It’s #BookQW and our island needs its magical ‘balance.’
More from Chapter 5:
A wave of nausea hit Fern. Was it from the muck? Her imagination? Or that she’d nearly fallen from the tree hollow, stories high in the air. She lowered to the floor, where the wood crumbles cushioned her ungraceful landing. Was the slime poisonous? Her foot had been numb before. It wasn’t now. The muck didn’t seem to be moving, but her sock logo was half covered. With a trembling hand, she reached for the laces.
“Do’na touch it!” Beri said.
Her head whipped up, and she planted her hands to shove to her feet.
Spreading his wings, he eyed her, knees bent, arms loose—good form. “I am nae keen on fighting.”
Neither was she. “No,” she mumbled, sinking down again. “You surprised me…I forgot you were here.” She pressed her fist to her forehead, then switched to wiping the damp hair from her brow and drew a shuddering breath she hoped wasn’t too obvious. They really do want to help me. I have to trust him. Their methods seemed odd because they were completely different from her. “Wh-what is it?” She gestured to the muck on her sock. “And what happened back”—she pointed randomly—“there, with the changing portals?” She crossed her arms over her wet clothes and pretended she wasn’t dying to lie down.
Beneath his reddish curls, Beri’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t heard?” He shrugged one shoulder to a freckled cheek. “Energy issues. The isle is short of energy, and that has thrown the land out of balance. Our shielding won’t hold in place, and the stretching has caused energy rips along many habitat boundaries. Rips dump you elsewhere, as nearly happened.”
“Into the sea?”
He nodded. “Or to other habitats. The elders monitor the spots, spelling the land to hold and, where they canna, warding the worst ones so no one walks across them. That rip is nae as bad as others and ’tis rather isolated, so folks avoid it. Lady Lark didna show you where it was?”
She shook her head.
“Do’na worry, the watchers have a way of telling if anyone gets sucked outside, plus make sure no one enters the enclave. After this weekend’s inspections, they should have more energy to begin repairs.”
He’d answered—unlike some grandmothers she knew—but knowing she’d almost fallen into the ocean hiked up her nerves again. “And this muck?”
“Energy,” Beri said again.
Magic, she translated. It couldn’t be anything else.
~~~
A green thumb only gets a girl so far. Will Fern be able to prove managing the Meadows is her birthright and save her grandmother’s land?
Read The Witch of the Meadows!
All 4 Windborne novels now in paperback…and Large Print!
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Personal Update: After months of delay, we are gearing up to travel cross-country and visit our cabin in the Rocky Mountains. I’m nervous about traveling during a pandemic, but we have gotten together our safety gear for the drive and will be in our own place when we arrive. It’s more preparation than usual, but we need a break and to check on things. I hope to update you next week from a place of calm. Stay safe everyone!
This sounds like my kind of story.
Yes! Anything with magic is my kind of story, too! Thanks for reading!
Laurel