I made my way home after an exhausting day, and basically collapsed directly in bed. Sleep. Sleep was a wonderful thing. The best thing, really. Who didn’t love a good night’s sleep?

Papilion. That’s who didn’t love a good night’s sleep.

“You.” He said, entering my dream, doing his gnarly shapeshifting routine. “You’ve been on the planet for almost two decades, and you’ve done absolutely nothing. No changes. I showed mercy. I showed kindness. And you’ve spurned me, spurned my classes.”

I tried to protest, to explain. Papilion was doing that thing again where he wanted a “discussion” but wouldn’t let me say a word.

“Prepare to be changed into a Golden Crow!” Papilion announced, and with that pronouncement, the world started to grow larger around me as I shrunk, wings replacing arms, feathers replacing fur, growing a third leg.

With an indignant squawk I took flight, only for a bolt of lightning to strike me.

I woke up with a gasp, covered in a fine sheen of sweat. I rapidly patted myself all over, making sure I still had everything, that I was still me.

I heaved a sigh of relief. All was good.

I got out of bed to get a drink of water, and promptly fell through the fairy ring that had grown beside my bed in the middle of the night.

Oh no! The Fae are entirely unbound by any rules, and they've yoinked Elaine so hard, she ended up in a different novel! Read the next part here! Link!