“Laurel? Hawthorne? What are you doing out here? It’s freezing!” We jump away from one another as Silene’s bouncing form prances over to us, breaking whatever spell we’d been under. I should feel relief, but as I turn my back on Thorne, all I feel is yearning need.

Nemesia

The fae tell many stories about the origin of our world. One of the most popular usually follows this structure: our once united world was torn apart long ago by a terrible and immense display of power. When all seemed lost in the Great War, the witches sealed away the darkness. Kingdoms disappeared, and families lost their loved ones to the other side of the world. The act cost the witches more than their lives, and the world as we know it was born from their sacrifice.

The Legends of the Fae, Volume II

There’s a knock on my door, and I groan. It’s the Winter Solstice, and I fully intended to keep my own kingdom’s traditions by not doing anything today. I close my eyes, content to ignore whoever it is. The knock sounds again, more insistent in its pounding.

“Coming,” I yell at whoever’s disturbing me. When I open the door, a servant stands there holding a box wrapped in gold paper with a gold bow on top. She bows.

“His Majesty King Mazus wished me to deliver this Solstice gift to you.” Her eyes dart around as if Mazus will appear at any moment. Taking the giant gift, I thank her before shutting the door and lugging it to my desk. There’s a note attached to the bow on top.

Dear General Nestern,

You may not be aware, but it is tradition to exchange gifts on the Winter Solstice here in Velmara. As I had promised you a selection of books from my personal collection, I thought presenting them as a gift on this holiday seemed appropriate. Please accept these rather interesting tomes as an extension of the friendship I so wish for Velmara and Thayaria. Happy Solstice!

His Royal Majesty, King Mazus, Golden King of Velmara

I roll my eyes despite my excitement and eagerly unwrap the package to find four books inside. Scanning the titles, I’m surprised by what I find. The Secrets and Stories of Velmara, Blood Magic Through the Ages, The History of the Aether, and a book title in Old Fae. I think it loosely translates to The Legends of the Fae. Why would Mazus send me these books? Once again, his motivations are unclear, and it brings an uneasy feeling to my gut. Under any other circumstances, this gift would be the best I’d ever received. But anything I discover in these books will serve Mazus’s aims, and that can’t be a good thing.