Free Dead Moon Awakens: A tale of Cherokee myth and Celtic magic (Mystic Gates) by Teresa Joyce Jackson

be okay
now. Who knows, maybe he’ll bug Lance so much that Lance will finally agree to
take him with us. I hope so! But I’m keeping my mouth shut! I’m not
telling Morri, either.

*******
    April 11
    What a wonderful dream I had!!!! I wonder if
it’s because I wore my amulet to bed. I put it on last night while Morri took a
shower. It makes me feel like Ma is with me. Morri came back too soon, though,
so I kept it on. Anyway, last night I dreamed I saw Ma, and she had her arms
open and was motioning for me to come. She was in the forest where we used to
go sometimes. She stood inside a cave opening. I knew that once I was in the
cave with her, everything would be fine. I woke up before I reached her, but
she was smiling at me, and I knew she still loved me. I know that was her! She
was communicating with me through my dream! Ma, I’m coming. I’ll be there soon.
I love you!
    I’ve got to go, Morri’s waking up.

*******
    “Did you have another nightmare last night?”
Morrigan said while making her bed.
    “No. I had a wonderful dream. Ma was calling for
me. She’s waiting for me. I know it.”
    Morrigan frowned. “So, you didn’t have any
nightmares?”
    “No.” She shoved her desk chair back into place.
“You look surprised? Why did you think I did?”
    Morrigan shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe I had a nightmare. Never mind.”
    On their way to classes, Lance caught up with
them, pretending to borrow a pencil. “Aishling, have you—”
    “Lance, wait up.” Kelile jogged over to them.
“Hey, man.”
    “Hey,” Lance said as he and Kelile bumped fists.
    “Hey, girl. What it is?” Kelile held his fist up
for Aishling to bump, waiting.
    She almost swallowed her tongue. Not daring to
look at Morri, she lightly tapped his fist with hers. “Hi, Kelile.”
    Morrigan rounded on her, sneering.
    “You got a problem with that, prissy queen?” He
chuckled. “Yeah, we’re talkin’.”
    Lance stared at Aishling. She couldn’t read his
look.
    Kelile clamped onto her backpack and pulled her
ahead of the others. When she looked back, they were mouthing something to each
other. “What are you doing, Kelile?”
    “Take this,” he whispered, shoving a note into her
hand. “I need to talk to you later.”
    “I don’t know. I’ll try. I—”
    “Don’t try. Do.” He let go of her backpack and
jogged off toward the classrooms.
    Before she could say anything to the others, Lance
chased after him.
    “What is going on, Aish? Why is he talking to
you?” Morrigan huffed. “Do you remember what I told you about talking to him?”
    “I didn’t know he was going to do that.”
    “What did he whisper to you?”
    “It’s nothing. We ran into each other yesterday,
and we’re talking again. Don’t run off!” she said as Morrigan stormed away.
    Before entering the classroom, she opened the note
from Kelile.
    I have a plan. You have to meet me
behind Anderson House at 4pm.
    K
    She wadded up the note and threw it in a trashcan
before walking into class.
    Even though she tried getting Morrigan’s
attention, Morri ignored her through math. Fuming by their first break,
Aishling confronted her in the girl’s bathroom. “Will you stop acting like
that!”
    Morrigan scowled at her in the mirror and kept
combing her hair.
    “I didn’t tell him anything.”
    “Didn’t Lance tell you not to talk to him?”
    “No. You told me not to.”
    “Same thing.”
    “Don’t you think he might get a little suspicious
if I don’t talk anymore? We are friends? As long as I don’t tell him
anything, how can that hurt?”
    Morrigan stared at her own reflection. “Oh, all
right, but you have to tell me everything he says to you. Agreed?”
    “Okay.”

*******
    April 11 (evening)
    I should have never talked to Kelile yesterday.
If I’m not careful, I’m going to mess everything up!
    Kelile told me Lance was going on a weekend
visit with the Jamesons tomorrow night—which I already knew, but acted like