Gatekeeper

by Patti Larsen

  Neither of my furry friends said a word. Smart boys, those two.

  ***

  I’m running down the flowered path, the Gate just ahead of me. My feet almost fly, fairy form light and swift. The moon shines brightly overhead, illuminating everything in its cold glow. It seems so full it’s near bursting from the confines of its near-perfect circle.

  I reach the Gate as it hums its welcome, pulling me toward it with an irresistible call even as my heart sinks in my chest, panic and foreboding rising inside me, calling to me to act, to do something, anything.

  This cannot be.

  ***

  Shaylee woke me, her voice almost audible, screaming a warning. But when I shook off the weight of the nightmare and tried to focus on her, all I was able to understand was the feeling of her. The fear.

  Something was coming. The Dumonts? Unlikely. This felt like Sidhe magic, so familiar. I reached out in panic toward the place in the back yard where I’d laid the Wild Hunt to their eternal sleep, terrified suddenly they were rising again.

  Nope, snoozing blissfully, dreaming happy dreams. I sagged back into my pillow, squinting into the sunlight pouring down on me, feeling the rush of adrenaline finally easing.

  Okay then. If not the Wild, than what? Shaylee’s tone of anxiety remained, but past that I was lost. She kept showing me the Gate, in flashed images. Not helpful. Shaylee finally gave up in a huff of nerves and refused any further attempt I made to connect with her.

  Fine. Be like that. I had school to worry about anyway.

  I was up and dressing when I froze, one leg in my jeans, the other raised to slide in. What was I thinking? School? It all seemed so pointless all of a sudden. I sat down on the end of the bed, only then realizing Galleytrot was gone. So was Sassy. So no one to talk it over with.

  Naturally.

  Two choices loomed. Stay home and be defacto coven leader, or go to school and try to act like nothing was happening. The first was kind of tempting, especially if it meant avoiding my new favorite person, Ms. Spaft. And if something were to happen, being home was the best place for me.

  More than anything I wanted to talk to Mom. But when I reached out to her, tentative and cautious, I met only another wall. Shielding, wonderful. She was taking this whole ‘you can do it, Syd’ thing way to seriously.

  I glanced at my computer, remembering Quaid all of a sudden. But instead of rushing over to see if he’d messaged me, I turned my back on him. Not literally. I just couldn’t go there, to the worry and fear for him, not right now. He could text if he needed me.

  By the time I reached the kitchen, I’d chosen school over moping, which was basically what I’d end up doing if I stayed home. Well, moping alternating with panic. At least school would offer a distraction.

  Being the responsible leader, I reached out to Erica.

  I’m in class today, but don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll keep a thread open just in case.

  Have a good day. Her mental tone had a sharp edge and she cut me off abruptly. Still pissed? Whatever.

  Meira was long gone, Dad too. There was no sign of Sassy or Galleytrot so I ate a cold and lonely breakfast. If the boo-hoo moments got any worse, I’d have to shoot myself.

  I was just walking out the door when I felt a mind touch mine. The surge of earth magic accompanying it felt like a far off place of elemental power I barely understood.

  Something’s not right. Galleytrot’s voice growled its thunder, even more layered and expressive mentally than physically. I can feel power stirring, Syd.

  I paused on the threshold, half in, half outside, thoughts immediately going to the dreams and Shaylee. Where are you?

  Seeking. All of a sudden his tone changed. It’s probably nothing. Let me look around. We’ll talk tonight. He left me as quickly as Erica had, though without the animosity.

  I really, really hated it when people did that. A nice goodbye or a mental hug wouldn’t hurt them, now would it? I could have pursued it, but Galleytrot knew what he was doing and the way my luck ran with magic, if I poked my nose in I’d probably just make things harder.

  Still, I was a very tense mess by the time I walked into school. Alison wasn’t in our usual nook and I groaned inwardly. Hopefully she was sick. Not that I wished her to be ill, but if she wasn’t there because she was still pissed at me, I’d have a whole lot of bestie clean up to do.

  My backpack seemed heavier than usual as I trudged toward my locker, eyes on the floor. Please, just let this day go okay. I was so focused on my inner misery, I almost ran right into Beth.

  “Hey, Syd.” Her smile instantly made me feel a little better. She seemed a bit nervous, looking over her shoulder. I realized her boyfriend wasn’t with her and wondered what was up.

  “Hey, Beth.” She deserved my full attention. Besides, I was looking for distractions, right? “Where’s…” Crap. Forgot his name again.

  “Tim.” She dimpled at me. “He’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Sort of.” Beth laughed a little, a soft, anxious sound. “I just… I wanted to apologize for kind of dumping you guys.” Red spots bloomed in her cheeks and down her neck.

  Ah. The lovely signs of guilt. “Are you kidding?” Joking seemed to be the best way to approach this. “Hardly noticed.”

  The blush faded, relief and gratitude showing all over her face. Her smile widened further as she grasped my hand. “He’s really awesome,” she gushed. “We should do something sometime. So you can get to know him.”

  I think we both knew that would never happen. She was leaving the weirdoes for a normal life, and I was happy for her. But it was easiest to just play along.

  “Sure, Beth,” I said. “That would be great.”

  She let me go and made a scrunchy face. “Just not at Johnny’s okay?”

  I laughed, a real one. “Sick of it yet?”

  Beth giggled. “I can’t get the stink of grease out of my hair. I’ll never eat another French fry for as long as I live.”

  “The money must be nice.” I was lucky. The Hayle coven was, well, loaded. Old and full of very smart witches, we’d managed to accumulate more than enough to keep every one of our members in perfect comfort for centuries. So the whole job thing was new to me.

  Like I’d have time.

  Beth hesitated before shrugging. “It’s for school.” She looked away before meeting my gaze again, her flush returning. “Have to make money for college.”

  That was new. “I thought your parents had a fund for you?” That was what she told me last year.

  Again the pause. “Well, yeah. They used to.” She sighed and wrung her hands together absently, as if unaware she was doing it. “Dad lost his job.” It came out in a whisper. “Nine months ago. So money’s kind of tight, you know?”

  Poor Beth. I had no idea. “Your mom’s still working at the hospital?” Janice Saunders was an ER nurse if I remembered correctly.

  Beth’s shiny brown bob swung as she nodded. “It’s just a lot for her to pay for herself. My little brothers needed braces, me with college coming up and Dad’s salary gone…” She hugged herself abruptly and forced a smile. “Anyway, it’s fine. I’ll save up and maybe get a student loan or something.”

  “Scholarships?” I really wasn’t helping.

  “I’m applying.” The smile slipped. “I just wanted you to know I’m not ditching you guys or anything.” Her laughter had a brittle quality reminding me of Alison. Suddenly I was thrilled to not be normal. The magicless seemed to have so little hope when things went wrong.

  I watched Beth go with a wave after a murmur of assurance I understood and saw her beeline right for Tim.

  Remembered. Score.

  As she walked off, the kernel of an idea formed.

  We had lots of money, right? And Beth needed some.

  I made a mental note to talk to Mom as I moved on, my first shiny moment of the day pulling my lips into a secret smile.

  ***

  Chapter Ten

  “Syd!” Alison�
��s enthusiastic arrival at my locker almost drove me face-first into the thin door. She was smiling at least, though her vulnerability hovered just behind it. At least she was in a good mood after yesterday’s pouting. “Sorry I’m late.” She rolled her eyes. “My flat iron died, can you imagine?” Her hands went to the artful pile she’d created out of her blonde hair. “I had to settle for this nest.”

  “Looks great, Al.” I secured my stuff inside the narrow box before jamming it shut and locking it. “I like it up.”

  “Really?” That word came out kind of squealy and hurt my ears. She grabbed my arm, pulling me along with her. “How was detention?”

  Speaking of the hell of yesterday afternoon, the moment she asked I spotted Ms. Spaft. It was my clear intention to avoid the woman as much as possible, but she seemed to have different ideas. Her gaze locked on mine, icy cold sternness laser focused on me.

  “Crappy.” I forced myself to look away, my only goal to get to class on time and stay there. “Sorry, can’t be late.”

  She nodded, a few strands of her perky updo bobbing at me. “Gotcha.” Nice exaggerated wink there, Al. I waved back at her when she moved on, eyes still locked on me even as she pushed through the milling crowd.

  I’d never been so early for class in my life. Forget even considering a trip to the bathroom. I planted myself in my chair and refused to leave it until the bell rang. There was so little in my life I had control over it seemed, but staying out of Ms. Spaft’s radar was one I could. Success in that area might influence the rest, who knew?

  The cool part about being punctual meant I was able to tackle most of my homework for my first class at the beginning of my second. Though once I thought about it, I realized I was eliminating my escape into unreality when I arrived home later. Homework was another dodge of my witchy life.

  TV and popcorn would just have to do.

  I’d almost forgotten the new guy at school when I walked into the cafeteria and saw him sitting at my table. Alison perched there on the other side of him, looking pouty and annoyed. The moment she caught sight of me, she made a ‘get your ass over here and get rid of him’ face that involved a lot of lip movement like she was silently talking without opening her mouth.

  Sigh.

  Liam looked up when I joined them, his smile as warm and welcoming as ever. I couldn’t help but smile back. “Hi, Liam,” I said. “Still here I see.”

  He gestured with his spoon. “Thought I’d stick around a bit.” Liam winked at Alison who refused to look at him, instead jerking her sandwich into tiny pieces with her long, manicured nails. “Hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s not.” “Of course.”

  Not hard to tell which words came from who. I scowled and kicked at my friend under the table.

  “Heard you had detention yesterday.” Liam’s smile faded. “Was that my fault?”

  “Yes.” “Nope.”

  I was going to wring her neck. “I’m always late,” I said. “Trust me, don’t get on Ms. Spaft’s bad side.” The grudging anger I’d held yesterday rose up again. “Ever.”

  “Thanks for the warning.” Liam paused, studied Alison and her mangled lunch. “Love your hair today, Alison.”

  He said it so casually, like he really meant it without an agenda behind it, she actually looked up, startled. Her blue eyes flickered to mine before she shrugged a little.

  “Thanks.”

  “My mom’s a hairdresser.” He grinned, running one hand through his own hair. How deliciously sexy.

  I pulled back from that thought immediately as Alison seemed to perk a little and Liam went on.

  “I’ve been around salons my whole life.” He took a sip of his water. “Kind of have to learn the ins and outs of the business when you spend every afternoon sweeping hair or being roped into shampooing old ladies.” His chuckle had no malice in it and he seemed to be genuinely happy about the fact.

  “Where does your mother work?” Alison’s interest was a relief.

  “Bichon. It’s that spa on Main, you know it?”

  Did we. Alison gifted me with a makeover there in the summer. I’d been back once since, and loved every minute of it.

  Alison’s eyes suddenly glowed. “Is it Sonja?”

  He nodded, smile crooked. “You’ve met her?”

  My friend sat back, clasping her hands in front of her. “She’s a magician with color.” She reached forward suddenly and grabbed my hand, spilling my fruit cup. “You should see what Sonja did with Mother’s hair. Gorgeous.”

  “I’ll pass along the compliment.”

  The two of them spent the rest of lunch talking about makeup, hair design and fashion. There was nothing feminine about the way Liam discussed it, more matter-of- fact and knowledgeable about the topics. Any other guy would probably act all embarrassed, but he had a way about him that made it seem really cool.

  I was happy to see Alison finally accepting him. This would make my life easier, especially since I liked him. Who said we couldn’t build a new posse? But when Liam rose at the end of lunch and said goodbye, Alison showed her shallow colors.

  “He’s so fun,” she gushed as he walked away. “And I’ve never had a gay friend before.”

  For some reason her whole attitude struck me the wrong way. Not in the fact she thought he was gay or that I had anything against the lifestyle. We had several gay couples in the coven. To me, they were just people who loved each other. Big deal. No, it was how she assumed he was gay and only seemed okay with him because of it.

  “What makes you think that?” I shouldn’t have been prodding her. It was safer just to let her live in Alisonville and not rock the boat. But I felt like I had to stand up for my new friend even though I’m sure he would have laughed at her if she said it to his face, gay or not.

  “Hello,” she rolled her eyes. “Did you hear a word out of his mouth?” Alison winked. “So it’s cool, then. We can keep him.” That decided, she packed up her tray and stood. “Coming?”

  It took a great deal of effort to keep my mouth shut.

  Last class of the day finally came. Part of me wished it could go on longer, so the distraction would never end, though the constant threat of Ms. Spaft made my tension notch up every time I saw her. Which was at every bell. It was like she stalked me or something. Super creepy.

  The other side of me peeked out from time to time, jabbing at me with a jolt of concern or anxiety or outright fear when the occasional thought of Mom and the coven made its way through. I’ve never been a nervous person, but by the time history came around I admit I was a bit of a wreck.

  “Assignment time.” Miss Blake smiled while the whole class groaned, me included. Second day, really? But I liked her so I gave the perky little woman the benefit of the doubt.

  Brown eyes sparkled behind her glasses as she planted her hands on her ample hips. “Poor babies,” she said. “You only have a whole month to do it.”

  Well, that was okay then. Though usually an extended amount of time meant an equally extended amount of work.

  “I’m giving you free license,” she said. “I want you to write a paper on your history topic of choice.” Pretty broad, though a glimmer of an idea was already forming in my head. “Bear in mind, it will be worth 25% of your total mark for the semester.” Make or break. Got it. “But, here’s the rub: whatever you decide to write about, I want you to somehow link it back here. To Wilding Springs.” My idea rounded itself out even as she spoke. “So if you decide to pick something from Ancient Egypt, be creative in your thinking. How has Egyptian society impacted our own little corner of the world and why?”

  The bell rang and the mass exodus began. I took my time, waiting for the others to go before approaching Miss Blake.

  “Yes, Syd?” I loved she had everyone’s names memorized and it was only day two. I could work with this woman.

  “I’d like to do my project on Wilding Springs itself.” I’d been meaning to explore the town’s history, but just never seemed to find the
time or forgot about it when my feelings about it faded. I’d believed right from day one there was something paranormal about the place that had nothing to do with my coven. This was a perfect way to do my research and get credit for it.

  “What did you have in mind?” She seemed eager and excited, hands clasped together.

  “History, origins, why the town was built here.” I hoped it was enough.

  I needn’t have worried.

  “I was hoping someone would choose to research the town.” She grinned at me. “It’s a big job, Syd. Let me know if you need any help.”

  What did she mean by that? “Okay. Um, is there something I should know you’re not saying?”

  Miss Blake laughed. “Of course not,” she said. “But I’ve done my own digging around here, wrote a dissertation based on small town life using Wilding Springs as the model. There is a great deal of very interesting and fascinating information about this place. The history is quite remarkable.”

  “In what way?” Maybe I didn’t have to research after all. But Miss Black flapped her hands at me in good humor.

  “If I told you that,” she said, “I’d ruin it for you. Have fun and good luck.”

  Okay then.

  Alison was waiting for me at my locker when I arrived.

  “Johnny’s?” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “I’m buying.”

  My sense of responsibility came surging back. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” I sighed as I shouldered my backpack and headed for the exit. From her expression, I needed a good excuse. “Gram’s not well,” I said, wincing at the lie, though it was party true. “Mom’s gone to be with her.” Also not a total lie. “I should stay home and wait to hear what’s up.”

  Alison nodded, giving me a quick hug. “Say hi for me when you talk to her.”

  “I will.” I left her on the front step, a lonely, hesitant figure, so perfect on the outside, but oh so broken on the inside.

  And yet, if I was going to do this job Mom set for me, I had to take it seriously, especially if I was going to win back any bit of confidence from the family. School would be it. The rest of my time I would make sure I was available to the coven.