A Nixie in the Mist: A Guardians of the PHAE Prequel Short Story

By Rowan Dillon

Hidden beneath the waves, a secret power rises

In the depths of the pool at SUNY Rochester, Anna Taylor isn't just any swim coach. Beneath her clothing hides a secret; growing scales and an ability to manipulate water in ways she's just beginning to understand.

As whispers of her newfound abilities reach the wrong ears, Anna is pulled into a turbulent world of intolerance, where even her estranged brother, Joel, stands on the side of the oppressors.

Thrust from the sanctuary of the university, Anna's journey to seek refuge takes her from the tumultuous streets of Rochester to the possibility of sanctuary in Ireland.

But with family ties strained, and a world increasingly divided, Anna must decide where she belongs and who she can trust.

A Nixie in the Mist is a prequel short story to the high-action contemporary fantasy trilogy, Guardians of the PHAE.

Dive into a gripping urban fantasy where the line between human and Unhidden blurs, and the struggle for acceptance could mean the difference between life and death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Green Dragon Publishing
• Release date: Nov 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9791222477091

Book preview

Root, Stem,

and Flower

Guardians of the PHAE

Prequel Short Story

ROWAN DILLON

GREEN DRAGON PUBLISHING

Copyright © 2024 Christy Nicholas writing as Rowan Dillon

Cover art © 2023 by Christy Nicholas

Internal design © 2024 by Christy Nicholas

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews, without permission in writing from its publisher, Green Dragon Publishing.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. Green Dragon Publishing is not associated with any product or vendor in this book.

Published by Green Dragon Publishing

Beacon Falls, CT

www.GreenDragonArtist.com

The land is our mother, the rivers our blood. Take our land away and we die.

— Mary Brave Bird, Lakota

Hopi Reservation, Arizona

Nokomis Nicholas crouched, examining the leaves of her squash plant, her long, gray hair spilling around her. She frowned at their fragile texture. With a gentle touch, she checked the onions, corn, beans, and melons, and they all looked dry. Not an unusual problem on the Hopi reservation of Arizona, but Komie’s plants usually thrived regardless of drought. This summer had been drier than usual, and Komie’s strength waned over the dry season. This year, however, her power had grown stronger than ever, but she didn’t understand why.

When growing up on her ancestral lands in Maine, the power flowed through her hands into the earth like a raging river, full of verdant energy. Here, however, it trickled with grudging reluctance. Still, her power had grown even with this reluctant land.

Despite her weariness, the plants needed help. While closing her eyes