The Faery Tales Series Volume 7-9: Faery Tales

By Ronel Janse van Vuuren

Fae. Magic running wild. Adventure. Searing cold. Disappearances.

 

Valkyries and Furies fight over the souls of the dead, not caring over peculiar circumstances of mass deaths. Pixies pester humans more than usual – to their betterment or death.

 

Humans with magic use their gifts to fight against the fae… While those without magic, only have their knowledge of folklore to protect them.

 

The walls between the Realms are thinning drastically and no-one is noticing. Or if they are, they don't care or pretend it isn't happening.

 

Can Man and Fae survive this onslaught?

 

And who is behind it all?

 

Scroll up now to buy and embroil yourself in danger and magic while figuring out who is staging this coup.

 

*Books 7 to 9 of the Faery Tales series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ronel Janse van Vuuren
• Release date: Dec 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215445716

Book preview

The Faery Tales Series #7: Solstice Shenanigans

Blurb:

Two women. Two stories. Lives forever altered.

Fate is a faery on a mission; several missions, in fact. It is her job to make sure that humans receive their just deserts. Usually she helps. But something about this assignment makes her show her claws... Carla is just the type of human she detests: selfish and self-righteous. Perhaps Fate enjoys her job just a little too much when left to her own devices.

Somewhere else, pixies take up their plight to torment humans at an old country hotel. When they’re done, the mortals in question will either be better for their interference... or dead. If Lynsey is successful in breaking the spell, she can save her friends and her one true love. But is her knowledge of folklore enough?

The walls between Realms are thinning and no-one is noticing. Or if they are, they don’t care or pretend it isn’t happening.

Find out how Carla and Lynsey will deal with the fae interfering in their lives.

*This is the seventh book in the Faery Tales series.

A Night’s Quest

Shadows swirled and Fate found herself in the hallway outside the toilets of her prey’s regular haunt. She sniffed the air, missing her usual companion’s senses.

A woman sat alone at a booth, sipping a martini, watching everyone from behind her huge sunglasses. Fate pulled at the shadows caressing the woman’s skin and moved on. She didn’t need them to cause more trouble this night. There were others there that needed her attention.

Groups were gathered around different television screens, cheering on various sports teams. Fate ignored them – the rabid fans wearing their favourite team’s colour, munching fatty meat and draining beer weren’t on her itinerary. She held out her hand and shadows formed a tablet. She swiped until she found the photo of the night’s quest. She scanned the room.

A shiver of recognition ran through her. She allowed the tablet to return to wispy shadows.

She steered clear of the raucous drinking games around tables, leaving the restaurant part of the establishment and entering the bar.

Fate walked through the crowd milling around the gleaming wood surface covered with bottles full of glittering escape. All of them were either waiting to be seated at one of the tiny tables or booths for a proper night out drinking or watching their prey with predatory glee as yet another shot was ordered.

She watched them, reading their expressions as easily as she read their thoughts, and found the man she was looking for.

‘Not your usual look.’

‘You can paint your nails gold, but I dare shave and dress in something from this decade and you just have to comment.’

‘I almost didn’t recognise you.’

She watched a young woman glaring at everyone and making snide remarks to the barman; her outfit belonging to a decade long past.

‘The point, my dear.’ Fog curled around him, the faint impression of his ship and crew edging in from another realm.

Fate sniffed. She surveyed the humans, searching for the perfect foil. Several men had ridiculous beards that hid their expressions; masks that couldn’t hide the truth in their eyes.

‘How will we divvy up the loot?’ he asked.

‘Mm? Oh. I’ll take her, the one we came for. You can have the rest.’

‘You sure? You’ve never been good at, ah, fun.’

‘I’m sure. They say karma is a bitch – they’ve never met me.’

––––––––

Carla sat at the bar, wondering what she was doing there in the first place. She watched her friends and colleagues take shots – some of it on fire.

She sipped her white wine, trying not to pull a face. The bartender had given her this sweet beverage instead of the dry red she’d ordered. He was a real buffoon.

The light caught the diamanté inlay of her watch. She grimaced when she saw the time. Taking deep breaths, she counted the shots her friends still had to take before they wouldn’t remember their own names – or whether she was still there or not.

‘You like sweet things?’

Carla turned to the woman next to her.

‘Not really.’

Something about the woman with the golden nails made Carla unable to look away.

‘Two margaritas,’ the woman said to the bartender.

‘He won’t get it right.’

‘Oh, you’d be surprised.’

The bartender placed two glasses rimmed with salt before them.

‘I’m not...’

‘Go ahead,’ the woman urged. ‘I’m sure you’ll like it.’

Carla took a tentative sip. Sweet and bitter flavour notes danced across her tongue.

‘Good, right?’

She nodded and took another sip.

One cocktail turned into two. Before Carla knew it, she’d tried everything on the menu. She didn’t even feel drunk. And her new friend didn’t seem to either.

Carla allowed her friends to pull her onto the dance floor. She lost track of her new friend, but it was okay: she was surrounded by friends. She felt hot and free – everything she never felt.

From across the dance floor she saw a guy who looked charmingly ridiculous as he jumped to the music. Their eyes met and held; they shared a smile. He danced towards her. When the chorus started again, they sang along at the top of their lungs while jumping up and down to the beat of the music.

A new song began with as much heart hammering rhythm as the last. Carla kept on dancing with the strange bearded guy with kind eyes. She wasn’t used to jumping and twitching to what she could only call club music. She was out of her element. She was used to langarm sokkies to songs that she knew by artists she could pronounce.

Trying not to break an ankle in the ridiculous shoes her friends had insisted she wear, she discovered new moves. Falling against her dance partner, they both laughed. And she felt something as he looked at her like she’s the most gorgeous creature in existence. Her eyes focused on his lips and she’s reminded of a very indecent song about kissing.

She swallowed, nervously looking away. She couldn’t deny it to herself: she’s attracted to her dance partner. They kept on dancing, the music filling her with joy.

It was the most fun she’d had since moving back home to work at her Alma Mater after graduation. For the first time she understood why her friends and co-workers liked to let loose on a weekend, spending a small fortune on outfits and alcohol.

A song she knew started to play. As they dance together, the lyrics make her laugh. She’d never done as a song suggested. And yet she was seriously considering it. In the middle of the song she reached up and kissed her dance partner. He kissed her back.

She was ready to pretend that it was love – and live while she was young.

––––––––

‘Wow. I never thought you had it in you.’

Fate turned to her worse half.

‘Women regularly drink too much then imagine that some guy with a beer boep looks like the Men’s Health cover model.’

‘Of course. But what you did... Even I find it diabolical.’

‘You saw her file.’

Fate watched Carla leave with the dumb-struck bearded man.

‘Still...’

‘You don’t agree?’

‘The repercussions of this one doesn’t just affect her life – it also affects her afterlife.’

‘All choices do.’

‘Usually you’re more... fair.’ He tasted the word and shook his head.

‘I gave her a fair few chances to change tonight’s outcome.’

‘Really? All I saw was you plying her with alcohol.’

‘One, she talked to me. Two, she took a sip of the margarita. Three, she drank everything I suggested. Four, she went dancing with her friends. Five, she accepted to dance with the guy we chose for her. Six, she invited him to leave with her.’

‘Sure.’ He shrugged. ‘But I don’t think the bartender is too happy.’

She looked over at the brooding man who was in love with the night’s quest. She sniffed as he glared after the couple.

‘He should’ve known better than to make deals with the Fae.’

––––––––

Carla woke up in an unfamiliar room. She turned her head to the side