Lava Red Feather Blue

by Molly Ringle

  Merrick and Larkin stayed together. Not in perfect bliss, but in an odd harmony that they both enjoyed. They argued sometimes, but it never came to knives again. They donned formal tatters to attend the wedding of a princess, and danced together, and did not fall asleep afterward into near-death, but woke up comfortably the next morning.

  The sound of thunder still sent Larkin’s heart racing in panic, and Merrick still went pale when obliged to be in confined spaces, but they pulled themselves through those moments. They were content with their existence on the human side of their enchanted island.

  And if they ever did wish for more adventures, Larkin supposed, they knew where to find them.

  THE END

  AFTERWORD

  NOTES ON NAMES AND LANGUAGES FOR THE curious:

  If you’re wondering whether I made up an entire fae language, the answer as of this writing is “no.” I made up only the place names and personal names mentioned in the story, and I based most of those on words from languages in or around the Pacific. I got them from online translations and dictionaries; thus the accuracy of the following should be taken with a grain of salt. Examples:

  Maori hiahia, “desire,” inspired “Sia Fia.”

  Hawaiian hulu, “feather,” and uli, “blue,” gave me “Haluli.”

  Hawaiian ’ula’ula, “red,” and Aleut ca-nak, “fire,” were combined for “Ula Kana.”

  Maori pouri, “misery,” inspired “Vowri.”

  Maori kumiahi, “overflow,” and Hawaiian ka umu ahi, “furnace,” gave me the name of the desert.

  And the word for “polar bear” (a dangerous hunter, after all) is arlunar in Yupik and nanuq in Inuit, which led me to “Arlanuk.”

  There is of course no reason the fae language would be related to any human language, and we can assume its grammar is radically different from those languages even if a few names are similar. Nonetheless, the Eidolonian fae are Pacific natives too, so it felt right to give their language a passing resemblance to the languages of their (distant) neighbors. I hope this choice is taken as I intended, as an homage to these beautiful and, in some cases, endangered languages.

  Beyond those words, I, like the rest of humankind, cannot speak the fae’s tongue. The names of many of the fae varieties come from traditional mythology: kelpie, hob, jinn, and so on; and we can assume that the humans provided those names and the fae went along with them in English, though surely they have their own terms in their own language.

  Proper names in the human realm, meanwhile, come from the variety of countries that the human immigrants came from. Dasdemir is a Turkish name, and Ormaney is derived from Turkish orman (“forest” or “woods”); Miryoku is Japanese; Highvalley is an invention of mine that I’m calling Anglicized Welsh (Merrick, Cassidy, and Nye/Aneurin all have Celtic first names); Guiren and Lanying are Chinese; Amanecer, Lucrecia, and Floriana are Spanish; various other mentioned places or characters have Portuguese or Dutch names; and as for Sevinee, I made that up out of thin air, but it looks kind of French to me.

  Elemi is a fragrant resin and Jasmine is a fragrant flower: I figured Cassidy would give their child, as well as their pets, names of perfume notes.

  And yes, I’m a huge perfume fanatic and I have suggestions for fragrances that might match the ones Merrick brings into the fae realm. Get in touch with me if you’re curious.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  MY UNDYING THANKS TO THE FEW BETA readers who made it all the way through this giant labyrinth of world-building and helped me shape it into something coherent:

  Annie for countless idea-spawning message exchanges that helped me figure out Eidolonia’s gender and sexuality norms, as well as basic story untangling issues along the way. Melanie and Sophia and their lovely household for being there to field ideas, listening to me kvetch about writing, and still being excited for every book of mine. Jennifer for stepping up happily to read this one, and for asking the necessary questions about how the magic works. Rachel for challenging me with the tough questions on why these characters are doing what they’re doing, leading me to fix things that made no sense—the story became far better for it! Tracey for finding time between Atlantic flights to read the whole thing (twice!) and posing excellent questions to help me figure out the fae realm, the characters, and other details. Rosie for bringing an equal mix of enthusiasm and glitch-catching, and for being excited about Merrick’s Alaska shirt. Zoe for all the exclamation points in the margins (along with the flagging of confusing parts), and for telling me to never stop writing. Kevin for flattering me by reading it so fast, and along the way catching some odd details that almost no one else caught. Kit for loving it from the start and being nothing but sweet and supportive in every single interaction. Michael for bringing a fellow SFF writer’s eye to it and helping me ponder what my villain really wants (always an important question!).

  Special thanks to Heba, my sensitivity reader, who sent patient and eloquent thoughts on the topic of mixing (and clashing) cultures, which helped me bring a little more love, harmony, and justice to this imaginary place, or so I hope. Any remaining culture-or race-related offenses are on me, not her.

  Also thank you to those who took on the first several chapters and sent feedback: Brian, Iris, Jane, and many others who dropped me a line of encouragement. I’m so glad that “imaginary island with fae and a vaguely Frodo/Sam-or Merthur-like love story” is the kind of thing that appeals to more people than just me.

  My publisher Michelle keeps on being fabulous for gamely taking on my books even though I keep changing up genres and styles. We’ve both come far in the ten years we’ve worked together, but querying her in the early days remains one of the smartest choices I’ve made as a writer.

  Last but never least, thank you to my kids and husband, who were obliging throughout when it came to random questions like “What would you do if you could fly, but only for a little while each day?” and “Should I put in Sasquatch-like creatures?” Answer: obviously yes; did I even need to ask?

  SAGE AND KING

  An e-original coming in spring 2021 from Molly Ringle

  The murder of the queen of Lushrain throws together two young men: the unprepared new king and the powerful magician assigned to protect him from the assassin still at large …

  EXCERPT

  SO THEY ASSIGNED YOU TO TEACH ME ABOUT magic, did they?” the king said, from across the room.

  Col’s fingers slipped, knocking a spoon onto the floor. He knelt to pick it up, set it on the tray, and turned toward Zaya.

  Zaya stood with his back to the fire, arms folded, feet set wide. He regarded Col with a not-quite-amused stare.

  “Look,” Col heard himself blurt out. “I don’t want to do this any more than you do. Sire.”

  He almost forgot to add the last word, and Zaya could tell, it seemed, judging from how his eyebrows lifted a little, along with the corners of his lips.

  Though horrified with himself, Col could only go on, now that he’d started. “If you declare you won’t do it, that’s it, that will end it. The decision is yours. And that would be fine with me. Except.”

  “Except?” Zaya tilted his head, smiling more widely now—a decidedly dangerous smile.

  Col drew in his breath, trying to ignore his shaking fingers. “Except it’s true I’m the one with the strongest magic. I didn’t want to be; it’s just how I am. And as the king, your life is in danger from assassins such as…the one who likely attacked your family.”

  Zaya’s smile faded. He squinted at Col, but stayed in his formidable pose.

  “And…” Col continued. “Doing my best to educate you and keep you alive is the assignment the elders have given me, the most important assignment I’m ever likely to get. If I fail in it, I’ll disappoint them terribly, so I’m damned if I won’t at least try.”

  Zaya nodded, now frowning.

  “Sire,” Col finished lamely.

  “I see.” Zaya unfolded his arms and strolled to the desk, where he exami
ned a stack of letters.

  Col’s face was burning. Once the king dismissed him, he’d go take a stiff draught of lavender to calm himself and begin revisiting his plans to escape to Thraum. There was nothing else for it. “I’ll just take down the dishes.” He turned and picked up the tray.

  “I accept,” Zaya said, with a briskness in his voice.

  Holding the tray, Col turned again. “Sorry?”

  Zaya studied him, tapping the corner of a folded letter against his palm. Its wax seal gleamed like a redcap mushroom. “I’d like you to teach me about magic.”

  “You would?” Col’s distrust came through clearly.

  “You’re the first person I’ve spoken to in a month who sounds as if they’re telling me the truth. No one else would dare tell me they don’t even want to be in the same room with me.”

  “N-no, I didn’t say that, I—”

  “I could leave, yes,” Zaya continued, unperturbed by Col’s stammering. “But to go back to what? This?” He waved the letter. “Council meetings, endless legal discussions, petitions for favors? It’s nothing but people who want something from me, who aren’t being truthful.” He tossed the letter back onto the stack and focused on Col again. “Will you be truthful, Col?”

  Molly Ringle was one of the quiet, weird kids in school, and is now one of the quiet, weird writers of the world. Though she made up occasional imaginary realms in her Oregon backyard while growing up, Eidolonia is her first full-fledged fictional country. Her previous novels are predominantly set in the Pacific Northwest and feature fae, goblins, ghosts, and Greek gods alongside regular humans. She lives in Seattle with her family, corgi, guinea pigs, fragrance collection, and a lot of moss.

  She is the author of Persephone’s Orchard, Underworld’s Daughter, Immortal’s Spring, The Goblins of Bellwater, and All the Better Part of Me.

  Want more enchanting reads from Molly Ringle?

  THE CHRYSOMELIA STORIES

  Persephone’s Orchard

  Underworld’s Daughter

  Immortal’s Spring

  Fans of Abandon and The Goddess Test will be enchanted by this trilogy of Persephone and Hades, whose ancient love affair and reckoning with a deadly organization is reawakened in the memories of modern-day college students.

  The Goblins of Bellwater

  Most people have no idea goblins live in the woods around the small town of Bellwater, Washington. But some are about to find out.

  All the Better Part of Me

  Against a backdrop of ’80s new wave songs and the landscapes of London and Seattle, a young actor in the modern day tackles his bisexuality as he finds himself falling for his best friend.

  Sage and King

  When the queen of Lushrain is murdered, her youngest brother gets thrown into the spotlight as the new king. He’s soon assigned a charming young magician who’s meant to protect him, and they grow romantically close—which comes with a host of dangerous complications and secrets.

  What Scotland Taught Me

  Fresh out of high school, Eva Sonneborn is headed to Scotland with her best friends. She figures a little innocent flirting won’t hurt her relationship with her friends or her boyfriend back home. By the end of the trip, they’ve all fallen in love, with consequences that may tear their friendship apart.

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