”
Keelie inhaled sharply. “Save Cricket? Where is he?”
“Meow fought against Peascod, but he was angry, meow, he threw Cricket against the wall,” Knot said. He wiped his paw across his face, and he sniffed. “Meow dead.”
Peascod! Cricket! Keelie placed her trembling hand against her mouth at the dark and horrible image of Peascod tossing Cricket aside like trash. She could almost imagine the horrible smack his little body made on impact. Tears trailed down her face and a sob escaped from her lips as she sat down in the hard plastic lawn chair.
“Meow, Cricket Under-the-Hill.” Knot hopped onto Finch’s desk and reached out with his paw and placed it on Keelie’s hand. It was a tender gesture for the fairy cat, and Keelie felt comforted by his presence.
“At least you were there, trying to save him.” Keelie patted Knot on the head.
“Meow needs to get body. So goblin spirit can travel to Sylvus.”
Keelie felt sadness seep into her bones. She wouldn’t see the little goblin again. Just like she wouldn’t see Mom. If she needed to retrieve Cricket’s body so his little spirit could travel on to its next destination, she would do it.
Peascod had done many terrible things to humans and fae, but she hadn’t thought that he would turn on one of his own kind, especially a young goblin.
“Cricket was like one of Peascod’s own,” Keelie said. “I don’t understand how he could’ve done this. I mean, is this what goblins do to one another?”
“Meow, cruel heart in some goblins. Cruel heart can be in human, elf, and fairy. Doesn’t matter the fur or skin if meow evil flows in meow’s blood.” Knot licked his paw and rubbed it over his injured ear.
“Keelie, what are you doing here?” She turned around and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Dad stood in the doorway, then stepped into the office. “I knocked, but Finch didn’t answer. Then I heard your voice.”
He seemed regal in his elven robes, but Keelie detected something different about him even without using the To See Truly spell. He was definitely more elven than he was even a few days ago.
“Knot’s hurt. And he says that Cricket is dead.” She started to cry again.
Dad took two large steps toward her and pulled her into his arms. For a moment, Keelie let herself cry into his shoulder, comforted by her father’s arms around her. She sniffed. “Thanks, Dad.”
He let go of her when she pulled away a little.
“Why are you here?” She wanted to go find Cricket’s body and bury him, but she didn’t want to tell Dad about her plans.
“I had to speak to Finch. I’m sorry about your little creature, but I must say that I’m disappointed to see you here. I was hoping you’d be staying indoors with Janice, where you would be safe.” He turned to Knot. “Janice can stitch you up.” He seemed so cold.
Keelie closed her eyes and sighed. When she looked at Dad again, he was all blurry-but she caught a glimpse of something shimmering around the outline of his body. That was not normal for elves.
She was about to look again when Dad spoke. “I’m sorry for the loss of your pet. I know you were fond of him.” His green eyes gleamed hard and bright. “But Keelie, I’ve come to believe that I’ve been too indulgent with you, and as a result, your reckless decisions have endangered you and many others. Your little friend was a goblin, a dangerous creature that would have betrayed you eventually.”
“Dangerous? Cricket?” Keelie managed to choke out the words as indignation rose in her. “Cricket showed me affection, no matter what you thought about him. I cared about him.” She tried to keep her voice steady. “He would never have turned evil, or done anything to hurt me.”
“Hard-headed child. Mourn your pet, but you must prepare yourself to leave the faire. All the elves will be leaving. You must keep your focus on the Dread Forest, where you will stay and be protected.”
Keelie shook her head. “Elves leaving?”
He nodded. “It was decided at the last Council meeting.”
“Dad, I don’t want to argue. I can’t deal with elves and Council decisions right now.” Keelie stood up as Knot jumped down from the desk. The cat hissed as he strolled past Dad. “I need to go and find Cricket’s body.” Keelie reached for some tissues on Finch’s desk.
“The trees will not accept the body of a goblin buried in their soil,” Dad said. “Remember what happened with that nasty goblin tree. We can’t risk another infection.”
“Cricket wasn’t a bad goblin,” Keelie retorted. Dad’s cold-hearted attitude made her inwardly wince, but she would stand her ground.
“Doesn’t matter. Cricket”-it seemed Dad struggled just to say the name of her little companion-“was a goblin. The elves will disagree with a burial too. Leave the goblin, and allow nature to take his remains. It is the elven way.”
Lately, everything was the elven way.
“I can’t leave Cricket. I need to bury his remains according to the traditions of the dark fae.” Keelie glowered at Dad.
“Where is the body?” he asked.
She didn’t dare tell him it was in Under-the-Hill, so she altered her story. “It’s in the meadow, close to the performers’ campground.”
He studied her intently, as if trying to determine whether she was telling the truth.
“Too dangerous,” he finally said. “And we have preparations to make for our trip back to the Dread Forest.”
At that moment, Finch walked into her office, rifling through papers she carried as if Keelie and Dad weren’t standing there. She wore cat frame glasses perched on her nose, and when she saw Dad and Keelie, she blinked. “Did I miss an important meeting?”
Keelie could tell she’d overheard every word.
“No, we were just leaving.” Dad gestured, indicating he wanted Keelie to follow him.
“Zeke, Keelie has been a big help to me,” Finch said. “We need her here. The humans need her.”
Dad held Finch’s intent gaze. “You’re driving a wedge between us, Rose.”
Finch certainly didn’t look like a Rose.
The faire director scowled at Dad. “Zekeliel, you can’t blame me for the situation at the faire.”
Keelie forced her full attention on Finch and breathed deeply, summoning up her inner strength. “I came here to tell you that your suspicions were right. Hob is Peascod.”
“What? Peascod is at the faire?” Dad’s face became chalky white. He whipped around to face Keelie. “And you knew?”
“Not until this morning.” Keelie winced. She wondered what she could have done differently so that Cricket would still be alive.
