Fairy Lies

by E. D. Baker

  Once they were alone again, Tamisin turned to Jak and said, “I owe you an apology. It wasn’t your fault that my mother’s kiss made me want to come back, or that the gate wasn’t opening and I couldn’t get through. I’ve never been so frustrated in my life! I am sorry I acted kind of crazy, though.”

  Jak leaned toward her to rest his forehead against hers. “And I’m sorry I didn’t help you when you needed me. I didn’t know the compulsion Titania placed on you was so strong until you told me that night. I started looking for another gate, but the one behind my house never opened again, and I couldn’t find any others that were open. I wanted to tell you, but by then you didn’t want to talk to me. Do you believe me when I say that I love you?”

  Tamisin laughed. “How could I not believe you? You admitted it under the influence of truth nectar, so it has to be true. The thing is, I love you, too. I may not have shown it, but I never stopped loving you. I was miserable without you. My poor parents couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me.” Tamisin frowned and her eyes grew distant. “I left without leaving word. My parents have no idea what happened to me. I wonder how much time has passed.”

  “You’ll be back soon, and you can tell your parents what happened. I just hope we haven’t missed our entire summer vacation,” said Jak.

  Tamisin looked horrified. “That would be awful! I had so much planned!”

  “I hope those plans include me,” Jak told her.

  “From now on all my plans are going to include you. And the first thing I plan to do is this.” Her eyes were shining when she brushed Jak’s lips with a feather-light kiss. Suddenly his arms were around her and the kiss was anything but light.

  Author’s Note

  William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the inspiration for both Fairy Wings and Fairy Lies. Titania, Bottom, Oberon, and the young orphan boy (whom I named Dasras) were all characters in the play.

  A Note on the Author

  E. D. BAKER made her international debut with The Frog Princess, which was a Texas Lone Star Reading List Book, a Book Sense Children’s Pick, a Florida’s Sunshine State Young Readers List book, and the inspiration for the hit Disney movie The Princess and the Frog.

  Ms. Baker has written eight books in the Tales of the Frog Princess series, as well as The Wide-Awake Princess, Unlocking the Spell, and Fairy Wings. She lives on a small farm in Maryland, where she and her family breed horses. They also have dogs, cats, goats, and two ducks named Quackers and Fromage.

  www.talesofedbaker.com

  Also by E. D. Baker

  Tales of the Frog Princess:

  The Frog Princess

  Dragon’s Breath

  Once Upon a Curse

  No Place for Magic

  The Salamander Spell

  The Dragon Princess

  Dragon Kiss

  A Prince among Frogs

  •

  Fairy Wings

  (formerly titled Wings: A Fairy Tale)

  •

  The Wide-Awake Princess

  DON’T MISS AN ALL-NEW FAIRY TALE FROM E. D. BAKER!

  Serafina is living the normal life of a village girl when she gets a mysterious letter from a great-aunt she’s never heard of. Little does Fina know, her great-aunt has some magical abilities and lives in an even more magical cottage . . .

  READ ON FOR A SNEAK PEEK OF A Question Of Magic.

  Serafina watched as Alek folded the metal back on itself and used a heavy mallet to beat it flat once again. He was making a sword for Sir Ganya, a local knight who had promised more work if this piece turned out well. Serafina always enjoyed watching Alek, whether he was making horseshoes, nails, or something as refined as a sword. Although his father specialized in plows and axles and things ordinary people needed, Alek preferred to work on things that required a more precise touch.

  Alek’s father, Kovar, grinned at Serafina from the other side of the blacksmith shop. Everyone knew that Serafina liked seeing how things were done. Her own father’s nickname for her was Kitten because he swore that she was as curious as a cat. Whether she was watching someone work or asking questions about things she didn’t understand, Serafina was always interested in learning something new.

  “When you finish working on that sword for the day, you can help me take off the axle I’m fixing next,” Alek’s father told him. “The farmer who brought the wagon in wants it as soon as possible.”

  Alek nodded and wiped the sweat from his eyes. His father was a strong man, but Serafina had seen Alek lift almost as much weight.

  “Miss Serafina! There you are!” Tasya, her mother’s servant girl, waved at her from the doorway. “A letter came for you! Your mother wants you to come home now. Everyone is waiting for you to read it!”

  Serafina’s eyes went wide. A letter was always a big event, and she could imagine how excited her family must be. “I’ll come back to tell you what it is as soon as I can,” she told Alek.

  He had been her best friend since they were children, but in the last few years he’d become something more. After her family, he would be the next person to hear any news she had to share.

  * * *

  Serafina was reaching for the door to her parents’ house when it flew open and her sister stepped out. “There you are!” snapped Alina. “We’ve been waiting for you to come home.”

  “How are you?” Serafina asked her.

  Alina rubbed her belly. “I think the baby will be here soon. I’ve been having little pains for the last few days. And look at my ankles!” she said, lifting the hem of her skirt. “They’re so swollen I can’t lace up my boots. Come into the kitchen. I need to sit down. Nesha Zloto is here,” she added in a whisper. “The old gossip is in the kitchen with Mother and won’t leave until you read the letter.”

  Serafina’s father, the most sought-after master builder in the town of Kamien Dom in the kingdom of Pazur-skie, had encouraged his youngest daughter to learn to read and write. No one else in her family had been interested. After Serafina learned, she taught Alek and often shared her books with him.

  Someone laughed inside the kitchen as Serafina followed Alina through the door. Their mother, Zita, was seated at the table across from an older, white-haired woman. Tasya had gone into the kitchen before the girls and was already pouring hot water into the teapot.

  Zita’s eyes lit up in a way that always made Serafina feel warm inside.

  “Oh, good, you’re here, Fina!” said Zita. “Tasya, I’ll take care of the tea. I want you to run over to Katya’s house and tell her that Fina is back.”

  Tasya set the pot on the table, wiped her hands on her apron, and hurried from the kitchen. Alina took a seat beside her mother’s chair and sighed.

  Their neighbor, Widow Zloto, scowled when she glanced at the girls. “Alina can sit at the corner like that; just make sure you don’t, Serafina. Move over! Alina is already married, so it won’t affect her, but unmarried girls who sit at a corner will stay single for seven more years.”

  “Good day, Mistress Zloto,” Serafina said, bending down to kiss the old woman’s wrinkled cheek.

  The Widow Zloto patted Serafina’s hand. “You can fetch me some of that good bread your mother makes, Fina.”

  “I’ll have some, too,” said Alina.

  “I’ll bring a plate to share,” Serafina told them. She had already spotted the letter on the table, propped against a mug filled with daisies. Her fingers itched to pick up the letter, but instead she hurried to get the bread and cheese.

  The bread was the traditional round loaf topped with salt usually given to guests and special company. Her mother made one every day, knowing that at least one of the neighbors was bound to stop by.

  “Don’t forget the knife!” cried Widow Zloto. “It’s bad luck to break bread with your hands. Break a loaf, break a life; that’s what my mother used to say.”

  Serafina smiled. The old woman was one of the most superstitious people she knew, and she mentioned the knife every tim
e she ate a piece of bread.

  Alina leaned forward to rub the small of her back. “Hurry, Serafina! I want to hear your letter before this baby is born!”

  “Your baby isn’t coming this very minute,” Widow Zloto told her. “But when it comes, you make sure no stranger sees it until it’s at least two months old. It’s bad luck if they do!” The sisters called out along with the old woman, then laughed when she laughed, too. “So, I’m a little superstitious? What can I say, my mother was just as bad and my grandmother was even worse. But your sister is right, Serafina. Hurry so we can hear what’s in the letter. I wonder who sent it.”

  Serafina couldn’t imagine who might have written to her. Aside from her father, people in her family rarely received letters. When they did, everyone wanted to be there for the first reading. Because she and her father were the only ones in the family who knew how to read, they were often asked to read the letters over and over again. The few letters they did receive were usually their only connection with some of their friends and relatives and were generally treasured and set aside to keep.

  Serafina’s mind raced as she tried to think of who might have sent her a letter. Could it be one of her cousins inviting her to visit? Perhaps it was her old friend Eva whose family had moved away the year before. Serafina was pondering the possibilities as she carried the still-warm bread to the table.

  The door opened as her oldest sister, Katya, burst into the kitchen, out of breath from running. “Oh, good! I’m not too late!” she said, collapsing into a chair. “Mother, the children were taking their naps, so I asked Tasya to stay and watch them. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all,” said Zita.

  “It’s good that Tasya won’t be here,” declared Widow Zloto. “Servants love to gossip. Whatever your letter says would be all over town before nightfall. I know— you should hear what my serving girl tells me!”

  “You sit down now, Fina,” said her mother. “Read the letter while I take care of the food. We can’t stand the suspense any longer.”

  Serafina set the knife on the table, slid into her seat, reached for the letter, and turned it over in her hands. She had hoped to see who had sent it, but the writing on the back simply said “Serafina Divis.”

  “What does it say?” Alina asked, leaning toward the table.

  “Just my name,” said Serafina. “No address or anything.”

  Even the stamp used to press the sealing wax had been plain, without the usual initial or decoration. Frowning in concentration, Serafina broke the wax and spread the letter open on the table.

  “Don’t start yet, Fina!” said Katya. “Let Mother sit down and get comfortable. I’m just sorry Father is away,” she added. “He would love to hear the letter, I’m sure. All right. You can start now.”

  Serafina glanced from one person to the next. “Are you certain I can read it? No one has to fetch someone else or start supper or—”

  “Just read the thing!” Alina ordered, kicking her leg under the table.

  Serafina grinned, but her hands were shaking when she began.

  Dear Serafina,

  I am sure you have never heard of me, but I am your great-aunt Sylanna from your grandmother Yanamaria’s side. I am writing to inform you of the inheritance that I intend to leave you. This inheritance is of great importance and will change your life forever. Should you be interested in this bequest, come to the town of Mala Kapusta on the next market day. At nine o’clock that night, go to the house located at the western-most edge of the town, past the Bialy Jelen tavern.

  Looking forward to your arrival,

  Your great-aunt Sylanna

  “She’s right. I’ve never heard of her,” said Alina. “Who is Sylanna? And why is she leaving anything to Fina? Why not me or Katya? We’re older, after all. Mother, have you ever heard of this person?”

  “The name isn’t familiar, but then your grandmother had so many sisters. Some of them died young, others moved away.”

  “An inheritance!” said Widow Zloto. “Well, well! We might have a little heiress here! I do wonder why she chose you for this honor? Not that you aren’t deserving, dear child, but your sisters have been completely cut out.”

  “It isn’t fair!” complained Alina.

  “I’m sure Great-Aunt Sylanna had a reason,” said Katya. “But I can’t imagine why she would pass over two older sisters for Fina.”

  “What do you suppose it is?” their mother mused.

  “Money, of course,” said Widow Zloto. “Inheriting a lot of money would change anyone’s life.”

  “Perhaps it’s a small business,” said Katya. “Then she’d have to move to Mala Kapusta. It makes sense that she’d inherit that. Both Alina and I have families of our own and can’t just pick up and leave.”

  “We won’t know why I was named or what my inheritance is until I go to claim it,” Serafina declared. “Do you think Father will be home in time to take me?”

  Her mother shook her head. “He’ll be gone for another week at least. The next market day is tomorrow.”

  “I wish Alek could go with me—but I know it wouldn’t be proper, so I won’t ask him,” she hurried to say, even as her mother and Widow Zloto opened their mouths to protest. Serafina turned to Alina, but she knew the answer even before she asked. “I don’t suppose that Yevhen—”

  “He can’t go anywhere! How can you ask with the baby coming so soon?”

  “I know, I know. Plus he’s busy taking inventory in his father’s warehouse,” said Serafina. Alina’s husband worked for his father, a successful wine merchant.

  “Why doesn’t Viktor take her?” asked Widow Zloto. “He’s always so busy, but he can take a day off for that, surely?”

  As one of her father’s apprentices, Viktor had lived with the family for seven years and then another two as a journeyman. Soon after receiving his master builder’s certificate, he’d married Katya and they’d moved into their own small home.

  Serafina was just a little girl when Viktor had started his apprenticeship. On his first day there, she had caught him rifling through another apprentice’s belongings. He was so good at lying, however, that no one believed her. After that, Viktor had shown that he didn’t like her in lots of little ways, making fun of her when her parents weren’t around, pulling her hair when no one was looking. Her favorite necklace went missing one day and turned up broken the next. Serafina was certain that Viktor had done it. Things hadn’t gotten much better between them since.

  “Of course Viktor can go,” said Katya.

  “But—” began Serafina.

  “Then it’s settled,” said her mother. “You’ll leave early in the morning and be there by supper time. I’m sure Great-Aunt Sylanna will invite you to spend the night, and you can return the next day.”

  From the look in her mother’s eye, Serafina knew there wasn’t any point in arguing. She sat back as the women began to talk of other things, wondering how she was going to stand spending so much time with Viktor.

  Read all the books in the

  Tales of the Frog Princess series!

  “[A] brilliantly created world of magic and mayhem.” —VOYA

  www.talesofedbaker.com

  www.bloomsbury.com

  www.facebook.com/bloomsburykids

  Sleeping Beauty’s sister is very much awake ...

  www.bloomsbury.com

  www.facebook.com/bloomsburykids

  Text copyright © 2012 by E. D. Baker

  Map copyright © 2012 by Kimberly Bender

  All rights reserved.

  You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce, or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
/>
  This electronic edition published in 2012

  First published in the United States of America in February 2012

  by Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers

  www.bloomsburykids.com

  For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to

  Permissions, Bloomsbury BFYR, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Baker, E. D.

  Fairy lies / by E. D. Baker. — 1st U.S. ed.

  p. cm.

  Sequel to: Wings.

  Summary: Half-fairy Tamisin and her boyfriend, Jak, have been arguing over whether she

  should return to the land of the fey when Oberon, king of the fairies, kidnaps her and Jak

  must return to that place of fairies, goblins, and sphinxes to rescue her.

  [1. Fairies—Fiction. 2. Kidnapping—

  Fiction. 3. Oberon (Legendary character)— Fiction. 4. Titania (Fictitious character: Shakespeare)—Fiction. 5. Animals,

  Mythical—Fiction. 6. Imaginary creatures—Fiction. 7. Magic—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.B17005Fai 2012 [Fic]—dc23 2011025661

  ISBN: 978 1 5999 0786 4 (ebook)