I did make some larger changes here. I decided not to go with the Iron Skull bit. That's the main reason I redid these chapters – I hated it. So the Iron Skull setting will not be in this version of the story at all, but Liz is still going to have similar problems.
Liz waited outside the shed dressed in jeans, black cowboy boots, and black tank top. It was already dark and Coyote had said he would be back in time for supper. She started to wonder where he was.
Liz had been taught to sense magic over great distances. She wasn't very good at it yet, but she could sense Coyote's general direction if she put her mind to it. She gave it a try.
She sighed. "Nothing. Did you go back to Avalon?" she thought out loud. That was the only explanation she could come up with for not being able to sense him.
Something niggled at the back of her mind that something was very off. Coyote had told her he was going to check on Peter and Peter was in New York, not on Avalon. Even as far away as she was from New York, she should have been able to feel him faintly.
"No," Liz muttered. "No, something isn't right."
She gathered her magic. There was a powerful gust of wind that stirred up a cloud of dust and then she was gone.
When she got to Avalon, she could immediately sense that Coyote was not there either. Now she was becoming frustrated. She reached back at her double ear piercings and tugged at her diamond earrings, feeling a gentle pulse of magic surge through her fingertips.
"Where to go to ask?" murmured Liz.
Anansi was someone who would give her information if she asked nicely for it. He had forgiven her, after all, for electrocuting him during the hunt. Now to find him. If she was using her power correctly, he wasn't that far off. Liz started down the forest trail in his direction.
"Liz Maza," came the giant spider's voice. The brush parted to reveal Anansi. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" he asked.
"Did Coyote stop by recently?" asked Liz.
"No," replied Anansi. "He is not with you?"
"I can't find him," said Liz. "He said he was going to check on someone and that he would be back soon, but he's been gone longer than he said he would be. I thought maybe he came back to Avalon for something and lost track of time. Are you sure he's not here?"
"I am certain," said Anansi. "We tricksters have our ways of keeping track of each other."
The ground began to shake and Liz covered her ears as a horrible screeching sound filled the air and then it stopped
"What the heck was that?" she asked, lowering her hands.
Anansi hissed. "That is not good."
"What was it?" Liz asked again.
"Avalon's way of telling us something is very wrong," he replied. "Come with me. Lord Oberon will be summoning us very soon."
Liz walked next to Anansi, keeping her worry and fear under a mask of determination. Others were already making their way to the great hall. Among them was Banshee, the metal plate still over her mouth. Liz couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. She knew the stories about the journeys around the world and that Banshee had a beautiful voice, when she wanted it to be beautiful, of course.
One day, Liz promised. One day I'll make sure that you'll sing again, Banshee. You can count on that.
They entered the great hall, Titania immediately seeing Liz and motioning her to come forward. She took her aside.
"What has happened?" Titania asked Liz.
"You're asking me?" asked Liz.
Titania looked at the crowd of gathering Children. "Where is Coyote?"
"That's why I came," said Liz. "He left, never came back, and I thought he was here."
"Did you hear Avalon's warning?" asked Titania.
"Uh, yeah," replied Liz. "Kinda hard to miss the nails on a chalkboard screech."
"Avalon only does that when there is a great threat to us," said Titania.
Oberon entered and walked up to his throne.
"I need to be by his side," said Titania. "Go to Princess Katherine and Guardian Tom. I will fetch you when the meeting is over."
"I don't need to be here?" asked Liz.
"I fear Oberon may try to blame you for Coyote's disappearance. Go. Swiftly."
Liz nodded. She ducked out a side door and hurried over to where Princess Katherine and Tom live. Tom answered the door when she knocked.
"Liz! What a pleasant surprise. Come in, lass," said Tom, ushering her in. "Perhaps you can tell us what all that noise was about."
"I wish I could, but I have more questions than answers," said Liz. "Titania told me it's Avalon's way of telling there's a great threat to them."
"A great threat?" repeated Tom.
Princess Katherine hurried into the room. "Liz!" she cried, giving the teenager a hug.
"Hey, Princess," said Liz, returning the hug.
"What is the news?" asked Princess Katherine. "Tell us."
"Like I told Tom, I have more questions than answers. I don't know what to tell you. I think it has something to do with Coyote. He's missing. I can't find him. He said he went to check on Peter Maza, my grandfather, but he never came back. Now I'm really thinking something bad happened to him."
"Have you told Queen Titania?" asked Tom.
"She knows he's missing, but she had me come here before Oberon noticed me," said Liz. "She thinks he'll blame me for his disappearance. She's going to summon me once the meeting is over." She shook her head. "I don't like this one bit."
Princess Katherine and Tom sat down in their sitting room while Liz shifted her weight from foot to foot, her arms crossed and her dark eyes flicking this way and that as she thought about what could be going on.
There was a knock at the door. Liz was the first one to answer it. She nearly yanked it off its hinges when she opened it. It was Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, her periwinkle blue eyes wide from Liz's suddenness.
"Lord Oberon wishes to speak with you," said Vivian.
"Oberon?" asked Liz. "Not Titania?"
Vivian led Liz back to the throne room, though Liz needed no escort. The throne room was nearly empty except for the king and queen. Liz lowered her eyes and bowed her head briefly before facing Oberon.
"Brazen as ever, I see," said Oberon, annoyed, but with a hint of admiration in his voice.
Still a royal pain, I see, thought Liz. "What is going on?" asked Liz.
"And impatient," added Oberon.
Liz watched him carefully. He was stiff in his chair, his blue knuckles turning white as he gripped his arm rests, and his expression was strained.
"Liz Maza," Oberon said, "do you know the whereabouts of Coyote?"
"No," she answered, looking him straight in the eye.
Oberon seemed to judge her answer. He then let out a slow breath.
Titania reached over to take his hand. "I told you, husband, Liz would never do anything to hurt Coyote."
"What's going on?" Liz asked tensely.
Titania turned to her. "As you know, Coyote is missing. We believe that he is in grave danger."
Liz's jaw tightened.
"We have tried locating his whereabouts," said Oberon. "I have even used the mirror to contact him. Clearly there is something interfering with fey magic."
"Iron, probably," Liz said.
"Something our magic is vulnerable to." Oberon looked down at her. "But you are not."
"True, but . . ." She looked at the tall mirror sitting ot the side of the throne. It showed nothing but a black void.
Last place he was going was New York, but I don't know if he even made it there.
Coyote is a trickster, said the little voice in her head. He is not easy to capture. The right bait was needed.
Bait?
Yes, bait.
Oh, no, Grandpa Peter could be in danger, too! Liz thought.
Oberon took Liz's silence as hesitation. Perhaps she needed some incentive.
"You are aware this task will be greatly appreciated among us, are you not?" asked Oberon. "Or are you expecting me to reward you with something you desire?"
Liz's head snapped back to him, her dark eyes burning with anger. Her lips parted as if to say something, but nothing came out.
Titania quickly tried to contain the situation. "My lord, I do not believe you need to remind her of such a thing. And if she wanted a reward, I am certain she would ask for one."
The anger in Liz's eyes dimmed some, but she was still looking at Oberon. Oberon stared back, watching her expression, a combination of shock, disbelief, and disgust.
"You have something you wish to say, Liz?" asked Oberon.
Titania cringed, knowing that the pin had been pulled on a grenade, a grenade named Liz Maza.
"Livid does not even begin to cover what I'm feeling toward you right now, Oberon," said Liz as calmly as she could manage.
Liz turned on her heel and walked out of the throne room.
Titania was shocked, but let out a sigh of relief. That could have been a lot worse and she knew it. She turned to her husband.
"That was a horrible thing to say to her," Titania scolded.
Oberon stared at her, confused.
Titania shook her head. "When you understand what you said to her, come tell me." She got up and walked out of the throne room, following Liz.
Liz was up in the spare room they kept for her when she would stay the night. She was packing a small bag.
"You handled yourself well," Titania said from the doorway.
Liz continued to pack, not looking up. "Shooting off my mouth would have solved nothing." She turned to the queen. "He hasn't a clue what he said to me, does he?"
Titania smiled sadly. "No," she replied. "I honestly cannot believe such a thing passed his lips. A thousand years have taught us all something, except for him."
"Good thing he has you for a wife," said Liz. She picked up a large knife and strapped it to her belt.
Titania came in. "You know, he admires you."
"Who?" asked Liz.
"Oberon."
"What? No way. I'm just a half-breed with a nose for trouble," said Liz. "How can he admire me? Sure, I've pulled my share of tricks, but that's nothing to brag about."
"You do not fear him," said Titania.
Liz frowned.
Titania elaborated. "The Children respect and fear Oberon's powers. They stay on his good side, knowing there will be consequences for their disobedience. But you, Liz, you respect him, but you don't fear him. Also, I believe he likes having someone look at him on equal ground."
Liz's frown deepened.
"The others know his power and he rules over them," said Titania. "But you do not let him order you around like a servant or one of the Children. And when you walked into the throne room, you showed that he cannot order you about. Why do you think he offered a reward?"
Liz stared in surprise. "He thinks he needs to bribe me to get me to do what he wants? And what do you mean 'equal ground'? He's got you."
"I bend to his will on occasion," admitted Titania.
"Still, that was a horrible thing to say to me," said Liz. "Coyote's family. So is Peter."
"Peter?" asked Titania.
"That's where Coyote was going," said Liz. "He told me he was going to New York to see Peter. If anyone wanted to get to Coyote, using my grandfather would be the perfect bait. I think something happened to him, too."
Titania let out a sound of sympathy. "That was why you hesitated," she said. "I thought I saw you thinking about all the options."
"Yeah, well, I still have a big problem," said Liz. "I have no idea where Coyote could be. I just know that because we can't locate him that he could be somewhere there's a lot of iron. But I have an idea."
She finished packing her backpack. She then took something out of her pocket and clipped it onto the bag.
Titania frowned curiously at the keychain Liz had just put on. It was a strange charm: it was of two beaked beings in trench coats and wide brimmed hats, one black, one white, with mischievous grins. They were wrapped around a sign that read "Spy Vs. Spy", the white one on the bottom and the black one on top.
Titania looked up at Liz with a questioning look. Liz was looking back, a similar grin on her face. She giggled in falsetto, putting up the V for victory sign. Titania shrieked with laughter, Liz getting a laugh out of it as well.
Liz walked out of the palace.
"Hey, Liz!" Raven jogged up to her.
"I'm a bit busy, Raven," said Liz. "Can we make this quick?"
"I heard Lord Oberon offered you a reward to find Coyote," said Raven.
"Eavesdropping, Raven? I thought you were a bit more mature than this," said Liz.
Raven chuckled. "Apparently Lord Oberon has forgotten how you outsmarted him last time. What are you going to ask for when you bring Coyote back?"
Liz shrugged.
"What, you haven't thought about it yet?" asked Raven. "I find that hard to believe. The wheels are always turning in your head."
"I've thought about it," said Liz. "I've thought about it for a while, even before he brought it up."
"I knew it! What is it?" he asked.
Liz narrowed her eyes. "I'm not telling you. You can't keep a secret."
"Really?" asked Raven. "I give you my word, I won't tell anyone, at least until you bring Coyote home and you ask Oberon for it."
"Swear?"
"Swear," said Raven.
Liz motioned for him to lean down so she could whisper it in his ear. Raven eagerly bent down to hear. Liz cupped her hand to her mouth and his ear.
"For Banshee to have her punishment removed," she whispered.
"What?" cried Raven, straightening up. He laughed. "I doubt that will happen!"
"And I know they doubted that I would win the hunt," said Liz.
Raven smirked. "That's true," he said. "I'll make a bet with you."
"I don't like where this is going," said Liz. "But I'll hear you out."
"If Oberon denies your request, you have to jump into the pool at the base of the waterfall," said Raven.
"That's not bad," said Liz.
"Naked," added Raven.
"You'll steal my clothes the first chance you get!" Liz cried.
"Most likely," said Raven, smirking.
Liz thought for a second. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but okay. If Oberon denies me my request, I'll jump into the pool at the base of the waterfall in nothing but my birthday suit. But what if he does grant me my request? What happens then?"
Raven thought for a second before shrugging. "Name it!" he said. "Be as sadistic as you can be. It's not going to happen." He was grinning now.
Liz gave a sadistic smile. "Be careful, Raven. You may regret those words. All right, if I get my request, you have to let one of Anansi's tarantulas give you a purple-nurple."
"What?" Raven laughed. "For a moment there I thought you would have it bite me somewhere else."
"The thought had crossed my mind, but I'm already walking a thin line with animal cruelty with just that."
"Oh, that's low," said Raven.
"Would be great if we had a witness to this," said Liz. "That way we could be held to our word."
"Consider us witnesses."
The Weird Sisters appeared.
"We have heard your bargain," said Luna.
"We will hold you to it," said Seline.
"Great!" chirped Liz. She turned to Raven. "I gotta go. Not a word until I get back."
"You got it," said Raven.
Liz nodded. She broke into a run and a great gust of wind came up behind her. She disappeared into it and blew away from Avalon.
I kept Liz and Raven's bet the same. Looking back I see how juvenile it was, but I couldn't come up with anything better to substitute it with.