Elior of Lempara, the crown prince of fae folk, wakes on the ground and realizes he's in the human realm-and has no idea how he got there. He remembers his father pointing his staff and a blinding light, but other than that, nothing. Elior needs a portal home, but where is the portal? For the time being, it looks like Elior is stuck in Brooklyn.
When mercenaries come after him, the prince becomes entangled with an unsuspecting changeling. Elior and Alex put their heads together to find a portal back to the fae realm and evade the dangerous trio hunting them.
However, it's difficult navigating an unfamiliar world where Elior does not belong. He seeks a human with knowledge of the supernatural, and despite Elior's protests over dark magic, the pair settle for a witch. Before he finds the portal back, Elior must decide: is he the person he was before losing his memory or has the human realm changed him into someone else?
Elior of Lempara, the crown prince of fae folk, wakes on the ground and realizes he's in the human realm-and has no idea how he got there. He remembers his father pointing his staff and a blinding light, but other than that, nothing. Elior needs a portal home, but where is the portal? For the time being, it looks like Elior is stuck in Brooklyn.
When mercenaries come after him, the prince becomes entangled with an unsuspecting changeling. Elior and Alex put their heads together to find a portal back to the fae realm and evade the dangerous trio hunting them.
However, it's difficult navigating an unfamiliar world where Elior does not belong. He seeks a human with knowledge of the supernatural, and despite Elior's protests over dark magic, the pair settle for a witch. Before he finds the portal back, Elior must decide: is he the person he was before losing his memory or has the human realm changed him into someone else?
The nervous excitement before a momentous occasion always leaves you wondering whether you should smile brighter or hold your hands out, for your heart could fall out of your mouth at any moment.
My travel companions, Grayson and Willow, and I had been on separate journeys for months before we banded together in search of the portal to the fae realm.
And today, we finally knew how to find it and leave the human realm.
We were brought together out of necessity. However, you take what you can get when you are being hunted.
“Jules, can you procure more apples? I fear these plums will not last longer than two more days,” Willow asks with concern in her voice. She is fixated on what fruits to bring as an offering to the fae, thinking it will affect their decision whether to let a group of changelings in or not.
The fae are known to take in any and all nonhumans who request admittance. Since the Great War, humans have been on the warpath with anything that threatens their power. And, I guess being only part-human and descendants of fae qualify us as a threat.
“I am positive the fae will not care how long the fruit we bring them will last,” I tell Willow as I get ready to fetch some apples. “Knowing the fae, they likely have any fruit they desire in bounty.”
“We can’t be overprepared, though,” Grayson says under his breath, loud enough for me to hear. His nerves have manifested in a sour attitude and an odd overprotection of Willow, whom he befriended a few weeks ago after arriving in South Carolina.
We’ve been hitchhiking by the side of the road for weeks, making our way up north. Grayson received word from a relative in New York that a group of our kind is requesting asylum in the fae realm during next week’s full moon.
I call it luck that I ran into Grayson in Georgia. He claims it was the beginning of “the Age of Aquarius,” and that nothing is a coincidence under this cosmic change. He seems to believe in many things, whereas I don’t even know if I believe in myself—or his saving grace.
Because the government entered into another war, our kind is sought after. We have two choices when they track us down—join, or die.
I’m not sure I believe how great the fae realm is, but what choice do I have? So, up north, I continue, with two flower children obsessed with fruits.
“We can catch a bus straight to New York in Washington,” Grayson adds. He’s right, of course. We’re in Virginia right now, so that shouldn’t take us too long. “The longer we stay on the road, the bigger a target we become. It’s too suspicious for three people to be hitchhiking together and have no one ask any questions.”
He can sometimes be so logical. Yet at other times, he speculates how extraterrestrials infiltrated Harvey Glatman’s mind and made him commit horrible murders.
“Then we’re going to need to find apples soon, Jules,” Willow instructs once more.
“All right, all right, I’ll look for apples,” I relent. I think I saw a gas station or a store across the woods a few minutes ago while we were walking.
The establishment, which indeed is a gas station, sells apples. I check my pockets and find I only have about twenty dollars left to my name. I can’t afford to be wasting money on apples when we still need to buy tickets for a bus.
“Good afternoon, sir,” I say with a big smile upon entering the gas station store. “Would you happen to know if there’s an orchard nearby? My daughter is insistent that we get her a Virginia apple just like George Washington.”
The attendant is awestruck, but I’m used to that when I look like I do right now—tall, voluptuous, with long blonde hair. I always turn boys’ heads.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” he stutters. “I’m afraid the nearest orchard is not for another forty miles west of here. We do have some apples here for sale. How many do you need?”
“I reckon a basket full would do,” I say, flashing the biggest smile I can and playing dumb.
“That’s no problem at all. I can ring you up here and take it to your car myself,” he says.
Wrong answer. I look around and see that the only other customer at the station has finished pumping gas and is on his way out. The attendant is going to figure out I came by foot.
Before he can look outside, I walk toward him, maintaining eye contact.
“That would be … splendid,” I say in a sultry voice that never fails me. He’s entranced with me. This should be quick.
“I can … I can … help with the …” he stammers, as I unbutton my dress to expose some cleavage.
Once I’m close enough, I grab the lanyard on his neck. He’s all smiles until I yank it downward with full force slamming his head against the counter and knocking him out cold. I grab the basket of apples and rush over to Willow and Grayson.
My travel companions don’t question from where I got the apples or the basket.
Appeased with the damn apples, Willow stops fidgeting, which in turn calms down Grayson. The rest of the trip to Washington is largely uneventful. At night we take turns keeping watch, and every few miles some kind stranger stops to give us a ride. Even during the bus ride to New York, we each keep an eye out while the other two sleep.
Once we arrive, we head directly to Central Park where Grayson’s great-uncle said to meet on the night of the full moon. We still must find the group.
At the park, there’s a broad mix of people. Families, individuals, couples … they all look different from each other. Grayson has only seen his uncle in pictures. This park is not small—it spans for miles. We could walk in circles all day and all night and still miss the group completely.
We’re wasting time just standing around with fruit in our hands.
“What’s the big plan now, Gray?” I ask with more attitude than intended.
“We must go deep into the woods,” he confidently says as he grabs Willow by the hand and leaves me to carry the basket of apples.
Sunset is approaching, and we’re wandering the woods without a single soul in sight. Well, that’s not entirely true. Every so often we get close to the roads and see other people. It’s our cue that we have strayed off.
Hours pass and exhaustion starts to kick in. Willow is adamant about not eating the offering, so we settle for some of the bounty that’s about to spoil. As we sit in a small clearing, I can’t help noticing how her hair turns brighter as the day becomes darker. It’s a small detail that I don’t think she notices herself. But it probably speaks to the horrors she endured as a child and gives her a way to keep the light on during dark times.
“Good evening, ladies and gentleman,” a voice says behind me. I turn to find a stout white-haired man with an impressive mustache. “Are you lost?”
Crap. He must be the park police, a ranger, or whatever they’re called.
Grayson stands up with some doubt in his eyes. “We’re looking to change our course. Go somewhere new, in fact.”
The stout man draws a smile and begins to transform right before our eyes. His limbs extend, his straight white hair turns to wavy dark locks, and his face completely transforms to that of a Black woman who simply says, “Come with me, children. You’re among family now.”
They found us, thank the heavens. As we follow the tall woman through the woods, I can’t contain my excitement. I see Willow and Grayson giggle at each other. The woman instructs us to keep quiet until we reach the group. We’re finally leaving persecution. We arrive at a larger clearing, now under the full moon. There must be at least fifty changelings present. The organizer of the group is talking, explaining what’s about to happen, and keeps referring to an old book he’s holding. My mind is torn in different places. I’m relieved to be leaving this realm. Yet I can’t help but think back to my daughter. She’s not a changeling and won’t be persecuted like me. Still I can’t fathom how my leaving her with no explanation will make her feel. She’ll probably resent me for her entire life. But at least this way we’ll both be alive. Who knows? Maybe if things calm down I can come back and explain everything to her.
Here and there, I catch some of what the organizer is saying; something about tenets and offerings. I guess Willow was right to get the apples after all. We’re instructed that we need to make a request as a group.
Sure enough, everyone starts holding hands so we can all be connected. I place the basket on the floor to free both limbs. Willow is holding my hand on her left and Grayson to her right. With my left hand, I hold a skinny man’s trembling hand. His hands are clammy and shaking. I tighten my grip in an effort to provide some stability.
We haven’t spoken to anyone here. As I look around I see shifting faces—people growing taller or changing hair color like Willow. You can feel desperation in the air. We would not be here if we had any other choice. I can’t help but think about what each of us must have left behind to be here tonight. It doesn’t make the fact that I left my child behind any easier. However, it does provide some solace that I am not alone in making sacrifices. Misery loves company, I guess.
I can’t fully hear the organizer with the book who is doing some sort of chant in English and kneeling. I don’t understand why he sounds like a preacher. Maybe the fae like it? Just as they would like a random basket of apples from Virginia?
Without warning I see a ring of golden fire materialize in the sky not too far above the organizer’s head.
With all the light shining in my direction, I can only make out two large figures with insect-like wings that glow bright enough for my eyes to delineate. One figure holds a wooden staff like that of a cartoon wizard—what I imagine Gandalf the Gray would carry. Willow grasps my hand so hard that she might break it. I look and I see tears streaming down her face. Grayson is also smiling. It’s the first time I’ve seen him truly beam. We’re finally safe.
The man next to me releases my hand. I look up to see that the light and the two angel-like figures are gone. Grayson, Willow, and I knock over our basket of apples as we rush over to where the organizer stands.
“The king denied us entry,” the organizer says flatly still on his knees.
My entire body feels numb. Everything is silent. I see Willow collapse in Grayson’s arms as catches her amid his own screaming. We’re going to die.
My only thought is of my daughter.
This was fun, fast, easy read that I absolutely enjoyed. There are only a handful of characters, but they're entertaining, and the plot is fast-paced and engaging.
The plot of the story is simple enough, but is still entertaining. Elior wakes up to find himself in the middle of a park in Brooklyn with no memory of how he got there or why he's even there. He's then attacked by a group of mercenaries, and finds an unlikely ally in a changeling he mistakenly runs into and involves in his troubles. Together, they seek to find the portal Elior needs to get home to Lempara, and they hope to find answers on the how and why of Elior's being in the human realm. A little bit of action, a sprinkling of romance, and a bit of mystery mixed together make for a great read.
I really enjoy the budding relationship between Elior and Alex. The absolute ease Elior accepts using a new name per form that Alex changes into is incredible. He doesn't argue about using one central name or pronouns. He simply adapts as needed. Elior doesn't even momentarily question which of Alex's forms he's fallen for or prefers. He just accepts Alex the being as a whole. It's beautiful to see such an open, accepting person, fae or not.
If you enjoy urban fantasy, then I suggest giving this a read.