Once Upon a Haunted Moon (The Keeper Saga)

by Thompson, K. R.

  “Tommy, Michael, stay out here and keep a look out. The rest of you guys, come on,” Adam started toward the house with Nikki right behind him. A crow landed on a power line above our heads, watching us intently.

  “He’s kidding, right?” I asked Erik, “That house is getting ready to fall in, there’s no way she’s in there!”

  Erik grinned. “Adam’s not the joking type.” He jogged to catch up with Adam, who carefully navigated his way up the rotten steps.

  “There’s magic here,” Adam warned in a low voice as we came up behind them. The porch did not, in fact, cave in. Instead, it made low sizzling sounds, like there were electric currents zinging all around it. “Magic always recognizes magic. This one senses our wolves. Either Wynter’s here, or she’s spelled this house against trespassers.”

  “‘Tis both, actually…” Wynter answered, opening the door, to gaze out at the group of us huddled on her porch. Her dress was made of thousands of miniscule books. They moved as she spoke, their tiny brown and white pages fluttering. “I am here, and my home is indeed spelled. I have expected you to come, so the magic knows to let no harm befall you,” she looked deliberately at Nikki, then her huge, bottomless, blue eyes flickered over the rest of us, “although I had not anticipated the arrival of an entire village…”

  “This ain’t all of us, lady,” Erik mumbled crossly under his breath a scowl etched in his round face. Wynter arched a neon-blue brow, and looked over our heads to Tommy and Michael who stood guard by the railroad tracks.

  Adam gave Erik a warning look, and then turned back to the tall, blue-haired fairy who regarded him coolly, “We have questions we need to ask you.”

  She nodded, and then stepped back in invitation for us to enter the dilapidated shack.

  As soon as we walked through the weather-beaten door, the house transformed. Thick white rugs cushioned the gleaming wooden floors. Intricate wooden bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling and the two sofas and a chair sat in the middle of the room. Various books floated in the air a few feet above our heads, hovering as if waiting for their master to call for them.

  Wynter gestured toward the sofas in an invitation to sit as she leaned against the arm of the chair.

  “What questions bring you here?” she turned her attention back to Nikki.

  “My house has a strange wall in the attic. We saw you in it…and my great-grandmother,” Nikki said in a strained voice.

  Wynter nodded as she chose her words carefully, “Your home is old and built from the trees of the forest. It has both magic and memories that it will show only to those who belong there. I came to ask the old woman for her help — for her to send for her great-granddaughter. I asked for you.”

  “Why did you want Nikki to come here?” Adam stood up, planting himself firmly in front of the fairy.

  She looked at him calmly and met his golden stare with her icy blue one, “I asked for her because one comes whom I cannot stop. Zue is stronger than I and she…” she pointed around him to Nikki, “…is the only one who can defeat her.”

  Black mist ebbed around Adam as his wolf came to the surface to protect Nikki. Ed started a low whine. Erik grumbled something less than nice under his breath. Wynter’s dress started flipping out, pages rattling and rearranging as if it, too, was becoming unnerved.

  I imagined blood soaking through the white carpet as wolves and fairy fought to the death. I knew that unless something happened soon to calm everyone down, someone was going to lose it — and possibly die.

  “So who is this Zue and how do we stop her?” I asked as calmly as I could muster. Adam’s mist faded slightly, and Ed quit his whine as they waited for the answer.

  Wynter turned her strange blue eyes on me, lips curled up in a smile that would have looked friendly on a normal person. The pointed teeth, though, made it look downright scary…

  “She is Spriteblood,” she said, then whispered in a voice that sounded like raindrops pattering on a rooftop. “She was trapped long ago in a Deadland by your people. She is now free. I do not know how you will trap her, only that you must, or all will perish,” she rose and paced, stopping abruptly to stare out a front window at the crow perched on an electric line outside, “I cannot help you any further.”

  “Why not!” Erik shouted the question, no longer able to contain his anger, “You’re the one who wanted Nikki here! You won’t even tell us how we’re supposed to kill her! You could at least help us instead of wanting Nikki to do all of your dirty work.”

  Wynter turned and looked at him evenly.

  I cannot help you kill her…” she turned her attention back to the crow, adding sadly, “…she is my sister.”

  ***

  Zue

  She watched them enter the house. She frowned as she felt the magic surrounding the shack, knowing its familiar touch was that of Wynter. She also felt the magic of the ones who had entered and knew that the wolf spirits within them were the same who had trapped her for all those years. Wynter had gone to them after they imprisoned her. She had spoken of peace and somehow managed to stay free. Zue snarled angrily at the memory of that injustice as she stared at the house, baring her pointed teeth.

  Once she had been close to her sister, as they shared the strength of those they conquered. Somewhere along the way, though, Wynter had grown a conscience. Terrible things they were…consciences. Somehow Wynter had learned to love what should only ever have been prey. Living amongst the very ones she swore to kill, she knew Wynter’s magic had dimmed, and that getting her out of the way would not be a challenge. She grew weak among them, and Zue could tell from the magic the house held, that Wynter hadn’t fed off her human prey in a very, very long time.

  She heard the raised voices, as the wolf-people implored her sister to help them. She watched as Wynter came to stare out the window. Zue saw the conflict on her sister’s opal face and the indecision in those blue eyes as they stared at the crow, carefully weighing the possibilities. Part of Zue hoped her sister would once again join her, together her revenge would be more sweet. She frowned as she watched Wynter’s face clear, determination set on her face as she turned her back to the window.

  “My, my,” she mused, as she listened to the voices behind the walls of the spelled house, “What hast thou been up to, sister dear?”

  Chapter Six

  Ella

  On the Hill above the Village

  October 8, 1765

  She felt strong arms lift her from the ground to her feet. Ella opened her eyes, and stared up into the brilliant, golden eyes of an Indian boy, who returned her stare with a slight, wary smile.

  “No be afraid,” he said, “What make girl sad?” He pointed to the tears on her face.

  “They’re gone. They’ve left me. I’m all by myself,” Ella said in a small, wavering voice that threatened to break.

  “No, not only one. Bright Eyes here, make girl welcome. Wolf call Bright Eyes, say make girl safe,” he nodded happily, then grabbed her hand, tugging her across the clearing toward the smoke.

  “Bright Eyes,” she murmured, looking at the bare back of the boy who, though, taller than she, seemed to be her own age.

  He looked over his shoulder, “Hmm?”

  “How is it you know English?” It seemed a strange question, surely, even to her. Out of all the questions that ran through her mind, that one was the one that made it out her mouth.

  “Old Mother say all must learn. Say must be ready for white man, learn white man ways and words.” He started pulling her down the slope of the hill, where they were greeted by a handful of dogs that barked and ran around their feet. He shouted something she didn’t understand, and a flurry of people came from every corner.

  Dozens of dark eyes stared at her curiously, fingers reaching out to brush her as she walked past. Bright Eyes gripped her hand even tighter, pulling her along through the crowd to a hut that stood over to the side. He announced something at the door, and a wizened, old Indian woman appeared.r />
  “This Old Mother,” Bright Eyes confided to her in a low voice as the old woman stared out the door of the hut with milky white eyes, “Old Mother no see with eye,” he made gestures to his head and toward his heart, “but see here and here.”

  The old woman said something Ella didn’t understand to Bright Eyes, who nodded once quickly and ran off in the opposite direction.

  “Brother Wolf brings our people another gift,” the old woman said in a solemn voice, turning her blind stare on Ella.

  In what seemed a matter of seconds, Bright Eyes had reappeared, grinning broadly, with six teenage boys trailing behind him. They were all solemn-faced, watching Ella warily. The oldest had the same golden eyes as Bright Eyes, though his had odd black specks flecked through them. His gaze flickered over Ella then up to Old Mother.

  “Brother say Wolf bring girl for him find,” the boy murmured to the old woman.

  Old Mother nodded, “Wolf bring her. Girl stay in village.”

  The boy looked less than convinced of this news, and quickly shook his head, “How know not trap from white man? They come look for girl. Find here. They say we take girl! Make war!”

  Old Mother sighed in frustration, then turned her sightless eyes to Ella, and smiled gently, “Where girl mother and father? Why leave for Wolf to find?”

  Ella’s lip quivered in an effort not to cry, but the tears came anyway, “They’re all dead. The Fire Witch killed them all. The Wolf found me and brought me here. I don’t know why…” her voice broke and she sobbed. She wished the Wolf had let her stay with him. At least he hadn’t seemed to mind her company quite as much as the one boy who stared at her as if she held the key to their destruction. Her vision edged in white, and she heard a strange howl again. Several surprised murmurs echoed through the crowd and she felt someone come to stand next to her.

  Bright Eyes smiled down at her and squeezed her hand reassuringly, “No more cry. Bright Eyes always stay. Not alone.”

  Ella wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked hesitantly over to Old Mother, who seemed to be the one who made the decisions for the entire village.

  The old woman smiled, then spoke loud enough for the others to hear, “Our people almost dead, when Wolf brought us first gift of Wolf Stone. Wolf Stone bring magic, bring Wolf spirit to hunt and protect, so our people live. Our people now strong,” She held out a stone in the palm of her hand for Ella to see. Four jagged scratches marked the rock. Old Mother nodded to the oldest boy, who now seemed much more at ease with Ella’s presence than he had before. He gave her a slight, wary smile.

  Mist surrounded the six boys, and Ella watched in fascination as fur rippled along their bodies, and the boys vanished to be replaced with six giant wolves. The black wolf who stood in front, seemed bigger than the others, and he stood staring at her calmly through spotted, golden eyes. He whined lightly.

  “Bright Eyes’ brother,” Bright Eyes informed her proudly, pointing to the wolf, “Name Running Wolf. He is U-la-gu, leader of wolf brothers.”

  Ella caught herself smiling at the boy’s enthusiasm of his older sibling.

  The Wolf is wise friend, he bring us girl and tell to make her safe. She now tribe. New sister name White Wolf. Make welcome,” Old Mother announced. The wolves yipped their approval and Bright Eyes tackled her in a hug.

  “White Wolf now tribe!” Bright Eyes grinned happily, “Always have tribe! Never alone!”

  ***

  “I know why they named you Bright Eyes, but why did they call me White Wolf?” Ella asked Bright Eyes days later as they gathered in corn from a field, “Is it because my hair is white?”

  Bright Eyes grinned, his eyes sparkling like gold in the afternoon sun, “White Wolf not know?”

  “No,” Ella mumbled as she pulled another ear of corn down and threw it into the basket.

  “Old Mother see wolf magic inside White Wolf. Like magic in wolf brothers. Bright Eyes see, too. Running Wolf no believe first, now he know, too,” Bright Eyes said, as if this surely would explain everything, and the approval of his older brother had settled any other issue that could possibly have come up.

  Ella wasn’t sure about having wolf magic in her, but she had seen the others turn into the massive wolves, and they seemed to have turned out all right, so Bright Eyes’s words were enough. In a world where she had been alone, it was enough that she had found a place to belong. She would be their White Wolf and learn their ways, however strange they seemed.

  “Will you be a Keeper like Running Wolf, one day, too?”

  Bright Eyes shook his head, “No. Wolf magic only give first son. Running Wolf first son. Bright Eyes have no wolf magic.”

  Ella thought the Wolf should have given Bright Eyes his wolf magic, too. She was getting ready to say exactly that, when Bright Eyes seemed to read her thoughts and smiled at her shyly.

  “Wolf give Bright Eyes better special magic. Give him White Wolf. Always keep safe.”

  Chapter Seven

  Brian

  I dumped my favorite cereal in a bowl and reached for the milk. My brain still tried to wrap itself around the weirdness that had erupted in the space of a couple of days. Nikki had some kind of magical wall in her house that remembered stuff, Adam wasn’t sure whether to trust me or kill me, and the school librarian’s weird fairy sister was out for blood and coming to kill us all. Wynter hadn’t ended up helping us hardly at all, from what I could tell. Just gave us some really vague warnings, said something about Deadlands and told Nikki to check her attic again, then basically shoved us out the back door (which I thought was really weird, as we had come in through the front.)

  I sighed, rubbing my eyes. It was a good thing none of the “normal” people of the world had asked me what I had been into this weekend, but then it was still morning, and I hadn’t seen anyone yet. I plopped down at the table, drenched my cereal with the milk and filled up a glass.

  “Hey,” my mom came through the kitchen, grabbing random stuff to get ready to go to work.

  “Hey,” I answered, taking a gulp of milk.

  “So what did you get into this weekend?”

  I choked. Milk flew everywhere. She came over and smacked my back in an effort to help, which ended up only making me hurt while I choked. For being only 5’2, she packed a punch.

  I waved her off, “Fine…I’m fine…” I managed between hacks. Thankfully, the milk saved me from answering her, because I wouldn’t have been able to lie to her. She was a cop — a great one — for as long as I remembered. Of course, there was also the fact that she could smell a lie a mile off. I wasn’t that great at lying.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her. She’s my mom, and we’d gone through some tough stuff together. She also knew all about my wolf, which made life tons easier. I’m pretty sure Deputy Shaw knew more of what went on in Bland County than I did. Definitely more of the “normal” people stuff, but it was also probably a safe bet that she knew more about the “magic” people than she let on. Nothing shook her up; she was the toughest person I knew.

  But still, she was my mom, and she was all I had, so I didn’t say anything that would make her worry any more than she had to. If it came to life or death, I’d let her in on the flesh-eating fairy dangers in the world.

  “You ok?” she asked when I finally quit trying to cough my lungs up.

  I nodded.

  “All right, well, I’ve got to go,” she smiled; “Have a good day at school, ok?” she bent over and kissed me on the cheek.

  “Ok, love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, too.” The screen door slammed, and her cruiser pulled out of the driveway.

  I ended up leaving later than I mean to. My truck coughed and groaned, and after a little coaxing and a lot of threatening, it finally started up. I pulled into the school parking lot, and ran to the big double doors with seconds to spare.

  “What a great way to start a Monday,” I mumbled, shoving my book bag into my locker, expecting the bell to peal through the
speakers at any time. What came through the speakers, however, was not the bell…

  “Brian Shaw to the principal’s office,” the chirpy voice of the principal’s secretary announced as I stuffed my pack into the locker.

  I winced at the happy voice.

  I spotted someone else coming out of the office as I made my way up the stairs. Rhudy Lockhart sported a black eye from fighting on the bus with Morris Laney over his ex-girlfriend — again. I knew Rhudy, so I was betting our rotund, bald principal was not going to be in the best of notions (not that he ever was.)

  I heard a crash, and the sound of splintering wood. It sounded like someone had thrown a bowling ball. The force was enough that the stairs shook.

  “Man, Rhudy, whatever you said to him, she wasn’t worth it,” I muttered, grabbing the handrail.

  “Huh? What’s that?” Rhudy asked. He hadn’t even noticed I was there.

  “You didn’t feel that?” I asked.

  “Feel what?”

  Then I realized he had two black eyes instead of one. That really didn’t make me any more hopeful that he’d notice anything out of the ordinary, never mind huge crashing sounds, “Nothing, man. Never mind.” I shook my head at him, and slid on past, leaving him with the same perplexed look stuck on his face. I made it to the top of the steps and gave the door a light knock.

  “Come on in,” a happy voice answered on the other side, exactly the same time another crash erupted from within the office. The glass in the door vibrated and I waited, expecting it to shatter and shoot into my skin like bits of shrapnel, “Come iiiinn!” The secretary repeated, so I held my breath and turned the knob.

  Ms. Fernandez, the overly happy secretary, sat behind her desk, smiling at me as if it were the most beautiful day in the history of the world, while she picked up various pens that lay dumped from a cup on her desk. “You go right on in there, dear. He’s expecting you.”