Green by Laura Peyton Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

They knew how heavily the odds weighed against them ever having wives o' their own. So in a fit o' drunken inspiration, they trapped a spotted pisky and demanded a wish for its release."
    "More heart than smarts," Kate muttered with a roll of her eyes.
    Bronwyn sighed and shook her head. "Piskies are a contrary lot, Lil, and spotted piskies are the worst. Anyone with a whit o' sense would sooner ask for a lump on the head than a wish from a spotted pisky. But those lads were
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    in no condition to think things through. They dragged that tetchy pisky right up to the edge o' the dance. 'We wish all these women were o' a size to be our wives!' they said. 'Granted,' said the pisky."
    Bronwyn sighed again. "When those young fools picked themselves off the ground, that pisky was long gone and our lads were human size. And that wasn't even the worst o' it--they'd lost their leprechaun strength, were subject to human diseases, and had human life spans too."
    "What happened to them?" I asked.
    "Most regretted their unlucky wish and lived out their short lives with their brothers," Bronwyn replied, "but a few went ahead and took human wives, living in human villages and never revealing their true nature to anyone for fear o' jeopardizing the clans. In fifty years, they were all dead. But those giants who wed had children, Lil--leplings--and their descendants live on. Like you."
    I had no idea what to say to that. I filled the silence by polishing off sandwiches, forcing myself to chew and swallow.
    Leprechaun blood!
    The mere idea was ridiculous. I wanted to tell them how wrong they were, to recount all the perfectly normal generations of my family. The problem was, my family wasn't that normal.
    Rising from the table, I went back to the cupboard.
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    There were dresses I recognized and ones I didn't. Two nightgowns hung next to a fuzzy bathrobe. There were a few pairs of pants, some button-up blouses, and, at the end of the pole, a belted sweater with pockets I had seen Gigi wear a hundred times. I stroked its sleeve longingly, as if she were still wearing it.
    Somewhere in Providence, my mom was either totally worried or truly irate. I was still pretty worried myself. But how could I doubt now that these leprechauns had known Gigi, maybe even better than I'd known her myself? I didn't believe the lepling story, but I was Gigi's granddaughter through and through, and here, in this strange cottage, I felt her presence more intensely than I ever did at home.
    How could I go home without learning why?
    Taking Gigi's bathrobe off the hanger, I wrapped it around me and let my towel drop, nothing underneath but bare skin and a fancy gold key. I took a few breaths, steeling up my courage. Then I turned back to the tea party.
    "This banquet," I said. "When does it start?"
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    Chapter 5
    "Don't be nervous," Bronwyn advised, trying to push me out the cottage door and into the night outside.
    "I'm not," I lied, not moving. I was wearing my grandmother's green velvet dress, which had been brushed until it looked new. On my feet, a pair of elaborately decorated silver flats matched the dress's intricate embroidery.
    "Cobbled by Horace Green himself!" an awed Lexie had told me, taking the shoes from the cupboard. "How do they feel, Lil?"
    They felt like leather, pretty much, which was surprising
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    considering that they looked like solid silver. The toes were a bit tight for me, but the soles were soft and springy. Having arrived barefoot, I just had to be glad my feet were nearly the same size as Gigi's.
    Bronwyn pushed on my calf again. Still I hesitated on the threshold, deeply apprehensive about venturing into whatever came next. My hand sought out the key around my neck, squeezing it for reassurance. Gigi went to this banquet , I thought. I can at least pretend to be as brave as she was .
    "Here we go, then," I said at last, stepping into the unknown.
    Lexie led the way down deserted streets, carrying a green lantern. Our footsteps echoed