Rachel Morgan's Blog, page 35

Creepy Hollow Fae: Phouka

Year of study: fourth
Assignment type: paired (without mentor)





“Can’t I just have one?” asks Aria. “No one will notice.”

“No! I’m pretty sure at least one of those children will notice a cupcake vanishing off their table.” I let out a frustrated sigh. I wish I was doing this assignment with Honey; at least I’m sort of friends with her.

Aria puts on her sulky face. “They look really yummy.”

“You just want to eat it because it’s pink,” I mutter.

“Pink is awesome,” says Aria with authority, as though...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Ogre

Year of study: fourth
Assignment type: solo (with mentor observing)





“Hurry! I think we’re already late,” says Tora.

“But the Seer just gave us the assignment like five minutes ago,” I say as we rush down the hospital corridor.

“Yeah, yeah. But you know how they—Oh! Look!” Tora skids to a stop and points. Hunched over, his bald head grazing the ceiling, is the ogre. “Right, time for you to do your thing, Vi. I’ll just be in the corner. Observing.”

The ogre stares through a glass window at a room fu...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Nascryl

Year of study: second
Assignment type: group (with mentor)





Black leathery wings. A beak for a mouth. Skinny, clawed feet like the bottom part of a burned chicken. And sparkly bangles on each of its wrists. All around, a very attractive combination.

Not.

“So who’s going to do the honors?” asks Rowan. He’s sitting on one of the stationery bikes, looking bored as he swings his legs back and forth. As far as mentors go, he’s pretty useless.

Ryn steps on my shoe. “What’s wrong, Pixie Sticks? Can’t do t...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Kelpie

Year of study:  fifth

Assignment type: solo





The girl laughs, tucks a strand of hair behind one ear, and leans back on her hands. The boy stretches out on the grass beside her, accidentally-on-purpose brushing her arm with his. He makes a bad joke, and she laughs as though he's the world's greatest comedian.

Ugh. Do I really have to watch this?

I cross my arms, my eyes flitting around the clearing: Trees thick enough for someone to hide behind, and a pond deep enough for a creature to submerge its...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Jangle

Year of study: fourth
Assignment type: solo (with mentor observing)





Tora told me to pretend she isn't here, but that's a little difficult when I can sense her right behind me, watching my every move. She's come along on assignments before, of course, but I was always with another trainee. This is the first time I get to do it alone—if you can call it alone with a mentor practically breathing down your neck.

I step quietly along the corridor toward the bathroom. Over the spray of water, I catch t...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Ispee

Year of study: third
Assignment type: paired (with mentor)





She is the size of a dragonfly. Her hair is like threads of silk. Her wings, bright splashes of color against the night, ripple in undulating motion. Up close, I can see tiny rings glittering on her eight fingers. Spurs jutting out from her heels flash dangerously in the moonlight.

It's those spurs that we're currently trying to avoid.

"Ow, I think she got me!" complains Jasmine as the ispee darts toward her neck and then flits out of rea...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Halfling

Year of study: fifth
Assignment type: solo





It's a half-goblin, half-dryad (yeah, don't ask me how that happened; that dryad obviously had highly questionable taste) and it won't shut up.

"Come dance with me, little guardian wannabe." It skips on the spot, then prances in a circle around the porch swing. It has that hunched, hairy goblin look, combined with the floaty dress, long hair and somewhat transparent features of the dryad. Not attractive. I can't even figure out if it's male or female.

Th...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Goblin

Year of study: fifth
Assignment type: solo





Half buried beneath the pile of sand and pebbles, the goblin glares up at me. His long, pointed ears quiver in anger. I perch on the tree branch, pointing an arrow directly at his forehead.

"You really going to kill me, little guardian girl?"

I sigh. "You know how this works, goblin. If you disappear, I won't be able follow you. If you stick around to fight back, you have to accept the consequences."

"Death," he hisses.

"Well, yeah, if it comes to that. Or...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Flimsickle

Year of study: second
Assignment type: group (with mentor)





"Look at its funny wings," says Aria. "It's so weird how they're attached to its head."

"Ooh, look, look, it's flying now," says Honey.

The flimsickle's membranous wings spin around the top of its head as it glides from the fitting room door onto a rack of jackets. Its slender, pale blue body is no taller than the spiked heels lining a shelf not too far away. Hard to believe this creature can cause damage to anyone. "It reminds me of one ...

Creepy Hollow Fae: Elf

Year of study: fifth
Assignment type: solo





"I'm confused," I say to the elf. "I thought you guys didn't mind humans. Why are you trying to stab this one in his sleep?"

The elf loops a strand of hair behind her pointy ear and crosses her arms. "I love him, okay? And it's none of your business. Or the Guild's. So get lost."

"You love him..." Oh, I see. Now it makes sense. Not.

"And he rejected me!" She glares down at the sleeping boy. "He chose some stupid human girl with glasses. Over me!"

"Wait, so...