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but it seemed like a whole lot more people were okay with it than I would have thought. My best friend Joe’s family—Prince Christopher, next in line for the throne, and his wife, Princess Maryan—had hardly batted an eye when they came to see the kelpie. Then again, they weren’t regular people. “You could show him…”
    Dad paused. “Not right now. I don’t think he’ll drive down here. I’m fine, though. I promise. Please, don’t worry.”
    Like that was going to happen. I just kissed him back and gave Isis a scritch between her ears. “I love you, Daddy. Good night.”
    He sighed, and I knew he knew what I wasn’t saying. After one more kiss and a very tight hug from him, then a hug and kiss and “goodnight” from Mum, I headed back in the house and got ready for bed.
    But I probably wouldn’t sleep for a while.

    Once upon a time, according to my dad, he could keep his mood swings in check with meditation, exercise, and, well, other, more problematic, methods—but I’ll get to that. Anyway, as he got older, his bipolar condition got worse, and he had to start taking medicine, which he hated because he felt he wasn’t as good of an actor for not being in touch with his extremes. I don’t know if that’s true, but he hasn’t had as many TV and movie roles as I remember him having when I was younger.
    Besides his own brain chemistry, sometimes outside things can trigger his mood swings or make them worse. Like weather and pressure. When Ehrwnmyr had “moved in” to the nature reserve that abuts our property and killed two kids, Dad had gone into a serious downswing. Part of that could be because the kelpie’s presence had affected the weather. When Ermie hadn’t been able to kidnap our friend, Sarah Beth, he’d ended up causing a storm that seriously damaged the coastal villages nearby.
    Which means his presence probably affects my dad. Like really badly.
    Dad’s mood was so bad after the storm that he was adding both caffeine and pot to his prescription medicine. When he was in University, he’d used caffeine and pot as a way to avoid going on medicine. He was really bad off, though, like I said. I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t overheard Mum and him arguing. And then smelled it on his clothes once. I think he felt even worse about it, knowing I knew. He did stop and work things out with his doctor about his meds after that. And he promised Mum and me that he would never do that again.
    But that doesn’t mean his mood swings got better. And the fact that they were so bad was partly my fault since we had to keep Ehrwnmyr here.
    Dad kept trying to tell me not to feel guilty. He’d rather know my soul and me were safe and everything, but still. And he’d also promised, because he knew how I felt, to keep me included on how he was “feeling.”
    Thing is, with an upswing, he’s not lying when he says he’s doing all right. People with mania are very happy. They feel amazing. And with Dad, an upswing could be really awesome, sometimes, because he could make anyone around him feel like they’re on top of the world with him.
    On the other hand, when he’s not specifically happy during a manic phase… Well, I’d only seen that once, and except for this most recent depressive period, I’d never before felt so terrified for my dad.
    So, obviously, I was scared about what would happen with another manic swing when all he was thinking about was that his children were in danger from Faerie.

CHAPTER
    3
    Let’s go visit Faerie! Wait, I’m not allowed. Let’s do an astral projection spell to Faerie…because that totally won’t get us into trouble .
    Heather!
    I rolled over, trying to place the “voice” in my dream about riding Ehrwnmyr in a horse show for the Lord and Lady of Faerie. We were just about to finish our dressage