I will be having my first bookstore book signing in March! Click on the pic for more info.

A METIS REVERIE EXPERIENCE

This title will not be redone and will remain unavailable.
Apologies to those who were hoping for more, but that will not be the case.

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METIS REVERIE

Metis Reverie (pronounced may-tis ree-veer-ree) is the series' titular character. She is 14 years of age and the youngest of two twins by a mere 10 minutes. Metis has bright blue eyes, mid-back length, wavy brown hair, and considers herself an inventor and all around problem solver. Her skills as such allowed her to pass off as a magi at TORDOVIA SCHOOL OF MAGIC, despite not having any magic of her own. Metis is what's known as a maginor. While using a keltah at the end of the mahogany dark brown wand to pass as a magi, she feels she has so much to learn when it comes to the mystical world of magic. In spite of the guilt from losing her twin sister, Athena, Metis will manage to fool the experts, make some friends, and face the villainous Samuel Darwood, but will she stop him, or join him?

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Lily Star

Lily Star (pronounced lil-ee ss-tar) is an elf of size with long, purple and black ombre hair. Her eyes are a vibrant blue, which she conceals behind black framed glasses. By the age of 14, Lily was already showing intelligence and skill in magic, practicing its wonders ever since she could hold a wand. Her pink lily flower wand felt like destiny's calling to the elf when selecting one at the shop. Between her magic skills and sense of justice, Lily will always be there to stand up for her friends and keep them safe.

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Donovan Turzon

Donovan Turzon (pronounced don-oh-vin turr-zon) is a zehkar on the autism spectrum. Adorned with small, dark red horns that come from the top of his head on either side. He is very shy, usually silent, and despises being touched. Donovan shares a unique kinship with animals and always seems to know what they are truly feeling. Despite his unusual personality and quirks, he becomes best friends with Metis and Lily during their time at TORDOVIA SCHOOL OF MAGIC. He feels very attached to his friends and does his absolute best to be both helpful and desirable to be around. Armed with an angelite wand, Donovan is ready to face anyone who stands between him and his newfound family.

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Destinie Flutters

Destinie Flutters (pronounced Des-tin-ee Fluh-ters) is the heiress to the Elegant Crystals legacy. She is a fairy who crowned herself the queen bee of Tordovia. Despite her self important attitude, she still steps up to protect her own friends. Her knowledge of crystals comes from being raised around the massive empire that grows them, and it's with that knowledge that she finds common ground with the girl she despises the most, Metis.

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Samuel Darwood

Samuel Darwood (pronounced sam-mu-elle dar-wood) is the main antagonist and adversary to Metis Reverie. Born a maginor to two magi parents, he feels he was deeply wronged when his older sister, Sarah, showed signs of magic prowess, but he didn't. Warped and seeking revenge, Samuel started the nonmag group Sumus Pura, which roughly translates to "WE ARE PURE", in order to unleash his malice upon the magic community. Armed with a massive keltah and a brainwashed army, he has wrecked havoc all over the world for two decades while continuing to allude magical authorities.

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Asmodeus Harrick

Mr. Asmodeus Harrick (pronounced az-mode-eee-us hair-rick) is the 36 year old zehkar potions teacher at TORDOVIA SCHOOL OF MAGIC. As a long standing family friend to the Reveries, he used to babysit Metis and Athena while they were very young. As a teacher, he takes the time to make sure every student learns the lessons he is trying to teach, and gives credit when someone can brew a potion at a master level like he can.

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TRIGGER WARNINGS

Trigger warnings for all of my books will be listed here. If any are missed, please reach out to me to let me know and reference where you found it in the book.

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RISE OF THE FOREST QUEEN

•Death
•Skull bashing with a hammer
•Chest bashing with a hammer
•Body shaming
•Everything is on fire
•Kidnapping
•Skull headed beast who kills and eats everything
•Anxiety
•FMC is hit by a car
•Depression
•Grief
•Crushing
•Carnivorous plants
•Fantasy Violence
•Bullying
•Blood

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ACCEPT THE LETTER

• Anxiety
• Blood
• Bullying
• Death
• Death of a Child
• Depression
• Fantasy Violence
• Fat Shaming
• The Five Stages of Grief
• Hallucinations
• Misgendering (promptly corrected)
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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K. Moongazer

Author pictures timeline.
Above is the currently used artwork.
Below are previously used artworks.

K. Moongazer was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Growing up, Moongazer always loved reading fantasy novels and playing video games. Discovering her love for storytelling has led her to develop her skills as a writer, consistently making expansive stories and connections. The art of story telling and helping others express themselves through these stories has always been what it’s about. Being hearing impaired with a menagerie of mental illnesses, including ADHD, Moongazer always wanted to be inclusive to the marginalized in all her writings.

"As someone who grew up feeling like I wasn't represented accurately in media, I strive to make my characters relatable so no one feels left out. I was slowly going deaf all my life from a head injury at the age of 3, but never completely lost my hearing. In media, characters are either fully hearing or fully deaf, there are very few depictions of anyone that has one deaf ear and one hearing ear. I know there are several mental illnesses that are not accurately conveyed as I have a few of them. Media makes them look so much worse than they could be. While yes, some are that bad, more often than not, people with these illnesses are not going around doing the most dangerous things they can just for attention. We suffer in silence so others won't have to suffer from our actions."

Striving for not just equality, but equity, K. Moongazer believes everyone should get the help they need to succeed in life if they are willing to put in the work for it. For people to be able to go about their day to day lives in safety and without too many issues. She watched her older brother start out as an athletic child who plays football and soccer, to being in a wheelchair and barely able to move. His particular Muscular Dystrophy disease was progressive and took a little over a decade to diagnose. Watching him struggle in life while those around him felt lost, led her to want to do better. To show accuracy in her stories and real representation of the incredible things people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ability status can do.

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How Accept the Letter came to be

"Writing 'Accept the Letter' was my way of coping with my brother's passing. I started writing it 4 months before he passed, not knowing just how close his time was, but knowing it was soon. My father for years said he had at least another 5 years of life, but when he told me my brother may be lucky to have one left, I knew things had changed for the worse. My dad had been in health care for a long time, so I trusted his word. I was let go from my job less than 2 weeks before I started writing my first book and bounced from job to job through a temp agency while I figured out what I wanted to do and while writing my story. To this day, it's still hard to believe just how far I had come in 4 months. I just had the last quarter of the story to write, but I had hit a writer's block that I struggled to get past. Then in March, my brother went to the hospital. I quit the job I had been working at through the temp agency to spend what time I had with him. We knew this was it, so I took the night shift to make sure he was never alone while those who worked during the day could get some sleep. I will forever be thankful for my husband who continued to work to pay the bills and be my rock through such a hard time. During my nights with my brother, I skipped over the part I was stuck on and went straight to writing the end battle. I knew what I wanted to do and at least I would have that part done. I could throw whatever I wanted in there and just backtrack to make it fit. I wrote that whole ending in less than 2 weeks. Once he passed, I closed my tablet and didn't look at my book again for the next 4 months. I couldn't bring myself to do it as I knew I was still stuck and knew I was not in the right mindset. I took 2 months off working to grieve before getting a job at a local print shop. I had been in the printing industry before and loved it, but being at this company surrounded by these amazing coworkers, I healed faster than I thought I would. While I'm not quite there and may never be there, I can hold my head up high while I work alongside people who are doing what they can to help me succeed. With the completion of my book, a few of them bought it and read it. One of their son's even drew my first ever fan art and has become a big fan of my writing. He is eager for more.
With all that has happened, the ups and downs of the beginning of my writing career, I finally feel like I'm moving up with my first book signing and in person events. I have an amazing editor who I wouldn't trade for anything and will get all the benefits of being my editor and best friend, even if I make it big.
I know this was long, but if you read it all, I thank you for taking the time. My story may not seem that interesting to some, but not everyone gets to learn what started an author's career. This was the beginning of mine."

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This trilogy will be finished

Moriana "Mori" Albright

Meet Moriana "Mori" Albright, the main character of my new series! With bright green eyes, curly red hair, and a strange line of freckles from cheek to cheek, she has no idea what is in store for her. On the day of her 18th birthday, she discovers something big that changes her life forever.

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Faust

Faust is a direwolf who was chained up by a previous forest queen. Tied to Mori's lineage as a servant, he is more than just a protector, he is her best friend.
They say dog's are a man's best friend, but direwolves are a woman's best friend. Faust is a protector, therapist, baggage carrier, steed, cuddle buddy, and blanket. Their meeting may have been an accident, but their friendship was fate.

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Duncan Wynett

Duncan is a long lived elf who has served as captain of the royal guard since the first forest king. He is stern, but fair. He is the first person Mori meets after arriving in the forest. His skills with the sword surpass many and his wisdom is invaluable. With a calm demeanor and disciplined training, he has become her mentor and friend.

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• M&O (Attempted) First Date

• Mori's Adventure Through Time

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Mori and Orian's (Attempted) First Date

(Forty years after Mori's coronation)

"Where are we going?" Mori asked as she followed Orian, the fairy general to her armies and one of her most trusted advisors. He was leading her away from the fairy territory, but had not told her where they were going, or why. The sun brought a comforting warmth with its glow through the trees, making it the perfect day to sit and read from one of the many journals from the oak tree house. That pleasant read was interrupted by the fairy asking her to follow him to an unknown location."You'll see. It's just up ahead." Pulling a tree branch to the side, he stepped out of the way so she had a full view of everything he’d set up. She stood facing a small clearing where a red plaid blanket lay, surrounded by beautiful flowers. A wicker basket with two twig-and-leaves water bottles were placed in one corner while a book was placed in another. The sunlight perfectly framed the spot with precision and the smell of nature was intoxicating. Looking around at the scene in front of her she realized he’d managed to create the perfect setup for a human picnic date. Orion spoke up from behind her and Mori's heart skipped a beat before it quickened."I know you said you weren't sure you were ready to court anyone, but that was back when you first got here. So I thought I would shoot my shot—as humans put it—now that you've been here for several years." He fidgeted awkwardly with the hem of his off white dress shirt, and it occurred to Mori that he might be nervous.She snorted, "I wouldn't call forty years just 'several'." and walked over to the picnic blanket, where she sat down and gazed at the flowers lovingly. "I will give you points for doing your research. Picnics are a pretty good first date for anyone, much less a naturist." Smiling, she patted the blanket next to her to signal him to come sit with her.Orian sat down across from her, but still close. "I admit, I may have asked your father for some help. I know you miss the human world, and he was willing to help me." He opened the basket lid and pulled out two sandwiches, a large container of water, and little cakes that she immediately knew were found at her favorite bakery in the pixie territory. "It wasn't easy convincing Astalla to bake these for us, but when I told her why I needed them, she was delighted." She couldn't help but smile again as she watched him nervously rub the back of his neck and look away with a sheepish grin."They're beautiful. You really know how to woo a woman, don’t ya?" She winked, teasing him further."What does 'woo' mean?""It's a human term. It basically means to impress someone you have a romantic interest in." Mori shrugged and picked up one of the sandwiches in front of her. The ingredients were as fresh as they could possibly be, considering the fairies were the ones who grew the most food for the forest."Then I guess that means I'm trying to woo you." The decorated war general sat across from her and laughed nervously. There was no doubt in her mind now, he was oblivious to the fact that she wanted to be with him too.They heard heavy footfalls racing towards them just before Faust came running into the clearing, stopping just short of their food. Orian scrambled to grab the basket to keep it safe, but the big wolf was standing right on top of one of the cupcakes. He groaned, his shoulders slumped. Mori stood up and put her hand on his shoulder when she walked past. Hoping to comfort him, she whispered, “Let me talk to him.” before tilting her head and nodding towards the trees to indicate the two of them would be speaking outside the clearing."What's the hurry, Faust, is something wrong?" Mori whispered, trying to guide the wolf away from the rest of the picnic, slightly annoyed, and wanting to get back before Orion convinced himself this was more trouble than a date should be.I smelled food and wanted to see what it was. I am hungry. While the wolf had filled out quite a bit from his time with the queen, his appetite was never satiated. With his tail wagging happily and his tongue lulled out with a smile, he looked around at what was available, but took nothing. Mori had made sure he learned manners early in their friendship and almost never had any issues with his behavior."Faust," she laughed, trying to ease the tension in her voice, "we're trying to have some one-on-one time. And you stepped on a cupcake."Lifting his paw, he licked the frosting and cake off it before taking a few steps back and sitting obediently. The food was delicious.“Faust,” Mori drew out the word, “that wasn’t for you. He ordered it special for us!” She threw her hands up and fully exasperated at this point, sat down at the entrance to the clearing between Faust and the rest of the cakes."What did he say?" Orian asked, coming forward to stand behind Mori. He looked down at her then to Faust who was still busy licking his massive paw."He said the cupcake was delicious. I'm pretty sure he wants more,” she paused and shot a look at the wolf who was busy wagging his tail, panting, and nodding enthusiastically, “but he is NOT invited.” Faust whimpered, not used to the queen being so stingy with her food.Mori leaned back to rest on Orion’s legs while she reasoned with her great brute of a best friend. "Sorry, buddy, but there's only enough for us. I will see if I can convince Astalla to make you your own special cake later, but for now PLEASE can we be alone?"Orian opened his mouth to say something, but someone else came running through the treeline and straight through their picnic, stepping on the second cupcake without stopping."Run!" he called over his shoulder.“Was that Duncan?” The general wasn’t moving but did place his hand on his sword.It was quiet for a few moments before Mori felt the ground beneath her begin to rumble. Scanning the treeline, she tried to locate the source of the tremors, but Faust and Orion had already sprung into action. She felt Orion grab her hand and before she knew it, they were running the way Duncan left.Of course, she thought cynically, the first time he holds my hand would be when we're running for our lives. She wasn’t able to dwell on the development as they were now in the forest dodging trees as they ran.“Did you see what it was?” Mori ducked her head to avoid a tree branch as she yelled.It smells like aatxe, but I sense no fire. Faust was the first to answer her. Even if the creatures weren’t currently on fire, a stampade was an incredibly dangerous situation to be in. Even a baby aatxe could easily trample someone who had let their guard down."We need to do something! We won’t be able to outrun them for long!" The fairy was still running through the trees, pulling Mori along."I might have an idea." Grabbing seeds from her pouch, Mori scattered them as they ran. She closed her eyes and allowed Orion to guide her while she reached out with her magic until she found the seeds. They shot up out of the ground and ensnared the bulls as they passed over the now massive plants. With all of the animals struggling to get out, the companions could stop running. As she sucked in lungfuls of air, she let go of Orion’s hand and made her way over to the thrashing beasts, and gently touched a vine. Calming vibes of magic ran through the plants, soothing the creatures enough to where they could be released safely."There there. No need to charge anyone." Mori placed her hand on one of the bull's heads and smiled softly. "You're safe." Still petting the creature, she turned back to her companions, and eyed Duncan, who had now joined their group around the aatxe. "What happened?""I don't know! One minute I was giving them food and the next they were chasing me." The elf half shouted before leaning over to catch his breath again."Don’t these aaxte live closer to where the merfolks are setting up their home out East?" Orian asked."They are. That's quite the distance to run." Mori turned back to the beasts. "Can you tell me what happened?"The bull grunted and stomped one of its hooves angrily before puffing out smoke from its nostrils. "I see." Turning back to her friends, she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "It seems you stepped on the foot of a baby and made it cry. That's why they charged you."Duncan looked away sheepishly and hunched his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I did.""Well, try to be more careful in the future. Please escort them back to their range so they can tend to their young." Stepping aside, she motioned for the beasts to follow her guard captain. The aatxe started their journey home with Duncan following from a considerable distance. Before they were out of sight, an idea struck Mori."Faust," she said aloud, "you should go with him in case he accidentally takes another misstep." The wolf whined at hearing this, but eventually started to turn towards Duncan and the aatxe.Orion took this opportunity to get close to the queen. "Maybe now we could return to our date?"Mori didn't even have a chance to smile before Faust was in her mind, and Duncan with his sharp hearing stopped dead and turned to face the two of them with a look of shock on his face.Date? What is a date?“It's when—”I would like to go on a date with you!"No buddy, it's for people who have romantic feelings for each other to get closer and spend time with just each other," she paused before laughing nervously and adding, now get out of here so we can have some alone time! The last part was said with her mind, just for Faust, but instead of continuing to walk he came back and walked right up to Orion looking him up and down.He eyed her date suspiciously, making the normally confident and disciplined fairy general squirm uncomfortably.I do not think he is worthy of your "date". You are a queen and he is a military general. Faust was communicating just to her but on the last word he let out a snarl and Orion flinched.That was very protective of you, but I think I can handle this myself. Mori moved between the two of them and used her whole body weight to push Faust back toward where Duncan was standing, still in shock."Now, will you please go so we can enjoy the rest of our date!"The wolf obliged but not before issuing one low warning growl to Orion. "Oh for goodness sakes Faust," Mori threw her hands up in defeat, "it's just a date, now GO!""I take it that means he hates me? Did I do something wrong?" It was almost amusing seeing Orion this panicked. He was normally one of the few people she could count on in high stress situations, but this date had him more flustered than ever.She nudged him playfully before taking his hand and teasing, "No, more like he doesn't think you're worthy of me. Something about me being out of your league." She rolled her eyes before shouting playfully down where the wolf was walking away, "But he doesn't know what he's talking about!"Duncan was now talking to Faust and they were almost out of earshot, but Mori could still make out one question."A date? Wow. I did not see that coming. Do you think they will last?” Duncan was trying to be quiet but it wasn't enough."I heard that!" Mori called over her shoulder to the pair and Duncan waved her off as they led the aatxe out of sight.The two left to find their picnic again, but just as they walked away from the spot the aatxe attacked, they were interrupted by a deafening scream. They exchanged glances before sprinting in the direction of the commotion.“I’m starting to think that we will never actually start our date.” It would take a miracle if after all this, Orion would ask her out again. Yet he was still here running beside her to the source of the scream.A young fairy girl was standing in front of Bob, a skull-headed beast who at the beginning of her reign caused terror in the forest. Now, the creature was one of their allies. It had been a very long time since he had attacked one of her people."What's wrong?" Mori gasped as they approached."He's gonna eat me!" the little girl sobbed. The queen turned to the beast, who was just staring at her blankly."Bob?" Turning to meet his gaze, she crossed her arms. He simply shook his head once. "Then why are you scaring her?""Resting. She found me," his deep voice growled out, making Orian and the little girl flinch."What did he say?" the man asked, but Mori ignored him to speak directly to the child."Little girl,” Mori knelt in front of her and held her hands to calm the hysterical fairy. “Did he chase you? Or did you come across him and it scared you?”“I was playing,” the girl could only get a few words out between tears, “hide and seek. He was laying in the path I ran to. When I bumped him he woke up. Then he growled at me! It was so scary.” She was now fully crying uncontrollably and Mori pulled her into a hug.“I would feel a little grumpy too if you woke me from my nap, but Bob won’t hurt you. When you woke him up you scared him which is why he growled. From now on, if you see him, just leave him alone and go play somewhere else okay?” She pulled back from their hug and wiped the young girl’s eyes. “Now go home. He won't eat you," Mori told her. The girl nodded and took off running back to the fairy territory.She stood up and adjusted her vest that covered a white blouse and noticed Orion was staring at her with a massive smile plastered on his face."You really are good with children, you know. He really didn’t chase her?""Bob was resting here when the girl found him and screamed. He didn't seek her out.""Oh, that's good." Orian laughed nervously. Mori started back toward the clearing and motioned for him to follow. "I hope this doesn't ruin my chances of getting a second date.""It's not your fault all this happened. I have been thinking the same thing honestly."“What do you mean?” Orion stopped walking briefly, for the first time realizing that maybe she felt the same way.“I was hoping that with all the craziness you would still want to go on another date with me. Part of being queen is that someone always needs your attention. It’s not exactly a perfect situation for a relationship.”As if on cue, a leprechaun went running past them nearly engulfed in flames. “Get off of me! Put it out!” He screamed wildly as he ran.“See what I mean?” With a wave of her hand, water from the grass rose up and splashed the small man, extinguishing the fire.He sighed with relief and sprawled out on the grass. "Thank yee, Queen. I thought I was a goner.""No problem." With another wave, his burns healed. He thanked her again, and she responded, “Get some rest before you head back. You look like you need it.” She smiled and waved at the man before once more, taking Orion’s hand and walking away toward their ruined picnic."You are pretty popular here," the fairy teased, elbowing Mori playfully."The life of a queen." She laughed. "Everyone needs something from me, and I'm happy to help out, but next time maybe we'll pick somewhere for our date where we can’t get interrupted."Orion laughed alongside her, “You know if we ever go out in public we might have to wear a disguise, although I’m not sure you will be able to cover all the freckles.”“Could you imagine! Maybe I’ll try a blonde wig, or I could dress like an old farm wife. You, of course, would have to be my quaint farmer husband.” The two of them were laughing again and Orion squeezed her hand.“I think I might enjoy being your husband even if it’s only for a day.” They reached the clearing and his smile left his face. “Should we go see how bad the damage is?”He led her inside the clearing, but as soon as they saw the remnants of their lunch, Orian dropped to his knees with a defeated groan. The whole thing was destroyed now. The blanket was torn, the basket of food trampled, and their cupcakes completely smashed. Mori walked past and fixed the blanket before sitting next to him.

"It's not so bad. We can save the date." The smile must have been infectious, because Orian couldn't help but smile himself as she leaned closer to him. He was so busy looking into her eyes that he forgot to pay attention to her hands. Scooping a small piece of frosting on her finger, she gently and playfully wiped it on his nose with a light giggle. "You look good in pink frosting." She licked the rest of the frosting off her hand while plastering the most innocent look she could come up with on her face.Orian's mouth hung open in disbelief. "Is it a human custom to put frosting on one's nose?"She couldn’t help but laugh at his assumption, “No no, it’s not that,” but she was laughing too hard to speak. Before she could fully recover, she was met with a blue frosting-covered finger and icing on her own nose. Now the one laughing was the fairy man."It's good to know being with you won't be boring.""You got that right." She wiped the frosting off her nose and ate it. The icing wasn’t her only surprise though. Orion picked up a torn napkin from the grass and helped her clean her face. He must have gained back some of his usual confidence because when he was done wiping the mess away, he leaned close and gave her the most tender kiss on her cheek. Mori’s skin went from pale to blushing in seconds. If this is how she reacted to a peck on her cheek, she was really in trouble.They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, but Orion regained his composure quickly. "Let's see if we can salvage some of this food. I'm hungry."Nothing about this day had gone how she expected it to, but it was one of the best Mori had in years. Even with everything that went wrong, it was, in her mind, the most successful date she had ever had. The two sat and talked for hours until the sun set and Orion led her back to the birch palace. One thing was certain now; Mori could not wait to see what their future would hold.

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Here it is! The second Mori short story. Unlike the attempted first date short, it's better to have read Rise of the Forest Queen before reading this short story. Otherwise a lot of it won't make sense and could spoil the book.
This came to be while I was rereading my book and thought about the butterfly effect of what would have happened if Mori had been unable to fight back against Tim and Tom. Then I went down a rabbit hole of possibilities and outcomes, and liked this version the most. So, I wrote it! I hope you enjoy this second short that is 7,200 words.

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Mori’s Adventure Through Time

(Sixty-seven years after the events
of Rise of the Forest Queen)

Are you sure this is safe? Faust asked as he examined the new portal Mori had created. The swirls of red, orange, yellow, and pink mesmerized the wolf.“I’m sure Queenie knows what she’s doing. Right?” Lorem smiled nervously.“It better be fine. I don’t want my wife to end up stuck,” Orian said. Mori, Faust, Duncan, and Lorem all looked at him. “What? It’s true! Who wants their wife to be trapped somewhere?”Mori laughed as she shoved him slightly. “I get it, but I’ll be fine. I don’t know how I opened it, but I’m the only one who can make portals, so if anyone is going to see where it leads, it has to be me. Besides, who knows what Fae’ohtan can do once given enough juice? This is the first time I’ve tried creating a portal using its magic instead of my own.”Stepping forward, the queen took a deep breath and blew it all out before reaching out to touch the magic. Her fingers disappeared through the sunset of colors, followed by her hand, then her entire arm, and the rest of her body followed.Her journey through the unknown was similar to going through The Flow. She passed so many strange things, but nothing compared to the other side. When she exited, she landed on her feet and looked around. She was back in the human world at the mall she used to shop at. It looked exactly the same as it had back when she was eighteen.“Weird. This was torn down years ago and replaced,” she mumbled to herself.Then she saw Tim and Tom walking toward the main entrance, who happened to spot her at the same time. This was around the time Mori would have already been inside the mall and shopping for her birthday, so the two raiders had yet to enter the mall. Their eyes narrowed and their jaws clenched. Tim’s face was turning red and Tom’s nostrils flared. Without missing a beat, they ran toward her. This couldn’t be the present, because the former raiders were old men now, and she’d seen them yesterday at the fairy village.If this is from a long time ago, then I don’t think . . . Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. She had traveled back in time to the day she was kidnapped, and she looked exactly the same as she had back then, except for the forest clothes she wore now.Without sparing a second thought, she took off running, just as she had that day. Her agility was much better due to her time in the forest, jumping from tree to tree or avoiding them altogether, so she easily dodged people, but that didn’t last long.Once she darted out into the street to cross the parking lot, a speeding large Ford pickup truck plowed into her. The grill hit her hard enough to knock her back and hit her head on the concrete much harder than last time. The world blurred and spun at the same time, and she had to close her eyes to keep from vomiting.Unlike the SUV, the truck backed up and sped away, fleeing the scene. The next thing she knew, she was being picked up and slung over Tim’s bony shoulder. The position was just as uncomfortable as the first time, but she barely had the strength to fight back.Tim said something to Tom, but Mori couldn’t make out what it was. She was too dazed and definitely had a concussion. They started walking, probably to a tree like the last time, but she couldn’t do much right now to stop them. Blood trickled down through her hair and dripped onto the ground below her. The red among the white paint and gray cement was the only thing she could make out when her eyes opened briefly.Then they went through The Flow. She recognized the sensation all too well because she had traveled between the two realms countless times. Though now, it felt shorter than it had the last time. Not that she was complaining. She knew she would be able to escape soon. Everything was going to go the same; she would make sure of it.When she arrived in the forest, the wood scent hit her nose, reminding her of home. The two raiders started walking right away, and she knew she needed to fight back, somehow.“Quit squirming. I’ll drop you.” Tim tightened his grip as she stilled. The last thing she needed was to fall, so she let the man carry her until he set her down against the familiar tree. Other than not being able to shop at all, everything was going exactly as it had before, until they spoke.“Why is she wearing clothes from the forest? I thought she’d never been here before,” Tom said, glancing over at her before quickly looking back at Tim.“It doesn’t matter. We just need to get her back to the boss before our butts are roasted over a spit.” After grabbing rope from his bag, he walked over to Mori. Her hand had already found the same rock as before, but it felt heavier this time. Her arm felt like it was attached to weights, and she had no magic to give her strength.When Tim was close enough, she lifted the rock to hit him, but missed completely, the rock falling to the grass. The raider flinched back, almost falling backward, but managed to keep himself up. “Feisty, aren’t ya?” He chuckled. “The king will have fun killing you.” A wicked grin curled his lips as he wrapped the rope around Mori’s wrists.Did the rock weigh more than she remembered? There was no speed at all with her attack, just a swing in slow motion. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to hit him and run. Why had the rock felt so much heavier, and why did she feel dizzier than she remembered being? Everything was happening the same way up until now.Tim pulled her to her feet and tied another piece of rope around her arms to pin them against her body. There was no fight left in her to shove at him, to scratch his eyes out with her nails. There was nothing but the spinning world around her and the muffled sounds of the forest.***Two days after the kidnapping, she had managed to convince a pixie she’d met to take a piece of paper with a message for Duncan on it to the Faenor Mountains. She had no idea if the little girl would make it all right, but all she could do was hope. The tiny pixie seemed to recognize the royal freckle line, so that was a plus. For now, all she could do was keep quiet and try to figure out a way to escape her rope bindings and her captors.The walk to the prison camp took several more days. Mori was barely let out of their sight. They tied her to a tree whenever she needed to relieve herself, and she barely ate because they always had meat. Her meals were foraged berries whenever she was within reach of any edible ones. For the most part, she was bound fully the entire way.Thankfully the trip gave her the needed time for the concussion to clear up enough for her to think clearly. Her silence had the two raiders puzzled, judging by the looks on their faces, but that was good. Confusion was what she wanted.Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the familiar iron-clad wooden gates that had been destroyed by her warhammer. The charm was still around her wrist, refusing to be removed by the raiders in the beginning, but it also refused Mori. There was no royal magic inside her except the teeny-tiny amount that would act as a homing beacon for when her mother passed and to give her a chance at survival. That was what had happened back when she was being chased by these two goons through the park.“Keep it moving.” Tim shoved her forward, making her stumble.“I’m going. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” she grumbled.“What are panties? They sound cute.” Tom smiled, but Tim’s backhand smacked it right off his face. The larger man rubbed lightly at his reddening cheek and averted his gaze.Fae were everywhere, most of them the same faces she remembered from her first time here. Many were still burned and weak from the iron bars, making her wish she still had her magic so she could free and heal them.“Take her to the basement. There’s no more room up here,” a gruff raider said, pointing toward the compound she had been taken to before. That meant . . .Tim shoved her forward before she could finish her thought. Without a word, she walked, heading toward the one place she was unsure she would ever leave. Last time she was here, she’d had the royal magic, had learned how to use it, and was able to save everyone, but not this time. This time, things were different. Everything was wrong.When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked around. Several faces were different, but she recognized two of them instantly: her father and the gnome who had questioned her queenship. Unlike last time, she was placed further away from Renfred, so it would be harder to talk to him.“Enjoy your stay. It will be your last once King Yorn gets here.” Both raiders smirked before removing the ropes and heading back up the stairs.“Right. Because they didn’t lose me this time, they weren’t reprimanded for their failure, so they most likely won’t be of any help to my cause,” she said softly to herself, and sighed as she plopped down on the lumpy, hard bed within her cell. “This is all so wrong. I’m not supposed to be here yet.”“Of course this is wrong,” a leprechaun in the cell beside her said. “None of us should be ’ere, but we cannae get out.”Mori’s head snapped up at the familiar voice of Sullivan, the leprechaun leader. She smiled at him before standing and walking over to the bars to kneel. “Sullivan, I’m so glad to see you. I don’t remember you being here the first time.” She smiled but let it fall when she saw just how uncomfortable that made the man.“Eh, lass, we haven’t met before. How do yee know who I am?”“I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you.” She chuckled nervously. “Um, let’s just say time travel is a thing and somehow I ended up in the past.”“OK,” he drawled, holding that word a little too long for Mori’s comfort, which meant he didn’t believe her.“Look, you’re the leader of the leprechauns. I saw your home and I cleaned it up as best I could and buried your dead. I didn’t want anyone to survive this mess just to return to a decimated home.” Running a hand through her hair, she looked over at her father. Seeing him skinny, weak, and depressed was hard on her. She knew the fun person he had become, how eating regular meals made him look healthy instead of this sickly form.It hurt, more than she realized.“Why are you looking at the human?” Sullivan asked.“He’s my father, but he doesn’t know it yet,” she said somberly.“Ah, I thought you looked familiar. Are you, perhaps, related to Viviana?”“She’s my mother. I’m Moriana Albright, and yeah, I already know I’m the next queen. In my timeline, I’ve been the queen for over sixty years.” That was depressing, knowing what being queen meant.“I didn’t know she passed already. My condolences.” Sullivan bowed, but Mori shook her head.“Currently she’s alive and holed up somewhere, but not for much longer. I need to get to my father and get a message out to Duncan Wynett. Do you think that’s possible?” Hope swam around in the emerald hues of her eyes as she looked at the little man.“I don’t know about getting a message out, but I can get your message over to Ren. He’s been a father to all of us here. Making sure we know not to touch the bars and how to keep from being beaten or starved more than normal. Helping us adjust to our new life. Most of us would be dead without him.” Sullivan smiled and turned around on his bed to look at the mushroom sprite in the next cell over. He whispered something to her, and then she went to the fae on the other side of her cell and whispered something. The whispering passed around until it reached its intended target.As soon as the naiad woman finished whispering to him, Renfred jumped to his feet and looked around frantically. Mori went to the bars and grabbed them, knowing they wouldn’t harm her physically. Then their eyes locked on each other. He got as close as his cell would let him, but he was still too far away for them to shout. Especially without alerting the guards.“Get a message to him saying I need the flower hairpin he was saving for his daughter. It’s about time I get it.” She waved softly, not wanting to make a big show of it. Ren returned the wave and smiled as a wave of relief washed over his face.When the message moved its way around to him, he fished out the pin and sent it along with a message back, but it only made it to the mushroom sprite beside them. The little girl took the pin and looked it over, forgetting the message was even being whispered to her.“Eh, let’s ’ave it and teh message.” Sullivan held out his hand toward the sprite, but she just stared at it blankly. “This here is our future queen. Don’t yee recognize the royal freckles when you see ’em?” The little sprite looked up at Mori, who had moved her hair to show her face. A smile formed on the girl’s lips before she handed over the pin. “And the message?” Sullivan asked calmly, but the girl shook her head. She didn’t remember what it was.“It’s fine. I will ask him when I get out.” After taking the pin, she reached through the bars and picked the lock before pushing the cell door open. “I’m actually surprised that it worked and everyone cooperated. Last time this happened, it took Silvana to get everyone to help instead of fighting me.”“When were you supposed to be ’ere?”She thought for a moment. “I think about two months or so. Why?” A puzzled look crossed her features as she looked at the leprechaun.“That may be why. By next month, most of teh fae ’ere will be dead. A new batch will be in here with a lot of fight still left in ’em. Those are the ones who don’t cooperate well,” he explained, and stepped out of the cell. “Can you open the other cells?”“Yes.” Mori set to work, opening the cells one by one and telling the fae inside to stay quiet and to not touch the bars. It took time, but she eventually reached her father. His wide brown eyes stared at her as she picked the lock and opened the cell. She barely had time to look up before he was tightly wrapping his arms around her and silently crying into her shoulder.“Viviana, I missed you,” he said. Mori blinked rapidly with confusion.“Wait, what?”“They told me the queen had come to save us. I missed you.” He leaned in to kiss her lips, but Mori covered her mouth with her hand so he kissed the back.“Wrong family member!” She took a step back. “I look like her, but I’m actually your daughter. That’s not what you heard? I sent the message that I’m Viviana’s daughter, and I needed the flower pin to get us out. What did you hear?”“I was told you’re Viviana and you needed the flower pin. I didn’t know why, but she knew about it. My apologies.” Ren chuckled nervously, rubbing his upper arm.Mori snorted as her hand dropped to her side. “I’m not my mother, but I look like her.” She let out a breath. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time right now, but I’m not from this timeline. I’m from the future, and somehow I got sent back in time to the day I was kidnapped. I’m not supposed to meet you for another two months, after Mom dies and I get the royal magic. Everything’s all messed up.” She was talking a mile a minute, and it took Ren grabbing her wrists to get her to calm down before he adjusted to take her hands gently.“It doesn’t matter what timeline you’re from. You’re still my little girl, and I have wanted to meet you for so long. I couldn’t be there for your birth, and by the time I was able to meet up with your mother, she had already given you to Missy and Jason.” He pulled her in for another hug.“Yes, yes, it’s a happy reunion, but we still need to get out o’ ’ere,” Sullivan said, walking up to them and waving his hand in the air as he spoke and rolled his eyes.
“You’re right. There will be time for a reunion after we get everyone to safety.” After grabbing her hammer charm out of reflex, she tried to pull it off, but it wouldn’t budge. She let out a sigh as she remembered she didn’t have the magic needed to wield such a powerful weapon.“What’s that?” Ren asked.“Fae’ohtan, from my time, but everyone else knows it as the Hammer of the Royals.”

Fae gasped all around them when she said the name they knew. “I know, OK, I know. I can’t use it because Queen Viviana is still alive. I don’t have the royal magic yet, but I know how we can still get out of here. Well, as long as the pixie I met on the way here actually delivers my message to Duncan and he gets here in time.”Now the real question was in the forefront of her mind. How was she going to defeat Yorn and save everyone without Fae’ohtan or the royal magic? She imagined Tim and Tom would be praised for bringing her in, so she couldn’t rely on them switching sides. Their scolding for losing her the first time was the turning point in their decision.“What do we do now?” Sullivan asked, standing beside Mori and looking up at the stairs.“Now, we fight our way out and hope that pixie can get to Duncan in time. I need to reset the timeline—” She paused and turned to look at them all. More than half would be dead by the time she came here, and after everything they had done to get themselves out. They would have to die to set the timeline straight. Her chest tightened at the thought. She wished she could save everyone here, but if anything deviated from her original life, she might end up dead before she could stop Yorn and Dairus.“Mori . . .” Ren put a hand on her shoulder. “If your timeline means the safety of the entire forest, everyone here would be willing to put their lives on the line for it.”She turned to look at him, her eyes filling with tears. “I want to save everyone, but I can’t. If I come here too soon, I could die,” she whispered.“Do you defeat Yorn in your timeline?”Mori nodded. “Yorn and Dairus. It took months for me to learn what I needed, and the people here don’t have that kind of time.”“We understand,” the little mushroom sprite from before said.“If it means the forest is rid of the false king and his stupid commander, then we would gladly give our lives for your cause,” a fairy man added.Mori turned to look at each of them. Tears streamed down her face as her lip quivered. “I’m so sorry. I want to save all of you, but—”“No butts, lassie.” Sullivan took her hand. “We ’ave yer back, even through death.”No words could express what she was feeling. How everyone here was just as willing to protect the forest as she was. She believed this fight would kill her, and she was all right with that. Sure, she had no idea what would happen to the royal magic, but it had to be better than going to Yorn or Dairus. So her goal wasn’t to survive; it was to make sure Yorn didn’t. He was the target, the one who branched off from their bloodline and would be the closest to a royal if Mori were to pass.“Thank you, everyone. Now let’s get up there and fight our way to freedom. For Albright Forest!”Everyone cheered before they all charged up the stairs, led by a Fomorian who burst through the door and knocked over a raider. The fight had begun.Once Mori was outside the building, she ran over to one of the guards to punch him and steal the key to the cages. One by one, she unlocked the doors. Grateful fae poured out to get away from the iron, and the ones with strength joined the fight. She had no idea how much fight they had in them but was thankful all the same.“Where’s Yorn?” she demanded from a raider she knocked over and pinned down.“Wouldn’t you like to know?” The man snickered.“Useless.” Punching him in the head, she knocked him out cold before moving on. As the battle continued, she knew the outcome would change drastically. Without help, the fae would be executed for their rebellion, or worse. She couldn’t let that happen.“Hold them off. I’m getting help,” she called out before dashing to the gate and unlocking it to push it open. She couldn’t sense him without her magic, but she knew he would be drawn to her scent. Continuing her sprint, Mori ran into the trees a good distance away and stopped, panting hard. Her lungs burned and her mouth was dry, but she didn’t let that stop her. “Bob!” She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Skull-headed beast, get your butt over here now! I know you can hear me!”Silence filled the area before a low growl answered the call. It was barely audible, but she knew exactly what that meant. A single red light appeared before a bone-white skull lunged at her, teeth coated in saliva and a long tongue ready to grab her and pull her in. Instead of flinching away and running, she sidestepped so Bob’s maw barely missed her. She then thumped him on the snout when he pulled back slowly.“Nice try, but I’ve been dodging your jaws for decades.” Mori placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to one side. “Look, I don’t have time to explain what’s going on, but the fact is this. I know you, Bob. I know you hate the name the fae gave you, I know you lost your eye to the first royal who betrayed you, and I know you’ve heard of Fae’ohtan.”The beast flinched at the name and straightened his stance, peering down at her silently as his fur stood on end. “I don’t have the royal magic yet to give you back your eye, but I need you to trust that I will. I did the first time, but in this backward timeline, I don’t have the power to.” She held up her wrist to show the hammer charm. Bob cocked his head curiously before leaning in to sniff it. He instantly recoiled and took a step back. “Please, trust me. Help me defeat Yorn and Dairus, eat some raiders, and I will set things right.”Silence once more, making her heart pound in her chest and sweat bead her temples and neck. The quiet felt like it had gone on forever, but eventually, he growled something and nodded. She couldn’t understand what he said, but she understood the meaning.“Thank you. This way.” After motioning for him to follow, she made her way back toward the prison camp. When it came into view, she slightly veered off the path to let her beast friend take the lead. With an overwhelming crash and explosion of iron and wood, Bob destroyed the gate and let out a blood-curdling roar.Screams echoed, and raiders and fairies ran for their lives at the sight of the massive beast. Mori ran beside him and looked up. “Eat the raiders, save the fae.” She waited for his nod of affirmation before picking up a nearby sword and charging at the nearest enemy.Bob lunged forward and snapped his maw around the head of a nearby raider, blood splashing upward onto his skull while a claw pulled a fae man to his feet so he could run. Mori rejoined the fight, trying to save as many of her people as she could.Battles like this were never easy. Both sides were tired, bloody, and losing soldiers. With the fae already weakened due to the iron they had been around for so long, their numbers decreased much faster than anticipated. Even Mori found herself out of breath and energy most of the fight, but she refused to give up.“I’m not sure we’re gonna win this, Your Highness,” Sullivan said when they were backed into a corner by the raider reinforcements.“That’s right. Best to give up now than let all the little fae needlessly die.” Yorn grinned as he stepped in front of the new group of troops. Mori glared at him before shifting her gaze to Bob. During the chaos of war, the raiders had managed to tie him down and restrain him despite his struggling.“Yorn,” she sneered. “I know you don’t know who I am, but you will.” Stepping forward, a stolen sword at the ready, she stood tall and confident. “I am the future forest queen Moriana Albright. I’m here to put you in your place. Six feet underground.” She charged at him with her weapon above her head, but the false king blocked the attack with his own sword.“Ah, so those two knuckleheads were telling the truth. They did manage to capture you. Seems a promotion is in order.” He grinned and broke her stance before Sparta-kicking her in the chest.Mori landed on the ground with a hard thump, dust enveloping her. Without her magic, there was no way to truly win this battle. He was stronger, taller, and faster than her. She looked up in time to watch Yorn lift his sword above his head, pointed side glistening with sunlight above her, and bring it down. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the sharp pain of death. Instead of screams of agony, she heard metal strike metal.Opening one eye and then the other, she saw none other than Duncan Wynett blocking Yorn’s sword with his own. He had come at last.“Apologies for my tardiness, Your Highness. I had to get some help first.” Fairy warriors swarmed from all directions, knocking out the enemy troops and releasing Bob. After Duncan pushed Yorn back, he helped the future queen to her feet.“Don’t call me that,” she said unconvincingly before chuckling. “You can call me Mori.”
“Well, Mori, I wasn’t sure I believed the note I received from a little pixie, nor could I read it, but someone else was able to tell me what it said and recognized the signature you left at the bottom.” He pulled out the paper and showed it to her. There were new stains on it, but it was still legible.Duncan,My name is Moriana Albright, and I’m Viviana’s daughter. I’ve been captured by raiders and am being held prisoner at the raider prison camp on the western side of the forest. I need help. Without the royal magic, I won’t win this fight. Please help me.Under her words was not a signature, but several dots in the shape of her royal freckles.“I was there when you were born. I would know that freckle line anywhere.” Duncan smiled before putting the note away.“We were supposed to meet at the oak tree house. I somehow time-traveled and—” She froze, staring at the one face she hadn’t thought she would see here—her mother. Without another word, she ran past the elf to Viviana and hugged her tightly. “Mom!” Ignoring the sounds of battle and the clashing of weapons around her, she hugged her mother like it would be the last time she would ever get to, which was actually true. Once she was back in her own time, their ability for real, physical hugs, would cease.“I thought I lost you forever,” Viviana told her, and brushed hair away from her daughter’s face. “You’re so beautiful, my sweet Moriana.”“Mom, I look like you. Of course I’m beautiful.” She smiled and let go before catching movement from the corner of her eye. Renfred was there, staring at Vi as if it were the first time he’d laid eyes on her.“Vi?” he asked before rushing over to hug her tightly.“Ren! I’m so sorry. I’ve tried to get to you so many times, but Yorn was too strong.”“It’s all right. I knew you were trying your best.” Ren kissed her lips. Mori turned her head to the side to give them a little privacy, and by doing that, she laid eyes on Lorem.Running up to the satyress, she blocked an attack from a raider and pushed him back. “Lorem, I’m glad you came, but is Mom really OK to be fighting?”“I don’t know how you know my name, but when Duncan came back with some writing for Queen Vi to read, I couldn’t let her go alone. She insisted on coming out here on a whim.” Lorem stabbed another man before back-kicking another behind her with her hooved foot. “I can’t imagine why she would believe such a silly thing.”“It’s because I put my freckle line on it and it was in English.”“What’s English?” Before she could ask more, Lorem brought up her longsword to block an attack. “We should talk after we have won the battle.” The satyress pushed another raider back before Mori shoved her sword through the man’s chest.“Agreed.” Eyeing Yorn, Mori charged at him with Viviana coming from the side. The two women lunged at him simultaneously, but he blocked both weapons with his own longsword.“Pathetic!” he bellowed. “A weak queen and a nobody. At least you’ll both die together.” His first swing missed Mori but cut deeply right across Vi’s stomach. The queen stepped back and put a hand over her wound that was not closing up.The iron in her shoulder is preventing her from healing.Mori struck again, this time following through with another slash up the false king’s arm. While he recoiled to put pressure on his wound so he didn’t bleed out, she tended to her mother.“Sit down if you need to. I may not have the royal magic yet, but I still have my training.”“How do you know about magic and how to fight?” Vi asked, her mouth hanging open and her eyes concentrated on her daughter.“Believe it or not, you’ve been training me after you passed. And so have Lorem and Duncan.” Mori smiled briefly before turning back to Yorn now that he’d recovered. After blocking his new attack, she pushed his weapon to the side and gouged a deep wound across his chest. “Stay away from my mother!” she shouted, growling as she felt the heat of anger fill her body.“Like mother, like daughter, you’re both susceptible to iron.” Yorn grinned as he threw an iron throwing knife right into Mori’s shoulder. She didn’t cry out or flinch but took a step back from the force of impact. Then she stood tall and held her sword in front of her.“You wish it did. I’m half-human with no magic yet.” She easily pulled the blade from her body and tossed it to the ground. It would be useless against Yorn since he wasn’t magical either.“Wretched girl, you’re going to pay for your insolence.”“Bring it!”Their two swords clashed again, sparks flying from the metal-on-metal contact. Viviana flanked the man and cut his uninjured arm before he had a chance to block more. Pushing Mori back, he turned his focus on the queen. One slash after another flew around, but she dodged every one.Vi was tiring quickly, and her lack of powers made it much more difficult to stay on her feet. So when Yorn had her pinned against the wall of the camp, he took the opportunity to stab at her, but Mori was quicker. Remembering how that tiny spark protected her the first time she was attacked, she used that to her advantage. Placing herself between her mother and the false king, she threw up her arms in an X. Two trees rapidly sprouted and took the blow, snapping the sword from the force.“How did you do that?” Vi asked.“The beacon magic will also protect the future royal. I learned that a long time ago.” Switching back to offense, she used the strength she had to push away her assailant. “Can you use your magic at all?”“None, not for the last year.” Vi choked out before collapsing to her knees.“Mom, you gotta hang in there!” Mori knelt beside her and tried to apply pressure to the wound, but there was already so much blood, and the queen was paler than she had been a few minutes ago.Renfred ran up and knelt beside her, doing his best to stop the bleeding as well, but something flew through the air. An iron throwing knife was now lodged in his throat. Several fairies charged in to restrain Yorn as best they could.“Dad!” she shouted as he fell against the wall.“It’s all right, Mori. I got to meet you and see my beloved Vi again.” He smiled faintly.“You need to end this, Mori. Take my magic and stop him.” The queen’s life was fading fast. Mori could feel it in the ambient magic of the forest and in her heart. Quickly, she took Vi’s hand and held it tightly.“I’m gonna kill him for this and put things back the way they were supposed to be. Dad, in my time, you’re still alive. Mom, you and I talk all the time through the royal magic. Lorem, Duncan, and Faust are my best friends, and I got married. I’m gonna make things right, I promise.” Tears ran down her cheeks.“I know you will, my sweet.” Viviana’s grip on Mori’s hand loosened before it fell to her stomach, her final breath released from her lungs. Mori could hear fighting behind her, but she paid no attention. The warriors could hold off the false king while she took the time to be with her parents.“Vi?” Ren asked, his voice strained as he moved closer and pulled his wife against his body. “I hope you’re this brave in your own timeline, my daughter. I look forward to getting to know you at the right time.” Soon, his eyes closed as he succumbed to his own injuries.

“I will be, Dad.” Mori stood, and her eyes began to glow. Wisps of green magic twirled and danced out of the now former queen before launching at the heir. The wind kicked up around her as she doubled over from the familiar gut punch that radiated pain through her core. The rhythm of her heart played in her ears, and the pounding on her chest was intense. Lifting off the ground, a burst of magic shot across the entire forest, just as it had done the first time. She remembered this intense power, recalling just how alive it had made her feel. Magic surged through her veins, and many raiders and fairies stopped their battle to watch.When she landed on her feet and the glow faded, she spun on her heels and glared daggers at Yorn as her sadness turned into rage. She grabbed the charm from her left wrist and enlarged Fae’ohtan. She missed the weight of her mighty warhammer, and now it was back.“Yorn! You stand accused of assault, pillaging, theft, first-degree murder, treason against the Crown, war crimes, and murder of the former forest queen, Viviana. I, Queen Moriana Albright, sentence you to death.” Her judgment was absolute. She refused to allow the false king to harm anyone else, not again. “I stopped you once already, and I will do it again.”“HA!” Yorn let out a hearty laugh. “The forest has a new king now that Viviana is dead!”“Uh, sir?” a skittish raider standing beside him said. “We all just watched the magic go to her, not you. Are you sure you’re really Jerro’s descendant?”“He is. I confirmed that already, but Jerro was not destined to be a royal. His younger sister, Silvana, became queen. They actually had a really good relationship under her reign,” Mori explained matter-of-factly. “Still, you’ve killed a lot of people, and for that, you will be punished.” Lunging at full strength with the help of the royal magic, she lifted her hammer to bring it down on the man’s head, but before she could reach him, a sunset-colored portal opened up between them.She went straight through the portal and out the other side, slamming her hammer down on the ground. Duncan, Faust, Orian, and Lorem all jumped back in surprise, drawing their weapons. Mori panted hard through her disheveled hair as she slowly stood up and looked around.“Queenie, are you OK?” Lorem asked, sheathing her longsword on her back.“How long was I gone?”“About a minute. You went through the portal there”—he pointed to where she had disappeared from originally—“and came out swinging Fae’ohtan. What happened?” Duncan put his own sword away and stepped forward.The queen let out a breath of relief and returned her weapon to its charm form before putting it back on her wrist. “I traveled back in time to the day I was kidnapped. At the mall, Tim and Tom spotted me, and I ran.” She sat down on the ground and leaned against Faust as the others gathered around for her retelling of the events, explaining how she was trying to kill Yorn and that was how she came back through the portal swinging.“I imagine that’s not how things would have played out if that’s how the events actually went,” Duncan said, pressing on. “If you had known nothing from the beginning, you would never have sent a message to me, which means Viviana would have been given notice of your death.”“You weren’t as confident back then as you are now. No one would have come running had Duncan not come to tell us he’d received a message from you. Which means we wouldn’t have met,” Orian added.“Not to mention you didn’t talk about Faust at all. I’m guessing you didn’t slide down the cliff?” Lorem asked.“That’s right. That was the main turning point. I was hit so hard by that truck that I couldn’t fight back. Which means I never ran away and found the oak tree house, nor had I slid down the cliff that led to Faust’s cave.” Mori gave her best friend a pet on the head. “I was lonely without you, buddy.”We would have missed you too, Mori. I was sure something bad would happen when you went through the portal.“Thankfully, not a lot did. Yes, it was awful seeing both my birth parents killed in front of me, so I much prefer the version of events that actually did happen. Meeting all of you and being able to get the training I needed to defeat Yorn and Dairus. I definitely have changed since I first stepped foot in the forest.” The queen beamed, glad to be back where she belonged.A growl startled everyone except Mori, and they all jumped to their feet and drew their weapons when Bob appeared between the trees behind her. Looking over her shoulder, the queen smiled.“Hey there, lurker.” All of them sighed with relief before sheathing their swords and sitting once more. “He’s been there the whole time,” she informed the others before turning back to her skull-headed beast friend.Bob cocked his head to one side and opened his jaw to speak. “Interesting,” he drawled, his gaze glued on Mori.“Hey, Bob, I was wondering something. In this alternate timeline, or whatever you want to call it, you helped me even though you had no reason to. Why would you help someone who claimed to be the queen like I did?” She couldn’t help but ask this question, as it was one that was on her mind during the entirety of her retelling.The beast was silent for a few moments before leaning in closer to her. “Smell royal magic, and know name.”A cryptic answer from a cryptic beast.“You can smell my magic? That’s pretty cool, but just because I knew your name is kind of a stretch. Everyone in the forest knows your name,” she countered, crossing her arms with a skeptical look.He shook his head once. “Name of weapon. Lost since beginning,” he clarified.Mori’s arms dropped to her lap as her mouth fell open. “That’s right. Fae’ohtan’s name was lost after it was sealed away. The only way anyone could know its true name is if they had been alive at the time of its use, or if they had it in the present.”“He has a point,” Orian said. “None of us knew what the name of the hammer was, and according to you, the ones who would know are not part of the past royals you can interact with inside the royal magic.” Lorem and Duncan both nodded in agreement.“Either way . . .” Mori turned to face Bob once more. “I’m glad for the help, so thank you.” Her bright smile had the beast straightening up and taking a step back silently.The queen knew that if it weren’t for everyone here, she wouldn’t have been able to survive her adventure through time. She was thankful for that, and was looking forward to seeing what else Fae’ohtan can do.

• Rise of the Forest Queen

• Accept the Letter

Click on each picture to enlarge it to full size.

Click on each picture to enlarge it to full size.

The Tordovia insignia has hidden meanings in its design. The roses represent the rose flowerlings that take care of the school grounds. The heart above the four insignias was a way of showing unity. The little symbol below it is actually a piece of my family crest that I wanted to incorporate.