by Claire Fogel
We arranged to meet at the practice field the next day, and I went outside to wait until Kathleen was free. I sat down on her bench, absent-mindedly humming that same melody. There was a sudden shadow overhead like a low cloud passing over Elvenwood. I looked up but didn’t see anything. A few minutes later Kathleen and Gabe walked out of her cottage.
“I’ve got half a dozen children for archery training now.” Gabe smiled. “They’re still enjoying the targets you painted for them. See you tomorrow morning.” I was relieved to see him walking toward the practice field without a cane.
Kathleen sat down next to me. “What was that tune I heard you humming?”
I shrugged. “Everyone keeps asking me that, but I have no idea where it came from. It’s been stuck in my head for days.”
“Well, it’s faintly familiar, but I can’t remember where I heard it before.” She shook her head.
“Your father tells me you’ve been anxious and tense lately. Are you still drinking that tea I gave you?”
“Yes, but maybe I should be drinking more of it.”
She nodded. “Do you have any idea why you’ve been so anxious?”
“I’m not sure. Nightmares, a sudden feeling I’m being watched, that kind of stuff.”
She took my hand and held it. “Your grandmother was a great one for premonitions. You should talk to your father about it. I’m sure he remembers. Of course, she wasn’t always right, but the things she predicted often came true.” She sighed. “You’ve certainly inherited a great deal from the Blackthornes already, dear. A little psychic ability wouldn’t surprise me.”
I sighed. Swell. One more Elven gift I’d rather not have.
Time to change the subject.
“Kathleen, have you seen Kelly O’Rourke yet?”
Her face lit up. “Of course I have. Now you know why your friend Kevin looked so familiar to me. When I opened my front door and found Kelly standing out here, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s so good to have him back. He thanked me for sending your father in the right direction. He was living in the White Mountains, as I suspected. Kevin looked so happy to be here with his father, it was a delight to see.”
“I’d better be going. I think you’ve got a new patient.” I pointed to a young boy heading in our direction, his arm in an unnatural position. His mother was with him, shaking her head when she saw Kathleen.
“My son will not stay out of the trees. I think his arm is broken.”
Kathleen gave me a quick hug and led mother and son into her cottage. The boy was doing his best to be brave, lips clenched together, and only one tear visible on his cheek. I whispered, “Good luck,” and left for the stables.
I was walking alone when I got that being watched feeling again. The hair on my arms was standing straight up as I whirled around, looking for anything threatening. No one was in sight. The air was barely moving, but I knew with certainty that I was being watched. That same shadow passed over me again and I shivered.
The greys always made me feel safe. I hurried to the stable.
After Will greeted me by lifting me off my feet, I made the rounds in the stable, apologizing to all the greys for arriving without any apples for them. I promised to bring apples on my next visit. Their whinnying and snorting sounded like laughter, calming my nerves.
Judging by the position of the sun, I thought it was time to head back to my father’s cottage. There were so many things I wanted to talk to him about, so many magical things that I knew nothing about.
Whenever I visited Elvenwood, I could feel magic in the air. Sometimes I felt I was breathing it in.
As soon as I walked in the door of the cottage, Roscoe came running. I could have sworn he was smiling, his tongue hanging out and his little tail wagging like mad. I leaned down to rub his velvety ears. My father looked up from the papers he’d been reading and smiled.
“Get all your visiting done?”
“Well, all except Ian. Is it too late for me to stop at his cottage now?”
My father looked out the sitting room window and chuckled. “You won’t have to. Here he comes!”
I turned toward the doorway just as the little boy dashed in and practically tackled me. Ian grinned. “How long are you staying, Cara? Not just for a few hours this time, I hope.”
He was so happy to see me, I couldn’t resist leaning over and dropping a kiss on his cheek. He blushed but there was a big smile on his face.
“I’ll be here for the rest of the week. I’ll be going back to school next week, so I won’t be able to visit as often when school starts. We can spend time together this week and make some good memories together.” His face fell.
I could hear Ian’s mom, Doreen, calling him so I walked him outside and told him to come over after breakfast in the morning so we could walk over to the practice field together and meet Gabriel. He looked more cheerful as he ran home. Doreen waved at me and I waved back.
When I got back inside, Dad had put away his papers and was waiting for me.
“Ready for tea?” He nodded and I got to work filling the kettle with water and putting it on the hook in the fireplace.
He sat down on the couch with me. “Sweetheart, I know you’re still curious about your Elven heritage, so I thought this would be a good week for you to learn more.”
I handed him his tea just as Adam walked in the door, smiling. “Am I in time for tea?”
My father looked up and nodded. “Have a seat. You’ll probably be interested in what we’ve been discussing. Cara has always wanted to know more about Elven talents, the kind that the human world considers magical. Since she’ll be here with me this week, I thought this would be a good time.”
When Adam looked at me, I quickly handed him a cup of tea before I got lost in his amazing cobalt blue eyes. Those eyes would be the death of me. I took a deep breath to get myself under control. The way his lips turned up slightly at the corners, I was afraid he was reading my mind.
My father broke the spell. “There are several Elves you know who have wonderful gifts, but some of them are not unknown in the human world. Your cousin Jason is one example. He’s never had a music lesson, but he plays the flute beautifully.
“Why haven’t I heard him play?” I asked.
“Jason’s not a showoff. He doesn’t thrive on attention the way his brother Justin does. But I’m sure he’ll play for you if you ask him. I’ve been keeping him so busy running errands in town, he hasn’t been home much. He enjoys the human world, and everyone likes him wherever he goes, which is an enormous benefit for us. He always asks for you, Cara. Jason feels he formed a bond with you when he rescued you after you were kidnapped.”
He smiled. “I know he’d like to spend more time with you. Perhaps I’ll give him some vacation while you’re here. Would you like that?”
“I’d love it. I was wondering why I haven’t seen him. Although Amy told me she had often seen him at the bakery. Everyone there was madly in love with him.”
My father chuckled. “I think Jason has a sweet tooth. Amy’s family’s bakery was his favorite place in Thornewood. Does Amy know when they will reopen?”
“The Fire Chief is sure it was arson. Amy’s parents may not reopen. Amy said they were so freaked out when they heard it was arson, they started talking about retiring.”
My father and Adam both looked shocked. My Dad asked, “Do they have any idea who would do such a thing?”
Suddenly I had a disturbing thought. “They have no enemies. Amy’s parents are really nice people; everyone loves them. I can only think of one person who might wish any of our friends harm.” I looked at my father.
There was a sudden silence. Frowning, my father stared at me, nodding slowly. “I hope you’re wrong, but I have to admit, it’s possible.” He turned to Adam. “Is Neal still acting as Amy’s bodyguard?”
Adam nodded. My father looked thoughtful. “Perhaps we should keep a close eye on Amy and her family for the time being. Send two more men to Amy’s h
ouse with instructions to keep an eye on the house. If our suspicions are correct, their home might be the next target.” He shook his head, rubbing his forehead. “I hate to think that Gaynes would stoop that low.”
“Don’t forget what he did to Gavin’s mother.”
My father just closed his eyes and nodded.
“You’re right. I’ll speak to Tommy O’Donnell about it.”
Police Chief O’Donnell was a Halfling too, and had been fully aware of all the trouble Donald Gaynes had caused over the past several months. He’d given us all the help he was able to, since Blackthorne Forest was not exactly his jurisdiction.
“In the meantime, Jason will be at home most of this week and the two of you can spend some long overdue time together,” my father promised. He glanced over at Adam, a gleam in his eye. “That way Adam can get those chairs finished.”
There was a slight flush on Adam’s cheeks. From the look on his face, I wondered what he’d been thinking about. Having a telepathic father wasn’t always a good thing. I gave Adam a sympathetic look. He gave me a faint smile and an unobtrusive wink.
My father looked at me. “On another subject, your mother discussed with me your need for transportation, and we decided we would buy you your first car. We’ll share the expense, but if you manage to put another mailbox out of its misery, that expense will be yours.”
I leaped off the couch and threw my arms around his neck. “Thank you! It means a lot to me to know you have faith in me. But I’m not planning on taking out any more mailboxes, honest. So when is this going to happen? And what kind of a car are you getting me?”
“When you arrive home at the end of this week, your car will be waiting for you.”
Taken aback, I said, “You mean I won’t be picking it out for myself?” He could see how disappointed I was. “Is Mom picking out my car?” That was even worse. Mom was a huge fan of plain, boxy economy cars.
“Not entirely, dear. Harry Callahan will be with her since he knows how to pick out a good used car. And your mother will ask Kevin to join them since he knows what you like. Is that acceptable?”
That was a relief. I knew that Kevin wouldn’t let her buy something too uncool, and Mr. Callahan, Dad’s business manager, wouldn’t let her buy a lemon.
“That’s okay. There’s a good chance they’ll pick out something I’ll like. Thank you.” I leaned down and kissed his cheek. I would be starting my senior year driving my own car. I was thrilled!
Adam stood up. “Congratulations on your new car-to-be. Thanks for the tea. I won’t see you at dinner, I’m afraid. Garrett and I have so much work, Arlynn has been bringing dinner over to us to save us time. But I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”
He turned to my father. “Thanks for letting me stay for tea.”
My father smiled. “You know you’re always welcome here.” I thought I could see something unspoken pass between them. When I looked at my father, the warmth of his smile showed me how much he liked Adam. One more thing that ran in the family.
We both watched the tall, slender man walk out the front door. This seemed to be the perfect time to ask my father what he knew about Adam.
“Dad, sometimes when you speak about Adam, you wink at me, and I get the impression I should be reading between the lines. What am I missing?”
He turned sideways on the couch so we could look at each other. “We’ve talked about your feelings for Adam before.”
I nodded. He had actually asked me once if I was in love with Adam. I couldn’t deny I had feelings for him. I just didn’t know what to call those feelings.
“Sweetheart, I think a lot of Adam. He’s a fine young man. I would be proud if he was my son, and I’ve told him so. I trust him, Cara. But I also understand that he has feelings for you, and you for him. He’s promised me to keep his feelings under control because you’re so young.” He sighed. “The age difference doesn’t bother me, but it bothers your mother a great deal.” He looked into my eyes. “You can probably figure out why.”
“How old were you when you met Mom?”
He hesitated for what seemed like a long time. Then he seemed to come to a decision. “Your mother has never told you about our relationship, has she?” I shook my head.
“When I met her, she was only seventeen.” He was silent for at least a minute. “I was thirty-five, but I looked much younger. You know, of course, that Elves don’t show their age.” He hesitated. “Our relationship didn’t end well, as you know. It had nothing to do with the difference in our ages, but I’m afraid that’s what your mother saw when she met Adam. She could see how interested he was in you.” It was clear he wanted me to understand Mom’s reaction.
“I’ve told you I don’t even know what falling in love feels like, Dad. All I know is that I like and respect Adam. I trust him, and I enjoy being with him. We have good talks and believe it or not, I actually take his advice most of the time. Even though he’s older and wiser, he doesn’t treat me like a stupid kid. He seems to understand me. I think he just wants to see me happy.”
“And that’s why I trust him. He wants you happy, whether that happiness includes him or not.” He sighed. “All young men should be so unselfish.” Shaking his head, he said, “I wasn’t at all unselfish when I fell in love with your mother. I wish I had been.”
He stood up abruptly and went to the fireplace to pour himself another cup of tea. When I looked up, I realized there was someone standing just outside the front door. I went to open the door, surprised to find Arlynn standing there, holding a large, covered tray.
She smiled a bit nervously. “Dinner delivery. Your father said he wanted to spend more time with you this week.”
I gestured her in and she walked to the long table at the rear of the sitting room and set the tray down. My father greeted her with a smile and then turned to me with one eyebrow arched. Apparently, he thought I’d stayed angry with her long enough. And, of course, he was right.
Walking over to her, I said, “How are you?” I meant it. I’d missed her.
She smiled that breathtaking smile. I’d forgotten how Arlynn could light up an entire room with her smile.
“I’m fine. Thank you for asking. I’ve been wanting to talk to you for the past few weeks.”
“Yeah, me too.” My father returned to his easy chair, and I led Arlynn to the couch.
She looked a little embarrassed. “You may be young, but you’re an excellent judge of character. Better than I am, I’m afraid. Since Adam has been working with my cousin Garrett, I’ve had a chance to get to know him. You were right. He’s a good man. Good enough not to hold my past behavior against me.”
She shook her head. “I was such an idiot. We all care about you and worry about you. Why shouldn’t Adam feel the same way? I know he would do anything for you; we all would, you know. I’ve already apologized to him for my lack of trust. He said he hadn’t been angry, that he understood my concerns.”
She grinned. “He also said he thought it was time for you to get over it!”
I was trying not to laugh, but Adam’s remark was so human, I couldn’t hold it in. “I usually take Adam’s advice. I’m over it,” I said laughing. I leaned forward and hugged her. She hugged me back with a look of relief on her beautiful face.
“I hope we can spend some time catching up this week. We have a lot to talk about.” I had a feeling she was referring to Conor and their growing relationship.
“Okay, just let me know when you have some free time, and we’ll get together. And I still want you to model for me, okay?”
“I’d be happy to model. Now I’ve got to get back to the kitchen. Dinner’s in another half hour. The tray I brought you doesn’t have to be warmed. I made your favorites and they’re good cold. Enjoy.”
My father stood up and walked her to the door, hugging her before she left. I thought I heard him murmur, “Thank you.”
When she was gone, he walked over to me, placing a finger under my chin to tilt my face up. �
�Happier now?” I smiled, nodding. “Good. I don’t want any of my people angry at each other, especially when one of them is my daughter.
“We can talk over dinner, dear. I’m ready to eat if you are.”
I went into the kitchen to bring in plates, cups and silverware, along with a jug of water from the cold pantry, and Dad sat down and uncovered the tray of food. There was fresh baked bread, a green veggie salad, a fruit salad, a whole roasted chicken, and half an apple pie. We looked up at each other and I said, “Wow.” My father chuckled. “I’m certainly glad that you and Arlynn are on good terms again.”
After we served ourselves, I said, “I’d like to know more about the magical talents your Elves have. To begin, Conor seems to be gifted in many ways. I know he plays caretaker in the Eastern end of the forest, and he seems perfectly comfortable with humans, but I’ve always had a feeling there’s more going on behind those silvery eyes than he admits.”
“Yes, Conor McKay is multi-talented. There is virtually nothing he can’t handle. You’ve probably never seen him taking care of the forest’s wildlife. The wild animals will come right up to him, even if they’re injured. An injured animal will usually try to hide from us. But when Conor approaches any animal, it will walk up to him and wait for his help. That backpack you see him carrying is full of medical supplies for our wildlife. They seem to recognize him as one of their own. I don’t know of anyone else with this ability. And you know how easy it is to communicate with Conor. His personality is the main reason I asked him to keep an eye on you while you were growing up. I knew he’d be a good friend to you if you ever met him. He loves children.” He smiled. “Of course, we all do.”
After we’d finished eating, I took the dishes into the kitchen and cleaned up while my father started the fire and made tea. I left the apple pie on the table, hoping we’d have room for it later.
Now was my chance to ask a question that had really intrigued me. “Dad, several people have mentioned your mother’s premonitions, but you never seem to want to talk about them. If I’m actually having a premonition, I’d like to know more about your mother. After all, she’s my grandmother.”