Mother's Splendid Curse (A Witch's Story) - Tarl Telford - Bog

In a magic land, where dreams feed the Splendid Ones -- Faeries from across the desert -- one young witch pledges to protect a foreign ruler. Her oath binds her to her duty, but when the mission is threatened by an old friend, the witch must choose between the past that she left behind and the present that has already betrayed her.---The Cursed Land of Oz, decades before Dorothy. The stars are right, and the time of return approaches. Dark Winds harvest the sleeping energy of the unsuspecting people. Countless stolen dreams feed the Splendid Ones -- ageless Faeries from across the desert -- with no one the wiser. Now the Queen of Dreams has chosen her Eye in Oz, and she is coming to claim what is hers.Magic and malice, dreams and defiance, secrets and sacrifice, all define this new age in the Kingdom of Dreams.ONE SMALL CHOICE WILL DETERMINE THE FATE OF TWO KINGDOMS.She betrayed her best friends to save their lives. That deed won Locasta the favor of the witch and earned her the coveted apprenticeship. Ever since that moment, she has wondered if her sacrifice was worth it, or even if it was recognized at all.She has survived under the cruel apprenticeship of the Wicked Witch by hiding her knowledge. Now she has been chosen to provide magical security for the Queen of Dreams during a secret operation. With unseen enemies around every corner, Locasta must choose whether to trust the past she left behind, or to fulfill her duty in the present that has already betrayed her.The Kingdom of Dreams saga explores the unknown heroes that shaped the history of the Lands of Oz and Dream long before Dorothy's incomparable entrance into Emerald City. This is a story of three powerful witches, two clever inventors, and one ageless queen with a plan to change the fate of two worlds forever. ----This novella contains 21,780 words.Paperback volume includes two never-before-published short stories: Gaunt; and The Stone Armies of Hagronimous Bower.