Moon Spun (27 page)

My heart sank. Once again, rock and a hard place. I remembered Melia telling me, The Seelie Court is full of tricksy faeries trying to better themselves. Luminata was proving to be the trickiest of them all. If I didn’t promise to come back to Boundless, Ryker would die, Melia would be stuck in the Unseelie Court and I’d never find my way home. What choice did I have?

I looked Luminata square in the eyes. “Do you agree to the time line?”

“Eight mortal years?”

“Yes.”

“Give me your hand,” Luminata said. I held out my right hand. She turned it palm up and studied the lines. “Your life is written on your hand.”

“So I’ve been told.”

She touched the star in the middle of lunar mound. “I see you are a Star Seeker.”

I nodded.

She used her fingernail to gently trace my fate line from the base of my palm to where it split into three lines at the base of my third finger. “You’ve had an encounter with a demon. You were victorious, I presume?”

I really wasn’t in the mood to go into the whole Beck issue. How I’d acquired the demon mark after he kissed me. Was I victorious? Probably not. I shrugged. “More or less.”

Phaedra touched a finger to the silver crescent moon on her headdress and then pressed the finger to my palm. I felt the same tingle I’d experienced earlier when she’d gripped the moonstone pendant. When she released my hand, I had a new line on my palm. A tiny crescent moon was positioned directly over the star.

Luminata said, “Look into my eyes, Avalon.”

Her eyes were violet-hued with dark pupils. When she caught my gaze in hers, I was incapable of looking away. “You now wear my mark. Our bargain is sealed.”

Her words stole the breath from my body. At some point, I would have to deal with the anger, resentment and sadness her words created. By mere accident of birth, my life was no longer my own. But, for now, Luminata was our only hope.

Numbly, I nodded once again.

“You must say the words aloud,” Luminata said.

Sounding robotic, I repeated, “Our bargain is sealed.”

She reached above her head, grabbed the apple and moon crystal out of the air and said, “Hold out your hands.”

I did as she said. She placed the apple in my left hand, the moon crystal in my right. “Now, Avalon, you have the power. What is it you desire?”

I wanted to say, “Never to return to Boundless,” but I knew this wasn’t the time to cross swords with Luminata.

“If I say it, will it happen?”

“Yes.”

“I want Hawk to be healed. I want Phaedra to let us go without further bloodshed. I want you to allow Melia and her people to return to the Seelie Court. And, last but not least, I want to go home and see my mother.”

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“Close your eyes, toss the apple and moon crystal into the air and it will be done. But, a word of caution: you must believe in your words or it will not work.”

“I have one more question. I tried to summon you earlier but nothing happened.”

Luminata laughed. “What do you mean, nothing happened? I sent Argyle, didn’t I?”

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Chapter Thirty Three

I closed my eyes, tossed the golden apple and moon crystal into the air and repeated my request in loud, ringing tones. In case loudness didn’t count as sincerity, I added, “With every breath I take, with every beat of my heart, I am certain my wish will be granted.” Yeah, it was hokey, but I needed to make sure.

I opened my eyes. Luminata was gone, along with the golden apple and crystal. Phaedra and the toadlings were returning to the castle. The werebats were nowhere to be seen. Melia was fussing over Hawk who was back on his feet, testing his wings. The drawbridge was down. Uncle Davey stood on the bank next to the moat, the sprites on his back. Thorndyke was sharpening his horn against a rock. The pixies, sketching figure eights in the air, were squealing with excitement. I drew a huge breath and let it out. Everybody was safe . . . at least, for now. Meg and Pookie slipped off Uncle Davey’s back. The kelpie trotted over to me. I had to use every ounce of resolve not to back away from the fearsome water horse

“Mortal!” he said, lifting his upper lip in a sneer. “I have something to say to you.”

I was tired to the bone. My burns caused by toadling spit hurt like hell. I wasn’t in the mood for Uncle Davey and his put-downs. “Make it fast,” I said. “I need to get back to the portal.”

Imagine my shock and surprise when Uncle Davey knelt on his front legs and bowed his head. “I owe you a debt of gratitude. It would be my privilege to carry you back to Melia’s realm.”

Ashamed of my harsh words, I thanked the kelpie and scrambled onto his back. He stood and trotted over to Melia and Hawk.

Melia smiled when she saw me on Uncle Davey’s back. She took my hand and pressed it to her cheek. Her eyes brimmed with tears. “How can I ever thank you?”

I thought about what it cost me to help my grandmother. I had only eight years left to call my own. But, when I looked into her luminous green eyes, I bit back my angry response. “No need to thank me. Just fulfill your end of the bargain.”

Melia nodded. “Two nights from now, when the moon is high, I will be at the portal to meet with my daughter.”

We made our travel plans. Meg, Pookie, the pixies and I would go with Uncle Davey. Melia and Hawk would rendezvous with her folk and escort them back to the waterfall. Melia insisted Hawk was too weak to fly and made him shift. When a stark naked Ryker emerged from the spinning bird, he had a jagged scar on his right arm. Before I knew what was happening, he lifted me off the water horse. “Well done, Avalon! Give me a hug.”

I closed my eyes and flapped my hands. “First clothes. Then hugs.”

Turned out he had no idea where he’d left his clothes. Hmm, golden opportunity. Why should I be the only one dressed in a ridiculous outfit? I whispered a suggestion to Melia, the queen of fashion disasters. She nodded and told Ryker, “Close your eyes.”

Melia used some serious magic to create a new outfit for Ryker. I clapped a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. The water sprites and pixies didn’t bother to hold back.

“Open your eyes,” Melia ordered.

When Ryker saw what he was wearing, he stiffened in outrage. I walked around him, admiring the green velveteen tights with matching jacket, high leather boots and feathered cap. “We were going for a Robin Hood look,” I said.

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He glared, first at me, then at Melia. “Not cool.”

I held out my arms. “I’m ready for that hug now.”

I couldn’t relax until Uncle Davey galloped across drawbridge. I took care not to look into the moat. Before we entered the woods, I looked over my shoulder at Phaedra’s dark castle and shivered. Would the memory of the last few hours fade away? Would I wake up tomorrow morning, thinking I’d had a terrible nightmare? One quick glance at the crescent moon on my palm convinced me otherwise.

Melia, Ryker and all the forest faeries were waiting by the waterfall when we arrived. I thanked Uncle Davey for the ride and dismounted. He gave me a little nod and disappeared into the stream with the sprites.

To my great surprise, the forest faeries formed a line. One by one, they thanked me for my part in freeing them. Melia was the last in line. She held a maple leaf in her hand and gently touched it to each wound the toadling spit had inflicted as well as the werebat scratch. I watched in amazement, as each injury disappeared, along with the pain.

It was time for me to leave. I took Ryker’s hand and asked, “Long way or short way?” Before he could answer, the pixies squealed, “Short way! Short way!” Melia’s folk added their voices. “Short way!”

“What about the landing?” I asked.

He smiled down at me. “Got it covered.”

Before his lips touched mine, I murmured, “I trust you.”

This time, I actually managed to enjoy the trip. We soared and whirled through the Land of Boundless. A feeling of euphoria swept through me. My lips, pressed against Ryker’s, curved into a smile. I was going home!

As promised, we touched down gently in front of the oaken door. Ryker stepped away, swept off his feathered cap and gave me a slight bow. “Safely delivered, my princess.”

I started to say, “I’m not your princess.” But, he looked so silly in his Robin Hood outfit, I laughed instead. I pushed the door open. “See you tomorrow?”

He nodded. “We need to make plans for Chad.”

Startled, I turned to face him. “But, Boundless Chadwicke is a baby. My Chad is ten.”

“Melia can make it happen.”

I frowned. “Explain, exactly, how this will work.”

Ryker frowned back at me. “Don’t you trust your grandmother?”

“It’s not about trust. It’s about me being responsible for another person. Can you guarantee it will work?”

Ryker folded his arms across his chest. “I already told you it would. After the transfer takes place, Boundless Chadwicke will be Chad Hostetler. He will have no memory of Boundless. All of changeling Chad’s physical and mental processes will be his.”

“What about my Chad?”

“When Melia completes the spell, he’ll take on his faery form. I believe his father was a pooka, so he’ll be able to fly. Your Chad is not meant for Boundland. In your heart, you know I’m right.”

He was right. Dang, I hate it when that happens. But still, it was a huge decision. I wanted to think about it some more. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Ryker followed me through the door. Swiftly, we climbed out of the cistern and back into my world. Even frozen in time and gilded with silver, the sight of my home filled me with joy. As I turned my back to the moon, I thought about Ryker’s words, “Chad is not meant for Boundland.” For me, the opposite was true. I was not meant for Boundless. I closed my eyes and fumbled with the 385

moonstone, counting the clicks until I got to the correct setting. When I opened my eyes, Boundland was once again, spinning gently on its axis.

I gave Ryker a hug and told him I’d see him in the morning. Exhaustion settled onto my shoulders like a heavy shroud. I trudged toward the trailer, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. Faye was still on the phone when I stepped through the door. She narrowed her eyes and looked me over. “Have you been hanging around with that kid? The one with the motorcycle?”

“Don’t worry. I promised to stay off the bike, and I have.”

Strictly speaking, I hadn’t broken my promise. What I had done—climbing down a cistern, flying with a giant hawk, fighting a bloody battle against the dark fae and entering into an unwilling pact with queen of the Seelie Court—was far more dangerous than riding a motorcycle. If Faye knew the truth, I’d probably be shackled to the trailer hitch for the rest of my natural life. For at least forty-eight hours, I would keep all of the above to myself. She’d find out, of course. I had to convince Faye that Melia was not only alive and well, but also queen of the forest faeries in the Land of Boundless. Oh yeah, and two nights from now, her mother would be popping up through the cistern for a little visit. In order to make this happen, I’d have to admit to my Boundless escapades. 386

Chapter Thirty Four

After a night of deep, dreamless sleep, I grabbed a quick bite and headed for the car. Ryker, dressed in his usual black jeans and white tank top, was waiting for me. I looked him over. “I see you ditched the Robin Hood costume.”

He grimaced. “I’ll wear it again when I see you dressed like an apple tree.”

“That will be . . . never,” I said with a smile.

“Going to Chad’s?”

I nodded.

“I talked to Melia. She’ll bring Chadwicke to Boundland and do the spell. She thinks night would be best, in the apple orchard.”

I nodded, relieved I wouldn’t have to go to Boundless again. Now that Melia was beholden to Luminata, her will wasn’t her own. If the Seelie queen got a wild hair, and decided I should hang around Boundless, like forever, Melia wouldn’t be able to help me. No, I’d stay above the grass as long as possible.

“Tonight, when the moon rises over the foothills, bring Chad to the orchard.”

“Tonight?” I screeched. “It’s happening tonight?”

“Deal with it. See ya later.” He patted my cheek and strode away.

“What if he doesn’t want to go?” I called after him.

He didn’t bother to turn around. “You know better.”

When I got to Chad’s, I stopped Mr. Hostetler before he could he rush out the door. “Would it be okay if Chad stayed with me tonight? We’ll sleep outside in Uncle Sid’s tent. We might even build a camp fire and roast marshmallows.” And, a fter the marshmallows, Chad will turn into a faery and fly away.

“What do you think, Chad?” Mr. Hostetler said.

Chad turned to face me, his eyebrows lifted in question. He clasped his hands together and waved his index fingers like wings. I nodded once.

Chad began to hop up and down like a berserk bunny. “Yes!” he cried. He ran to his dad and hugged him. “I really, really want to go to Allie’s tonight.”

Mr. Hostetler patted Chad’s head. “Okay with me, buddy. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t forget to brush your teeth.”

I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until the “brush your teeth” comment which, under the circumstances, struck me as hilarious. An embarrassingly loud bellow of laughter burst out of me like a kettle boiling over on the stove. It sounded like, “Mua-ha-ha-ha” and seemed to go on forever. Chad giggled hysterically. Mr. Hostetler looked puzzled, but joined in with a polite chuckle before he kissed Chad goodbye and left. I sobered quickly when I realized this was Mr. Hostetler’s last moment with Chad, the changeling.

The rest of the day, my main challenge was dealing with Chad’s impatience. “Why can’t we do it now?” “Why do I have to wait so long?” “Will I be able to fly?” “Will I be with Ryker?”

By the time we got to the fruit stand, I was on edge and short tempered. Mercedes launched into her usual non-stop monologue. I let my mind drift away, responding with an occasional “uh-huh” and

“hmmm.” Which is why I almost missed the bit about the Prentices. Something she said triggered a memory of Dennis McCarty saying, “I have people watching you.”