#project fae

Project Fae Excerpt (that may be cut):

The fairy was old, but he was fast. Before Kinley even knew what had happened, he had reached out and grabbed one of her hands, pressing it hard against the iron ingot on the table. 

Kinley gasped and winced at the contact as the metal dug into her skin; fought against the fairy as he lifted her hand and stared at it. His gaze slowly turned back to her. 

‘You lie.’

Kinley grabbed her hand back, glancing over it to see that, once again, there was no burn. It was impossible. She turned to the small string of bells as they tinkled in a non existent wind. Her eyes grew wide, and the fairy chuckled. 

‘You know something you shouldn’t.’

Kinley shook her head. ‘I don’t-’

‘You are a changeling,’ the fairy began, standing on shaky legs. He turned to the shelves behind him and started tinkering with the bottles.  ‘A newborn human babe stolen from your crib and replaced with one of us. The fairies live in the human world, assimilate to their new lives and await instruction. The humans become the Usaile Fola. One of us. Imbued with the blood of the elder fairies before you. Brought here to serve our Queen.’

Kinley inhaled sharply, and shook her head. ‘That’s not true, it can’t be.’

‘I cannot lie,’ the fairy said. He glanced back at her with a raised eyebrow, before turning back to the shelves. ‘Fairies cannot lie. Fairies cannot serve our Queen. There is a reason that you and your friends were brought here Kinley. You have a duty to fulfil, and you shall fulfil it until until your dying breath.’

Kinley closed her eyes, lightheaded and dizzy. This wasn’t right, it couldn’t be. Her hands gripped the table and she took a deep breath before attempting to stand. She couldn’t be here anymore. Not in this room, and not at the celebration. She needed to leave. 

The fairy slammed a bottle down on the shelf. ‘Don’t run,’ he said. ‘It won’t do you well to run.’

Caelan | 15 |

Human

Values: Community

Flaws: Stubborn, compulsive

Traits: Perceptive, reliable, loyal

Caelan was born and raised in Ireland.

Fairies are a myth. That’s what Caelan had always been told, but he knows the truth. He was born blind, but somehow, he can see them. And only them, bathed in a shimmery light. And he hates it.

He lives a simple life with his Uncle in the small village of Kilmairin, hiding his secret from the one person who would believe him; doing his best not to get caught, keeping his friends from falling into the fairies traps. All he wants is a normal life, one that doesn’t involve fairies.

Kinley | 16 |

Human Changeling

Values: Independence

Flaws: Selfish, impulsive

Traits: Modest, graceful, determined

Kinley grew up in UnderErth- home of the fairies of the Daoine Sidhe.

Responsibility is so not her thing, but she’s drowning under the weight of it. A revered member of the Usaile Fola, she is one of the eight most important fairies in the Court, born to serve the Queen.

She has a duty, but no one will tell her what it is. She holds importance to the Queen, but no one will tell her why. She lives a repetitive life of grandeur- of training and lessons and balls, and constant guard. And she’s bored. Sneaking out at night only provides so much entertainment.

Some super random doodles for potential character designs in Project Fae.

CampNaNoWriMo Project Intro | Project Fae

YA Urban Fantasy | 70k in 7 days | Pantsing

Tagline: ‘A fairy discovers that she is really a human, and escapes into our world in order to find her fairy counterpart.’

Day one: 10,219 words

It was a struggle. I hate pansting. 

Excerpt:

The woods had always been quiet. The oldest often went hunting for rabbits with his father, chased foxes through the underbrush those early mornings they were spotted by the hen houses. But there was something different that morning. The woods weren’t just quiet, they were… still. No birds flew through the trees, no branches rustled. But still, they ran on. 

Day two: 10,253

A little easier. Floudered with casual conversation. 

Excerpt:

Kinley shook her head at the question. She wasn’t really familiar with the human world. It had mostly been warnings and fables she was taught. How to spot a human, how to charm a human. How to bend the truth and how to avoid them if necessary. A nice way to bless them, and the best ways to curse them.

‘Old village in the heart of the Irish countryside,’ Gilroy continued. ‘I’ve lived here all my life, quite a few families have.’

‘Must be nice.’

Day five: 10040 words

Good start. Terrible finish. 

Excerpt, TW implied violence:

‘If you see Patrick again, wish him well,’ she heard Mudgeon say, strong but muffled on the other side of the wall. ‘And shut your mouth. If you want to live, they can’t know you’re here.’