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They ran and ran and ran. The mob spread out once they got to the wood and alleviated the pressure from Grace’s aching body. She could see where they were going now. No sane person would stay in the village with an enraged giant thundering through; there was no telling what he was going to destroy and who he might hurt. It was safest in the forest, where there were hiding places aplenty. Will dragged Grace through bush and bramble, around trees and over fallen branches. Her skirts got caught too many times to count and they tripped a fair bit, but they never truly fell, which was a blessing. Grace didn’t know how much more abuse h

What is this? Grace didn’t speak the words aloud, unwilling to interrupt the scene unfolding before her. She hung back from the man who so violently destroyed her uncle’s tavern and just watched in silence. Grace held her brother tightly to her, her arms pressing him to her side and unwilling to let him move an inch; though he stank of sweat, though he was muddied and bloodied, she didn’t care so long as he stayed close to her. Uncle Will stood behind the two of them, uneasy hands set upon both of their shoulders. They stood behind the old wood mill. To the left was the building, to the right burbled a small creek, and in t

Randy strode into the building, his posture straight and his gait as smooth as it always was. He gave some of the villagers greetings by patting shoulders or shaking the hands he passed, but there was no mistaking the direction he was headed toward. Grace took her eyes off of Randy and looked at the stranger, prepared to tell him that Randy was their leading hunter, but the stranger was turned around on his stool and no longer facing Grace. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was looking right at Randy. The older man walked up to the bar and the stranger’s head followed him. Randy eyed the cloaked figure with a wary side glance, but the st

“Hair like fire, I tell you! Oh, and the prettiest little giggle you ever heard, like starlight.” “That don’t make sense. Light don’t make sound, and stars don’t make sound.” “You just don’t have no ‘magination! It’s… it’s… damn the deeps, what’s that word?” Grace wasn’t paying particular attention to the conversations buzzing around the bar. As usual, she darted back and forth behind the long wooden surface to collect glasses, pour drinks, collect money, and wipe down spills. She happened to pass by at just the right time to catch old man Ha

Owen Blue gulped as the sun slipped from his view, obscured by the thick branches above his head. Strong spring winds whistled through those branches and into his eardrums, where the chilly air became a gentle growl against the numb shell of his ear. His arms, despite his coat, were covered with goosebumps and every few minutes, Owen would give a sudden, violent shiver. He attempted to wrap his coat more tightly around him, but it was just no use. They lived so close to the sea that the humidity in the air coupled with the low temperatures stabbed right through his clothing and into his very bones. The magnificent mountains that sheltered the

She’d never seen a tree so large before, so baffling in its height that she couldn’t fully comprehend it. When she looked up into the clouds, squinting to understand, it didn’t look like a tree. It looked like a road. Winding and imperfect in its straightness, but a road all the same. She stood at the foot of it and craned her neck, but the top of the tree was so tall that it disappeared into the sky above. She didn’t know how long she stood there for— hours? Days? It was hard to tell. And why couldn’t she look away from the tree? She knew that there was grass around her, wind blowing, sun shining, but she

She didn’t know what love was before, not really. There was love for her parents, love for laughter, love for a bright day, but nothing like this. Nothing like Florian. The all-consuming burn that filled her chest when he stood close, the raging storm flowing along her skin wherever his fingers traveled, the feeling of being so complete and full of him that she was set to burst— that was what he brought forth in her. A lot of fairies thought that magic was power and money was freedom, but she didn’t agree. Love was the most powerful force in existence. The two of them broke through a grouping of bushes near the treeline of

 “Had you seen her today, You might know how it feels To be struck to the bone, In a moment of breathless delight! Had you been there today, You might also have known How your world may be changed, In just one burst of light! And what was right seems wrong, And what was wrong seems right!”                                                                               ~~~ Thirteen seasons had passed since Cosette’s first meeting with Jean. They lived a gentle life where the gardens and nature were her only friends. But that would change today. The giant knew that his daughter needed to see more of the world that he would be