Chapter 1

When You Wish

The Faeriewood is a dark and foreboding place in Astoria. The trees are infused with glass that ebbs subtle light, even in the blackest night. It is home to the fey, and even witches and wizards dare not set foot across its hallowed, misty borders, lest they become lost, as is said that so many do, never to return again to the mortal plane. The silver crescent moon shines solemnly down on the Faeriewood's twisted, dark trees, casting strangely shaped beams that dance in rhythm with the forest's hollow, glassy echo of stillness. The eerie lights dance and sing, as in the center of the forest, the blue fairy, ephyr, gazes into the !ooking "ool, a mystical mirror of water in the heart of the #ast $learing. As she stares deeply into the crystal waters, her long, blue%black hair flows like a river down her neck and over her shoulder like a waterfall, nearly touching the pool. &he e'tends her white%skinned hand, allowing her inde' finger to cause a ripple that chimes a subtle note through the Faeriewood. A picture fades into the mirror of water. A boy with hair the color of straw runs through the forest with a dark%haired girl of the same age. The two frolic,carefree and unaware of the silent watcher of their simple game. ()ou know, your obsession with these creatures grows tiresome, ephyr.* comes a cold voice from behind the beautiful fairy. &he turns around sharply to see a shadowed fey man behind her, one of the +nselie. (,hat are you doing here-* The dark faerie vanishes in a wisp of black smoke and reappears inches from ephyr's face. .e reeks of rotting, musty autumn leaves, and his eyes are red%orange, like flames. ephyr stares resolutely into them with her own eyes, the color of sapphires. (I merely thought you might like a little advice/* the dark fairy breathes into ephyr's pointed ear, (don't bother with them. I can appreciate toying with the pitiful, temporary things as much as the ne't immortal, but lately, your fascinations have become... a distraction.* (For whom-* she asks, (&urely, my interests do not distract anyone, save myself, and I would think that a servant of the ,ill of the ,isp would desire that I should be distracted anyway, since it stands to reason that my own distractions would impede my service of the Tree... unless...* .er voice trails off as she gazes into the eyes of the dark fairy before her, a glimmer of understanding twinkling in her eye, (+nless my interests have pi0ued your curiosity-* (1ah2* the dark fairy scoffs, ()ou know as well as I that I don't care where your interests do or do not lie2 I merely thought to make conversation2* (&o you say... yet, you forget that I can tell when others are lying, and you, dear friend, are certainly lying right now.* The dark fairy's eyes narrow, (&o I have... but 3ust because you know I lie, does not mean anything.

I know that you can't tell what about my statement was the lie and what was truth, and I aim to keep it that way... for now.*