Shadow Cursed by May Sage Page 0,76

first seelie queen is the only royal strong enough to protect the fae lands from their immortal invaders.

Surviving the untamed tribes and awakening a thousand-year-old prince seem a lot easier than ruling an entire kingdom where everyone hates her very nature.

And her choices won’t come without consequences.

Available on Preorder on All Retailers

Out in December

Songs of Tenebris—A Series of Novellas

More soon in the Coven and on May Sage’s Newsletter!

An Arrow In the Mist—A Noblesse Oblige Trilogy

Hayden’s life as a diplomat’s assistant used to be simple, but the untimely death of the emperor of Alfheimr throws the entire realm into chaos.

The throne collects dust and blood while the crown heirs settle their differences at the point of a cursed blade.

Everyone in the Inner City has picked a side.

Except her, the young woman whose choice will define the fate of the realm.

No heir thought to court a simple sprite, but Hayden’s past holds the keys to a treaty the future ruler will need to keep their crown on their head—or their head on their shoulders.

One treacherous friend, one irresistible foe. How could she possibly favor one over the other?

On Preorder Now

Masters of Alfheimr

Twins. One girl, one boy, both destined to rule the empire.

Lenka and Nikandre are the two sides of the coin that will dictate the fate of the world.

Only, fate hasn’t yet chosen heads or tails.

* * *

Masters of Álfheimr is a Noblesse Oblige Trilogy prequel novella.

Available Now

More from May Sage

Pick Your Poison

I set out across the lawn, to the woods, moving at a brisk jog.

My muscles immediately protest against the unfamiliar exercise. It’s been a while since I’ve run. Back in middle school, I used to be part of the track team, but I've since given up on anything even resembling team spirit. My father insists that I keep at least one extracurricular activity, “for my future”. I’ve chosen chess.

I’ve vaguely thought about running through the woods, simply because they’re right there at our doorstep, and pretty enough, but I don’t think I’d truly meant to do it. Now, with my lungs burning, my shins weighing five tons each, it’s a matter of pride. I haven’t even cleared a quarter of a mile. As a kid, I used to be able to run four or five without straining. I feel like I’m dying!

My ears ring, and my breathing gets so uneven, I have to stop. I bend forward, holding my knees. Damn. I’m going to start working out. What if a murderer was running after me? I wouldn’t last five minutes.

I calm down enough to start appreciating the view again. Sometime in the last quarter of an hour, dawn rose in the horizon. The sky is all shades of blood and water over the line of trees surrounding me.

To my surprise, I have to admit I like it here. It’s peaceful. Quiet.

And I haven’t felt any itch, any pain.

Not since I left the house.

Not since I woke up, actually.

I’m fine.

I haven’t been fine for such a long time, it’s a little odd to me. Fine feels uncomfortable on my skin.

Then I see it, right in front of me, almost close enough to touch my nose. A little folk of some variety. Three feet tall and purple-skinned, creased like that of an elephant, and covered with a soft layer of white fur. It’s fluffy enough to be cute, although I don’t think I’ve ever seen a face so grisly. Its droopy, beady eyes are surrounded by a million wrinkles, and it has no nose—just two slits, farther apart than that of a snake. It licks its lipless mouth with a long, serpentine green tongue that looks slimy.

I lift my torso abruptly, eager to keep my face far, far away from it.

“Sorry,” I say impulsively, like the well-bred girl I’m not.

I freeze, the realization dawning on me.

It’s the first word I've ever said to one of them, and with good reason.

The folk of this world glamour themselves to be invisible to mortals like me when they roam our world. Animals see them, or at least sense their presence, hence why cats and dogs sometimes stop dead in their tracks, staring at what seems to be nothing. Humans cannot see them, and therefore, I act like I don’t.

There’s safety in feigning ignorance. I’m just another girl, if I’m not aware of them. I can’t see them? They don’t bother to see me.

Aunt Julia told me that from the moment she started to interact with the folk, her life took a turn for the worse.