The Overwood

The Overwood — page 5 — I look around I don't think anyone saw the bubbles No one here knows that the twins are magical No one knows about magic at all And Oren the twins Faerie brother wants it to stay that way Humans can't find out about Faerieland They would only ruin it That's why the twins aren't allowed to do magic here in the Overwood That's what Faeries call the human world There's a whole other set of woods that makes up Faerieland There's the Crosswood You have to go through the Crosswood to get anywhere Then there's Nearwood and Farwood And the Wherewood And my friend Salix's wood Merwood It's complicated Everything about Faerie life is Especially when you're an ordinary human boy like me And you have a Faerie brother and sister Violet's magic is growing and changing She is the queen of Nearwood The wood gives her power 4

The Overwood — page 6 — She doesn't know how to control it yet Her older brother Oren is king of Farwood He takes care of the twins during the week They stay with me and Mom on weekends Be careful I say to Violet Cover your mouth when you laugh I put my arms around both of them We head toward the candle seller Mom loves candles We spend nearly an hour in the candle shop Violet and Indigo have to smell every candle Violet says the one called Ocean Mist should smell like fish Why would anyone want a candle that smelled like fish I ask A cat might Violet says Rosa barks as though she agrees Indigo likes the candles that smell like food Can we get donuts he asks 5

The Overwood — page 7 — I glare at him Mom feeds us organic food But the twins eat everything else when they’re in Faerieland I mean everything else Cakes Pies Roast rabbit and deer Pigeon soup Tiny blue eggs scrambled with dandelion stems Faerie food is very bad for humans Last week I ate a magical candy Indigo gave me I saw sparkles for hours Indigo got a time-out W henever we’re in town the twins want to eat junk I’m not supposed to let them But I still have to get them home in one piece I think I need to bribe them what about a lollipop I ask I know the lollipops here are all natural and organic If you behave we can get one each Yay they both shout Violet shoots one tiny flame out of her left thumb Indigo snuffs it out with his mitten Nice save I say His mitten is only a little bit singed I’m calling that a win 6

The Overwood — page 8 — We leave the market At last The twins are quiet That's one good thing about the lollipops Just as we walk through the market entrance I see something Something out of place I turn quickly A woman is staring at us This is a small town I know almost everyone But I don't recognize her She has long brown hair in braids She's dressed all in black old fashioned clothes I tug the twins through the gate quickly Violet I say leaning down to whisper Do you see that woman by the cheese stall The one all in black Is she Fae Violet can see through Faerie glamours She glances back No she whispers after a second She's a human I turn just in time to see the woman duck around a corner Maybe I panicked for nothing But I'm always on edge now The first time I went 7

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