And at his side, antlers proud, was Herne-with his Wild Hunt behind him.
Herne caught Keelie’s eye and winked. And then the fae warriors, light and dark, fought side by side for the first time in millennia.
Keelie looked for a weapon, ready to join the battle, but Tarl grabbed her up and held her fast to his broad chest.
“Don’t let her go till the battle’s over,” Dad yelled, mounting his horse again.
“Dad, come on, I want to help!”
He rode away, intent on the endless hordes of goblins that seemed to spin out of the ground everywhere.
“Sylvus take me,” Keelie whispered. Even the fae might not be enough to stop them.
Tarl suddenly cursed and turned around. Raven was standing behind them, a pike in her arms. “You hit me!”
“Sorry, Tarl. I saw Keelie and thought you were an ogre.” Raven shrugged. “You okay, kiddo?”
“I will be if he puts me down,” Keelie said, but her eyes were on the carnage around them. “I think we’re losing. Even with the fae, we’re losing.”
Raven pushed her hair out of her dirt-streaked face. One of her nails had broken, and blood stained her tank top. “I have an idea, but it’s a little crazy.”
Keelie cocked her head. “Yeah? Tarl, let go of me. I’m not going to run or fight.” Yet, she added under her breath.
As Tarl released her, Raven grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the ruins of the King’s stage. Tarl joined Merk the Troll and what seemed to be a real troll; the three whirled giant war axes and charged a group of rampaging goblins.
“Remember when you drew on Earth magic in the Wildewood?”
Keelie nodded. “I can’t do that here, though. We’re in another dimension or something, and I have no connection to the Earth.”
Raven smiled. “No, but I have a connection to my husband. Remember him? The unicorn lord of the forest?”
Keelie felt her eyes widen as she realized what her friend was saying. “We can link to the Wildewood through Einhorn?”
“And through my Lord Einhorn, to every forest on Earth.”
The two friends grinned at each other and joined hands. Then Raven closed her eyes and Keelie opened her tree sense. The image of Einhorn, the silvery-haired lord of the Wildewood, appeared.
Raven, what’s happening? My forest screams.
“Hang on, hubby. This is going to be a wild ride. Ready, Keelie?”
Keelie pushed on her power and Einhorn immediately responded, their mental link showing him what was needed.
Behind them, on the hills of the stranded faire, green power surged up from the ground, surrounding the fighters in tendrils of power. The fae and humans were untouched, but the goblins screamed as the power swept over them, leaving them vulnerable to the faire’s defenders.
Channeling the magic took every ounce of Keelie’s strength. After a while, it was too much. She and Raven fought to keep the conduit open, but then everything winked out into a starless dark.
When she opened her eyes again, Herne was standing over her. Fala stood nearby, talking to someone she couldn’t see.
“Am I dreaming?” She touched her forehead. The aftermath of the magic hurt, like a dozen hangovers must hurt. Keelie vowed to never drink. She didn’t want to ever feel like this again.
“Keliel, you’re back.” Herne bowed his head. “We were just discussing where we could be.” He studied the area around him. “Where are the mountains? I thought we were near the Rockies?”
“Peascod used the Compendium to move the faire to another dimension.”
Fala snapped his fingers. “That’s why we were rerouted here. I thought we’d hit an interdimensional exit when we neared Earth.”
“Did we win?” Keelie immediately knew that the fighting was not over. She heard the clash of steel against steel further into the faire.
“I thought we might have a time continuum problem,” Herne said to Fala.
“Will you two stop talking like Dr. Who?” Keelie struggled to her feet. Raven was already standing, a little wobbly, nearby.
“There’s Tavyn.” Keelie pointed toward the goblin, who now fought at the head of his remaining goblin faction, and then she saw Peascod, now sitting on the peak of the candle shop roof, nodding his head as he conferred with Toshi. He lifted his eyes and glared at Keelie.
“We’ve defeated most of the army. Peascod is in a much worse state than I’d realized,” Herne said. “Like random chaos-you’re not quite sure what he’s going to do.”
Finch and Vangar landed, and with a burst of flames, transformed into their human forms. They looked like a draconic biker couple in iridescent black and red leathers.
“Glad for the reinforcements,” Finch said, her red-gold eyes flashing at Herne and Fala.
“What a happy family reunion. Too bad it won’t help you in the end,” Tavyn declared as he walked toward them. Wild magic flowed in and around him like a captive cirrus cloud.
Fala sneered disdainfully at Tavyn. “Who is he?”
“A goblin-elf hybrid,” Herne explained. “He magically enslaved Peascod when I sent him out into the human world.”
“I am no longer magically enslaved to him,” Peascod called down. His eyes blazed with crazed fury, and he was still clinging to the Compendium. Keelie knew she had to get it, and soon, before the jester did something destructive to it. Hrok’s branch twitched in her hand as if it was coming awake, or reacting to the magic.
Fala turned to Herne. “Was he one of Vania’s allies?”
“Yes,” Herne said.
Fala drew his sword.
Tavyn narrowed his eyes. “So you choose war rather than surrender.”
“The fae do not parlay with goblins.” Fala glowered.
A swirl of energy surrounded Tavyn. “You will. Goblins, attack!”
The goblins roared and leaped forward, fearsome weapons slashing before them.
Fala held his sword aloft. “Knights!” Fala and Herne led the charge for the good side. This time the odds were more even. Peascod scurried down from the roof and turned to flee, and Keelie bolted after him.
“Not so fast,” she shouted. “Like I said, you have something that belongs to me.”
Peascod whirled around and glared at her, the single bell left on his hat jangling discordantly.
Thrumming with energy, the branch in Keelie’s hand pointed itself toward the Compendium. She realized the finding spell she’d cast before was still working. Time for the next step. She took a deep breath and grasped the branch more tightly. “Return to me what I have lost.”
Energy from the branch flowed to the Compendium, and the magical book sailed out of the jester’s tight grasp and flew toward her. She caught it by the edge of the cover.
Peascod shrieked in rage, picked up a turkey leg, and threw it at Keelie. It missed her head by inches.
She had the Compendium. In shock, Keelie turned to Dad, who was running toward her. “I have the book!”
“Keelie, watch out!” Dad shouted.
Toshi was surging forward, a small knife in its hands, murderous intent in its eyes. As the puppet zoomed toward her, Keelie smacked it in the head with the Compendium. Toshi hovered back in surprise.
“No,” Peascod screamed.
To Keelie, it seemed as if everything was happening in slow motion. Peascod rushed past her to attack Dad. The jester’s bell rang out as they fought in a blur of arms, legs, and jester hat.
Toshi rounded on her. Dropping the Compendium, Keelie grabbed an abandoned goblin sword and swung it at the puppet flying toward her. She smacked it with the side of the sword, batting it away. Toshi recovered swiftly, and, knife outstretched, returned like a puppet arrow.
