Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst Page B
Authors: Sarah Beth Durst
Tags: United States, Fiction, General, People & Places, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Performing Arts, Education, Adventure and Adventurers, School & Education, Adventure stories, Multigenerational, Body; Mind & Spirit, Dance, Locks and Keys, Magick Studies, Universities and colleges, College stories, Higher, Princeton (N.J.), Princeton University
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was not the least bit ironic. Lily had the sense that if they weren't in public, he would have clicked his heels and saluted.
"The tiger boy will be there," Mr. Mayfair continued. "I'd like to ask him a few questions."
Jake nodded. "He'll be taken in."
The way Jake said it sounded almost ominous, as if Tye would be in an interrogation room with a single bare
62
lightbulb. Lily frowned and opened her mouth to object.
"Respectfully," Mr. Mayfair said. "He saved our candidate here. We owe him a debt." He favored Lily with a warm and reassuring smile. Lily smiled back, very glad that he'd been here with Grandpa.
"Consider it done," Jake said. To Lily, he asked, "Ready?"
She still had about three billion unanswered questions, but she nodded anyway. Liar or not, Tye needed help as soon as possible. Her questions could wait. "Thank you," she said to Mr. Mayfair.
"You're most welcome, my dear," he said.
"Tell Grandpa to call me if he needs help with Mom," she said.
Leading the way, Jake wove through the crowded tent. Lily followed behind. Once they exited the fenced-in area, Jake broke into a jog. She hurried to catch up. Her side cramped almost instantly.
In a perfectly conversational tone, as if they weren't running, Jake asked, "How are you enjoying your visit to Princeton?"
He had to be joking. "What's a Feeder?" she asked.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that," he said. He smiled at her as if to say it was nothing personal. The smile made her heart do a little flip inside her rib cage. "I'm not supposed to aid or interfere."
"It attacked me," she said. Her calf muscles burned as they trotted across the campus road and headed toward Nassau
63
Hall. "I think I have a right to know what it is." She pointed at East Pyne. "They're in the courtyard."
"Stay behind me," Jake said, picking up speed. "You're not trained."
"Trained for what?" Lily asked.
He ran through the arch first. She raced after him and then bumped into his back as he abruptly stopped. "Sorry!" she said. She peeked around him. The courtyard was silent and peaceful ... and empty.
The Feeder was gone.
So was Tye.
64
CHAPTER Four
Jake knelt next to the torn and mangled leaves. He fingered a battered vine.
"Careful," Lily warned. "The vines ... well, they moved. Like snakes." She winced as she said it. It sounded so ridiculous. But she'd seen them writhe and watched them cocoon that Feeder thing.
He frowned at the ivy. "Dryad? What did the Feeder look like?"
"Green hairless monkey," she said. "Did you say 'dryad'? As in Greek myths?" She thought of the library book by her father.
"Can't be," he said. "Not with that description. Are you certain the vines moved?"
A knot of shredded ivy lay beside an indent in the soil. The vines looked like a cocoon ripped open. Ragged greenery was strewn about. "I didn't imagine it!" she said.
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And she certainly hadn't imagined a dryad.
He held up his hands, palms out. "I believe you."
"Sorry," she said. She hadn't meant to yell. But the creature had been real. She hadn't had a brain hiccup. Lily touched the bite marks on her shoulder to reassure herself and winced again as they stung. The creature must have escaped, and Tye must have chased after it. She pictured it barging through a Reunions tent filled with toddlers and grandfathers. "We have to find them." She spun in a circle, as if she'd see a clue as to which direction they'd run.
Jake smiled.
"It's not funny," she said. "Tye could be hurt. An innocent bystander could be hurt."
"I'm sorry," he said, smile disappearing. The tips of his ears turned pink. She stared, awed that she had made this golden boy blush. "It's only ... I like your attitude. That's all."
She continued to stare. She was more used to people telling her she needed an attitude adjustment.
"You don't have to worry about the Feeder, though," Jake said. "We have teams to chase it." He pulled out a phone and flipped it open.
"You have teams?" Lily asked. This happened often enough
"The tiger boy will be there," Mr. Mayfair continued. "I'd like to ask him a few questions."
Jake nodded. "He'll be taken in."
The way Jake said it sounded almost ominous, as if Tye would be in an interrogation room with a single bare
62
lightbulb. Lily frowned and opened her mouth to object.
"Respectfully," Mr. Mayfair said. "He saved our candidate here. We owe him a debt." He favored Lily with a warm and reassuring smile. Lily smiled back, very glad that he'd been here with Grandpa.
"Consider it done," Jake said. To Lily, he asked, "Ready?"
She still had about three billion unanswered questions, but she nodded anyway. Liar or not, Tye needed help as soon as possible. Her questions could wait. "Thank you," she said to Mr. Mayfair.
"You're most welcome, my dear," he said.
"Tell Grandpa to call me if he needs help with Mom," she said.
Leading the way, Jake wove through the crowded tent. Lily followed behind. Once they exited the fenced-in area, Jake broke into a jog. She hurried to catch up. Her side cramped almost instantly.
In a perfectly conversational tone, as if they weren't running, Jake asked, "How are you enjoying your visit to Princeton?"
He had to be joking. "What's a Feeder?" she asked.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that," he said. He smiled at her as if to say it was nothing personal. The smile made her heart do a little flip inside her rib cage. "I'm not supposed to aid or interfere."
"It attacked me," she said. Her calf muscles burned as they trotted across the campus road and headed toward Nassau
63
Hall. "I think I have a right to know what it is." She pointed at East Pyne. "They're in the courtyard."
"Stay behind me," Jake said, picking up speed. "You're not trained."
"Trained for what?" Lily asked.
He ran through the arch first. She raced after him and then bumped into his back as he abruptly stopped. "Sorry!" she said. She peeked around him. The courtyard was silent and peaceful ... and empty.
The Feeder was gone.
So was Tye.
64
CHAPTER Four
Jake knelt next to the torn and mangled leaves. He fingered a battered vine.
"Careful," Lily warned. "The vines ... well, they moved. Like snakes." She winced as she said it. It sounded so ridiculous. But she'd seen them writhe and watched them cocoon that Feeder thing.
He frowned at the ivy. "Dryad? What did the Feeder look like?"
"Green hairless monkey," she said. "Did you say 'dryad'? As in Greek myths?" She thought of the library book by her father.
"Can't be," he said. "Not with that description. Are you certain the vines moved?"
A knot of shredded ivy lay beside an indent in the soil. The vines looked like a cocoon ripped open. Ragged greenery was strewn about. "I didn't imagine it!" she said.
65
And she certainly hadn't imagined a dryad.
He held up his hands, palms out. "I believe you."
"Sorry," she said. She hadn't meant to yell. But the creature had been real. She hadn't had a brain hiccup. Lily touched the bite marks on her shoulder to reassure herself and winced again as they stung. The creature must have escaped, and Tye must have chased after it. She pictured it barging through a Reunions tent filled with toddlers and grandfathers. "We have to find them." She spun in a circle, as if she'd see a clue as to which direction they'd run.
Jake smiled.
"It's not funny," she said. "Tye could be hurt. An innocent bystander could be hurt."
"I'm sorry," he said, smile disappearing. The tips of his ears turned pink. She stared, awed that she had made this golden boy blush. "It's only ... I like your attitude. That's all."
She continued to stare. She was more used to people telling her she needed an attitude adjustment.
"You don't have to worry about the Feeder, though," Jake said. "We have teams to chase it." He pulled out a phone and flipped it open.
"You have teams?" Lily asked. This happened often enough
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