Corinne’s dreams are coming true. But not in a good way.
Playing the virtual reality game Feyland wasn't supposed to turn out so—uh, real. But when things from the game start appearing in everyday life—like a unicorn, or Elphin, the strange creature who saved her life and became her friend—Scots teenager Corinne MacArthur has a problem. Of epic proportions.
And then she learns the truth about Elphin.
It's a truth that shatters her illusions about the world she knows and sends her racing back to Feyland on a life-or-death rescue mission. But Feyland is a game where trickery is an art form and magic is the currency. A game which can deceive the unwary and trap the naive. A game where legends come to life and shadowy figures haunt your dreams.
And Corinne's dreams are coming true. But not in a good way. They're more like a waking nightmare, and it will take all her talent—and more—to escape the otherworldly creatures who've invaded her life. A life which is about to become even more complicated…
The stranger held out an elegant gloved hand. "May I introduce myself? I am Karlin. Methinks we have not met?"
Corinne was wary to take the woman's hand. Last time she'd done that, she'd been tricked by a handsome kelpie. Who knew what this stranger was after?
She gave a half-hearted wave instead. "Uh, no I don't think we have. I'm—" she paused, remembering the warnings about real names on the forums last night, "—Corrie."
"What brings you to the blue pool, young Corrie? Do you have a quest I can help you with?"
Surely it wouldn't do any harm to tell her? "I'm looking for my friend Elphin. Do you know him? Do you know where he is? Or what happened to him?" It all came out in a rush, worry for her friend overtaking the caution she felt on meeting this new character.
"Elphin? Ah, yes!" Karlin pointed across the pool, her gauzy sleeve catching the breeze. "He lives on the mountain."
The mountain. Of course, Urisk had told her she'd find Elphin on the faerie mountain, hadn't he? She'd been heading there when the kelpie had attacked her. Her hand twitched toward her bow at the thought.
Karlin smiled again. "Would you like me to take you there?"
That might be easier than stumbling around on my own. But can I trust her? Corinne chewed the inside of her cheek. The smile had softened the contours of the woman's face, and she looked almost benign. "Uh, o—"
Her words were cut short as Karlin pulled herself up to her full height and clapped her hands.
Two huge white wolves emerged from the bushes, growling deep in their throats, one of them limping markedly. Corinne recognised him immediately. The wolf that attacked Elphin.
Her pulse started to race, and sweat broke out on her forehead as she backed away. "I—it's okay." Her voice cracked. "I'll look for him myself."
Karlin's voice took an edge of steel. "No, we will take you to him." She motioned the wolves closer, their hackles raised and red eyes glowing.
They were backing Corinne towards the pool, cutting off any hope of escape—there was no Elphin to save her from drowning this time. Mind racing as she weighed up her options, she heard Phemie's voice as clearly as if the farmer was standing beside her. 'Stick up for yourself, lassie.'
Whisking the bow from her shoulder, Corinne swung to face the lead wolf. But before she could nock an arrow, Karlin pulled some faerie dust from her pouch and cast it in Corinne's direction.
In an instant Corinne was frozen in place. The cold started at her feet, icy tendrils encasing her legs, then racing up her body, pinning her arms and stilling her breath. Her last thought was that her dreams were coming true again, except that it was her, not the minstrel, who was entombed in ice, and that her vision was more of a nightmare than a dream-come-true…
