Copyright © Gabrielle Prendergast 2021
Published in Canada and the United States in 2021 by Orca Book Publishers.
orcabook.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Title: The wherewood / Gabrielle Prendergast.
Names: Prendergast, Gabrielle, author.
Series: Orca currents.
Description: Series statement: Orca Currents
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20210095296 | Canadiana (ebook) 2021009530X |
ISBN 9781459828049 (softcover) | ISBN 9781459828056 (PDF) |
ISBN 9781459828063 (EPUB)
Classification: LCC PS8631.R448 W44 2021 | DDC jC813/.6—dc23
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020951480
Summary: In this high-interest accessible novel for middle-grade readers, 14-year-old Blue Jasper goes on another Faerie Woods adventure, to the Wherewood, the forest of lost things.
Orca Book Publishers is committed to reducing the consumption of nonrenewable resources in the making of our books. We make every effort to use materials that support a sustainable future.
Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
Edited by Tanya Trafford
Design by Ella Collier
Cover photograph by Getty Images/serts and Unsplash.com/Nick Baker
Author photo by Erika Forest
Printed and bound in Canada.
24 23 22 21 • 1 2 3 4
Orca Book Publishers is proud of the hard work our authors do and of the important stories they create. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it or did not check it out from a library provider, then the author has not received royalties for this book. The ebook you are reading is licensed for single use only and may not be copied, printed, resold or given away. If you are interested in using this book in a classroom setting, we have digital subscriptions with multi user, simultaneous access to our books, or classroom licenses available for purchase. For more information, please contact [email protected].
ivaluecanadianstories.ca
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter One
I made a deal with a Faerie. A Nixie, to be exact. That’s a water Faerie. I should have known better. My mother told me not to make deals with Faeries. She said they never turn out well. She was right.
I accidentally made a deal with a Nixie called Salix. We’re sort of friends. Salix says friendship with Faeries is always a bit tricky. Now, because of that deal, I’m on my way back into Faerieland. Faeries call their lands “woods.” Salix and I are heading to a place called the Crosswood. It’s where you cross over from the human world to the Faerie world. And it’s magic, in case you were wondering.
A month ago I had no idea magic or Faeries even existed. I thought I was just a normal kid with a pretty normal family.
Ha! Wrong!
It turns out my younger brother and sister are adopted, kind of. Indigo and Violet are their names. They’re nearly ten, and they’re twins. My mother, Jules Jasper, has raised them since they were babies. I was about four years old when they came into our lives. Now I’m fourteen. Indigo and Violet’s real mother is Olea. She used to be a Faerie queen.
I know. Weird, right?
A month ago, Olea’s rival, a Faerie king called Oren, kidnapped Indigo and Violet. Then, because of magic, I had to go rescue them.
I had no choice. It was the kind of magic that kills people. I went into the Crosswood to look for them. That’s where I met Salix. I asked him for help finding the twins. He tricked me into making a deal. He said he would help me if I gave him something. I thought he meant a juice box! But he didn’t. He was saving that “something” for later.
Turns out that “something” is my going on a quest with him. It’s going to be dangerous. And I will be missing school. And my mom is going to be mad at me.
But that’s what happens when you make deals with Faeries. You have to stick to them—or else.
And by the way, crossing from the human world to the Faerie world is very uncomfortable. It feels a bit like how it must feel to be swallowed. You get sucked down into the earth. You slither around underground like a worm. If you’re not careful you get mud in your mouth. Then you pop out the other side. For a few seconds everything is upside down. You feel like you’re walking on the ceiling. But after a moment or two something clicks in your brain. Then everything is right side up again.
That’s what just happened to me.
Salix and my other Faerie friend, Finola, brush dirt off me as I stand up. Salix looks a bit like a frog. His hair and eyes are bright green like grass. His skin is slightly green too. Maybe all Nixies look like him. I don’t know. He’s the only one I’ve met so far.
Finola looks a bit like a swan. Actually she used to be a swan. A witch cursed her. I helped undo the curse. Long story. Her skin is very pale, but her hair and eyes are shiny black. She also has a crown made of white feathers, a leftover from the witch’s enchantment.
Salix carries a small lantern. Finola has a sword. All I have are my backpack and some cupcakes. Doesn’t seem like quite enough for a quest.
Our quest is to find the way into Salix’s home wood. That’s why I’m here in the Crosswood again.
I should be mad at Salix for dragging me along. But I’m not. A Faerie quest is a lot better than chores and school. To be honest, I’m not enjoying high school very much. I keep getting into trouble. I’m not good at making friends. And there’s a lot of homework. It’s stressful. I’ve even been having trouble sleeping.
“What is this wood of yours called anyway?” I ask as we set off. “If I’m going to help you look for it, I should at least know what it’s called.”
“Merwood,” Salix says.
“Merwood,” I repeat. “And you said it’s a few days’ walk from here?”
“At least,” Finola says. Salix nudges her. I can tell they aren’t telling me everything. That’s just the way Faeries are. I’m getting used to it.
“We should go over the rules again,” Salix says. “Since you’ll be here in the Faerie Woods for a while.”
“Probably smart,” I say.
So as we walk, Salix and Finola remind me of a few things about Faeries. How they can’t lie, for example. How if you know a Faerie’s full name, you can command them to give you three wishes.
“That only works once though, remember?” Finola reminds me. “So you can never use it on me again.”
That’s how I helped her turn back into a human. You can command them to do anything with your three wishes. Even magic stuff. Only humans can do it though. That’s why Faeries try never to let humans learn their full names.
“Yeah, I remember all this stuff,” I say. “But is there anything new I should know?”
Salix scratches his green hair with one webbed hand. “As long as you’re with us, you’ll be safe,” he says. “Although you should always watc
h out for wild magic.”
“Oh yeah,” Finola says. “You need to be very careful of that!”
“What’s wild magic?” I ask. It sounds a bit scary.
“Sometimes when a Faerie does magic, a bit of it escapes,” Finola says.
“And it can get into other things,” Salix says. “And make them do magical things.”
“Like…toadstools,” Finola says. “Remember, Salix, what happened to King Oren’s rug?”
“Hmmm,” Salix says. “That was an accident.”
Finola and I giggle. The Faerie Woods can be scary sometimes. But they’re fun too. I’m about to ask for more information about wild magic when…
“Salix Flapfoot! What have you done?”
We all stumble to a stop. Oren, the Faerie King of Farwood, has suddenly appeared. It is like he popped out of the ground.
Salix drops to one knee and bows his head.
“Your Majesty,” he says.
“Stand up, idiot child,” Oren says. I don’t know why he calls Salix “child.” Oren doesn’t look like he’s much older than me.
Salix stands. His green face grows pink with shame.
“Why is Blue Jasper here?” Oren asks. “Didn’t I say the human should stay away from the Faerie Woods?”
“You did, but…”
Oren is angry. Not so much at me though. He’s half brother to Indigo and Violet. That makes him my brother too, in a way. He’s angry at Salix for bringing me here. And once Salix explains, Oren knows about our deal, a Faerie pact. It means I had no choice in the matter.
It’s nice for someone else to be in trouble for a change. Now that I’m here, I realize I don’t want to go home.
“He asked me to help find his wood,” I say. “I’d like to help. No one should be without a home.”
Oren raises his eyebrows at me. He looks amused. With Faeries that’s usually not good.
“I suppose Salix hasn’t told you very much about Merwood,” Oren says.
“Uh-oh,” Finola says.
“No, but…” Now I’m annoyed. I know it’s going to be something bad. I turn to Salix and glare at him. He shrugs.
“Merwood is an Unseelie wood,” Oren says.
“What does ‘Unseelie’ mean?” I ask.
“Seelie and Unseelie are the two types of Faerie kingdoms. The words are old. And hard to translate,” Oren says. “Once they meant ‘happy’ and ‘unhappy.’ Or close to that.”
“And now?” I ask.
“They don’t mean anything,” Salix says quickly. “At least, they don’t mean what they used to. Those divisions don’t matter anymore.”
“So says you, Salix Flapfoot,” Oren says. “Long ago, the Unseelie woods waged a wicked war on the Seelie woods, Nearwood and Farwood. When they lost the war, the Unseelie woods were cursed. Merwood was cursed for one hundred years. Fenwood was cursed for one thousand years. And Witherwood…” His face hardens. It’s difficult for him to speak of anything to do with Olea. “Witherwood was cursed for all time,” he finishes.
“Wait,” I say. “Merwood is connecte d to Witherwood?”
Witherwood is where Olea was sent as punishment for her crimes. She killed Oren’s father, who was also the father of Indigo and Violet. Olea is a very bad Faerie. She nearly killed my mother. She nearly killed me. I’d rather not get anywhere near her. “Is this true, Salix? Is Merwood connected to Witherwood?”
He shrugs, looking guilty. “Sort of?”
“Salix!” I cry.
Oren sighs again. “One day, little Flapfoot, I will be rid of your mischief.”
Salix grins, even though he’s in trouble. “If I can find the way back into Merwood, you will!” he says happily.
Oren rolls his eyes. “I suppose that’s true,” he says. “The most likely place to start looking is the Wherewood. But that is still a long way from here.” He looks around. “And it will be dark soon. Come to my court to eat and sleep. In the morning we can discuss what to do next.”
Chapter Two
Oren’s court is in a huge castle. I’ve been here before. That time, though, I was brought in as a prisoner. This time I feel much more welcome. Little Faerie servants come and take my backpack and hoodie. We pass a fountain in the center of a large courtyard. Oren and his guards stop to wash their hands and faces. Salix and Finola do the same. So I join them.
The water smells of strawberries and cream and sunshine. And it’s warm. Like most teenagers, I have a few pimples. But after I wash my face in the fountain, my skin is smooth. I glance up into the polished silver trim on the fountain. Yep. No zits. I need a fountain like this at home.
Feeling fresh and clean, I follow Oren through a long passageway. Along the walls there are paintings of various magical creatures. Unicorns. Dragons. And Faeries. I wonder if they are Oren’s ancestors. They’d be Indigo and Violet’s ancestors too. Weird.
The passage opens into Oren’s Great Hall. This is where his throne is. This is where he holds court. Oren’s hall is inside his castle. But it looks like it’s outside. The walls are made of live trees. Their branches wind together and form the ceiling.
Last time I was in Oren’s Great Hall, Faeries and other creatures were milling around. Some of them were sleeping. Some of them were having picnics on the floor.
This time they are all seated at a long table. The table is loaded with food! So much amazing food! All the creatures are eating and talking and laughing. No one seems to notice us. Oren pauses just inside the hall.
“Don’t anyone get up for me,” he says. “I’m only your king.”
All the guests ignore him. They keep eating and enjoying themselves. You’d think they’d have more respect for him. Maybe things aren’t like that in the Faerie Woods.
Oren sighs.
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s find you somewhere to sit.”
“Where are Indigo and Violet?” I ask. Indigo and Violet live in the Faerie realm during the week. They live at my house with Mom and me on the weekends.
“Violet is in Nearwood tonight,” Oren says.
That makes sense. Violet is the queen of Nearwood now. Maybe Indigo is with her.
“Indigo put a growth charm on my favorite rosebush,” Oren continues. “It burst into flames. So tonight he’s having dinner in his room.”
I try not to laugh. Indigo is just as bratty here as he is at home.
Oren takes his place at the head of the table. He shoves two Faeries and a Troll down a few spaces so Finola, Salix and I can sit.
Salix and Finola start eating straight away. They put piles of berries and cakes onto their plates. I’ve been warned not to eat Faerie food. It makes humans lose their minds. That’s the last thing I need.
Oren grins at me as he fills his own plate.
“The meatballs are safe for you,” he says, pointing to a bowl. “I get them from IKEA.”
I spoon a few onto my plate. Sure enough, they taste just like IKEA meatballs. Oren also has a servant bring me a bottle of ginger ale, some yogurt tubes and a tin of English shortbread. As I eat, the servants keep bringing me more things. Most of them are still in the packets. Ordinary grocery-store things like cereal, cookies and chips. Stuff Mom never lets me eat at home.
At Mom’s, everything is homemade and organic. It is good, and I am never hungry or anything. But this is incredible. I eat as much as I can, and before long I’m stuffed.
Gradually the table clears as Finola, Salix and all the other Faeries drift away. Many of them curl up on the floor or under a tree to go to sleep. But I’m wide awake. I’ve never eaten so much sugar in my life. Oren leans back in his chair, rubbing his stomach.
“I’m afraid the magic of the Woods may require you to complete Salix’s quest with him,” he says.
“I figured that,” I reply.
“I wish Salix had waited,” Oren says. “At least until things were more…settled.”
“You mean Olea,” I say.
“She is gone, of course,” Oren says. “Tr
apped in Witherwood. But she has supporters. You will have to be careful.”
“If only I had magical powers,” I say before I can stop myself.
Oren gazes at me. “Magic can be a curse as well as a blessing,” he says thoughtfully.
I scoff. “If it was a curse, wouldn’t Faeries just give it up? Couldn’t they just…hex their magic away?”
Oren laughs so heartily that several Faeries sleeping nearby stir. They tell him to be quiet. He lowers his voice.
“That is not a magical skill we have,” he says. “There is only one way we can do things we lack the magical skills for. That is if a human commands us.”
“So if I had commanded Olea to lose her magical powers, she would have?” I ask.
Oren smiles. “Now you know why Faeries don’t like humans to know their full names. But that would have been very dangerous. Bad things happen when magic escapes its bounds.”
“Are you talking about wild magic?” I ask. “Finola and Salix told me about that.”
“Exactly,” Oren says. “Wild magic finds the nearest non-magical thing and rushes into it. It would have rushed into you. That could have killed you.”
“Could have?” I ask. “What if it didn’t? Would I be magic now?”
Oren shakes his head. “You humans are all the same,” he says. “Always wanting what someone else has.”
I feel myself blushing. But why should I be embarrassed? Who wouldn’t want magical powers?
Oren puts his hand on my shoulder. “Magic is like blood,” he says. “A human can lose blood. Or even donate it. Your body makes more. It takes time. And it might weaken you. But if you lose all your blood, you die. For Faeries, magic is like this. If we use up a large amount of magic, we eventually can make more. If we lose all our magic, we don’t die. But the part of us that is Faerie dies. We become like humans.”
“So how does Faerie magic work in a human?” I ask, more interested in that than Oren’s Faerie lesson. “Are you saying it wouldn’t make me magic?”
“It would, but only very briefly,” Oren says. “Any magic you used would be gone. Your human body could never make more. Any big spells, like healing wounds, for example, would use it all up.”
The Wherewood Page 1
