Shadows of the Redwood (28 page)

From within her mind, she heard a voice, not the Redwood Tree Shepherd’s voice, but another, familiar one.

Keelie, I’m coming. Stay strong.

It was Sean. He was speaking to her telepathically.

Focus, Keelie. Stay focused. I’ll take care of Tavyn.

The sound of clashing swords came from the west. Keelie cleared her mind and tried to focus once more on the trees, but now she could hear Grandmother’s shrieks and cries for help.

Wait a minute. Grandmother wouldn’t scream in fear.

Her eyes met Coyote’s, and he grinned at her, tongue lolling, before leaping into the air. As he arced through space he dissolved, and Keelie saw a great crow flap its way up in a spiraling climb.

Bella saw him too and screamed “No,” calling on the trees of the Grove. Branches lashed at Coyote, trying to knock the crow from the air, but he dodged them, intent on the bubble and its frantic captives. He flew above it, and then dove down and through the bubble.

Time stopped for a second as Keelie saw the sphere vanish. The crow flapped between two trees and circled back. No falling bodies, no screaming victims. It had been an illusion.

Her head felt clear now, and she turned her attention to the little trees that now reached branches out toward their mother. Black wisps floated from their trunks as Keelie pushed more fairy magic into them. She had to pull as much of the taint out of them as possible, but she could only do so much with her magic.

She closed her eyes. She envisioned their rings, then down to the cellular level. Most of the treelings were clean now, but there were some who remained tainted with darkness. The treelings with the goblin blood would have to be watched carefully over their lifetime, or at least until a cure could be found.

When Keelie opened her eyes, Bella, still in spirit form, was floating above her treelings, weeping.

Coyote, back in coyote form, touched his nose to her hand. “Now would be a good time to save your grandmother and Viran.”

“Where are they?” Keelie asked. “Take me to them.”

“Follow me.” Coyote guided Keelie to a giant redwood with blood-red roots and a blood-red trunk. The ground beneath it glowed faintly blue, with the remains of the elemental that Bloodroot had sent to find the missing tree shepherd.

Bloodroot’s tree. She should’ve known. Keelie pressed her hand against the bark. It hummed with dark energy, and more.

Keliel. You have come, my child.
It was Viran, the tree shepherd. He was inside the tree. How was that possible?

Across the path, another tree hummed with similar energy. Keelie placed her hands on its trunk.
Grandmother?

Keelie, keep your hands against the bark. Then we can join forces to break through the binding sap.

Keelie didn’t know if she had the energy or magical resources left to break Grandmother and Viran free, but she pressed her hands into the trunk. She felt a doorway open to Grandmother, whose strong will and magic were so powerful.

A loud crack ripped through the air. Keelie covered her ears as sound waves pulsed around her. Coyote howled.

A green shimmer surrounded the tree, and Grandmother stepped out of the crack, pulp clinging to her hair and clothes.

She brushed herself off as she rushed to Bloodroot’s trunk. “We need to help Viran.”

Bella Matera screamed, and the ground and trees trembled with the aftershock of her rage. She was seconds away.

With their hands on the trunk of the mighty redwood, Grandmother and Keelie joined magical energy. It felt strange to allow Grandmother to pull on her power. Keelie felt her remaining magic tug through her hands and into the redwood’s tainted roots. The magic rose through the bark. Sensing a line of Earth energy, she added it to the power Grandmother wielded. All around the tree, dirt spewed into the air like geysers.

“Stop.” Bella flew at them, but they ignored her. Without the tree shepherds’ magic to draw upon, her power had faded.

Another loud crack tore Keelie’s ears, and she covered them. At least this time she’d known what to expect.

Grandmother stepped back.

Green and yellow energy glowed around Bloodroot’s trunk. Emerald lights sparkled and a wizened man, with silver hair, staggered out clutching a staff and covered in redwood pulp. Keelie recognized him as the wizard from her dreams, and as the man in the bubble with Grandmother. Viran, the Redwood Tree Shepherd.

“Thank you, my dears.” He bowed his head to them.

Bella floated over to Keelie, who stared at her warily, wondering what she would do next. She didn’t know if she had it in her to fight anymore.

Grandmother struggled to her feet, and Keelie let Viran lean on her shoulder. Bella zoomed around in front of them, blocking their way.

“You can’t take him. His magic belongs to me.”

“Stay away from my grandchild.” Grandmother stepped forward, confronting her.

“Grandmother, be careful. She’s still plenty strong.”

Grandmother held out her hands and green magic floated upwards from her palms. “I send you back to your tree and there bind you, Bella. Walk no more.”

Bella’s face lengthened with dismay and she started to fade, but she pulled on her power and returned. “None but the Redwood Tree Shepherd can do that, and I’ve taken his power. You are no longer lady of any forest. Your words have no power, here.”

“You have a new tree shepherd now, Bella.” Viran’s voice was strong, but he leaned more on Keelie as if the effort of speaking had drained him of his last bit of energy. “Can you not feel it?”

“That is not possible.” Bella frowned as she glared at Viran. “You are our shepherd. You have always been our shepherd.”

“My body is worn out. My time is ended,” Viran said. He turned to Grandmother. “Lady Keliatiel, I grant you my place, my power. By the Great Sylvus, so be it.”

Grandmother stood taller and bowed her head to him. Around them, trees murmured their greetings to their new shepherdess.

Keelie could feel more of Viran’s life force ebbing away. She knew no healing spells to help a dying tree shepherd. She remembered a passage about the Great Sylvus, and the covenant formed between shepherds and forests. She knew what she had to do. She said the words:

“Hear the Lore of Old, formed in the days of stars and moon, When forests slept in the Mother’s womb, And the Great Sylvus called upon his shepherds, To guard the flock of wood and green.”

Grandmother smiled. “Elianard will be pleased.”

Keelie grinned back. Warmth and loved filled her as Grandmother reached out to grasp Keelie’s hand, and together they joined their green magic and pushed Bella’s protesting spirit back into her trunk.

“My babies, who will watch my babies?” Bella’s face appeared on her trunk.

Sympathy for the tree filled Keelie. Bella had witnessed the death of so many of her children in the forest.

“I will,” Grandmother said.

“I will help.” Keelie added.

Viran lifted his staff. “Sleep, Bella.”

The tree closed her eyes and her face faded back into the coarse bark of the redwood.

Viran leaned against Keelie. “My time is short.”

Just then, Coyote rushed toward Keelie. Behind him, Tavyn-Bloodroot screamed in outrage and rushed toward Grandmother, Keelie, and Viran, his sword raised. Sean leaped into the clearing after him and attacked. Tavyn-Bloodroot whirled, clashing his sword against Sean’s. Grandmother hurried Keelie and Viran to the other side of Bloodroot’s massive trunk. Keelie pushed Grandmother’s hands away, anxious to see. Sean fought hard, but his sword seemed to have no effect on the tree-possessed elf.

Tavyn-Bloodroot knocked Sean’s sword aside and pinned him to another tree with one arm. He laughed like a cartoon villain about to deliver an evil monologue. “Do you think you can hurt me, elf?”

A blast erupted like lightning from inside Tavyn-Bloodroot. The impact sent Sean stumbling back.

The skin over Tavyn’s face split in two, and dark green light tinged in purple and red spilled out. Sean reached out and tore at Tavyn’s face, pulling the skin from the features that pushed out from below the flesh.

The creature underneath was humanoid, with long pointed ears that arced behind his head and long, greasy dreadlocks. His eyes were bright green, the pupils vertical slits that glowed with malevolence. Even his skin was vile—mottled green and gray, with splatters of red.

Although she’d never seen one, Keelie knew she stood before a goblin.

“I thought you guys were gone,” she whispered. She’d had dreams about creatures like this, but she thought they were the boogeyman.

Tavyn whirled upon Sean, whose sword was at the ready once more. “Elf cannot kill elf, Sean-Niriel’s-son. The price is high for those who do.”

“You are no elf.”

That was the truth. Keelie stared at the goblin. He was like a Red Cap on steroids.

Tavyn laughed. “I am half elf. Let me make a long family saga short: I’m the half-elf, half-goblin son of Kalix’s sister. Kalix raised me as his own, but he is the one who slew my goblin father, he whose blood nourishes the roots of the Ancients. Kalix knew I was part goblin, but I hid my true nature from him.”

Viran frowned. “I told Kalix nothing good ever came of helping a goblin.”

Tavyn hissed. “You’re dying, old man, and because of your advice, my father is dead. But his intent lives on in the trees. You couldn’t stop that, tree shepherd.”

Sean was nodding grimly. “I will let you live, goblin, but never come near Keelie again.”

“I promise. I’ll be a good goblin and leave your girlfriend, alone.” He laughed. “Good goblin.”

Tavyn turned to Grandmother, who was staring in disbelief at the creature in front of her. “You thought Bloodroot possessed Tavyn. It was the other way around. I took over Bloodroot.”

Then Tavyn’s bitter gaze focused on Keelie. “We have a lot in common, you and I, Keliel.”

“I have nothing in common with you.” She was disgusted by Tavyn. He’d been such a handsome young elf, but his true nature was repellent.

“You and I both lost a parent, and we are both half-breeds. We have the blood of the dark fae singing within us, and we both can control Earth magic.” Tavyn grinned at Keelie. “You and I are going to make a wonderful pair.” He made a gesture and suddenly he was Tavyn the elf again, although his long hair was still in dreads.

Sean moved forward. Tavyn spun around and pointed a finger. “Better keep an eye on your lovely Keelie. The goblins know her name.”

Tavyn laughed again and began to spin. Dirt flew everywhere, spraying them with rocks and debris. In seconds, Tavyn was gone. A hole in the earth was all that remained. From deep inside came the jangle of Peascod’s jester hat, and dark laughter. Was the creepy jester a goblin, too? That would explain a lot.

Chills consumed Keelie. She knew this wouldn’t be the last time she saw Tavyn, and she wondered what his relationship was with Peascod. She didn’t want to see either of them ever again.

A tree spirit drifted over, and Keelie realized that it was Bloodroot. Without the goblins’ influence he seemed stern, but somehow kindly. His tree-face eyes were gray, no longer the brilliant green of the goblin’s poisoned sap. He hovered near Viran. Viran closed his eyes. Keelie knew the two were talking in tree speak, but she couldn’t hear their words.

The Redwood Tree Shepherd nodded. “It is time, Keliatiel.”

“What’s going on?” Keelie asked.

Grandmother closed her eyes. Green magic flowed through her body, and when she reopened her eyes, they were a supernaturally bright green.

“Are you both in agreement?” she asked.

“Yes, my lady.” Viran straightened.

The tree spirit Bloodroot bowed.
Yes, shepherdess
.

“We must wait until Lord Zekeliel comes, and then we shall perform the ceremony.”

“Dad’s coming?” Keelie asked.

“It’s going to be okay, Keelie.” Grandmother said reassuringly. She stepped closer to Viran, and he leaned on her. “I’ve summoned your father. The trees are no longer blocking us.”

The Redwood Tree Shepherd placed his gnarled hand on Keelie’s shoulder. “It is my time to fade, child. Bloodroot has requested an Involucrum: a binding of shepherd and tree. My spirit will live on with the tree. We will become as one, and I will be able to guide the new treelings. So, in a way, I will still be here. You and your father will help me make the transition.”

“But you can’t fade. I just found you.” Tears brimmed in Keelie’s eyes, making everything blurry.

“You have saved me, child.”

“Keelie,” a soft voice said from below. It was Coyote. He pointed his sharp nose toward the clearing behind them.

Risa was carrying Knot in her arms. His head was pressed against her chest, his legs dangled, and his tail hung limp. She clutched him tightly to her chest. “Keelie, what are we going to do?”

“Knot?” The tears that had blurred Keelie’s eyes now flowed down her cheeks. She couldn’t lose him. He was gross and obnoxious and she loved him so much. She couldn’t live without him. Her throat burned and her heart ached with such deep pain that she feared taking her next breath. How could she live without Knot?