Once everyone was moving steadily through the trees, Alida went to walk beside her. “Are you all right?” her mother asked. “I’m a little scared,” Alida said. “Why would old Lord Dunraven make such a terrible law?” Her mother shrugged. “Your aunt Clare always says he thought daydreaming about magic and storytelling wasted time that would be better spent working. But humans and faeries are alike when it comes to that. Without stories and a little magic, we aren’t happy.” Alida nodded. “The day I walked through Ash Grove, I tied my shawl tight over my wings. I was trying so hard to look like a human girl. At first I thought someone might ask if I needed help. But no one did. They all looked tired and angry.” “The human farmers always had to give part of their crops to the Dunravens,” her mother said. “We used to see the big, creaking wagons carrying off barley, wheat, oats, field crops of every kind—even cheese and eggs—all to feed the castle guards. I’m sure it’s even worse now.”
