Sunlight sparkled in the mana flowers blanketing the old orchard; in Callie’s white and red hair; in the scarf abandoned by the wicker picnic basket. Callie grabbed a shimmerfruit swirl from the air, and condensed mana coated her fingertips like dew before sinking into her skin.

“Do you think dragons have books or stone tablets?” Her ivory and deep red eyes rose to the swaying branches of the closest manapomme tree, her brows crinkled in thought. “I mean, it would be hard to turn pages with claws, right?”

“Both, probably?” Attel replied, flipping through their favorite book about the continent of dragons.

This was actually the only book on the continent of dragons that the library in the Outskirts held, so it was lucky it was also a good one. She and Callie had checked it out enough times that all of the dog-ears were their own.

It took only a second for Attel to find the section titled “Ruminations on Draconic Knowledge,” which was paired with a picture of a very scholarly dragon contemplating a monumental wall of books.

She tapped the dragon’s floppy hat. “It says they have books. I doubt they burnt them all since this was published, uh, however many centuries ago. But I guess you never know.”

Callie’s fingertip caressed her puckered chin. “But there are giant dragons and tiny dragons, right? Their libraries would have to be so huge to fit the big ones! But then the little ones would get lost.”

“Why would they get lost?”

“I don’t know. Are we even sure they have wings? What if they can’t fly? Or if a big dragon smacks a little dragon on accident. It would hurt. The big ones must be massive!”

Attel snickered, her grin growing.

Callie’s wide eyes widened more. “What?”

“‘The big ones must be massive!’” Attel mimicked in Callie’s high voice. “Is that what you think about when you think about dragons? How massive they are? Didn’t know you were like that, Cal.”

“Eww, gross!” Callie cried, hitting Attel’s arm and giggling. “If anyone’s gonna fall in love with a dragon, it’s you, not me!”

“If he’s a nice dragon.”

Callie laughed. “Weirdo!”

“Has to be better than other faenriin,” Attel grumbled.

“Speaking of!” Callie was using her singsong tone: a sure sign that Attel wasn’t going to like what she was going to say. “We need to head back. His Royalest Majesty, King Caexiael of the Blood Red Sky, should be gracing us with his magnificent presence any time, now.”

“Great.” Attel rolled back against the silky manaweave blanket and closed her eyes, letting the sunlight play across her face and the warm breeze stir her hair. It was a nice day. A really nice day. “Tell me when he’s gone.”

Callie gasped. “You’re not really going to skip out on the King’s visit?”

“It’s just a stupid ceremony. He literally won’t even notice I’m not there. He’d give the same boring speech even if he was talking to himself.”

“But we helped set up the runestones he’s dedicating!”

“They only had us do it because no one else wanted to. Why do menial things yourself when you can make the Abeyants do it, right?”

Callie wrinkled her nose but didn’t disagree.

“Why do you care so much, anyway? You expect him to shake your hand or bow to you really fancily?”

“No, but I’ve heard he’s very handsome,” Callie purred.

“I’ll stick with the dragons.”

Callie rolled her eyes, but a smile crept across her lips as she stood and brushed some petals from her skirt. “Well, I’m going.”

“Have a great time.”

Callie nudged the book with her ballet flat. “You too.” She placed a hand on her hip as she eyed Attel. “You are coming back home, right? Not going to run away to the Land of Dragons without me?”

“Yeah, yeah. See you tonight, Callie.”

“See you tonight, Attie.”

Callie watched Attel with a soft smile for a moment longer before shaking her head, flipping the red half of her hair over her shoulder, and heading back towards the Outskirts.

Attel sat up as Callie moved towards the churning black and red sky. Miasma filaments streaked through it. Some jolted, quick and violent as lightning, while some lingered, undulating in the deeper miasma thick as storm clouds.

A crystal vial, Callie described the wards as. A thin, translucent layer holding back an entire ocean. It looked as ominous as an abyss, but it was all show. The wards would hold. They’d just reinforced them to make sure.

Still, Attel didn’t like to look at the miasma any more than she had to. Once Callie’s form disappeared into the manapommes, Attel turned back to the honeybelles that danced at the roots of the closest tree.

Yet her eye caught not on the real honeybelles but shimmery gold imitations, woven into bright red manasilk.

Callie’s scarf. It was the one she wore every day, “because even Abeyants deserve to look cute.”

She’d been so caught up in the stupid handsome king that she’d forgotten it. That, or she’d left it on purpose so Attel would change her mind about going and bring it back to her.

Attel stretched out against the blanket and drew the fraying spine of their book against her stomach. Wrapping the scarf around her wrist, she flipped through pages of text and images of dragons, their wings stretched wide against a brilliant blue sky.

It was fine. She’d bring it back tonight. For now, the dragons called.

Attel is the main character of my upcoming novel, Across the Mana Sea, the first book of the Faenriyes fantasy romance series.

Read more about Attel on the Faenriyes website.

“Alright, my little Nevvie. One more before bed—but just one!”

“Yay!” Nev cried, scurrying across the coarse rugs to the bookshelf hewn into the stone walls.

He slid the first picture book carefully back in his shelf next to the sticks and leaves he’d made into faenriin figures to play with. It was right above the nightblooms, and he traced his claw along their roots for good luck before grabbing the best book he owned.

He brought the book to Mama and nestled back into the nest of blankets and pillows, his baby wing so snug and cozy against Mama’s warm scales that he didn’t even mind it was so little.

Nev held out the book, and the pages fell open to a palace of red and white. Beside it, the words of Nev’s favorite faenriin tale unfurled from the spires like royal banners.

Mama gave a low chuckle that vibrated against Nev’s scales. She didn’t say anything about this being the second time she’d read it tonight.

“‘Once upon a time,’” she began, “‘there was a handsome faenriin prince who lived in a giant palace made of pure crystal.

“‘Yet for as beautiful as his palace was, and for how nice his subjects were, there was one thing missing: a princess with whom his heart felt at peace.

“‘The prince combed the crystalline city of Ayaliis, asking every faenriin in their silks and gems. He searched the mana-painted countryside, climbing mountains more colorful than rainbows and scouring valleys filled with iridescent mist that tinkled like bells. But nowhere did he find the one for whom his heart sang.

“‘When he listened to his heart, he knew why. His one true love would be found in Drakien, not Faenrien.

“‘The intrepid prince organized a ship and crew, and he set out over the Great Mana Sea, battling monstrous waves and mana so thick it stung his eyes and choked his breath.

“‘Finally, his feet touched upon the ground of the Land of Dragons, and he set out on his adventure.

“‘The dragons he met were kind and wise, and each was happy to give him a gift of a gem or knowledge. Yet not a single one had seen another faenriin.

“‘He continued onward, deeper into the heart of the continent. Here he met some dragons who were neither kind nor wise. With his creation magic, he wove gifts from the air itself. Between this dazzling spectacle and the shiny baubles, he convinced these would-be villains to leave him be. For those he could not, his enchanted sword did what it must.

“‘He traveled for days and nights in search of his love, climbing mountains painted with sun and scouring valleys lush with jungle. After many years, he came upon a city not of crystal but of stone. Here he heard a voice more beautiful than any, drifting through the mist and enchanting him, body and heart.

“‘He followed the voice to find a faenriin maiden even lovelier than her voice, with long, flowing hair of white and red. At her song grew roses, and she held them in her hands, offering them to the weary prince.

“‘The two fell deeply in love, and the faenriin prince brought her back with him to his palace. They wed amongst the crystalline spires, their hair draped in roses and their hearts intertwined. And they lived happily ever after,’” Mama finished, nuzzling her chin against Nev’s head.

Nev didn’t close the book right away. Instead, his claw lingered on the illustration of the faenriin, the prince in red and the princess in white, roses decorating their bodies and their palace.

Had Mama and Papa been like that? Fallen in love and had a pretty wedding with flowers and smiles?

“Mama,” he asked, “is it true that faenriin can create anything they want?”

“Well, of course it is!” Mama cooed. “Anything their heart desires: colorful flowers or shimmering garments and gems. Even your favorite sweetberries!”

Nev looked between the bride and groom faenriin, tracing the lines of the bouquet of roses they held together. His chest was a little achy, and his voice was low as he asked, “Can they create love?”

Mama let out a soft breath against Nev’s head. “What do you mean, little nestling?”

“If I could use their magic, maybe I could make Papa come back.”

“Oh, my darling boy,” Mama breathed, wrapping her big wing around Nev’s tiny body. The smell of fire and smoke came from it, and it made Nev’s tears break free. She wiped them away with her claw. “Never think it was because of you. Never.”

“Could they, though?” he whispered, blinking hard as he looked up at her. “Create love?”

“No,” Mama replied firmly, her dark grey eyes smoky and comforting. “Even a faenriin can’t create love where there is none—not true love. Because love is only true when it comes from your heart.”

“How do you know it comes from your heart?”

“You’ll feel it, deep inside.” Mama placed her claw against his chest; it felt sturdy and as warm as her fire breath on a gloomy day. “When you’re with them, you’ll be the happiest you’ve ever been, and you’ll feel warm and secure because you know you can always trust them. Just like you and me.” Her scales creased into a wide smile as she placed her claw against his cheek. “I knew from the moment you hatched from your egg that I would love you forever.”

Nev hugged Mama tight. He believed her. He really did. And maybe Papa....

No, it didn’t matter what Papa had thought or felt. He had Mama, and he didn’t need anything else, because that was the best thing in the world.

His eyes opened, but they were still stuck on the faenriin’s roses, their intertwined hands, their wide smiles. His chest ached again.

“Mama,” he murmured, “do you think I’ll ever fall in love?”

Mama hugged him tighter. “If that’s what your heart desires, I’m certain of it.”

“Would you love me any less?”

“Sweetest child, that’s not how love works,” Mama said, her fire warming Nev’s scales as she nuzzled his head. “I will never stop loving you, no matter if you are in my arms or making a cave with your beloved. In fact, I’ll be the one most eager to welcome you to your first cave, bringing roses for the one who makes your heart sing!”

“Nightblooms!”

Mama chuckled. “Nightblooms, then. I promise you, my dearest.”

Nev’eirys is a character in my upcoming novel, Across the Mana Sea, the first book of the Faenriyes fantasy romance series.

Read more about Nev’eirys on the Faenriyes website.

I’m currently working on two related series, Faenriyes and Celedis.

Faenriyes is set in ancient times, long before humans come into their own, where magic is wondrous and unbound and dragons and faenriin dominate their respective continents. It’s a land of equal parts wonder and fear; of tragedy and sanctuary.

Celedis is set thousands of years after the events of the Faenriyes series. Dragons and faenriin are no more than myth, and human kingdoms rule over all. It is a world of kingdoms and secrets hidden in impossible magic; of dances between duty and desire.

I’m working on both series simultaneously. You can see my writing plans here!

I joined Substack to connect with readers who I hope will find my worlds as interesting as I do! I’ll be posting some of my writing here, as well as Letters from Lily, my monthly writing updates and sneak peeks.

If you’d like to read more about my worlds, check out my website. It’s an encyclopedia of my worlds and has all the writing I post here and more, including extra lore, character secrets, and cut scenes.

My debut novel, Across the Mana Sea, is coming out soon! Watch this space for updates!

Outside our home, there’s a large tree in front of the windows my desk looks out onto. In winter, the lush leaves abandon us, and the blinding white building beyond emerges, forcing us to keep the blinds closed.

I’m quite pleased to announce that we have now officially raised the blinds for the season, allowing for all the leaf- and bird-watching my heart desires.

This brings me nearly as much joy as my next announcement: in May, I’ll be releasing the eBook of my novel, Across the Mana Sea!

April Reflection

In April, I took a small step back from social media to focus on preparing the manuscript for publication.

Along with the cover, I’ve been working on my final read-through to clean up any little mistakes I’ve missed. For this, I’ve been trying out the “Read Aloud” feature in Word, which has been both helpful in catching things my eyes have glossed over as well as unintentionally amusing when its upbeat tone wildly misreads some scenes.

Here are two of my favorite posts from April:

Callie’s Birthday: Honeybelles & Heliotropes

YouTube | Instagram

Helio: Embers in the Ashes

YouTube | Instagram

May Sneak Peek

This month, all my focus is going into preparing for the Across the Mana Sea release. I’ll be finishing the final editing, formatting the eBook, making the cover, and finally releasing it on Amazon.

I’ll give the final details on social media and in next month’s newsletter, so keep an eye on those for more information.

Some things for you to look forward to this month:

• The Across the Mana Sea eBook!

• Some short excerpts from the book, including a cut scene

• A little story for Bennie’s birthday

Thank you again for reading and subscribing. I’m continuously updating the website and my social media, and I’m nearly ready to release the full book. I hope you’ll find something you love!

Yours affectionately,
Lily

To my nature-loving heart’s delight, the days are starting to get warmer, longer, and filled with more flowers. Sunny and rainy days dance with each other, bringing beauty and growth even on gloomy days.

Similar to this waxing and waning of the sun, I’ve admittedly been struggling a bit to keep my motivation up at times. However, I keep faith that these periods are just part of the natural cycle, and, just as sunny days are sure to return, I’ll come out again on the other side.

March Reflection

The past month, I’ve been working on more behind the scenes things related to publication, while still trying to get comfortable with social media.

I went on a small trip near the end of March, so things slowed down a bit. At the same time, I took many pictures and videos that I’ll be using for my other series, so you’ll have those to look forward to in the upcoming months!

Here are two of my favorite posts from March:

The Prettiest Faenriin Tale

YouTube | Instagram

Spring’s Gentle Return

YouTube | Instagram

April Sneak Peek

In April, I hope to make some big progress towards publication. I’ll be working on the back blurb and cover primarily, as well as continuing to fine-tune the manuscript.

Some things for you to look forward to this month:

• A small story for Callie’s birthday

• Introductions to a few side characters

• More about the world

Thank you again for reading and subscribing. I’m continuously updating the website and my social media as well as working towards releasing the full book, so I hope you’ll find something you love.

Yours affectionately,
Lily

With March comes the blooming of all sorts of plants, excited to open their leaves and petals to spring. Like them, I have a sense of eagerness to push forward, working on my writing and getting it to the point where it’s ready to share.

Not that the flowers are writing. Though I wouldn’t be against reading their work if they were.

February Reflection

In February, I made my first foray into social media. While I’m still learning, I’ve started to get more comfortable with it—almost to the point where my anxiety doesn’t kick in before every post. I consider this great progress.

Here are two of my favorite posts from February:

What Faenriin Give Their Beloveds: A Valentine’s Day Post with Attel and Nev’eirys

YouTube | Instagram

Attel’s Birthday: A Worthless Crown

YouTube | Instagram

March Sneak Peek

This March, I’m focusing on social media: learning, creating videos, writing little scenes and lore snippets, and of course, posting. At the same time, I haven’t forgotten my actual novel. Editing continues, and I’m tightening up the prose to get it ever closer to the images I have in my mind and the feelings that come with them.

Some things for you to look forward to this month:

• A post to celebrate the start of spring

• Introductions to more characters

• More posts about magic

Thank you again for reading and subscribing. I’ll be continuing to update the website and my social media, so I hope you find something you love.

Yours affectionately,
Lily

As one disinclined to anything resembling the cold, I’ve long thought that the ideal way to get through February is to bundle up in blankets and cradle a warm drink at all times.

It’s in this vein, heavily blanketed and sipping on coffee with milk, that I’d like to dedicate this letter not to the dreary parts of February but to love and romance.

February Sneak Peek

February finds me deep in editing. My big goal for the month is to dip my toes into the world of social media, something I’ve admittedly been spending the greater part of my adult life avoiding.

Armed with a schedule and the fact that I’ll be talking about my writing instead of my life, I have high hopes that my current efforts will last longer than my previous attempt. (One post.)

Some things for you to look forward to this month:

• A romantic post for Valentine’s Day

• Introductions to the main characters

Thank you again for reading and subscribing. I’m looking forward to sharing my work with you, and I hope you’ll enjoy everything to come.

Yours affectionately,
Lily