The Guardian's Grimoire (62 page)

“Get out. Never come back to my kingdom. Taxes will
be due at the end of the month, as they always are.”

The farmer left and I groaned. My father’s greed was
going to get him killed, and it looked like it would happen sooner than I
thought. I started constructing a plan to clean up this mess. There was always
a way to fight greed with kindness… and stealth.

Jedes patted me on the arm. “I will go unpack your
bag.”

Rain Oxford is a middle school teacher who is compelled to spend every
free moment writing. The Asian-influenced cultures she creates were inspired by
Japan, where she attended Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto on an exchange
program. She does most of her writing in a secluded cabin in the woods, with a
four-pound Maltese as a companion. When she’s not teaching or creating worlds,
she usually enjoys cooking, playing the piano, or photographing exotic
wildlife.