In the 17th Century, the ancient sprawl of Epping forest is bursting with magic and those who go unseen by human eyes: the elves who rule the summer court, and the goblins who rule the winter court. It is said that if a human catches the eye of one of the fey, they are either doomed or blessed. Contains the stories: Wulfren and the Warlock: When Wulfren wakes from a strange dream of a human captor with long silver hair, and grey eyes, his brothers tell him they rescued him from a warlock, and take Wulfren back home to the goblin king's palace. But Wulfren isn’t so sure the matter is that simple. Why was he missing so long? What are the strange dreams of the beautiful man with the silver hair? Dalliances with humans are severely frowned upon, especially by Wulfren’s father, but Wulfren is willing to risk the scorn of his family to find the human who haunts his dreams. Quiller and the Runaway Prince: After a hard winter, Quiller is sent deep into the forest on a family errand, and is surprised when a human stumbles into his path. Quiller swoops in to pester him, perhaps even eat him, but there is something special about the human: his scent is royal, though he protests that he is not, and soon Quiller finds himself agreeing to help the human with his troubles—in exchange for a kiss.

Goblins

“Wulfie.” Ash stood in front of me. “It won’t be for long. On the second night, keep the fire burning. I should like to see a smoking chimney to welcome me when I return. This was just a cabin before, but having you here with me makes it a home.”


I looked up at him. “You won’t leave me for another human?”


Ash pulled me against him, his lips against my cheek. “Definitely not.”


I kissed him hungrily, then agreed to stay, albeit reluctantly. As Ash walked away, I stood on the porch and waved him off. He stopped and waved back at me one final time, before the trees swallowed him up. How I wished I could change form and follow him, at least to make sure he was safe. But I had to stay. Ash had said he made the journey into town frequently, so I had to believe he would return.


Chapter 17