Kerka's Book by Jan Bozarth Read Free Book Online

two feet tall and wearing what I thought of as basic elf clothing—red cap, brown leggings, a green coat with white fur trim, and black boots—he watched me from atop a large rock. His pointed ears were too long to fit under his cap.
    I was sure he was an elf. He looked seriously grumpy, and I tried not to be too worried. In Finnish folklore, disturbing an elf is almost as bad as insulting or cheating one.
    The elf’s ears twitched when he cocked his head. I just stared back until he somersaulted off his perch. The little man rocked up onto his feet and zipped across the sand, moving so fast I saw only a blur ofred and green, like a piece of Christmas gone crazy. He skidded to a halt in front of me.
    â€œWho are you?” I asked.
    â€œWho’s who? And who are you?” the elf answered in a squeaky lilt. Then he added with a smirk, “As if I didn’t know!”
    I wasn’t sure whether to tell him my name—which would give the elf the upper hand—or to call his bluff, which might not
be
a bluff.
    â€œWho am I, then?” I asked with an impish grin, and crossed my arms, daring him. I knew that elves have a habit of getting even by doing something ten times worse than what was done to them. But they also like to be amused and entertained—that’s what I was shooting for.

    The elf jumped up and down and spoke in jumbled rhyme. “The name I choose is Kerka Laine. So I win, you lose; I know your name.”
    My mouth dropped open, but I quickly closed it. The fairies must have told him to expect me.
    â€œDon’t hesitate or you’ll be late!” The elf leaned toward me, his brow furrowing. “Your task must be finished, over and done, before the Three Queens’glow disappears in the sun.” He waved his hand in the direction of the horizon.
    â€œBy morning?” I asked, perplexed.
    â€œMaybe.” The elf shrugged.
    I asked a different question, hoping to get a clearer answer. “How long do I have?”
    â€œTomorrow, today. It’s hard to say.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?” I asked as evenly as I could. I couldn’t let myself get riled up.
    The elf threw up his hands. “Sometimes the sun rises, sometimes it blinks on. Or takes the day off, and there isn’t a dawn.” Then he concluded in an ominous tone: “In Aventurine, anything goes, and no one, but no one, ever knows.”
    I exhaled slowly. So no one in Aventurine knew when the golden glow on the Three Queens would be lost in sunlight, because the sun didn’t always follow the rules. But it didn’t matter. I still had to find my little sister’s voice before dawn, whenever it happened. I had to have time to finish. Otherwise, my mission would be a fool’s errand, and Queen Patchouli was no fool. But now I had to go as fast as possible in case there was exactly enough time and not a minute more, which brought me back to my original problem.
    â€œThank you,” I said to the elf. “That is veryhelpful information. So can you tell me which path I should take?” I asked as respectfully as I could, trying to get elf points. “You seem to know so many things.”
    â€œWhat trade can you make?” the elf asked.
    In stories, elves never do something for nothing, and they are willing to barter for both honor and treats. It was a good thing the Willowood Fairies had given me food for the journey. “I have a honey bar.” I took a bar from my pouch and held it out.
    â€œSecondhand fairy food? That’s rude!” he spoke with a look of disdain.
    â€œIt’s perfectly good and very sweet!” I said, a little taken aback.
    The elf leaned toward me again. “You can give a fairy’s gift away, but not for a bargain on any day.”
    â€œReally?” I asked, truly surprised. “I had no idea. Well, I don’t have anything to trade, then. The fairies gave me everything I have, except my