Read a Sample

Toothens stepped outside her cozy home nestled in the roots of the ancient Eldertree, its golden leaves casting bristled light even on the cloudiest days. Her home, woven into its vast trunk, was a sanctuary of warmth and wonder, adorned with glowing crystals and keepsakes from her many little adventures. The Eldertree’s roots formed natural shelves and nooks where she stored fragrant herbs and trinkets.

At times, she swore she could feel its heartbeat in the walls, a soft pulse that reminded her she was never truly alone. Toothens was small in a land of towering trees and ancient magic—just a little larger than the woodland foxes that trotted through the forests beyond. And yet, beyond Tandoria’s veil, in the human world, she would be delicate enough to rest within the open hand of a child. But the Eldertree made her feel smaller still.

A faint golden light appeared ahead, hovering low — a wisp, its glow soft and pulsing. It drifted a few feet forward, then turned, as if waiting for her to follow.

“Careful,” said a voice behind her.

She spun. A fox stepped from between two trunks, his fur a copper flame beneath a frayed green cloak. His eyes gleamed amber, sharp and amused.

“Another step and you’d have vanished into a sinkhole,” he said, nodding toward the hollow ground ahead, where the moss sagged over a dark, sucking void. “These woods like to test who belongs.”

“I didn’t hear you,” Toothens said, startled.

“I’m quiet when I want to be.” He grinned. “Raton Pere. And you must be the fairy without wings everyone keeps whispering about.”