A Fey Harvest Read Online Free Page A

noooow,” he laughed, a wheezing sound that made the rest of the Hidden Ones start twittering in amusement. “That'ssss a big name for such a wee little lasssss. It means she who inspiressss terror. Can I have it inssstead? I think it'ssss better ssssuited to me.”
    “ No, no, no,” Gráinne waved a finger in the face of the Hidden One. “ My name!”
    “ Oh yessss,” he laughed again and I smiled as the rest of the phookas clambered about the remaining Hidden Ones, expecting as much attention as their sister was getting. “You're right, I already have a name anywaysssss. It's Taog.”
    “ Toook,” Gráinne sounded out the name slowly, then, “Taog, Taog, Taog!”
    Neala shot me an amused look. “They may not like them so much after the pups keep that up for awhile.”
    “They are beautiful children, missusssss,” Taog grinned, baring a mouth full of pointed teeth dripping yellow fluid. “You are blesssed and we are blesssssed that you share them with us.”
    “ Och now,” she waved a hand and blushed a bit. “You're welcome to play with them anytime you like. I'd be happy for the break.”
    “ Truly?” Another Hidden One stepped forward, two little boys climbing over the tusks that grew out of her wide, flat face at strange angles. “We like children,” she tossed her head a little and the boys swung around, squealing in delight.
    “ Sure, sure,” Neala nodded and the children all shouted with glee.
    “ Well, I guess no one wants to say hi to me,” I shrugged and started for the door, “or hear me read the book I brought.”
    “ Waaaaaiiiit,” someone slithered across my path, effectively blocking the door I was heading for. Claws clicked against its ridged hide in dismay. “Don't leave, Queen Vervain, we want to hear your story.”
    “ You're sure now?”
    “ Oh yes,” they all said together, even the phooka pups.
    “ Alright then,” I smiled to myself as I walked further into the room and found a flat rock to sit on. “Gather around but behave or the story stops.”
    “ We promisssssse,” Taog flopped down next to me and Gráinne climbed up on what I assume was his lap.
    “ This is the story of Urashima Taro,” I said as I held up the book for them to see the illustration of a Japanese boy riding on the back of a turtle. They all quieted and mouths dropped open as they stared fixedly at the book. “It was my favorite story when I was a little girl.”
    I began to read, telling them about how Urashima Taro saved a turtle's life and then discovered that the turtle was the Sea Princess in disguise. They loved this, asking if she was like Queen Dubheasa, who had ruled over the Kingdom of Water until I killed her(she tried to kill me first). I told them she was kinda like her except the Sea Princess was nice. They laughed at that.
    I went on to tell them how Urashima Taro had married the princess and how she kept him with her in her palace for many years. I showed them the pictures to which they ooohed and ahhhed appropriately. When I told them how he finally asked to leave and go home because of his duties to his parents, they asked why the Princess couldn't go with him and I had to explain that she wasn't a water sidhe who could live on land if she wanted to. She had to stay in her underwater palace. They didn't like that so much.
    They did like it when the princess gave Urashima Taro a gift, a black lacquered box to take with him back to land, which he was warned to never open. The fey seemed to like gifts you weren't meant to open and they all nodded sagely when he opened it anyway. They knew the human wouldn't be able to resist and I got the feeling that this was a favorite trick amongst the fey.
    They had a lot of fun shouting out what they thought would happen when Urashima opened the box. I was shocked by the amount of possibilities they came up with, and a little disturbed by the detailed descriptions, but when I told them he merely aged, that the three-hundred years he'd been