Moon Spun

by Marilee Brothers

  “Yes!” I whispered, as the world began spinning again. I breathed deeply, savoring the sweet summer air that smelled of hay and ripening apples. Treetops waved gently in the evening breeze. Cars and trucks zipped down Peacock Flats Road. Faye stood in the doorway. “Are you coming in, Allie?”

  “In a minute.” I looked around for Ryker, but he was gone. Then, I heard scree, scree and looked skyward. The silhouette of a red-tailed hawk appeared, backlit by the moon, as it flew higher and higher. I watched until he vanished into the night. I knew he’d returned to the place he belonged. As I walked toward the trailer and my mother, I knew one thing for certain. It was his world, not mine. We were both where we belonged.

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  Chapter Twenty One

  The next day, Tuesday, Chad and I were at the fruit stand for the pre-dinner rush. If I listened carefully, I could hear pop, pop, pop as my mother shot tin cans off the fence post. After her experience with Chris Revelle, a nasty Trimark who threatened to cut off her fingers one by one, Faye was never without her gun.

  I was busting my butt bagging up veggies and carrying out boxes of fruit. Chad sat on a stool behind the counter, absorbed in his Nintendo. He was still miffed about the whole Boundless thing. I hadn’t said a word, but somehow, he’d figured out we’d gone without him. Every time a vehicle pulled into the parking lot, he looked up, hopefully.

  “When’s Ryker coming back?” he asked over and over.

  Mercedes sighed. “I told you, muchacho, he and Manny were here this morning. They brought the corn.” She looked over at me and rolled her eyes. I shrugged.

  We caught a break around four. I’d just opened the cooler and pulled out a soda when a brand new white Honda Accord pulled up and screeched to a stop. The driver’s head was barely visible over the top of the steering wheel. A teensy Hispanic lady popped out and slammed the door, harder than necessary.

  “Oops,” Mercedes said.

  I opened the soda can and took a long pull. “What do you mean, oops?”

  “You don’t know who that is?” Mercedes asked. Her brown eyes were wide with surprise. “After what you and Junior meant to each other, I can’t believe it.”

  “Just tell me.”

  “It’s Maria Martinez. You know, Junior’s mother.”

  The tiny, fierce-looking Mexican woman marched over to the counter. When she spotted me, she thrust out an accusing finger. “You!”

  Mercedes murmured, “Told ya.”

  Shocked, I clapped a hand over my heart. “Are you talking to me?”

  “You Allie Emerson?”

  When I nodded, she said, “Because of you, my Junior no more in TV show.”

  I was speechless. “Well, uh,” I stammered, “I don’t think it’s primarily because of me. Junior said he was going to be in movies now.”

  Maria Martinez pounded a fist on the counter and screeched, “No! Was my favorite show. All my friends watch it. Now, because of you, my Junior not in it. You, bad girl.

  Very bad girl!”

  I whispered to Mercedes, “Help me, please. When school starts, I’ll do your homework for a month.”

  “Two months,” she said.

  I looked at the furious little Mexican woman, then back at Mercedes, “Deal.”

  A flood of Spanish followed, most of which was too fast for me to follow. Thanks to Mercedes, when Mama Martinez left, she still looked angry, but my life wasn’t in danger. That was good, considering a lot of other people wanted to kill me.

  Junior’s mom punched the gas pedal and peeled out of the parking lot, her tires spitting gravel and stirring up dust.

  “What did you tell her?” I asked Mercedes.

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  “I said you had a new boyfriend and had absolutely no interest in Junior.”

  “That’s a lie and you know it.”

  “Well, from what you told me, you and Beck haven’t officially broken up.”

  “Well, yeah, but I’m not sure what’s going on with Beck,” I hedged. Mercedes huffed, “Hey, you wanted me to save your ass and I did. Let’s have a little gratitude here.”

  “Picture me doing your homework for two months. That’s gratitude.”

  “By the way.” Mercedes’ eyes were dancing with excitement. “Junior’s coming home this week to get things rolling on the restaurant.”

  Before I could get all the juicy details, Manny and Ryker pulled into the parking lot in the flatbed. Chad squealed and jumped down off his stool. When Ryker climbed out of the truck, Chad ran to him and grabbed his hand. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but Ryker listened attentively.

  “Man, that Hostetler kid sure likes Ryker,” Mercedes said. She waggled her eyebrows. “What about you? He’s hot and you’re single again.”

  “According to you, I’m not . . . remember?”

  Manny took off his work gloves, stuffed them in his back pocket and strolled up to the counter,

  “We’re ready to wrap it up. Need anything more from the warehouse?”

  “We’re good.” Mercedes handed him a bottle of water.

  Ryker leaned against the truck, listening to Chad talk a mile a minute, but he never took his eyes off me. When Chad paused for breath, Ryker put one hand on his shoulder, leaned over and murmured something. Chad scampered back into the fruit stand. “He wants to talk to you and I’m getting him something cold to drink.”

  He said the last bit as if he’d been sent on a secret mission to save the world. Mercedes giggled and gave me a little shove. “Remember what I said? You’re single now.

  ”

  I ignored her and walked slowly across the parking lot. Chad raced by, holding a bottle of water. Ryker drank it down without pausing for breath and handed the empty bottle to Chad. “Hey, little man, how about putting this in the recycle bin behind the fruit stand?”

  Chad dashed off again. Before he disappeared around the corner, I yelled, “Be careful, there’s dangerous stuff back there.”

  Ryker threw back his head and laughed. “Dangerous stuff? Like what? A shovel?”

  “Not funny. What did you want to see me about?”

  “The moon will soon be gone. We should go to Boundless tonight.”

  Truthfully, I wasn’t too keen about climbing back into the cistern. But, having given my word, I couldn’t very well worm out of it. I glanced at the sky. Clouds were rolling in from the west. “Okay, nine o’clock, if it’s a clear night. Should be fully dark by then.”

  Ryker nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  After Ryker and Manny drove off, I went looking for Chad. He wasn’t behind the fruit stand. I walked around to the front, fully expecting to see him sitting on a stool. No Chad. I fought off a wave of panic and dashed behind the counter, checking out all the places a small boy could hide.

  “Chad!” I yelled. “If you’re hiding from me, get your butt out here right now!”

  Mercedes, who was sweeping a pile of dirt into a dustpan, said, “What’s your problem? Chad’s not here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Well, duh, I’ve been in here the whole time.”

  My pulse kicked up to double time. “Do you think he’s with Ryker and Manny? Maybe he climbed into the truck when they weren’t looking.”

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  Mercedes grinned. “Listen, girlfriend, we’ve got six kids in our family. If one goes missing for a while, no big deal. They always come back.”

  “This isn’t funny, Mercedes. We’re talking about Mr. Hostetler’s kid. I’m supposed to be keeping him safe.”

  She sighed, pulled out a cell phone and punched in a number. “Hey, Manny! Is Chad with you?”

  She listened for a while. “Are you sure? Look behind the seat.” My heart sank to my shoe tops.

  “Okay, thanks.” Before she could disconnect, I yelled, “Wait! Wait! Tell them to come back and help look for him.”

  Mercedes rolled her eyes, but dutifully repeated my message. When she clicked off, I said, “Call 911.”

  “
Are you nuts? He probably just wandered off. Let’s look for him first.”

  I hoped and prayed she was right. “Five minutes. Then, we call 911.”

  Of course, Mercedes didn’t know the whole story and that made all the difference. An icy band of fear gripped my chest and squeezed, leaving me breathless. Maybe someone trying to get to me had snatched Chad. I put that idea out of my mind. If I allowed the panic to grow, I wouldn’t be able to think straight.

  Pop, pop, pop. The sound of Faye’s target shooting added another layer of fear. What if Chad had wandered out into the pasture and one of her bullets went astray? I tore off across the parking lot and down the narrow shoulder alongside Peacock Flats road. I was in a full-out sprint when I hit Uncle Sid’s driveway. Manny and Ryker were just pulling out.

  “Check the barn. Chad likes to sit on the tractor,” I gasped and took off running toward the sound of the gun shots. I found Faye behind the trailer. With Blaster gone, the gate to the pasture was open and Faye was blasting away at a scarecrow dressed in one of Brain Dead Roy’s old shirts. The shirt was full of holes.

  “Faye!” I yelled. “Hold up. Chad’s missing.”

  Faye pointed the gun at the ground and turned to face me. “Did you call 911?”

  I shook my head.

  “I’ll do it.” She jogged around the end of the trailer.

  I saw the flatbed pull in by the barn. Since Ryker and Manny had that area covered, I ran toward the apple tree. That’s when I saw Chad and my heart stopped.

  Straining with effort, he was trying to lift the cover off the old cistern.

  “Chad, no!” I screamed as I ran to him.

  He looked up at me and smiled. “I heard my name. Somebody was calling me. Would you help me lift the lid?” It didn’t seem possible, but he was paler than usual. His eyes were huge and held a dreamy, faraway look, making me wonder if he even knew where he was. Tempted as I was to yell at him for scaring me to death, I simply took his hand and led him away from the cistern. After a couple of steps, my trembling legs collapsed. I pulled Chad down beside me, wrapped an arm around his frail body and held him close. Now was not the time for scolding. Faye popped around the corner of the trailer with the phone in her hand. She spotted Chad, waved in acknowledgement and spoke into the phone.

  Chad and I sat together silently until my breathing slowed. The rapid fluttering of his heart against my body felt like tiny butterfly wings. Finally, he whispered, “Don’t you see? I’m supposed to be there. It’s where I belong.”

  Before I could come up with a good answer, Ryker appeared. He stood with his arms folded across his chest, staring down at Chad. “Little man, you gave us a fright.”

  Chad scrambled up and threw his arms around Ryker, who whispered to him in his strange faery 338

  language and patted his back. Suddenly, he froze and murmured, “Ava.”

  “Now what?” I struggled to my feet.

  Ryker’s hand skimmed over Chad’s back, pointing out two knobby protrusions, one on each side of his spine. My mouth dropped open. Oh . . . my . . . God. Chad was growing wings. 339

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Tuesday night was cloudy. Boundless would have to wait. Fine with me. When I went outside at nine, Ryker was sitting on his motorcycle next to the cistern.

  I gestured at the overcast sky. “Looks like we won’t be going to Boundless tonight.”

  Ryker scowled. “It’s too early to make a decision. If the wind picks up, the clouds will go away.”

  With a sigh of impatience, he dismounted and walked over to me. “You don’t understand. Melia grows weaker with each passing moment.”

  I stared at Ryker, wishing I could see what was going on in his head. Never trust a faery. Kizzy’s words. I still had doubts about Ryker, despite his pretty speech about rescuing his mother. Was this whole exercise designed to further his cause? He made no secret about his ambitions. Maybe this wasn’t about Melia at all.

  I lifted my hands. “Are you absolutely certain Melia will get stronger once her people are free?”

  When he spoke, his voice had the ring of truth. “In Boundless, there are separate kingdoms. More subjects equal more power. As you pointed out, Melia’s kingdom consists of two pixies, a couple of water sprites, Uncle Davie and me.” He made a little bow. “Even though I am awesome.”

  “You forgot me. I’m not a subject of Melia’s, but I’m pretty awesome too.”

  He held out a fist. Even though I wasn’t totally convinced, I tapped it with mine. Ryker continued, “When we free Melia’s subjects, Luminata will realize Melia has regained her power. Melia will once again take her rightful place in the Seelie Court.”

  And, you’ll be right there beside her. Then, I heard Kizzy’s voice again. Faeries use their glamour to make mortals believe in them.

  “So, if we free Melia’s people, she’ll be back in favor with Luminata?”

  “Exactly.”

  I glanced at the sky. No trace of the moon. “Not tonight. Can Melia hang on a while longer?”

  Ryker’s face turned grim. “She’ll have to. Of course, if you trusted me a bit more, we could go right now.”

  “Trust has nothing to do with it,” I lied. “You have no idea how long this little excursion will take. I have responsibilities. So do you.”

  Ryker winked. “You’re not the only one who can do magic.”

  “Can you stop time?”

  Ryker shook his head. “No, but I have other skills when it comes to dealing with mortals.”

  I was almost afraid to ask. “Such as?”

  He placed his hands on my shoulders. “For example, I have the power to make them forget certain events . . . other things, as well.”

  I jerked away and took a step back. “Okay, not going to happen. Tell Melia I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Ryker’s brows drew together in a puzzled frown. He folded his arms across his chest and studied me like I was a species unknown to him. Obviously, the Love Talker was used to getting his own way. I bit my lower lip to keep from laughing. Hadn’t anybody ever told him no? Or, maybe his mojo didn’t work on me. Thankfully, my relationship with Beck had taught me to defend myself against boys with supernatural powers.

  Finally, I broke the silence. “Tell me what’s going on with Chad. When I took him home, the 340

  little knobs on his back disappeared. I don’t think he even knew they were there.”

  Ryker gave me a charming smile and held out a hand. “Come fly with me, Ava. Then, I’ll tell you all about Chad.”

  I ignored his hand and pointed at the motorcycle. “On that?”

  He picked up a helmet. “Are you afraid?”

  “No, of course I’m not afraid. I’m just worried about Chad, that’s all.”

  Maybe a ride on a motorcycle would clear my head, and Ryker did promise to fill me in on the Chad issue afterward. I grabbed the helmet and plopped it on my head.

  “Let’s go.” I tried not to think about Faye’s dire warnings regarding motorcycles. She wasn’t home, so she’d never know . . . right?

  Ryker adjusted the strap on my helmet, then jumped on the bike and started it up. He pointed to the space behind him. “Climb on. Hang on tight and don’t forget to lean when I lean.”

  I nodded, scrambled into position behind him and grabbed his tee shirt with both hands. My plan was to keep as much space as possible between Ryker’s body and mine. That lasted until we reached the end of the driveway and turned onto Peacock Flats Road. He hit the gas. My head snapped back. I screamed in surprise and exhilaration. My arms flew around his waist. My legs clamped around his. I was completely and utterly super-glued to his body. His rumbling laughter felt like it was part of me. He yelled over his shoulder, “You like flying?”

  “Hell, yes!” I screamed. “Go faster!”

  I tucked my head into the curve of his neck, loving the flood of sensation as we flew through the night. It was almost more than I could take in. The fence posts flying by faster than
I could count them. The soft summer air dancing across my skin. The powerful surge of the motor beneath me. The pungent scent of a lush, green mint field. The warmth of Ryker’s strong body pressed against mine. Love talker, Allie, remember he’s a Love Talker.

  We were almost to Vista Valley when he hit the exit ramp and headed back to Peacock Flats. A wave of disappointment washed over me. I wanted to keep on racing through the night until I reached the edge of the world, until I saw the blue ocean crashing over a sandy beach like the one I’d seen in Boundless.

  When we reached Uncle Sid’s driveway, he pulled in, sedately, and parked under the apple tree. I was still wrapped around him like a baby chimp clinging to its mother’s back. Kind of embarrassing, really. But, it wasn’t about Ryker. It was about freedom . . . about hurtling along at warp speed, not giving a damn about the moonstone, Trimarks, faeries or anything at all. Ryker turned his head and bumped my helmet with his. “Quite a trip, huh?”

  I took a big breath, peeled myself off his back and dismounted. “Can we do it again tomorrow?”

  Ryker chuckled and climbed off the bike. “I believe there’s a bike in your future.”

  I took off the helmet and looked around, trying to orient myself back into the real world. I couldn’t stop smiling.

  Ryker came down to earth before I did. “About Chad,” he said. . We walked to the spool table and settled into the rickety lawn chairs. Ryker leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Remember what I told you before?

  About Chad belonging in Boundless? You mocked me at the time.”

  I rolled my eyes. Why were guys so touchy? Even faerie guys. “I wasn’t exactly mocking you. I merely asked how I could explain Chad’s disappearance to his family. Isn’t that a reasonable question?”

  “And what did I tell you?”

  I thought for a moment. “You said you would think about it.”

  Ryker shook his finger at me. I hate it when people do that. I wanted to grab his finger and twist. 341

  He said, “I told you there are ways to help the changeling go home. You do know there’s a human child somewhere in Boundless who was taken when Chad was left in Boundland?”