Dead Moon Awakens: A tale of Cherokee myth and Celtic magic (Mystic Gates) Read Free Page B

why she disappeared. Why won’t she come
for me?”
    “Don’t think about her. That’s the only way you
can deal with it.”
    “But how can I not, especially when I think about …
before?”
    Morrigan sat on her bed again, staring at the
floor. Moments later, her head jerked up. “Let’s do it. We’ll bake cookies and
make a faery pouch.” She stood and paced.
    “What? They’ll get mad and punish us.”
    “Oh, silly Aish, we won’t tell them what we’re actually
doing. I’ll ask Mrs. Sloan if I can make cookies for your birthday. Then, I’ll
tell her I want to make a birthday gift for you and ask for some material and
ribbons.”
    “But—”
    “Don’t worry.” Morrigan stopped pacing. “Did you
notice I called you Aish ? That’ll be my name for you. Only I can
call you that. And, you can call me Morri. Only you can call me
that.”

*******
    March 9
    I had a nice birthday all because of Morri! She
can get anybody to do anything. Mrs. Sloan even baked the cookies and helped
her make the faery pouch. Of course, she didn’t know what the pouch was.
    We snuck to the river where I had found a hawthorn
tree like the one at home. I had remembered Ma telling me that hawthorns guard
the entrance to the faery realms. We sang to the Sidhe , and I asked them
to help Ma find me. Then we hid the pouch in a crevice of the tree. I hope the Sidhe do help Ma.
    We had just finished when Kelile and Lance
showed up. Morri was so mean to Kelile. But, he doesn’t seem to care. When he
called her “prissy queen” again, she called him “slave boy.” I thought he would
get mad, but he just laughed. It’s like the four of us have known each other
for a long time.
    I got to talk to Lance, alone. Morri and Kelile
were fussing at each other, and Lance was standing by the hawthorn tree. I
didn’t want him to see the faery pouch, so I went over to him. His eyes are so
different, so beautiful. They change colors in the light, sometimes green,
sometimes golden-brown, sometimes both. He probably thought I was a dope. I
wish … no. Morri has a crush on him. I think he likes her too. Oh well.
    I almost forgot. I remembered part of my dream
last night. I finally remembered part of a dream! It was weird though. In the
dream, Morri had a pet raven. She was talking nicely to it; but at the same time,
she was pulling a plastic bag over it. It kept cawing for help and gasping for
air. Then I woke up. I haven’t figured out what the dream means. But, at least
I remembered some of it. Am I getting my gift back? I hope so. If I do, maybe I
could use my dreams to find Ma!

*******

4
    Sunday, March 10
    “I don’t want to go to their stupid ol’ church.”
Morrigan shook her head and frowned.
    “You have to, Morri. They’ll get mean if you
don’t.”
    “I’m not supposed to have to do this.” She stared
at her arms folded across her chest.
    “What?”
    Morrigan shook her head again.
    Aishling shrugged and left the room, heading for
Herald Home’s small, country church. She didn’t like going, either. The
preacher often glared at her. Why didn’t he like her? She had never done
anything wrong to him.
    Morrigan grabbed her arm from behind. “I’m coming,
Aish. But, they’re not telling me what to believe.”
    They sat behind Lance and Kelile. As always,
Aishling wished she could fade into the pew. Again and again, she shifted in
her seat, trying to get comfortable. And when Morrigan began tapping her foot,
Aishling became even more nervous. She had to sit on her hands to keep them
still. The tapping grew louder. What was Morri doing?
    Lance turned around and frowned at her.
    I’m not doing it, she tried telling him
with her eyes.
    Preacher Collins stopped talking. His cutting blue
eyes landed on her. Aishling squirmed under his menacing stare. Had he sprouted
three feet taller? She shivered. Now, others were looking at her. Drat!
    The preacher huffed and blew out a burst of air.
“Miss O’Brian, I will not have you