The Earl's Childe Read Online Free PDF

round with a pirouette when he stopped. There was a strange padding sound that distracted us. The crowd was dead silent, and Lord Cadmus and Lady Fana narrowed their eyes at me. I’d done something terribly wrong, and I wasn’t sure what.
    Swishpitpatswishpitpatswishpitpat!
    What was that noise?
    Heather!
    Tom!
    Tom was the fey cat who “lived” in the stables. We’d become friends trying to stop the kelpie, and Tom had brought me to see Sarah Beth in Faerie, where she’d been taken to keep her from getting killed. He could tell me what I’d done wrong…
    Except the riding ring was fading as I blinked my eyes open and started to recognize the bedroom I normally shared with Lily—the small rocking chair with my teddy bear on it, the wing chair I sat in, my desk, the window, yellow-green eyes reflecting through a gap in my curtains—
    I bolted upright, gasping.
    HEATHER!
    It was Tom. When he looked like a cat (because sometimes he could look mostly human), he spoke in my head, the way Ermie did. And I could tell he was distraught about something.
    Glancing at my sister’s empty bed, half-wishing she were here and not at Jenna’s house, I went over to my window and opened it.
    He meowed pitifully at me, balancing on the very edge of my windowsill.
    â€œWell, come in!”
    He meowed again. I would . He sneezed in the direction of a line of salt over my sill.
    Dad must have come in while I was asleep. I frowned, hesitating half a second because I was obviously defying him by letting a fey cat in, and brushed the salt aside into a neat pile. Tom leapt over my arm and landed on my floor, breaking into a bathing fit around his paws.
    What’s that all about?
    â€œMy dad. He’s been really nervous about anything fey. He doesn’t want anyone hurt.”
    Tom paused in his cleaning to give a hiss towards my bedroom door and then took a few more good licks around his shoulders. When he was done, he walked over to the door, tail waving anxiously.
    We must hurry. I didn‘t know this was happening tonight! I think they were trying to keep me from finding out . He looked over his shoulder at me, eyes full of the rare concern cats could show when they wanted. I don‘t think they wanted me to tell you, but you have a right to know as human liaison .
    Oh yeah, in dealing with the kelpie, I kind of made myself the liaison for my family and all of humanity—it seems—to Faerie. Or at least the part of it that was on our land. I’m not exactly sure how that works, and they’re not exactly open to telling me.
    I started to follow, then paused. “Wait, what? What are we doing?” If nothing else, I had learned to be extremely cautious when dealing with faerie. Even the ones whom I felt were friends.
    You need to follow me to a council meeting. Now!
    My mouth hung open for a second. “You mean, back to Faerie? To the castle?”
    It’s not as far as the castle. One of the wooded sections—they’ve made it neutral ground for all to meet. Come quickly .
    My feet didn’t move. Then my mind caught up with itself. “Let me get my parents.”
    Tom froze now, eyes turning hard. WHAT?!
    If nothing else, that confirmed how bad an idea it might be to do this alone. “I made a big mess of things with the kelpie. I’m not doing this alone again and making another big mess!”
    You didn’t make a big mess. You saved your friend, and you even—in a sense—saved the kelpie. You are perfectly capable of attending a council meeting—
    â€œNo. I promised my parents that I wouldn’t go off and deal with anything faery-related by myself again. I gave them my word , and I broke it before, and I feel awful. Do you really want to have a friend and liaison who regularly breaks her word?”
    Tom swished his tail, growling.
    I folded my arms, scowling, hoping I looked somewhat imposing despite my pink, ruffled