The days – or rather days worth of time – rolled by in Faerie without variation. Every waking period was sunny and warm, with enough wind to make sweating pleasant instead of sticky. Sleeping periods were cooler, but still brightly lit. At most, the sun might disappear behind a cloud. Flowers bloomed continuously in the …
If there was anything to praise about humans, it was their adaptability. Roan’s adopted household settled into their new normal in the space of a day. Though Corey and Bless were still quite intense in the attention they paid to Roan, she found the fuss a worthy trade for always having a packmate around. Bless’ …
Sitting on her butt on soft moss, clad in another ridiculous riot of silk and lace masquerading as a dress, Mariah willed herself to cry. She was staring up at Podra, locked in a contest of wills with the green woman. Mariah felt that all she needed was to cry to win, but so far …
In a fresh diaper, and with Forrest out of the room, Roan shucked the sweaty shirt she’d napped in and took a moment to consider her next move. The first thing to do was to put her ward up. Though the house was warm, there was no central hearth. All the seats in the main …
The unending summer afternoon made the well kept grove of trees a pleasant place to sit, no matter how unnatural it was to have a timeless day. Light breezes flowed through the garden precisely when needed, relieving sweat and sticky heat. Mariah no longer believed the timing of the breeze to be an enjoyable coincidence. …
The meal Bless had made for Roan was the most hearty she’d had so far, and it surprised her with how much it satisfied. Any time mortal food had been mentioned in Faerie, those who’d eaten it couldn’t criticize it enough. The complaints were always the same, it was tasteless, uninspired, and crude. Roan supposed …
Wind ruffled the faerie garden like a great hand ruffling fur. Mariah woke to the sound of tiny bells. Silver flowers had bloomed at the top of her cage; their crystalline stamens clattered musically against the metallic petals. It would have been a soothing escape from having to think about her predicament, if Mariah didn’t …
The house had gotten warm. Roan was on the floor to escape the heat. She didn’t trust her puny tongue to keep her cool. Not for the first time, she missed the ability to shift to a four-legged form. Her hunting hound shape was nice and small, perfect for staying cool. If it got any …
5 The sun isn’t moving. The thought struck Mariah, as she was roused from a daydreaming doze by another baby bottle. Her first reaction to the bottle had been that it was far too soon to eat again. The shadows hadn’t moved at all. The bees were still happily humming. The temperature was constant too, …
Roan woke the next day and listened. Her ears were not the beautiful, silky hound ears she was used to, they were small and naked. Luckily, the changing magic had changed only their shape, not their ability. Her family was still asleep. A peek at the window showed the sun rising. The town was quiet …