Excerpt: Enchanted

The land slept beneath the beams of the moon, painting the damp grass a shimmering silver. Colorful moths danced from night flower to night flower, their nimble legs tickled with specks of gold as they passed from stamen to pistol. Dust from the moths’ delicate wings glittered in the moonlight as the creatures silently flew to quench their thirst for the sweet nectar.

“Oak! Oak, come look! The mulberries have bloomed!”

“So early?” A little fae crept through the thick bushes, following the lithe male fairy in front of her. Her amber-brown eyes looked around curiously for the tiny white blossoms. The fae named Oak began to smile, tiny transparent wings flittering nervously.

“Cypress!” a female voice in the distance called out. “Cypress, where are you?” the voice called again in a singsong voice, followed by a light giggle.

Oak looked over to Cypress, the fairy next to her. She frowned, picking at the grass shoots beneath them with her little toes. “Ivy is looking for you.”

“Just a game of hide and seek.” Cypress waved a hand, dismissing the voice.

“Cypress!” the voice came insistently. “Come out this instant or I’ll get Gum!”

Again, Oak looked at Cypress. “Only an idle threat,” he answered her silent question. Gum was Ivy’s elder brother, named after the Sweet Gum trees that dropped their spiny shells, causing pain to those who stepped on them. He was also large, like the five-stared leaves that decorated the trees. Gum was a rather violent fairy, though he held a sweet spot for his sister.

Cypress reached for Oak’s hand, which led from a slender arm up to a sloping shoulder. Dark brown hair brushed her neck, barely reaching her shoulders, while two long tendrils grown before her ears dipped down close to her collarbone.

Oak giggled as he tugged on her little hand, leading her down a small trench and over a few pebbles to hide in a dug up groove beneath an uproot of an oak tree. They slid into the tiny hiding spot, disappearing from sight. “Cypress, this is ridiculous! Gum could pull up the root!”

“Nonsense.” Cypress wrinkled his nose and shook his head in mock disbelieve. “Gum can lift rocks, but can’t pull up a great oak’s root. Are you hungry?”

“Hungry? Cypress, we are going to get in trouble! You know Ivy; she will get upset and run to tell Yew! She will tell him we are missing and we’ll get in trouble for worrying everyone!”

“Did I ever tell you that you worry too much?” Cypress inquired, raising a brow playfully.

“Yes, you have. And as a matter of fact, I am hungry.”

Cypress smiled, knowing he had lost the petty argument. “Ah, but what does Oak desire today?”

“Acorns!” Oak laughed. The sound resembled chimes that the wind might happen to blow in the early dawn or late dusk. “I haven’t had acorns in so long!” Cypress’ smile widened at her laughter, and he reached behind him as she spoke to grab a large acorn. The tree nut nearly covered his lap. He tapped it twice with his knuckles, testing its ripeness. After only a few seconds delay, he turned the nut over, his fingers searching for a tiny crack in the shell. When he found one, he reached behind him for a large pebble, and then wedged it into the crack with much effort. When the pebble was snug, he set the nut down and balled his hand into a secure fist, slamming it down on the round pebble. The shell popped in two, perfect oval shells, while the orange fruit inside stayed whole inside one of the half-shells.