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    The Faerie Guardian
    The Faerie Guardian
    The Faerie Guardian
    Ebook298 pages5 hours

    The Faerie Guardian

    By Rachel Morgan

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    She's fae. He's human. When he accidentally follows her back into the magic realm, a deadly plot is set in motion. **Binge-read the complete series now!**


    - - -


    Rule: Never reveal yourself to a human.


    I swear I didn't break this rule. I had my glamour in place. I saved the guy's life, just as I was assigned to do. And then he looked at me. Looked at me.


    Rule: Never bring a human into the fae realm.


    Technically, this wasn't my fault either. He followed me. But the Guild doesn't see it that way. Assignment status? Failed.


    I'm months away from graduating top of my class, and now Nate has ruined everything. If I can get him back home without killing him, maybe I can salvage my guardian future.


    Except ... there's way more going on here than I suspected. Someone else is after Nate. Someone intent on unearthing long-forgotten secrets and immense power.


    Next thing I know, we're tangled up in a plot more dangerous than anything I've had to fight my way out of before.


    Bonus complication? I think I'm falling for Nate ...


    - - -


    Graduation is the least of Violet's problems in this bestselling YA fantasy series packed with dazzling magic, page-turning action, family secrets, and swoon-worthy romance. Binge-read the complete series now!


    - - -


    Readers' reviews: 


    "The most addictive series I have ever read!"


    "Seriously so amazing!"


    "I adored this book, devoured it! A very talented author, who works magic with words and scenes."


    If you enjoyed The Faerie Guardian, check out the other Creepy Hollow books! Next in the series is The Faerie Prince.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRachel Morgan
    Release dateOct 18, 2012
    ISBN9780992186302

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    Reviews for The Faerie Guardian

    4/5

    94 ratings15 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Did I find a super awesome YA read with amazing characters and believable romance? And romantic tension? Lots of romantic tension? Did I? Oh, yes... Yes, I did.This is one of my new favorites going on my “epic” shelf! Sweet babies, I adored this thing. Violet, the protag, is a very strong and snarky faerie—truly funny, and not just occasionally so. She's a tough chick and even a bit of a tomboy to boot, which makes her physical prowess that much more believable. And, she's a teenage girl with so little experience with boys, so she does allow herself to get involved with the human boy, Nate. But, she is not dreaming of their wedding day, nor thinking the fate gods had anything to do with their meeting each other.She's a Guardian-in-training who goes out and protects people and fae folk from evil stuff that has the tendency to wreak havoc on innocent people's lives. She has a really sassy guy rival in her Guild named Ryn, an old friend-turned-enemy. A frenemy. He's just yummy and fun. I love characters like that!Then, there's Nate who is really funny, too, and I don't know how I feel about him after having read the entire story, plus the bonus stories. He's just a complex character, I suppose, like any real person, so I'm left perplexed and wanting to know why he chooses to go down the path he does in the story SO badly. Why did you do it? Why, Nate?Back to Ryn—delicious Ryn. Where you have an instant attraction between Violet and Nate, leading to a very immediate relationship worthy of high-schoolers, you have something far slower-burning with Vi and Ryn. They hate each other, but do they really? It feels like that kind of relationship where the two get off on making each other angry. Ryn certainly derives actual pleasure from doing so with Vi, as I learned from reading his POV story at the end. The potential for future romance between the two is seething through the words on the page and I cannot wait to read more about them. I totally ship it!I think what makes this story work is that it goes deep and does it right away in Book 1. We find out why Violet has literally NO friends and why she and Ryn had a falling out. She starts out not having a clue as to why he hates her, but he fesses up and it really allows for the kind of character insight missing in a whole lot of novels I read, YA and adult. Because I can understand what makes these characters tick, I relate to them better and can now get hooked into their emotions, just like how they get hooked into each other, emotionally, after their big blow-up. It's something usually saved for a Book 2 or Book 3, but, seriously, why wait to put in the good stuff? This is why readers read!
    • 5/5
      Wow!! Another free book that I loved!! I didn't want to put the book down. I love it when a book captures my interest from the beginning. In this book we have Violet who is a Faerie Guardian Trainee who accidentally brings a human into Creepy Hollow after doing her assignment. The human, Nate is not supposed to be able to see past the glamour but for some reason he is able to. He also survived the faerie paths. Ryn is also another Faerie Guardian Trainee and has a history with Violet and a bit of a rival to be the top in their class. I loved all the characters. Even when they were being mean to each other. Ryn and Violet put their history behind to search for Ryn's half sister after she is kidnapped. Violet doesn't know why Calla was kidnapped but when she finds out where she is being kept Violet finally finds out that Calla has some unique powers just like Violet does. Violet is able to find people just by touching something that belongs to them.Now I can't wait to read the next book in the series to see what happens.
    • 4/5
      I have received an ebook copy of this book via Xpresso BT review opportunity.The Faerie Guardian is the first book in Creepy Hollow series. The book starts by introducing Violet Fairdale, who is a Guardian trainee on assignment. From there, a number of rule-breaking has been made that leads to indirectly harming the people she cares about and she cared about.What I liked about this book is the modernized kind of way approach to fae realm. This book was easy to read. The nature of action accompanied by magical surge and physical attack made the reading so much fun. Though, I really did not fancy Violet and Nate's romance. I was not into insta-love because I could not see how the 'love' actually evolved and blossomed.On the other hand, right in the start, Ryn and Violet has a very good potential for romantic relationship. Even without revealing their past yet. They really got a very good chemistry, even if all they do when they meet each other is fight. I am actually looking forward what their 'sort of friends' relationship will turn into. They have more sparks than the latter.I like it to the point of wanting to finish the whole series of this book. I just don't like the 'meh' part when it comes to Nate and Violet. I love to see more of Ryn and Vi. Oh! The cover looks simply faerie nice.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book. I always love a snarky heroine who doesn't use terrible language. (Vi's favorite expletive is "flippin' flip!".) This is one of those books that just ticks every box for me. The world-building is creative and interesting, the characters are awesome and have the most hysterical conversations, the action is intense, the villains are incredibly evil, and the plot is exciting and romantic. I'm excited to see what comes next in the series and am glad I don't have to wait a year to read them. I should always wait until the whole series is out before starting :). A couple of my favorite quotes from The Faerie Guardian :“Seelie Court,” murmurs Nate. “Sounds familiar. Was it in a computer game?”“Do I look like someone who plays computer games?”A grin stretches across Nate’s face. “You look like someone who could be in a computer game.” “I angle my head down and peer up at him through my lashes in what I hope is an alluring manner. I have zero experience in this area though, so it’s possible I look like a total moron.” “You’re not the kind of person to just randomly fall in love. You’re way too . . .”My eyes shoot to his. “Too what?”“Well, you know, emotionally closed off.”“I will emotionally close off every orifice in your face if you don’t shut up about this right now.” Like I said, I do love a clean-mouthed snarky heroine! And I also love it when a books quotes practically write the review for you. Unfortunately, this doesn't get checked out very often in my library, I'll have to start talking it up. I wish the cover of the paperback was the same as the ebook edition that I read because I think it would get checked out more if it was - it was gorgeous!Areas of concern:The *d* word is used a handful of times.There is quite a bit of violence - Guardians against magical creatures and Unseelie against Seelie. A 6 year old child is in mortal danger.Absent/dead parents of the main character who lives by herself.
    • 4/5
      The Faerie Guardian (Creepy Hollow #1) by Rachel MorganViolet Fairdale is a seventeen-year-old fairy guardian in training. It is Vi’s job to protect humans and innocent Fae from the evil things that hunt them. While on a mission, Nate, a human boy who should not be able to see her kind, followed Vi to faerie. Having broken Guild Law, she is required to return the boy to the mortal realm and spell him to forget. It sounds easy, nope far from it. Violet is a wonderful heroine. She is a hardworking dedicated student, at the top of her class. I love her strong sprit. Both her parents have died, and she doesn’t have many people she can rely on. Despite that she is a good person, with strong values.I enjoyed the storyline of Violet’s once friend, now nemesis, Ryn. They share a thought-provoking past. He keeps you guessing. I am curious where that relationship will go in future books.I enjoyed the world that Rachel Morgan created. She does an excellent job describing environments in a stimulating manner.The Faerie Guardian is an action pact thrilling novel. The story is intriguing. It is mysterious, you never know who Vi can trust. I can easily see me getting hooked on this series and look forward to reading, The Faerie Prince (Creepy Hollow, #2). Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      I like the world building that Morgan has accomplished in this rather short novel. Faerie works kinda like the Tardis, the large training facility is a tree from the outside but once you enter It's just like a regular building, except for the magic clouds in the lobby that is.
      Vi is a likeable lead character and Ryn is pretty good as her bad boy nemesis. Nate is less well defined but he really appears off screen for most of the 2nd half of the novel. I'm intrigued to see where the story goes so I'm off to read book 2.
    • 5/5
      Okay, so this book isn’t really my cup of tea. YA romance? Meh. But it’s been on my to-read list for years, because I’m in a few writers’ groups with Rachel, I have mad respect for her, and I’ve been dying to see how she writes.

      I was pleasantly surprised. This book is YA, yes, and the dialogue reflects that, with all the angst and emotional over-the-topness you might expect from a couple of seventeen-year-olds. And there is romance, too. But it’s much lighter than I was expecting.

      Instead, the romantic moments are few, and mostly exist to give a welcome break, a chance for the reader to catch their breath in between the high-stakes, fast-paced, blink-and-you’ll miss it action.

      I cared about the characters; I cared about the situations, and I just wanted to keep reading. It’s absolutely got that “just one more chapter” feel to it.

      Another refreshing thing about this book is how WHOLESOME it is. There’s zero sex (the occasion kiss and naïve teenage fantasy, but even those are tame), and the worst swear word you’ll find is the very occasional “damn”.

      But that doesn’t make it a children’s book. Yes, it’ll appeal to teenagers, and probably slightly-preteenagers too (maybe 11-12), but it’s got enough intrigue and adult themes in it to appeal to a 41-year-old man. And I don’t feel the least bit guilty or ashamed of that.

      The editing is also almost flawless. I probably spotted the grand total of two missing words in the entire book. And they were both “the”, I think. Do you have any idea how rare that is?

      Finally, after the last chapter, there are two “Bonus Scenes”. When I saw them in the table of contents, I had the impression they were deleted scenes. They’re not. Actually, they’re scenes from secondary characters’ perspectives which happened at earlier stages in the book, but it wouldn’t have made sense to write them in place.

      These scenes are brilliant, they answer quite a few lingering questions, and if read this book, then I highly recommend you read those as well.

      I liked the fact that the author used third-person-past-tense for these scenes, when the rest of the book is in first-person-present. It really creates the feeling that we’re spying on something, and we’re getting access to extra information we shouldn’t be privy to.

      Even after all this, I was ready to give this book four stars. And then I read the Acknowledgments section. Which blew me the frick away (to use an expletive from the book).

      I knew Rachel was a Christian, but I never realised before just how strong her faith is. She starts out by thanking God, because without Him, nothing is possible. Okay, fine, lots of people do that. Later, she thanks her home cell group for all the support and prayers. That just makes it real. Thanking God is pithy. Going back to that point again and deliberately talking about your faith is a big deal, and it gave me an even greater respect for this author.

      And now that I know just how strong her faith is, it’s making me rethink some things that happened in the story. Could there be some C. S. Lewis style allegory in it? I don’t know, because I’m terrible at picking up on that stuff, but if it’s there, I know a few people who would find it.

      The world building is also good, by the way. I thought more than once while reading that I could see myself playing an RPG campaign set in this world. I’m just not 100% sure which rule system to base it on. Not D&D, surely; it makes no sense to create an RPG based on an indie book, and use a massive traditionally published rule system to run it under. Besides, Dungeons and Dragons can be clunky, and gets boring after a while.

      Maybe Mausritter? I read that recently, and I love the encumbrance system. I think Creepy Hollow Guardians’ ability to make weapons materialise out of thin air would be interesting to fit into it.

      Ladies and gentleman, I’ve just read a young adult paranormal fantasy romance story... and I’m pretty sure I’m going to read the next one. That has to be done!

      (Oh, and one more plus: there's not a single instance of the word "alright". This book spells it "all right". As it should be. Man, I hate "alright". More than you could possibly understand...)
    • 4/5
      This was reviewed on The Book Hookup

      **We received a copy of this book but that did not influence the review**

      Wow, did this book go from pretty good to really awesome by the end! I haven’t read a book about the fae in a long time so I was way overdue. I loved the main character, Violet’s (or Vi’s) narrative. She was driven with her training and did everything by the books, until her emotions got in the way when she met the human boy Nate. She and Nate seem to hit it off romantically pretty quickly, and while I wasn’t feeling the chemistry because it was so sudden, I went with it because the story was cranking up. Little did I know what would happen down the road in the story, a change in attitude…that I *think* is going to lead towards a very intense romance in the next book. Please, please, please Ms. Morgan!

      Violet’s small promise to help out Nate was a great little story, but by the end the small promise had turned into a great big story. It was built up beautifully and effortlessly, and I was totally sucked in by the end. I can’t wait to see all the loyalties come out in the next book…I love double crossings and I have a feeling I am going to be surprised!

      Then there’s the cover: it is so pretty with the purple (violet) and the dark surrounding it, just like in the story. But the pretty goes beyond cover love here as the world the author has built is so clearly described. From images of the faerie houses with the beautiful bathing pools to the underground tunnels-I felt like I was there. I swear I could hear the water in the bathing pools and the fresh scent of the waterfall, and the awful smell of the dank and dark tunnels underground….I loved it!

      If you love fae and want a great read, I totally rec this book, you won’t be disappointed.
    • 3/5
      Sooo.... Something different to start on from my usual thrillers and on the bat after a few pages I am already hooked. I like a great adventure with action, drama, romance, comedy. Book was great the beginning to the middle but the end it was not like twister but definitely something I really didn't expect or want to even happen. I thought it would be like the underworld where an abomination was born but none. I definitely looking forward to the next book and have already started reading it. So i hope things work out for the better in the second book else I might not return for the 3rd. One thing is that I am still holding thumbs for Nate that's all I can say
    • 2/5
      As a Guardian Violet protects humans from any faerie that may sneak into the human realm. And she is on track to graduate at the top of her Guardian class. But while guarding a boy named Nathan, she accidentally brings him back to Creepy Hollow when he grabs hold of her arm. Humans are not allowed in the Faerie Realm. And the faerie paths Violet uses to travel should kill a human. Expelled from school for breaking the law, Violet is tasked with bringing Nathan back to his world. She must also give him a forgetful potion. But her curiosity may get the better of her. This is the first human she’s interacted with. And her heart may have other ideas.The beginning of this story was filled with action and world-building. Rachel Morgan brought to life the magical and colorful world of Creepy Hollow. The interactions between Violet and Nathan were comical as the two tried to understand their different customs and technology. Unfortunately, once I made it through the first part of the book, the rest seemed to fall to pieces.After the events of Violet and Nathan, the reader is put into an average day for Violet. Training, dodging gossip and dealing with school rivalry. At this point in the story, it slowed down the narrative. It felt like an attempt at a typical young adult school setting, but it just didn’t work. After all the magic and conflict, this section only dragged the story down. It should have been introduced earlier, to give readers a better foundation to stand on. Not to mention it never surfaces again.There are abrupt chapter endings that left me confused. Listening to the audiobook, I thought it was skipping. I had to rewind to listen to the last few minutes and confirm that nothing was skipped, the chapter just suddenly ended. This pulled me straight out of the narrative.The plot and subplots were not put together well. The reader is jolted between them, and at times I wasn’t exactly sure what the main plot was anymore. At one point, the main plot seems to end and then pick up another plot altogether. Characters that were in the background suddenly came to the front and become solid secondary characters with the new plot.This is not a series I will be continuing. While I enjoyed Violet and Nathan, the plot jumped too much and by the end of the book, I had no idea what was going on.
    • 4/5
      I've been looking for a good faerie story for a while. I lean toward YA books for that because once we go streamline adult it becomes...well...swamped down with sex and that is not the story I want. I want to escape to another realm, so to speak. :) This was different and I found the plot a little edgy with some nice twists and turns. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next one.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I Love it I love it I love it! I loved everything about it. The good fantasy with unique, original and creative fae world and beautiful great romance. Shocking plot twists and heart breaking moments. JUST LOVED IT

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Faeries, you say? More faeries? I know, I know. The YA market has become quite saturated with Faeries and Fairies (and any other spelling you can think of ) - especially since the success of Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series. So, what makes this series different and worth reading? A few things: an original take on human/faerie interaction, amazing world-building, entertaining dialogue and a kick-ass female main character to start.

      In this faerie world, humans are strictly forbidden. They are never to know anything about Faerie. Of course, there are the baddies who want to take advantage of humans, or maybe eat them for dinner, but that's where the Guardians come in. Guardians are an elite group of Faeries who are trained to fight their darker counterparts and protect humans. They use glamour to hide themselves from us. I thought this take on Faerie was unique. Usually faeries - light and dark both - are all about taking advantage of humans in whatever way they can. I found it refreshing that in this world, there are faeries who want to protect us.

      The world was also unique. The fae live mostly like humans do but things we do with technology, they do with magic. They create light with magic, they have "sound drops" that play music into your ears when you stick them to your temples, they even have modern conveniences like bathrooms - with a magical twist:

      I jump off the bed and join him at the doorway to the bathing room. He peers in at what looks like a slice of nature. Grass grows naturally, and a pool fills the center of the room. Scattered amongst the blades of grass are hundreds of tiny blue and yellow flowers. Trees with tangled branches conceal the walls, and water tumbles down a pile of rocks and into the other side of the pool.

      "You are kidding me, " says Nate. "You have a pool in your bathroom?"

      "The bath idea never really took off," I say. "Self-cleaning pools have been in for centuries. And the mini-waterfall provides an excellent shower."


      It's details like these that make me really fall in love with not only the story, but the world it is set in.

      Violet, or Vi, is a faerie training to be a Guardian. Nate happens to be an assignment. After fighting off a baddie, she realizes that Nate can see through her glamour. She tries to high-tail it out of there but Nate hitches a ride with her to Creepy Hollow, the faerie world. So, now Vi is in trouble! She has broken the first and most important rule of Faerie - no humans allowed! As part of her punishment, she is tasked with protecting this human boy while escorting him back to the human world. This is where the action starts. I'm not going to tell you more than that because I don't want to ruin it for you. Suffice it to say that there's quite a bit of action.

      I loved the interactions between Nate and Violet at the beginning of the book. I laughed out loud in a couple of parts and snickered at others. The author did a really great job of writing Nate as a human who learns that magic and faeries are real. He has all these misconceptions based on fairy tales and movies and that makes for some great dialogue.

      "No way," he says, rustling the leaves as he stands. "You can't be a faerie. You're way too big."

      I lower my hands. "Excuse me?" I've been called many things in my seventeen years, but 'big' has never been one of them...

      "Aren't faeries supposed to be, like, really tiny? With wings and a wand and faerie dust?"

      "I'm not Tinker Bell!" ....

      "So you don't have wings then?" he asks, completely ignoring what I just said.

      "Sure I do, they're in my pocket."

      "Really?"

      "No!"



      Of course, Nate and Violet end up an item. This is actually the part that almost lost me. Anyone who has read this blog before knows that I am not a fan of insta-love and Nate and Violet walk a very fine line there. There is no big declaration of love, no declaration that they are soul mates, but things develop a little too quickly for my taste.

      I really enjoyed the storyline and thought the pacing was good. There was a point somewhere towards the middle of the book where it almost seemed like I was reading a different book about the same characters. I can't say more without giving anything away but that was a little jarring for me. This book was originally published as four separate novellas so this makes sense to some extent. We go from romance with Nate and Vi to no Nate and backstory with Ryn instead. Later on, things became more clear and I could see how things fit together but while reading there was definitely a little bit of a disconnect between the plotlines. Generally, this book moved along quickly and was very entertaining.

      My favorite thing about this book was the main character, Violet. She is a strong heroine both physically and mentally. She has a smart mouth and is funny. She works hard to be the best at what she does. She is dedicated to her work and to the people she cares about. At the same time, she still has vulnerabilities and insecurities that make her a believable character. I enjoyed reading from Violet's perspective and watching her question and grow along the way.

      Overall, I very much enjoyed this one. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good fairy tale, fans of fantasy and especially fans of Julie Kagawa and her Iron Fey series. This was an original take on the Fae and I can't wait to read more!

      P.S. I'm Team Ryn!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      As great as the first time I read The Faerie Guardian!
    • 5/5
      Fantastic

      I was expecting mediocre juvenile fiction and quickly realized how wrong I was. The characters are very relatable and their world is rich and detailed. It is easy to lose oneself in their adventures. I will certainly be reading the next book in the series.

      1 person found this helpful

    Book preview

    The Faerie Guardian - Rachel Morgan

    Guild Rule No. 1:

    Never bring a human into the fae realm.

    Guild Rule No. 2:

    Never reveal yourself to a human.

    PART 1

    ONE

    My assignment tonight is cuter than most. Tanned skin, defined jawline, athletic sort of build. He’s asleep at his desk, his cheek stuck to the open page of a textbook. Strands of sun-bleached hair lie across his forehead, and his lips—which I may or may not have been admiring for the past half hour—are parted.

    I slide off the window seat and creep across the room. It’s bigger than I first thought: with couches and a television arranged to form a separate sitting area, it’s more like a hotel suite than a regular bedroom.

    Great. More places for things to hide.

    I shrink into a shadowed corner and wait. For what, exactly, I’m not sure. The Seers never See more than a glimpse of what may happen. The boy’s steady breathing fills the room. A breeze lifts the curtain, and I catch the flicker of a streetlight on Draven Avenue.

    Breathe in.

    Breathe out.

    Breathe in.

    Breathe—

    There she is! With a hiss, the serpent woman streaks across the room, lamplight reflecting off her scaly skin. I stretch my arms into position and feel the prickly warmth of the bow and arrow as they materialize in my hands. I pull back and let go. The arrow flies across the room in a shower of orange-gold sparks, finding its mark in the reptiscilla’s shoulder.

    She cries out, stumbles, and twists in my direction. Her black eyes bore into mine. It’s happening already, she whispers.

    She rips the arrow from her shoulder—a move that must have really hurt—and lunges for the boy. I toss my bow aside and dive toward him too, knocking his sleeping form to the floor. He’s awake now, which isn’t ideal, but at least he can’t see us.

    I roll off him and spring to my feet, just in time for the reptiscilla to throw herself at me. We’re on the floor. She buries her fangs in my arm, but I barely register the stinging pain. I hear Tora’s voice in my head: Bend your knees, arch your back, thrust your opponent right off.

    I hurl my body over and pin the reptiscilla down by her throat, my free hand already reaching into the air for another arrow. I bring it down swiftly, straight toward her heart.

    But she’s gone.

    Thankfully. I hate it when I have to kill them. With a heavy breath, I collapse against the nearest wall, still gripping the arrow. The cord that held my hair back has come undone, and tangles of purple and dark brown fall in my face. I push them away and begin to feel the tingling ache of the reptiscilla’s bite.

    What … the hell … was that?

    I raise my eyes. My assignment is looking at me.

    At me!

    My heart stutters. I mentally feel for my glamour, the magic that should be making me invisible right now. It’s still in place, I’m sure it is. So how can he possibly see me?

    Crap. This is bad.

    A few feet away from me, the guy pushes himself up into a sitting position. What just happened?

    Um … Dammit, I’m going to lose so many points for this.

    And what the hell is that?

    I follow his gaze to the arrow in my hand. It sparkles with its own light, as though made of hundreds of tiny white-hot stars. I can see how that would look weird to a human. I let go of the arrow. It vanishes, causing the guy’s eyes to grow even wider.

    Well, I should really be going. I stand, hoping my stylus is still in my boot.

    Wait. He gets to his feet. "Who are you? What are you doing here? What was that … thing?"

    That thing? I casually reach behind me for the wall. Oh, you know, just a product of your subconscious. And all that ice cream you ate earlier. Indigestion can make for some interesting dreams. I cringe internally. Dreams? What idiot would buy that explanation?

    His eyebrows draw together. I guess that could make sense. You are way more attractive than any real-life girl who’s managed to find her way into my bedroom.

    This is not happening.

    I slide my hand into the top of my boot and retrieve my stylus. You need to wake up and carry on studying, I tell him. Then I turn to the wall and scribble a few words across it. The writing glows and fades, and a portion of the wall melts away like ribbon held too close to a flame. Goodbye, I call over my shoulder. I step into the yawning darkness, holding two words in my mind: Creepy Hollow.

    Argh! I cry out as a hand grabs hold of my arm. The arm that’s only just begun to heal from the reptiscilla’s bite. I stumble on the invisible path, my mind loses hold of my destination, and I tumble out of the darkness and onto the forest floor. I don’t usually exit the faerie paths so clumsily, but I don’t usually have a human on top of me.

    I lie there blinking as the reality of what just happened strikes me like a slap in the face.

    A human.

    In the fae realm.

    And I’m the one who brought him here.

    No no no NO.

    I give him a good kick and he lands on the ground beside me with a groan. What did you do that for? I demand, jumping to my feet. You can’t follow me through! That’s not how this works.

    He sits up and stares at his surroundings—the wildly tangled trees; the creeping mist; the shifting smoke-like colors in the yuro plants’ leaves—with a mixture of horror and awe on his face. That … was …

    Probably the most idiotic thing you’ve ever done, I say. I doubt he’s listening though.

    I think you were right about the dreaming thing, he says. There’s no way this could be real. Am I high on something?

    Ugh. I clench my fists so tightly I can feel my nails digging into my skin. It’s magic, you moron.

    He looks at me and frowns. There’s no such thing as magic.

    Well, you probably think there’s no such thing as faeries either, and yet here I am. And here he is. In my forest. My home. I kick a flurry of leaves into the air. Their colors shift rapidly in protest, cycling through an endless palette: lavender, magenta, burgundy, sienna. I bury my face in my hands. I have so failed this assignment.

    No way, he says, rustling the leaves as he stands. You can’t be a faerie. You’re way too big.

    I lower my hands. Excuse me? I’ve been called many things in my seventeen years, but ‘big’ has never been one of them. Quite the opposite, in fact.

    Aren’t faeries supposed to be, like, really tiny? With wings and a wand and faerie dust?

    I’m not Tinker Bell!

    He takes a step back. Okay, okay. Since this is a dream, I guess you can be whatever you want to be.

    Did it feel like a dream when I kicked you?

    Actually, that did kind of hurt. He rubs his leg.

    I shake my head. "This is such a mistake. You should not be here."

    So you don’t have wings then? he asks.

    Sure I do. They’re in my pocket.

    Really?

    No! I’m trying to think of the best way to fix this, and I wish he’d keep quiet.

    "Oh, wait, you do have a wand though. I saw you using it on my wall."

    It’s not a wand, it’s a stylus. Just a stick, really.

    But it—

    You know, if it weren’t my sole purpose in life to protect humans like you from crazy magical fae, I’d leave you here to find your own way home.

    Is that what you were doing in my room? he asks after a moment.

    I sigh. Yes. I was on assignment.

    I was your assignment?

    Wow, you catch on fast. Yes.

    He hesitates a moment, then grins. That’s kind of hot.

    Okay, listen up, Draven Avenue, I say before he can make any more inappropriate comments. I’m going to open up another path and take you back to— I stop as something occurs to me. Wait a sec. Why aren’t you dead?

    Um …

    "Faerie paths are for faeries. You shouldn’t survive the journey."

    He stares back at me, and it’s then that I hear the footsteps. Guilt tightens my chest and sends my heart racing. I get the sudden urge to open up a doorway and push the human into it, but I’m worried it was some strange fluke that he survived the first journey. What if a second one kills him?

    A figure appears between the trees and my pounding heart sinks when I see who it is. I’m definitely not getting out of this one.

    Ryn, I say, trying to keep my voice even. Back so soon? That’s unlike you. I heard you came in second to last for the assignment before this one.

    Ryn stops and leans against a tree, tossing a ball of moonlight back and forth. Its glow dances across his face and causes his blue-black hair to gleam. Don’t you mean second, Pixie Sticks? I would have thought you’d pay more attention to your closest competition.

    I would—if you were competition worth paying attention to.

    Ryn’s eyes narrow. He opens his mouth to speak, then freezes, his eyes moving to the guy beside me. He pushes away from the tree and steps closer. "You have a friend, Pixie Sticks? he says. You’ve actually managed to find someone willing to—" He breaks off and stares at the guy for several moments. His eyes slide back to mine, and a grin spreads across his face.

    He knows.

    Well, well, well. Look who broke rule number one. He spins the ball of moonlight on the tip of his finger before squashing it into nothing between his palms. Tell me, Pixie Sticks. How does it feel to fail an assignment?

    My mental call is automatic, and barely a second passes before my bow and arrow are blazing between my fingers. I point the arrow directly at Ryn. He flicks his wrist, almost too fast to follow. A whip with as much fiery brilliance as my own weapon appears in his hand with a snap.

    Wanna play? he asks, his voice low and dangerous.

    Get out of here, Ryn, I say without lowering the arrow.

    Ryn laughs and winds the whip around his arm. He hesitates, as if teasing me, then tosses the whip into the air where it disappears. He pulls out his stylus and opens a doorway in the air in front of him. Show-off. It’s the one thing he can do better than I can. I have to use a solid surface to open a way to the paths. I’ll make sure Tora knows about this, he says as he steps through the doorway. You know, in case you forget to mention it to her. The air closes up behind him.

    Great, great, great. I wish I were still at the age where having a tantrum would be acceptable. I’ve never known anyone to mess up an assignment this badly, and I’m pretty sure it’s not even my fault.

    Pixie Sticks? asks my human companion.

    I swing my arrow toward him. Don’t call me that.

    He raises his hands in surrender. Sorry. I thought that was your name.

    I fling my weapon into the darkness and watch it vanish. "That is definitely not my name."

    Oh. He stares at me with large toffee-brown eyes, waiting, as though I’m supposed to say something now. But I am not going to be the one to make this situation any less awkward. So … he says eventually. What is your name?

    Well, I’ve just about told him everything else. Why not my name? My name is Violet. Violet Fairdale.

    He laughs. Right, and my name’s … He catches sight of my expression, and the smile fades from his face. Oh. You’re being serious. I thought … because of the … He waves his hand in the general direction of my head. Is he suggesting I’m crazy?

    I cross my arms and turn away from him, trying to pretend he isn’t here. Ryn will definitely tell Tora about my disastrous assignment, and, knowing him, he’ll make it sound as bad as possible. I need to be the one to tell her, but I’d rather explain this in person than in a message. I glance up at the sky. It’s late, but I know Tora will be at work still. How quickly can we get there?

    So did you get the purple hair and contacts to match your name?

    I blink at the human standing in front of me once again. What is he talking about?

    You know, contacts? He points at his eyes, and after a few seconds I make the connection between the word ‘contacts’ and the memory I have of a girl sticking curved, gel-like shapes into her eyes. That was the assignment where I got rid of the fire-spitting lizard that found its way into some bathroom plumbing.

    I narrow my eyes. Are you suggesting that something about my appearance is fake?

    Well, yeah. Purple eyes and purple streaks aren’t natural.

    They are where I come from.

    A buzz in my pocket catches my attention. With a growing sense of dread, I reach in and slide out the rectangle of amber. Sure enough, Tora’s graceful script burns across the amber’s smooth surface.

    See me. NOW.

    TWO

    Dammit, Ryn, I mutter. With one swipe of my hand, I clear the words from the amber and stuff it back into my pocket.

    What was that? asks the guy whose name I don’t care to know. Did you get a message on that thing? What’s it made—

    We’re leaving, I snap. Try to keep up.

    Wait, he says. I turn back, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but the look on his face stills me. I know he’s around about my age, but he seems younger all of a sudden. Lost, almost. This … this is all real? he asks. I’m not actually fast asleep in my bed, dreaming some crazy dream?

    For a moment my frustration dims, and I see a confused human standing in a world he was never meant to know about. I should at least try to be civil, shouldn’t I? But then I think of what I’m about to lose because of him. I could be expelled, or, at the very least, suspended. All my training could be for nothing. All the blood, the bruises, the pain. The nightmares that come after having to kill someone. I may have gone through that for nothing—all because this human couldn’t just stay in his damn bedroom.

    Yes, I say, doing my best to keep my voice free of emotion. It’s real. And you have no idea what you’ve cost me by being here. I turn away from him and climb over giant, twisting roots as I head in the direction of the Guild.

    Hey, what do you mean? he asks as he catches up to me. What have I cost you?

    My fingers curl automatically into fists, and I force my words out between my teeth. "I am two months away from graduation, Mr. Draven Avenue. Two months. That’s how close I am to being the best guardian the Guild has seen in years, and you may have just ruined that for me."

    I hear nothing but the sound of our footsteps, and then he says, My name’s actually Nate.

    Well, clearly Nate doesn’t get why I’m so upset. And why should he? He has no idea why that top place is so important to me, and I’m certainly not about to tell him. I skirt the edge of a clearing where giant mushrooms are swelling as they soak up the silvery glow of the moon. Don’t stand on the mushrooms, I tell him. They don’t like it. And the last thing I need now is for him to show up at the Guild covered in poisonous goop.

    An eerie howl vibrates through the air, rustling the leaves above us and causing a nest of tiny airhorses to take flight and disappear into the night. I quicken my pace. I can handle pretty much any creature we might come across, but having Nate with me would no doubt complicate things. I glance over my shoulder at him, only to find that he’s stopped to watch the airhorses fly away. Come on, I call.

    He shakes his head and hurries after me. This is incredible, he says. I know I should be freaked out or something, but … wow.

    I don’t say anything.

    Hey, since you’re magical and everything, are you also, you know, immortal?

    I don’t know if he’s deliberately ignoring the angry vibes I’m sending his way, or if they’re simply passing right over his head. Either way, it’s getting tiring. With a sigh, I say, Faeries are not immortal. Old age catches up after several hundred years.

    "Several hundred—wow. So you’re actually old even though you look my age?"

    I give him a withering look. I’m seventeen.

    Right. Cool.

    The forest thins as we get closer to the Guild. We move faster, but every time we pass something vaguely out of the ordinary—a group of pixies climbing onto each others’ shoulders to reach a high branch; a lone faun looking a little tipsy—I sense Nate’s reluctance at having to keep moving. I know he wants to stop and stare, but I won’t keep Tora waiting any longer than necessary.

    I watch for the entrance. It’s never in exactly the same place, and it would be easy to miss if I didn’t know what to look for.

    There, I say, breaking the silence and pointing to a tuft of goldenrod flowers growing at the base of a tree. They glitter faintly in the darkness. I head straight for the tree and rest one hand against the smooth bark. With the other, I reach for my stylus.

    You guys live in trees? Nate asks.

    I don’t bother replying. I set my stylus against the tree trunk and etch a few words—in a language I know Nate can’t understand, despite the fact that he’s trying to read over my shoulder—into the bark. A brilliant gold light fills the letters and then disappears, taking the words with it.

    The tree’s shape begins to change. Leaves are sucked into branches. Branches curl downward and merge into the trunk, which widens and changes color and texture. A set of double glass doors shimmer into view. Stairs push their way out from the roots. In a matter of seconds, we’re standing in front of the entrance to the Guild of Guardians.

    Um … Nate says. Perhaps you could punch me now, because I’m pretty sure I’m dreaming.

    I roll my eyes, clutch the sleeve of his T-shirt, and pull him up the stairs. "Don’t tempt me. And aren’t you meant to pinch people who think they’re dreaming?"

    The glass doors slide open to reveal the night guard, Tank, blocking the way forward. Evening, Vi, he says. Bit late, isn’t it?

    I gesture to Nate. I’m in trouble.

    Tank’s eyes bore into the human boy beside me. Yes. I can see that. He holds up his stylus. My fingers go to my neck and tug the chain out from beneath my shirt. I hold up my trainee pendant and Tank scans it with his stylus. He steps aside and nods toward the stairs at the other end of the foyer.

    Thanks, Tank. I pull Nate across the open space. He tilts his head back to stare at the domed ceiling high above us. Clouds of purple, grey and midnight blue swirl within the dome. Protective enchantments, I tell him.

    We climb the stairs to the second floor, Nate trailing his hand over the leafy vines that twist around the banisters. At this time of night there aren’t many people here—most trainees with evening assignments report to their mentors the following morning—and the only person we pass is Amon, the Guild’s head librarian.

    "Are those … dwarves?" Nate twists to look over his shoulder as we pass two short figures arguing in a corner. I can’t think about answering him, though, because in about five steps we’ll reach Tora’s office door.

    Anxiety chews at my insides.

    We come to a stop.

    I tug a strand of hair over my shoulder and wind it around and around my finger. Don’t say anything, I tell him, and then I knock.

    After a second of silence that lasts about half an eternity, I hear Tora’s voice: That had better be you, Vi.

    I bite my lip and push the door open. Tora sits behind her desk, scrolls of reed paper piled neatly around her. She crosses her arms and leans back in her chair, watching me. Light shifts across her youthful face as the giant glow-bug on the ceiling squirms and settles down.

    It’s called rule number one for a reason, Vi, she says, nodding her head toward the two chairs in front of her desk. I move to the one on the right. After a moment’s hesitation, Nate sits down beside me. Tora doesn’t acknowledge him, holding her hand out instead for my tracker band.

    I unclip the strip of leather from my wrist and push it across the table. Tora smoothes it flat beneath her forefingers and whispers something under her breath. Tiny black markings appear on the leather. Markings that tell her whatever she needs to know about the assignment I just completed.

    Well, she says, leaning back, "you got rid of the reptiscilla in excellent time, but that means nothing considering you not only revealed yourself to a human, but also brought him back into our realm. And— her eyes slip from my face down to my arm —just to top it all off, you got yourself bitten."

    What? A single bite costs hardly any points. I glare at the two crescent shapes of healing skin. They’re at the pale pink stage, about an hour away from being perfectly healed.

    Nevertheless. You still broke the Guild’s two most important rules. This is serious, Violet. You know why we have to enforce these laws.

    Yes, I say, taking a deep breath and gearing up to start reciting. "Some humans are greedy, and what they want above all else is power. If humans know that magic exists, they could convince some power-hungry faerie to turn against his or her own kind, just like Lord Grundheim-something-or-other did all those centuries ago. Faeries will

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