fingers against the sill and pulled upward. The glow slipped through a tear in the window-screen. It landed on my shoulder and tugged at my hair.
“Ouch,” I said indignantly.
“You’re paying attention now,” said the little glow in a clear bright voice. I looked at it closer, and if I slanted my eyes just right, I made out the outlines of a small body encased in the glow.
“You must listen,” said the glow. The glow was male, and despite his diminutive size, his voice was somewhere in the tenor range.
“I bet you sing beautifully,” I said to the glow. He hovered right in front of my face and snapped his little fingers.
“Pay attention,” he said crossly. “Don’t make me pull your hair again.”
“Is this a dream?” I asked, puzzled by the very real tug of small strong fingers on my hair. A niggling suspicion tickled the back of my mind. It was somehow a familiar feeling, but the familiarity was distant, as if from a childhood memory. I blinked, wondering why I suddenly felt like I was home.
“Don’t you worry about that,” the glow said firmly. “All you need to worry about is getting your pig-headed friend to heed the Lady’s order.”
“Pig-headed friend?” I repeated stupidly, mind still fogged.
The glow circled the loft, pointing down at the lump under the covers that wasMolly.
“Molly?”I shook my head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
The glow whizzed around my head in frustration and then landed on my shoulder again.
“You mortals are so thick-headed it hurts,” he said into my ear. “The order.”
I paused. The little creature on my shoulder made a sound of impatience. “Hush,” I said, “I’m thinking.” I took my time, waiting for a flash of clarity. Finally, I drew in a sharp breath. “The letter.”
“ Naturally ,” said the little glow dryly. “You know,” he said, a sly edge to his voice, “you should go look at it.”
It was disorienting, him sitting on my shoulder where I couldn’t see him when he talked, and I told him as much.
“Well, isn’t that a pity,” he said. “I’ve flown far tonight and must rest before I return—straining my wings just because some little half-blood doesn’t like the idea of heeding an order from the Lady herself!”
I took in a breath. “If this is a dream, and it’s not real, I can do whatever I want. I can look at the letter if I want.”
“Now you’re thinking,” the glow said appreciatively.
I slid out of bed…but it wasn’t like in a normal dream. Part of me slid out of bed, and I glanced back over my shoulder to see that…I was still asleep, arms tucked under me and my hair spread out in a burnished golden fan over the pillow. As I watched in fascination, the sleeping half of me frowned slightly, sighing, as if…as if I was having a strange dream.
The glow tugged at my hair. “The letter is still under her bed.”
I watched Molly as I knelt down by her bed, sliding my hand into the darkness. I froze when she rolled over, her short dark hair mussed. Then my fingers felt the edge of the envelope, softer and thicker than normal paper. I sat back on my heels and turned the envelope over in my hands. It felt so…real. I glanced over my shoulder and looked at myself, still sleeping in bed. I turned back to examining the letter, peering closely at the heavy wax seal weighing down the flap of the envelope, a stark and vivid scarlet against the creamy paper.
I felt the little being lean forward intently as I delicately slid the folded sheet from the envelope. I unfolded it, and for a moment I thought the paper was blank. I turned my head slightly toward the glow, but then, from the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of beautiful script, flowing down the page, and a seal at the top, a tree in black with silver stars and a crescent moon interwoven through its branches.
“Interesting, interesting,” the glow murmured into my ear.
“Are you talking to me or to yourself?” I
“Ouch,” I said indignantly.
“You’re paying attention now,” said the little glow in a clear bright voice. I looked at it closer, and if I slanted my eyes just right, I made out the outlines of a small body encased in the glow.
“You must listen,” said the glow. The glow was male, and despite his diminutive size, his voice was somewhere in the tenor range.
“I bet you sing beautifully,” I said to the glow. He hovered right in front of my face and snapped his little fingers.
“Pay attention,” he said crossly. “Don’t make me pull your hair again.”
“Is this a dream?” I asked, puzzled by the very real tug of small strong fingers on my hair. A niggling suspicion tickled the back of my mind. It was somehow a familiar feeling, but the familiarity was distant, as if from a childhood memory. I blinked, wondering why I suddenly felt like I was home.
“Don’t you worry about that,” the glow said firmly. “All you need to worry about is getting your pig-headed friend to heed the Lady’s order.”
“Pig-headed friend?” I repeated stupidly, mind still fogged.
The glow circled the loft, pointing down at the lump under the covers that wasMolly.
“Molly?”I shook my head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
The glow whizzed around my head in frustration and then landed on my shoulder again.
“You mortals are so thick-headed it hurts,” he said into my ear. “The order.”
I paused. The little creature on my shoulder made a sound of impatience. “Hush,” I said, “I’m thinking.” I took my time, waiting for a flash of clarity. Finally, I drew in a sharp breath. “The letter.”
“ Naturally ,” said the little glow dryly. “You know,” he said, a sly edge to his voice, “you should go look at it.”
It was disorienting, him sitting on my shoulder where I couldn’t see him when he talked, and I told him as much.
“Well, isn’t that a pity,” he said. “I’ve flown far tonight and must rest before I return—straining my wings just because some little half-blood doesn’t like the idea of heeding an order from the Lady herself!”
I took in a breath. “If this is a dream, and it’s not real, I can do whatever I want. I can look at the letter if I want.”
“Now you’re thinking,” the glow said appreciatively.
I slid out of bed…but it wasn’t like in a normal dream. Part of me slid out of bed, and I glanced back over my shoulder to see that…I was still asleep, arms tucked under me and my hair spread out in a burnished golden fan over the pillow. As I watched in fascination, the sleeping half of me frowned slightly, sighing, as if…as if I was having a strange dream.
The glow tugged at my hair. “The letter is still under her bed.”
I watched Molly as I knelt down by her bed, sliding my hand into the darkness. I froze when she rolled over, her short dark hair mussed. Then my fingers felt the edge of the envelope, softer and thicker than normal paper. I sat back on my heels and turned the envelope over in my hands. It felt so…real. I glanced over my shoulder and looked at myself, still sleeping in bed. I turned back to examining the letter, peering closely at the heavy wax seal weighing down the flap of the envelope, a stark and vivid scarlet against the creamy paper.
I felt the little being lean forward intently as I delicately slid the folded sheet from the envelope. I unfolded it, and for a moment I thought the paper was blank. I turned my head slightly toward the glow, but then, from the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of beautiful script, flowing down the page, and a seal at the top, a tree in black with silver stars and a crescent moon interwoven through its branches.
“Interesting, interesting,” the glow murmured into my ear.
“Are you talking to me or to yourself?” I
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