The Peacock Tale

By J Monkeys

Quinn Wexford and Kayla Livingston have pinned their hope for answers to Quinn's Great Aunt Tally, but those hopes are crushed when they find a terrified shell of the feisty old woman they expected.

While continuing to search for their missing siblings and trying to protect Great Aunt Tally, they work to discover who they are, but instead learn disturbing answers to questions they didn't know to ask.

Hidden messages and out-of-this-world helpers lead them to a pirate treasure that's been hidden for three hundred years. But the cost is high and this time, they're afraid they won't get out alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J Monkeys
• Release date: Nov 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466071988

J Monkeys

J Monkeys has always been a storyteller, although mostly just for self-entertainment. J was shocked to learn that everybody didn’t spend their time with their head in a cloud imagining what they would do if some kind of adventure presented itself. After getting a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Connecticut (Go HUSKIES!) and spending WAY too long writing boring things for a regular paycheck, J is proud to offer this debut novel.J lives in Connecticut with a menagerie of children and pets and is hard at work on the next book in the Livingston-Wexford series – The Peacock Tale. It’s a piratey adventure! Look for it in the fall of 2011.

Book preview

Chapter One:

A Brownie and a Sprite

Fourteen-year-old Kayla Livingston took two steps out of a doorway and onto a sidewalk on an unfamiliar street in blindingly bright daylight. She moved her right arm to shield her eyes from the sun and realized too late that the glare came off the shiny grill of a car. The car struck her in the stomach and sent her flying through the air.

She opened her mouth to scream, waiting for the pain of hitting the pavement, when she suddenly jolted awake. The movement threw her off balance and she spun out of her hammock, landing on the ground with a very real thud. A root dug into her rib. Definitely going to bruise, she thought.

She climbed back into her hammock and stared up at the little bits of pre-dawn, starry sky she could see between the leafy boughs, rubbing her bruised rib. She and Quinn had biked twenty-five miles a day for the last couple of weeks to get here from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, camping at night and sleeping in hammocks as they went. It had been a Bike Trip From Hell. The BTFH. Muscles she didn’t even know she had ached something fierce. One more pain didn’t matter.

Like it or not, (not!) she and Quinn were on a quest. Quinn was family, of a sort, and they were both Neofytes of Lur Babsel, an ancient society so secret hardly anyone had ever heard of it. Being Neofytes meant they had Advantages. Kayla was a Seer. Some of her dreams came true. Quinn was an Emote. He could feel the emotions of people around him.

Of course there was a yang to their yin. Denortus was another society, as secret and ancient as Lur Babsel. And Denortus was trying to kill her. Best to stay far away from them.

Tomorrow she and Quinn would reach their destination: Quinn's Great Aunt Tally's house in Green Belt, North Carolina, on the Atlantic coast. Thank God, she thought with a sigh. Stupid BTFH. She rolled onto her other side, facing away from the remains of their fire. Just as she was finally drifting back to sleep, Kayla heard a twig snap.

Her body froze as her eyes flipped open, futilely scanning the dark trees for an idea of what had made the noise. Silence hung in the air and Kayla's senses were ready to process every sight, sound and smell.

Another twig snapped, closer this time.

A third twig broke, followed by a whispered curse. Kayla slowly dropped her arm down to the ground and picked up a couple of small stones. Rolling over again, she tossed a stone at Quinn's hammock, a few feet away. She must have missed because he continued to snore. She tossed another, and the snoring stopped. She whispered as quietly as she could, I hear someone. Read 'em.

The twelve seconds that Kayla counted off, while waiting for Quinn to say something, seemed to take twelve minutes. Kayla strained to hear the person and get a sense of where he was. Finally, Quinn whispered back, Not sure. Hide. Trees?

Kayla rolled out of the hammock, trying not to make any noise or big movements that would be highlighted by the faint embers in their fire pit.

Quinn stood, nearly hugging the tree her hammock was tied to, waiting for her with his hand extended. She grabbed it and skirted the edge of the campsite, staying close to the trees, hoping to keep out of sight.

Ten yards away, Kayla peeked from behind his tall, lanky frame. She watched as two figures slunk into their camp from opposite sides, meeting over the fire ring. Didn't I tell you not to spook ‘em? barked a raspy, three-pack-a-day smoker’s voice. All that stompin’ and thrashin’ about, like to wake the dead.

We can't all flit around on wings now can we? Besides, my feet are big. Kayla could see one foot raised and silhouetted by the fire. It did look big, out of proportion for the short man standing on it.

They ain’t gone far. Let him get a sense of us and they'll come on back when they see we don' mean ‘em any harm. Kayla heard a fluttering sound, which she couldn't place, like a pet bird, happy to see its human. The guy sat next to the fire with a thunk that Kayla felt in her knees, even this far away.

Kayla turned her head up to Quinn and breathed, What's going on? What do they want?

Quinn put a finger on her lips and closed his eyes. He seemed to concentrate for a few seconds then must have decided they didn't mean any harm because he said, I think we should go over to the fire and talk.

Quinn stepped out from their hiding place and Kayla felt herself being pulled along behind him. As they covered the short distance back to their hammocks, the intruders turned to watch them approach, but didn't move. Kayla got the impression of watching a deer cautiously wander up to her, only she was the deer. The man was stirring the embers with a stick and adding a handful of twigs to rekindle the fire. In the brightening light, Kayla got her first good look at the pair.

The man was built like a barrel with legs on the bottom. His body seemed to have no waist, his round chest leading into a round stomach, and round hips. His legs looked like sticks jutting out beneath. He had shaggy brown hair that covered his ears and dangled on the collar of his brown vest. At first glance, Kayla thought he was wearing a sweater, but she quickly realized his arms were bare, they were just very hairy. Hairy like Robin Williams or maybe a gorilla.

The woman was as frail as the man was sturdy. She had dingy, cobalt blue hair and her skin was a color Kayla had never seen before, very, sickly yellow. Her face was dominated by a pair of black-rimmed glasses that came to a dramatic point at the corners of her eyes.

Both the man and woman were about the same height, which is why Kayla hadn't realized until they got close how small they were, certainly smaller than five feet tall. When the woman turned to greet Quinn, Kayla saw what appeared to be fairy wings fluttering on her back.

Kayla meant to ask, Who are you people? but it came out less politely. What are you people?

The man laughed at her with a strange kind of smile, I'm a brownie. She's a fairy princess, he twitched a thumb in the woman's direction.

A snorting little laugh erupted from Kayla. You're what?

You can't spring it on people like that, growled the winged woman. She frowned at Kayla and Quinn. And anyway, I'm a sprite princess. Let's discuss it over snacks. She huffed at them, then waved the stick she held in her left hand and a table (with cups of water and something that looked like oatmeal, but not the good kind) appeared where seconds before there had been only empty space.

Kayla felt herself falling, but instead of landing on the ground, Kayla flopped into a straight-backed wooden chair conjured just for the purpose. A brownie and a sprite. Ridiculous. What was next? A unicorn?

Chapter Two:

Rock, Paper, Scissor Nonsense

Quinn had just finished living through a lousy month. Arguably the worst month of his life. Strangely, it had begun with a happy moment – his sister's marriage to a great guy, Jim Livingston. But, things had plummeted pretty quickly after that.

He had been enjoying the last night of their trip, lying in his too-small hammock (they didn't really make travel hammocks for people who were six foot five inches tall), trying desperately to quiet the emotions in his head. They weren't his emotions and they weren't Kayla's, although he could feel hers too. After a month together twenty-four hours a day, every day, he was pretty tuned in to her. He’d managed to tuck her feelings safely away where they didn't distract him.

These emotions were different, somehow purer. And they'd been with him since the fourth day of the BTFH. Quinn had been on the lookout for the owner of these emotions ever since he'd noticed them, but he never saw anyone following them. It put him on edge and every day he got crabbier. Like it wasn't freaky enough to feel the emotions of the people around you, now he had to feel emotions of nonexistent people?!

All day long, day after day, for over a week now, he'd been feeling these annoying conflicting emotions. Cheer and grumpiness. Frustration and patience. Determination and boredom. This evening when they finally stopped at the campground, he truly thought he might be going mad.

Hmmm, madness could lead to musical genius, he thought. It worked for Mozart. Frighteningly soon after that thought, Quinn began to worry about getting what he’d wished for. Secret societies and unusual abilities were one thing. Believing in mythical creatures was something else entirely. A brownie and a sprite. He blinked as something whacked him on the back of the knees and he fell into an uncomfortable chair beside Kayla. Quinn blurted his doubts without thought for how they’d sound. What's a brownie and what's a sprite? I thought things like that were myths.

After the two little people managed to contain their laughter and eye rolling, the brownie answered, We're otherworldly creatures, not mythical.

What does that mean? Quinn asked, puzzled.

The sprite grunted in disgust. Myths are ancient stories made up by humans to explain natural phenomena. They're fiction, as are most mythical creatures. Legends are stories of the past that are based in human history, but the sources are lost and the stories are unverifiable. Most otherworldly creatures are legendary. We are part of human history, but humans can't prove we exist because they can't see us.

Then where did the legends come from? Quinn snarked.

Throughout the history of humankind, there have been instances where some…people…worked with otherworldly creatures. Legends come from those events. The sprite seemed to struggle a bit with her explanation.

Kayla apparently found her tongue at last. Riiiiiiiight. Um, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but we're human and we can see ya. So what's the deal here? Who are you?

Well, there's human and then there's human plus. You two are human plus; that's why you can see us, but it took a while. We've been traveling with you for a week and a half! At any rate, let's not make a yule log out of a twig. I'm Hilma and this is Umber, the sprite said, poking the brownie with her stick. The LOC was petitioned to send representatives to give you a nudge in the right direction.

The LOC? Quinn asked, trying to keep up with the conversation.

The League of Otherworldly Creatures, Umber grinned.

What, do you have, like, a government? Are there are lot of otherworldly creatures? Quinn asked, hoping for a negative answer. There were too many people in his head already.

Can we get back to 'what' are you? What is a sprite and what is a brownie? And I'm going to need a definition for 'human plus', while we're at it. Kayla said in a frightened, frustrated and freaked out kind of voice.

None of that matters now! Hilma hissed.

Umber cut in before Hilma's aggravation could stall the conversation all together. They'll believe us quicker if we take a few moments to answer their questions now, he said gently.

"Brownies have been around for more than ten thousand years. We are orderly creatures, working to keep chaos out of your natural world. Lots of stories of brownies exist under a variety of names, but essentially, we have worked with all creatures to keep the balance.

"Sprites are the ruling family of a bunch of related creatures known around the world by names such as pixies, fairies, duende, bereginya and a dozen others. Basically, they're winged creatures who can, of course, fly. And they have the power to move objects from one place to another in the blink of an eye.

Human plus is a bit more difficult to explain. It's a broad category, but what's important here, is the type of human plus that you two are. Quinn, you are a mix of human and Lur Babsel lineage. That makes you a Neofyte of Lur Babsel, or stated another way, a new student of the Earth Protectors. Umber paused for a moment before turning to Kayla.

Kayla, you are something very special. Seen only once before in all of human history. Your ancestry is a mix of human, and equal parts of both Lur Babsel and Denortus. That is what makes you so extraordinary. You are made up of both sides of this war. When you gain control of your Advantages, the LOC believes that you'll be very powerful.

Quinn looked over at Kayla to see how she was taking this news. Not very well, if her expression was anything to judge by. Her blonde hair hung limply in her face, her cornflower blue eyes were huge orbs glowing in the firelight, and her mouth hung down, blocking her neck from sight.

Hilma broke into the story, seemingly anxious to discharge her duty and be gone. That's why Jim asked us to get a message to you. You've got to get Erus off your trail before he realizes what you are. You will be the diamond in his collection of Neofytes once he puts it all together.

Kayla must have recovered her senses because she burst out, Jim sent you! Where is he?

Shhhh, Umber cautioned, glancing around the neighboring campsites. We're not really sure where he is, but he sent a cryptic message for you. We could not make any sense of it. I hope you understand. ‘Gat’s Atlantic treasure uses left hand rock, right hand paper, and scissor legs. Find it before they do’. I hope that makes more sense to you than it did to us. Well, nice meeting you and good luck.

"Wait! Who is Erus?" Quinn shouted loud enough that someone in the next campsite over yelled for him to be quiet.

But Hilma and Umber were gone, along with the porridge and the chairs, leaving Quinn and Kayla to fall to the ground in amazement.

Chapter Three:

A Fragile Shell

Kayla was too stunned to move for a long minute. She eventually grabbed Quinn's hand when he offered it and let him haul her to her feet. You saw all that too, right? I wasn't hallucinating.

Yup, you’re not hallucinating. Like we don’t have enough going on with good guys and bad guys, now we’ve got to worry about Otherworldly Creatures.

Kayla dusted off her shorts and winced at the new bruises from the ground. Do you ever wish you could go back in time a month and at least appreciate how simple life was before?

Yeah, I guess. Quinn shook his head and huffed quietly. Where do you think Jim is and how did he contact the LOC? I assume Lorelei is with him, ya think? Quinn asked.

Kayla was quiet for a minute before answering. I have no idea. He must know a lot more about this whole Lur Babsel versus Denortus war than we do. I mean a LOT more.

That's not hard. We barely know anything.

Kayla wondered what other kinds of surprises were in store. A League of Otherworldly Creatures, just coming out of nowhere like that was something she couldn’t even wrap her head around.

Quinn poked at the fire and asked, How do we get off of that Erus guy's radar? I think you were right, he’s got to be the leader of Denortus, maybe even the guy we saw on TV in Philly.

Maybe. Probably. I don’t know and I don’t really want to think about it right now, you know? Look, it's almost dawn. Let's break camp and get an early start. Maybe we can stop somewhere for breakfast. The sooner we get to your Great Aunt Tally's house the better, I think.

Quinn agreed. She's a tough old lady. If anybody can help us get through this mess, it's her.

Kayla nodded and turned her attention to filling her backpack with things left around the campsite. She'd only met Quinn's Great Aunt Tally one time, at Jim and Lorelei's wedding, but Kayla had come away from the conversation with the impression that nothing fazed her. GAT had lived long enough to see everything and fix it all twice.

They checked out and got on the road an hour later, riding toward the rising sun. Once she was alone with her thoughts, Kayla wondered about the League of Otherworldly Creatures. What kind of creatures really existed? Umber had said that brownies worked to keep the balance, but the balance between what?

Kayla hated to leave a puzzle unsolved, but with no idea where to look for information (hadn't they said that legends were unverifiable?) and nothing to go on, she had to let the idea go and accept there was nothing she could do to learn more about the LOC until she found Jim.

After a couple of hours of riding, Kayla pulled up next to Quinn. Shall we stop for breakfast? I saw a sign for a diner a couple of miles down the road.

Sure, Quinn said, navigating around a pothole.

The rest of the day passed in biking solitude and by early evening, Kayla and Quinn had reached the town of Green Belt, North Carolina. It was a quaint seaside town, somehow largely overlooked in the touristy buildup of the towns in Albemarle Sound west of the Outer Banks.

All along the roads, they saw houses and fields growing crops, with enough other stuff to provide a visual break from the farmland, but nothing like the foresty views she took for granted in New England. The center of town was small, just a couple of streets with mostly Mom and Pop-style shops.

Once they passed out of the town proper, Kayla noticed the houses had a funny kind of rhythm to them. They'd pass a big, old mansion, set way back from the street, then a series of newer, smaller homes. Then another big, old mansion and the pattern repeated enough times that she lost count.

Hey, Quinn. Let’s take a break, she called realizing they could be closing in on Great Aunt Tally's house at any time.

Kayla wanted to take a few minutes to make herself a bit more presentable, if possible, before arriving unannounced. She used a bottle of water to wash her face, hands and neck before attempting to straighten her hair in the reflection of Quinn's sunglasses.

Unfortunately, it was hot and the truth was she'd biked twenty-five miles today. Nothing short of a shower was going to make her feel, or smell, any better. She thought Quinn might actually need several showers to get rid of the body odor he was sporting.

What's the deal with the houses around here? Kayla asked. Those old ones are gorgeous, then they have all these new, more average houses.

A lot of these are the old plantation houses. There were a bunch of early settlements around here. Lots of fertile land with waterways to bring in ships to load with goods. Roanoke isn't all that far from here, Quinn said, referring to the earliest English settlement in the New World.

Roanoke had gained notoriety when all the residents mysteriously disappeared between 1587 and 1590, after three years with no supplies from England. When somebody finally returned with supplies three years later, he found no sign of the people, only the word 'Croatoan' carved into a tree. People thought it might have been a reference to the Croatan Native American tribe that lived nearby, but nobody ever figured out for sure what it meant.

After her attempts at tidying up, Kayla got on her bike with more energy than she had in days. Ten more minutes and they'd arrive at GAT's door, ready to lay their troubles at her feet and finally relax after a month of craziness. She couldn't wait.

Soon enough, they were turning down the crushed shell driveway, under a canopy of mostly old trees. Here and there, younger trees fought for sunlight as they grew into their destined spot in the canopy. Kayla assumed that hurricanes had toppled some of these over time. As she turned her handlebars one last time to pull up next to the porch of the old, white house, she was thrilled with the thought that she wouldn't have to ride anywhere any time soon.

She practically raced Quinn up the steps to the bell, giggling in relief at having made it this far. She glanced up at him in anticipation when she heard a shuffling noise on the other side of the door.

Quinn had a strange expression on his face as the door was slowly pulled open, revealing a tiny woman with blue gray hair straggling onto the collar of her faded housecoat. Kayla gasped in shock at the change in her appearance from a month ago at the