Except the Queen
Authors: Jane Yolen,Midori Snyder
Praise for
Except the Queen
“A magical tale. . . . Unconventional narrative techniques and a full dose of magic and folklore give this urban fantasy a lyrical, mythic feel.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“A wonderful romp of a book, full of unlikely heroes and heroines, thoroughly nasty villains, and natural magic seen through a kaleidoscope’s eye in vivid, ever-changing detail. . . . The writing is fast-paced and powerful. . . .
Except the Queen
is indeed a treat for the fantasy lover.”
—Patricia A. McKillip, author of
The Bell at Sealey Head
“This is a great urban fantasy with an atypical feel to the story line that enhances the otherworldly tale. Fast-paced from the onset, fans will welcome the siblings as each struggles with adjusting to the world of the mortals.”
—Alternative Worlds
“Reminiscent of the urban fantasy of Charles de Lint in their ability to blend human characterizations with the world just beyond the borders of human perception, the authors succeed in crafting a modern fairy tale.”
—
Library Journal
“Jane Yolen really can’t be beat when it comes to traditional fantasy. This is a beautifully written novel.”
—So Many Books, So Little Time
“A fantastic read whether you believe in fairy tales or not!”
—
Sacramento Book Review
“An unexpected delight of a novel. . . . I loved the little surprises along the way to resolution and the unexpectedness of this quiet, beautifully written book.”
—The Book Smugglers
E
XCEPT
the
Q
UEEN
Jane Yolen
and
Midori Snyder
ROC
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
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80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Previously published in Roc hardcover and trade paperback edition.
First Roc Mass Market Printing, April 2012
Copyright © Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder, 2010
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-1-101-66451-3
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors’ rights is appreciated.
For Terri Windling, Ellen Datlow, Isak Dinesen, Angela Carter, Alice Hoffman, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Pamela Dean, Patricia Wrede, Holly Black, Emma Bull, Patricia McKillip, Ellen Klages, Kelly Link, Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, Shannon Hale, and all the other sisters of fantasy.
—JY
For my mother, Jeanette Snyder, who made sure I knew how to swim in the river of myth and fairy tale.
—MS
20 The Dog Boy Marks His Territory
21 Sparrow Under the Influence
25 Serana Finds the Post Office
26 The Dog Boy Seeks But What Does He Find?
27 Meteora Finds the Changelings
34 Meteora in the Garden, Meets a Jack
36 Serana Sees Portents, Signs
43 Meteora Has More Questions Than Answers
49 The Dog Boy Scratches an Itch
50 Serana Has Five Days of Peace
54 Serana Castigates the Arum, Her Sister, the Boy, the Girl
56 Robin and Sparrow in the Garden
62 Serana and the Crones Prepare for Battle
65 Meteora Moves to Vinnie’s House
Y
ou are in the forest that is not your own. You squint at its brightness; the sunlight bleaching the familiar green, the scent of the trees dusty as pressed flowers. You have come out of curiosity, and shivering beneath the glamour you are wearing, you roam through the quiet pines and birch. You have left behind your armor, your rank, your power, your great age. Here you are young, beautiful and fragile as the lily, your throat white and perfumed. Birds trill a warning and fall quiet. And then you hear it, a man singing softly under his breath, something tuneless, without true shape to change the world.
You stop and wait, frozen as the deer, for this is what you have come to see, to learn, to experience. For an eternity you have existed in another time, but now you are in this moment, and desire burns away the practiced control.
You see him weaving in and out of the sunlight, his chestnut hair stippled like a fawn’s hide. Yet he moves purposefully, hunting for you. You can smell the oil of his rifle, cradled in the crook of his arm. Alarm prickles your skin, crying
run
. But you will not. You want to see what happens. You want to know what it feels like, that pain that is human love, that weakness that binds stronger than spells. You, who have never given so much as a mustard seed of power for free, you have come to give yourself away.
The man moves into the clearing and hesitates as if he knows you are there. And why should he not feel you? Have you not come here the last three days to spy on him? He is well made, with a comely face that pleases you. He is dressed like an oriole, the dark wool of his coat partially covered by a shrill orange that makes it easy to spot him even in the brush.