Moon Spun

by Marilee Brothers

  Grinding my teeth in frustration, I said, "Beck. What an ass. He's got a new girlfriend." I lashed out with my foot and kicked a wooden bin filled with cantaloupe. Not a good idea, even in sneakers. “Ow! Dammit!” I rubbed my foot, grateful for the distraction of physical pain. “He could have called me and told me, but no, he lets his sister deliver the bad news." Mercedes’ liquid brown eyes were filled with compassion. "Ooo, girl, that’s cold. Long distance relationships. They rarely work out."

  In spite of my misery, I had to smile. "Dr. Phil or Oprah?" She ducked her head modestly. "Nope. Just me. Mercedes Trujillo. Wise Latino chick." I moaned a while longer.

  Mercedes mainly just nodded and patted my arm. Finally, she said,

  "Junior's way hotter than Beck. You know that, right?"

  Still burning with resentment, I said, "He didn't stick around either. "What’s wrong with me?

  Why do my boyfriends always take off?"

  “Nothing wrong with you, girl. They don’t know a good thing when they got it.”

  I was starting to feel better. Mercedes really was a wise Latino chick. “Hey, I forgot to tell you, Junior called me. No more soaps. He’s a movie star now.”

  Mercedes squealed and clapped her hands. “For reals?”

  “Yeah, for reals. And, guess what else? He bought Cholo’s out on the highway. He’s going to have it remodeled and his mom will run it. He’ll be back in Peacock Flats when he’s not making movies."

  Mercedes pumped a fist in the air. "Beck's gone. Junior's coming back. It's meant to be." I pulled up a stool and shook my head. "No way. No more boyfriends. Can't trust 'em. Who needs 'em?"

  Mercedes said, "Yeah, right," and giggled like crazy. "Hey, what about the new guy?" I snorted. "Oh, him. He keeps calling me Ava. I told him my name was Allie. But he called me Ava twice."

  I didn't mention the fact that he had a ring exactly like the one that belonged to my grandfather. Mercedes knew nothing about the spookier aspects of my life, and I didn’t want to freak her out.

  "He's hot, though, huh?"

  I shrugged like I hadn't noticed. "I guess. If you like the biker boy type."

  "Which I do," Mercedes said. "Woohoo, do I ever." Business picked up again and we were busy until it was time to close. When I walked into the trailer, Faye hollered from the bedroom, “Leftover mac and cheese in the fridge.”

  I didn’t answer.

  “Did you hear me, Allie?” Faye appeared in the doorway. She took one look at my face and said,

  “What happened?”

  305

  I really wanted to be alone and wallow in my misery, but that’s not possible in a twenty-four foot travel trailer. I swiped at the tears spilling down my cheeks. “Beck.”

  “New girlfriend?”

  I nodded.

  Faye pulled me in for a hug, the top of her head grazing my chin. “Welcome to my world.”

  306

  Chapter Fourteen

  “What? You’ve never played Yahtze?” I asked Chad.

  “Nope,” Chad’s fingers flew as he shot down bad guys on his Nintendo DS. Since Mr. Hostetler told me not to let Chad watch too much television or play video games more than an hour, I was trying to come up another plan.

  “Hey, I know,” he said. “Let’s stop the world again.”

  “First of all, that would be irresponsible. Second, it’s not night. Therefore, we have no moonlight.”

  “Maybe the sun would work.”

  “Absolutely not.” I should have known there would be a downside to a ten-year-old boy knowing how to stop time. “I have an old Yahtze game at home. Let’s drive over and get it. You can play your game over and back. How’s that?”

  Chad made a face. “I guess.”

  “It’ll be fun. You’re good at math and Yahtze is all about numbers.”

  “Yippee,” Chad said.

  “Okey, dokey, then.” I gave him a big encouraging smile, all the while thinking, leave the sarcasm to me, kid.

  Five minutes later, we pulled in next to the trailer. Before I let Chad out of the car, I cautioned,

  “Now, remember, stay with me. Blaster’s gone, but there’s dangerous stuff around a farm.

  “Yeah, yeah.” Chad was still wearing his pouty face. “Hey, maybe that angel lady will come back.”

  We walked toward the trailer. “I doubt it. She only shows up when she’s in trouble and, trust me, she’s not that helpful.”

  I heard the chug of a tractor and looked up, expecting to see Manny hauling empty apple bins out to the orchard. It wasn’t Manny, it was Ryker. He shut the motor off and scrambled down. I swear, if you call me Ava one more time, I’ll scream.

  Chad was staring at Ryker like he’d spotted an alien life form. Strangely, Ryker was gazing at Chad with the same expression. Something weird was definitely going on between those two. I interrupted the staring contest. “Hey, Ryker, what’s my name?”

  Reluctantly, Ryker’s gaze left Chad and focused on me. He gave me a little nod of acknowledgement. “I believe you are now called Allie, in spite of what I was told.”

  At some level, I was aware that Chad was tugging at my arm and whispering, “Allie! Allie!”

  He would have to wait. I needed to get to the bottom of the whole name thing. “You believe I’m now called Allie? I’ve always been called Allie. It’s short for Alfrieda.”

  The corners of his mouth curled up in a brief smile. He repeated, “Alfrieda,” like it was a foreign language.

  I waved a hand. “I know. I know. It’s a hideous name, but . . . ”

  “Where I come from, you’re called Ava. It is short for Avalon and your true name.”

  A little shiver of alarm tickled my spine. I took a step back and wrapped an arm around Chad, pulling him next to my body. Maybe Ryker was dangerous. After all, he’d dropped in out of nowhere. Maybe he’d escaped from a lunatic asylum or whatever the politically correct term was. But, why did he have a ring like Grandpa Claude’s?

  And, why did he call me Avalon? My head was spinning with confusion.

  307

  “Don’t be scared, Allie,” Chad piped up. “He’s like me. He’s a faery. Can’t you see?”

  Startled, I glanced down at Chad. He was smiling broadly and his eyes sparkled with delight.

  “See what?” I croaked.

  “He glows. Close your eyes, then open them and look at him again. Look beneath the glamour. With your eyes and your heart.”

  Ryker nodded again. “Do as the changeling says.”

  Normally, I would have said, “Why?” “What glamour?” or even “Hell, no! Why should I listen to you?” But, it was as if an invisible hand swept over my cheek and gently pressed down on my eyelids, before I had a chance to even think the words. With my face turned to the sun, I counted to ten. I opened my eyes and saw crystalline lights dancing around Ryker’s body. Then, he smiled and gave his head a little toss. His short black hair was longer, his nose sharper and his eyes glowed with a golden light.

  I gasped and blinked. When I looked again, Ryker was back in his original form. Spiky blue-black hair. Sexy blue eyes. Hunky bod and . . .

  No, don’t go there, Allie! Remember Beck? Junior?

  “You saw him, didn’t you, Allie? I mean, really saw him.” Chad’s words brought me back to reality.

  “I’m not sure what I saw.”

  Or what it’s done to me. My legs were trembling so badly, I was afraid they wouldn’t hold my weight. Still holding onto Chad, I staggered over to the concrete blocks we used for steps and collapsed. Chad pulled free and stepped away from me, glaring his disapproval. “Geez, Allie, what’s your problem?”

  Ryker snagged a lawn chair and placed it so he was sitting, facing me. Actually, he was a little too close for comfort.

  I glanced at Chad. “I don’t think it’s my problem, Chad.”

  “I thought you’d be cool with this.” He raised a hand to shield his mouth and whispered, “You know, after last night.”

&nb
sp; I shook my head. “No, no, last night was different. Last night, I was in control of the situation. But, this, I mean . . . ”

  “Oh, yes, Ava,” Ryker interrupted. “Last night. You did some serious magic. Very impressive.”

  “What?” I screeched. “Were you spying on us?”

  “Let’s just say I was in the area.”

  I stared at him speechless. Chad clapped his hands and laughed. “Remember what Trilby said. A boy. A motorcycle. A bird. Hey, Ryker, do you ride a motorcycle?”

  I sighed, because I already knew he did. And, duh, the red-tailed hawk I’d noticed lately? Had to be Ryker in another form.

  “Yes, indeed,” Ryker said.

  “The only thing missing is the bird,” Chad said.

  Ryker winked. “Keep watching. You’ll see the bird.”

  I felt my world spinning out of control, thanks to a changeling kid and a hot faery guy. I needed answers. I blinked my eyes and Ryker still looked normal. No more glow.

  Ryker leaned forward until we were almost touching. “I cannot come into the mortal world looking the way I do in the Land of Boundless. Glamour is but an illusion.”

  Remembering Beck’s dazer, I shrank back against the trailer door. “So, is it like a spell? An enchantment?”

  “More like a disguise.”

  308

  “What happens when it wears off? What do you really look like, underneath the glamour?”

  Ryker leaned back. “You needn’t be afraid. To answer your question, it doesn’t wear off. It could last a lifetime if I decided to stay in the mortal world. What do I really look like? I believe you caught a brief glimpse of the real me a few moments ago. But, to really find out, you must accompany me to the Land of Boundless.”

  Chad stepped away from the trailer and pumped a fist in the air. “All right! Let’s go!”

  “No!” I leaped up and grabbed Chad’s arm. Yeah, I panicked. In my mind, I saw Chad blindly following Ryker to some mysterious place called Boundless, never to be seen or heard from again. Guess who would be tried, convicted and locked up for life? His so-called baby sitter, that’s who. Desperately, I held onto Chad, who was struggling to get free. With a deep, masculine chuckle, Ryker stood and placed a hand on my arm. “Go easy, girl. I will not harm the boy. It’s you I came to see. Melia sent me. I have her ring. She told me to show it to you.”

  My arms went limp, and Chad flew to Ryker’s side, trembling with excitement. Ryker settled back into the lawn chair. Chad leaned against the arm of the chair, his intense gaze never leaving Ryker’s face.

  “Why should I believe you? Maybe you bought that ring at a yard sale.”

  Ryker’s brows drew together and he frowned. “Yard sale? People sell their yards? Tell me, please, how does that work?”

  I waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, never mind.” He was either an excellent liar or truly an emissary from faery land or, as he called it, the Land of Boundless. Whatever he was, I didn’t trust him, and he should know that.

  “Here’s the deal. I have to be careful, because I’ve got extremely bad people after me for certain reasons I can’t go into.”

  “Oh, yes, the moonstone. You needn’t worry about that. I have no use for it. However, Melia does.”

  I caught my breath. “Melia knows about the moonstone?”

  Instead of answering my question, Ryker stood and dug around in the pocket of his jeans. He withdrew a gold locket suspended from what looked to be a tightly woven lanyard. “Melia said you would require more proof. Look closely at the chain. It is made from human hair. Hair from Melia and your mother when she was a child.”

  Before I could react, he took my hand and placed the locket in my palm. The locket and chain were warm from contact with Ryker’s body. Looking closer, I could see the chain was not woven of black and white plastic as I’d first thought, but of long strands of black and blond hair. I ran my fingers down its warm silky length and felt a familiar tingle run through my body. With trembling hands, I pried the locket open and saw a photo of a dark-haired woman and blond girl. I held it close to my face and examined it carefully. The blond girl looked to be nine or ten and was smiling into the camera. She had a tiny gap between her two front teeth. Just like Faye. Her ears were slightly pointed. Just like Faye. The woman (Melia?) had a tentative smile, her gaze fixed on her daughter. Her hair was tangled mass of dark curls that hung to her shoulders. Something in her expression seemed fearful. Remembering what Grandpa Claude had done to keep mother and daughter apart, she was right to be afraid. Could she have known what was coming?

  Thought the photo was tiny, I could tell it was Faye. I sighed and handed the locket back to Ryker. “Maybe you’d better start from the beginning. Tell me about my grandmother. Tell me why you’re here.”

  “It is imperative that you go to your grandmother. She needs you.”

  “She needs me? What about Faye? Wouldn’t she rather see her daughter? She doesn’t even know 309

  me.”

  “Of course she wants to see her daughter, but it’s you she needs right now. You’re the strong one.”

  “Can’t she come here? I’ll meet her wherever she wants. If she’s afraid, I could . . . ”

  Ryker held up a hand. “Absolutely not. It would be dangerous for her to venture from Boundless. Her time in the mortal world weakened her. Some of her strength has returned, but with the upcoming battle, she cannot risk entering your world again.”

  “There’s going to be a battle?” Chad was practically jumping up and down with excitement. “Can I go?”

  “No!” Ryker and I chorused together.

  Chad made a face. “I never get to have any fun.”

  “You said she needs me. For what?” I asked.

  Ryker leaned forward in the chair and gazed intently into my eyes. “Your grandmother is a direct descendent of a powerful faery called the Green Man, who ruled over all forests. When his powers weakened, his kingdom was passed to Melia who became queen of the forest faeries. Unfortunately, Melia fell in love with a mortal, your grandfather, Claude. She abdicated her responsibilities and, as you know, tried to live as a mortal, an impossible feat for forest faeries.”

  Chad gave me a superior look. “Told ya. Maybe you’ll believe me next time.”

  Caught up in Ryker’s story, I said, “She tried to take Faye with her when she went back to Boundless.”

  Ryker nodded. “She told me the child was locked in a room filled with iron. It fair broke her heart.”

  “So, Melia went back to Boundless. Then what happened?”

  “Her kingdom was in disarray. Her folk were gone except for a few lesser faeries who have fealty to no one else, creatures such as hedgerow pixies and water sprites.”

  “What happened to the other forest faeries?” Chad asked.

  “The rest, including my mother, were enslaved by Phaedra, the Dark Queen whose power comes from the dark side of the moon.”

  I shivered as my hand flew to the moonstone. Things were becoming crystal clear. Ryker reached out and took my hand. “Which is why we need you.”

  310

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hours later, I was still in a fog of emotion. Ryker had made it perfectly clear he was in Peacock Flats for one reason only. He’d been sent by my grandmother, who believed I could use the moonstone to defeat Phaedra, her mortal enemy, and thus free her people. When I told him I had lots more questions, he said, “Gotta go back to work. I’ll see you tonight.”

  Chad and I played Yahtze, but I was so distracted, he beat me four games straight. Chad, over the moon with happiness over the whole Ryker/faery issue, talked about it non-stop. Actually, he was driving me nuts.

  “You have to take me,” he insisted.

  “What makes you think I’m going?”

  “You have to go. Ryker said.”

  “Ryker doesn’t get to tell me what to do.”

  “Your grandmother might die if you don’t go!”

  “You made that up,” I said. �
��Besides, if I go, and I’m not saying I will, I can’t take you. You heard what Ryker said. There’s going to be a battle. You’re my responsibility. I can’t put you in danger. Remember Blaster?”

  “It’s just a bunch of faeries,” Chad scoffed. “Can’t be too dangerous.”

  “We’re not talking Tinker Bell smacking somebody with her wand. Faeries aren’t all cute little pixies like Skelly and Jade.”

  By the time his dad got home, Chad had reverted to pouting mode. He was so ticked off he wasn’t speaking to me, which was kind of a relief. After assuring Mr.

  Hostetler I’d let Faye know he’d call her later (ick!) I drove down Peacock Flats Road, trying to figure out what to do next. It was then I thought of Kizzy. I hadn’t seen her for a while, and she was the one person who truly understood the weirdness of my life. She ought to, since she was the one who gave me the moonstone pendant. I found a wide spot in the road, made a U turn and headed back the way I came. I parked next to Kizzy’s hedge and hurried through the iron gate, making sure not to look at the falcon’s eye painted on a cross bar. A Romany symbol used to ward off evil, the darn thing still gave me the creeps. The eye seemed to follow me, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it. I spotted Kizzy sitting on the veranda and waved.

  “Alfrieda!” she called, a lilt of happiness in her voice. I trotted down the sidewalk, already feeling better, even before I stepped into her embrace.

  “Oh, darling girl, it’s been too long. What in the world have you been doing? Has that handsome half-demon boyfriend of yours been monopolizing your time?”

  Oh crap, Beck. Instant mood killer.

  I gently patted her back. “Actually Beck and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.”

  Kizzy waved me into a chair. “Oh, you young people. Nothing lasts too long, does it?”

  Though I was tempted to give into self-pity and let Kizzy know that this young person—me—

  was not responsible for the break-up, I held back. I had other things on my mind. Grandparents, for instance. Where to start? Mike Purdy’s newly discovered father?