Blue Keltic Moon (Children of the Keltic Triad) Read Online Free

with all the shelters and picnic tables filled. The shrieks from at least three birthday parties kept the resident birds and squirrels on alert. Freshly washed and polished antique cars filled the parking lot while the promoters of the event scurried to set up a long grill and a cotton candy machine.
    The couple directing the set up looked a bit flustered. Bree grinned. Many times she’d assisted Pop-pop setting up events at The Castle, Jaysson’s permanent faire site. So she understood all the things that could go wrong. But telling the hot couple, now involved in a low-pitched argument, to simply take a few deep breaths to calm down wouldn’t help. She was glad Pop-pop and Jaye had decided to close Zeroun’s catering, although they still helped out at the Castle. Sometimes she missed the excitement of a successful event.
    She let her gaze wander to the group of teenagers reenacting battles with padded, wooden and plastic pipe weapons. The young people were dressed in an interesting combination of medieval, fantasy and modern garb. Today, there was even a Samurai. Their enthusiasm and dedication were real, though if they fought actual battles, there would have been no survivors. Once when she’d been the same age, she’d tried to join them, and show how battles really would be waged.
    She’d been laughed out of the park by a handful of know-it-all boys. Now one of those boys was a banker. Another ran a comic book store. A third, who had actually listened to her, worked as a knight in the jousts at The Castle.
    Chuckling, she shooed a fly with a wave of her hand. She’d seen him practice. He still had much to learn.
    And she was the leader of the Alastriona, the defenders of mankind. She proudly equated her faerie warriors to a special ops group—no discernable presence, but on the ready, nonetheless.
    A fine irony.
    “Hey, baby girl.”
    “Dad. Come to join my critique of today’s battle?”
    “Nope. I’ve got a message for you from lord Jaysson.”
    Bree’s shoulders tightened, shedding the pleasant relaxation of the summer afternoon. Jayse usually just called her. To receive a message like this meant important, official faerie business. Her heart thudded heavily. “ Lord Jaysson?”
    Bryce sat next to her and shrugged one shoulder. “It’s an official request for you to call him as soon as possible. Official requests require the proper titles and officious tones.”
    “Now you sound like some of the counselors in Lucidea’s high court.” Bree chuckled and her father joined her for a moment before resting his hand on her arm. “He sounded stressed, so it must be important, honey.”
    Rubbing her palms together, she watched her father’s face trying to determine if he knew more than he was saying. “Is someone hurt?”
    “No, I don’t think so. They need you as Alastriona, not healer this time.”
    “He still could have just called my cell.”
    Bryce bit back a grin. “He did.”
    “I didn’t...” She patted her pocket. “Where did I leave the silly thing this time?”
    “Dining room table.” With an easy, practiced flourish—the culmination of years as a magician—he waggled his fingers then pulled her phone from her ear. “Call him now, Bree. He was pretty rattled.”
    They rose together. Bree punched in the overseas number as they crossed the street and they made it to the porch. Her father had stepped inside before the connection went through. “Breanna. Come to Scotland. Now,” Jayse said without preamble then disconnected.
    Surprised at his terse communication, Bree gave her folks a quick farewell and hurried across two connecting backyards. Jaye’s backyard was home to a permanently opened portal to Faerie, disguised from human view as a rose covered trellis. From there it was but a few short steps to create a portal to her destination.
    She stepped from the bright, clear daylight of Faerie into the dark of a Highland night. Without her usual slow enjoyment of the area, she