It is faerie money.
Every last penny in my account is earned from the gifts they gave me, and as I told you before, it comes with a price. Every gift of Faerie does, even by extension.
The money is, quite literally, cursed.
If you choose to believe I am mad as a dog, and that every word I say is the raving of a lunatic—then by all means, be my guest. Take the money and be on your way.
If you believe I told you the truth, though—even if just a part of you does—you better think twice about this gift. It certainly comes with baggage.
The money won’t turn to leaves and stones like in the faerie stories of old. It isn’t that kind of faerie coins. Instead, it comes with faeries—how is that for passing on my legacy?
Everyone who keeps or spends from my funds will draw faeries to their home like a magnet. It’s an invitation, that money of yours, a path of breadcrumbs straight to your doors.
Penelope, when you come home tomorrow, after a taxing day at the bank depositing all that money, a red-eyed man with wings like a bat will sit perched outside your window looking in. He’ll see you, your red lips, your high heels, and he’ll want to own every part of you, wrap you up tight in his leather embrace, taste your dark blood and swallow your soul.
Janus, when you enter the shower after kissing your children goodnight, a water girl will be in there with you, ready to soap up your back. She’ll whisper stories in a tinkling voice like sunlight dancing on a brook, tell you what you taste like: blood and bone and marrow. She’ll cradle your daughters and sing them to sleep, tell them about how nice it is, dwelling in that cold, dark stream, and there won’t be anything you can do to stop her.
And that, my friends, is just the beginning. Soon there will be wizened leaves in your coffee, twigs in your pancakes, and mushrooms in your beds. The money comes with faeries, or it doesn’t come at all.
It is your choice, really. Your choice to make.
Believe and be safe. Don’t and be damned.
Maybe.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
When I had just finished the first draft of You Let Me In, I read it over, and immediately decided that it was too strange to ever get published. Thankfully, I let someone else read it before I put it away. If it hadn’t been for the wonderful Liv Lingborn, who told me, in her sternest voice, that this was The One, and to get on with it, this novel would have led a sad and lonely existence on my hard drive, never to see the light of day. Needless to say, I’m very grateful, not only for the rescue, but also for her valuable feedback on the first drafts. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend to hold my hand through this process.
I’m deeply grateful to my amazing agent, Brianne Johnson, for believing in me and my strange little novel; for her editorial help and guidance, and for deftly introducing me to the nuts and bolts of publishing. I’m also grateful to Peggy Boulos Smith, Alexandra Levick, and everyone else at Writers House who has worked on behalf of You Let Me In.
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to my editor Miriam Weinberg, who saw the potential and helped me make this novel the best that it could be, and to everybody else at Tor who has helped make this book a reality. Likewise, a big thank-you to my UK editor, Simon Taylor, and the rest of the team at Transworld. You have all made this awkward Norwegian’s landing a smooth one.
I also owe thanks to my cats, whose habit of bringing in debris inspired this novel in the first place, and to my son, Jonah, whose patience and support is endless. Know that I am grateful.
Lore dictates that one should never thank the faeries, so I’ll refrain from doing that—just in case.…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CAMILLA BRUCE is a Norwegian writer and sometimes editor of the small press Belladonna. Bruce is passionate about storytelling, coffee, and her cats. She has published several short stories and novellas. You Let Me In is her debut novel. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter XXIX
Chapter XXX
Chapter XXXI
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
YOU LET ME IN
Copyright © 2020 by Camilla Bruce
All rights reserved.
Edited by Miriam Weinberg
Cover photographs: trees by Katrien Vandyck/EyeEm/Getty Images; face by SensorSpot/Getty Images; eyes by Jason Homa/Tetra Images/Getty Images
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-30204-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-30205-2 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250302052
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First Edition: April 2020
You Let Me In Page 19