The Book of Dreams (27 page)

“The situation’s hopeless, but not dire,” was Dara’s comment, made with his typical dry humor. “We’re working away. Granny’s the brain and I’m the dogsbody. She has me out on the road at all hours, getting lashin’s of this and lashin’s of that. I can’t drive, but I’ve got two feet and a cane. And don’t I know the island like the back of my hand?”

Both Granny and Dara agreed that Gwen and Laurel should join up with Dana. The enemy’s attacks called for direct action and with no communication from Faerie they had to make their own plans. Gwen’s new position at the school seemed to support the idea.

• • •

But Gwen’s hopes of making immediate contact with Dana died her first morning on the job. The girl was not only absent that day, it turned out she had been away since the first week of school. When Gwen made inquiries, she was given reports on an illness and a car accident, with doctors’ notes attached.

“No wonder we couldn’t reach her!” Laurel said, when Gwen rang to tell her. “She must have been attacked!”

“Maybe. But the medical reports didn’t sound serious. Could it just be a coincidence? But we know the party line on that … She’s expected back soon. We’ll just have to wait till then.”

• • •

The day Dana arrived back in the classroom, Gwen saw instantly that their fears were confirmed. She looked pale and fragile, like a porcelain doll, and her eyes had a haunted look. There was no doubt that she had suffered a trauma of some kind; and though she appeared both shocked and relieved to see a new teacher, she also seemed distracted, and kept looking around. Was she searching for someone?

From the front of the class, an astute teacher can tell a lot about her pupils. The faces turned toward her reveal a great deal about their feelings and attitudes, and the ease or hardship of their lives. Some students are naturally bright and cheerful, others sullen or rebellious. There are those who are utterly uninterested in being taught and those who demand to be challenged and stimulated. Then there are the ones whose features are closed like a door. For whatever reason, usually painful, they just want to be left alone.

It was to this last category that Dana belonged, Gwen saw immediately. The girl was evidently a loner. Despite her long absence, no one greeted her when she entered the room, nor did anyone ask how she was. Moving quickly to the back of the class, she slumped into her desk. At lunchtime, she sat by herself in the cafeteria, reading a book.

From the day Gwen took up her post, she introduced the practice of interviewing her students to get to know them. This provided an ideal opportunity to be alone with Dana. Gwen had decided she would casually introduce the subject of Faerie when they met. Given that the girl was obviously shy and withdrawn, Gwen knew she had to tread carefully. Still, she was not prepared for an outright refusal.

“You want to interview me alone without my parents’ consent? Sorry, it’s not on.”

Before Gwen could react, Dana had sped down the hall. For the remainder of the day, despite all Gwen’s efforts, the girl managed to avoid any further encounters.

• • •

“Something to do with her last teacher?” Laurel suggested when she and Gwen met that evening for supper.

Laurel was picking her way through a Caesar salad. Gwen had a plate of spaghetti with a creamy sauce and strips of smoked pancetta.

“Definitely,” said Gwen between mouthfuls. “I did a little detective work in the staff room. His name was Crowley. Seems he went through some kind of major change since the summer. Lost weight, became withdrawn, acted weird. No one liked him anymore. In fact, I got the distinct impression they were afraid of him.”

Laurel looked shaken. “This sounds all wrong. Was he possessed by something? Gwen, you’ve got to be careful.”

“I am, don’t worry. I’m up to the yin-yang in protective charms, plus I’ve put them around the school. The place is clear now, I guess with him gone. But do you see the good of this? Crowley has disappeared and Dana is still here. Whatever happened, she survived and he didn’t. Looks to me like we’re being helped.”

“Could she have fought him off herself?”

Gwen was scooping up the sauce with her spoon. “I’d like to think that, but I can’t. She’s no warrior. There’s no sense of power there at all. She seems weak and nervous. How can she possibly take a mission? No wonder your sister was worried.”

“We’ve got to join her immediately. Granny and Dara say so too. We’re running out of time.”

Gwen frowned. “I agree, but I don’t want to rush things and scare her off. She won’t trust anyone after being attacked. Certainly not her new teacher if the old one was the bad guy!”

“Maybe I should talk to her?” Laurel suggested, but her voice was hesitant. “Since I look like Honor.”

Gwen saw the grimace. Laurel didn’t feel the same way Gwen did about children or teens. It didn’t bode well. The girl needed to be handled sensitively.

“Give me a few more days,” she suggested, to Laurel’s obvious relief.

The waiter with the dessert cart was on the far side of the room. Gwen called him over despite the other’s protests.

“This is my treat. Don’t be a killjoy. We’re celebrating my first real paycheck as a full-time teacher. And none of your low-fat nonsense,” she added.

Laurel held up her hands in surrender.

Gwen waited till the dishes of gelato were served, garnished with chocolate-covered wafers. Then she brought up the new topic as tactfully as she could.

“Granny says she might be able to help with Ian … though she can’t make any promises. But she needs something personal of his. Do you …?”

“Yes.” Laurel concentrated on her dessert as her face flushed with embarrassment. “I have one of his shirts. Oh God, this is so—”

“Well, it’s a good thing you do,” Gwen said in a no-nonsense manner, “or she wouldn’t be able to work the spell. So eat up all those calories and we’ll get back to your place and send it off by courier. The sooner Granny has it, the sooner she can find him.”

Gwen’s tone helped Laurel to regain her composure.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“Oh stop it. What are friends for?”

• • •

The next day at school, Gwen was astonished by the difference in Dana. The girl looked transformed! The haunted look was completely gone, and though she still sat in the back of the class, there was something dignified, even queenly about her aloofness. There was also an air of triumph about her, as if she had succeeded at something. She looked immensely pleased with herself, like the cat that had got the cream. In the days that followed, Gwen saw a steady increase in strength and vitality. Dana’s features seemed to glow. But at the same time, the girl became even more evasive and wily. No matter how often Gwen tried to cross paths with her or speak in private, Dana managed to slip away. She was adept at escaping, disappearing around corners, out of classrooms, down hallways.

“As elusive as a fairy,” Gwen said ruefully to Laurel.

They were taking turns watching over Dana. Like guardian angels, they followed her from home to school and back again to make certain she was safe.

Though they didn’t admit it, they were also spying. Gwen now believed that Dana had a mission; that someone, somehow, had set her on the quest to restore the gateways. All the changes in the girl pointed to it. There was a definite air of determination and purpose.

Laurel wasn’t convinced. “How could she know anything? The portals are down. There’s no contact with Faerie. If there were, we’d have heard something by now.”

Gwen recognized the logic of Laurel’s argument, but she trusted her instincts. Dana was questing and growing from it. If only the girl would let them in!

Gwen’s chance arrived the day Jean returned to school. She knew one of her students had been mugged, but she hadn’t connected him to Dana. After all, Toronto was a big city with the usual crime rate, and this particular boy had notes on his file about absenteeism, rebelliousness, and defiance of authority. When he first entered the classroom, he didn’t even look at Dana.

It was at lunchtime, when Gwen was passing the cafeteria, that she saw them together. Her attention had been caught by the sound of wild laughter. She was so surprised to see Dana with a friend that she stopped and stared. It was Jean, the boy who was attacked! Gwen’s mind raced, putting two and two together. She studied Dana. The girl looked flushed and happy. With a pang, Gwen saw the relationship and knew what it meant. She could have been looking at herself and Dara the first time they met, brought together by a Faerie mission. The reminder brought an ache to her heart, but she was also glad. If her intuition was right, Dana was not only on the quest but she had a companion.

With some trepidation, Gwen decided it was time to act. She would have to talk fast. Teachers rarely entered the student cafeteria and she didn’t want an audience. At the same time, she needed to convince these two that she was on their side and ready to help them.

Dana’s instant rebuff was so forceful, it took Gwen’s breath away. Hardly the weak and nervous girl of first impressions! Rejection notwithstanding, Gwen was delighted. She looked from Dana to Jean, liking what she saw. The young man showed strength of character. Someone to be trusted. Together they inspired confidence. There was hope for the mission.

• • •

The moment she was alone, Gwen rang Laurel with the latest news.

“No offense, Gwen, but we need something more tangible than your instincts.
Give me the facts, ma’am, just the facts.
She knows the portals are down since she, like us, would be cut off from Faerie. And she obviously knows an enemy is after her, if she has been attacked. But that doesn’t mean she knows what to do or that she has the power to restore the gateways. We’ve got to meet her and find out what’s happening.”

“Our original task was to watch over her,” Gwen argued. “Not to interfere. We each had our own mission and this one is hers. If she doesn’t want our help, we’ve no right to force her. We’ve got to trust she can do it. It’s her destiny.”

Laurel made an exasperated noise. “There’s your rose-colored glasses again. Destiny doesn’t guarantee that everything will turn out all right. This is too important to stick to tradition. You’re endangering Faerie.”

“That’s unfair,” Gwen protested.

She was hurt by the remark, but Laurel was relentless. “Fair or not, time is against us. I say grab Dana by the scruff of the neck and find out what she knows. If you don’t, I will. This can’t go on any longer. We’ve been sensitive enough for her sake. The mission is more important than any of us.”

It wasn’t their first disagreement about strategy, but it was the worst. Laurel’s tone was belligerent. Gwen felt cornered.

“All right. I’ve got an idea. I’ll write her a note. If that doesn’t work, you can confront her yourself.”

“Fine,” said Laurel, and she hung up.

Gwen sighed as she stared at the phone. She missed the Company of Seven.

• • •

On entering the classroom the next morning, Gwen saw immediately that Jean had changed desks to sit beside Dana. The two were deep in conversation, oblivious to everyone else around them. It wasn’t Gwen’s nature to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t help herself. Sidling along the aisle, she took more time than was necessary to open the window near them.

She heard very little before Dana spotted her, but it was enough. Confirmation at last! Gwen was elated. Dana was on the mission and so, too, was Jean. They had been discussing how to get away for the long weekend. Here was the opportunity Gwen had been hoping for, the chance to show her good faith and gain their confidence.

• • •

When Gwen called Laurel that day, they devised a plan together. Gwen would arrange “a school trip” for Dana and Jean. She had the money to finance their travels and she would accompany them. Between the note declaring Gwen a Companion of Faerie and the offer of assistance, they were bound to accept her.

“You’ll miss Thanksgiving,” Laurel said. “My parents were looking forward to meeting you.” Her voice was sheepish. She was feeling guilty about the fight the night before, especially since Gwen had been proven right. Gwen being Gwen, of course, hadn’t said, “I told you so.”

“I’ll visit another time. Tell them I really appreciate the invite. But it makes sense that I’m the one to go and not you. It’s your Thanksgiving and you should be there. Maybe you’ll come to New Jersey for ours next month?”

“You’re sure about this?” Again, the guilt.

“Hey, I’m the one who’s off on an adventure. Isn’t that better than a turkey dinner?” Gwen gasped with mock horror. “Did I say that?”

“You’ve convinced me now,” Laurel said, wryly. “Okay then, I’m going to head off today to beat the rush on the buses. I expect a full report when I get back.”

“You’ve got it.”

“And Gwen?”

“What?”

“Be careful, eh?”

• • •

The plan was a good one, but like all plans it wasn’t foolproof. With only two days till the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, Gwen had to act fast. First things first, she needed parental permission for the two students to travel. That was the easy part, a few phone calls. It was her efforts to make contact with the young people that failed disastrously. She had hoped to catch Jean before he went home, but hadn’t counted on him leaving early for hockey practice. But the real catastrophe was Dana’s reaction to the note.

The handmade paper was a gift from Dara. The golden spirals were a Faerie design. Gwen had taken her time to write the note, knowing it was important that the message appeal to Dana. As a last flourish, she had sprinkled the envelope with her favorite apple-scented perfume. The note was left on Dana’s desk where she couldn’t possibly miss it.

At her own desk, Gwen pretended to mark papers, watching Dana from the corner of her eye. She held her breath. Now her heart lifted with hope as the girl approached her. But without looking back, Dana hurried from the classroom.

Hopes dashed, Gwen sat stunned a moment. Then, grabbing her coat and purse, she ran after the girl.