Tucked away in North Carolina's western mountains, in the town of Whippoorwill Gap, awaits a special bookshop, where otherworldly beings flit on the edges of awareness.

Over the centuries, nine fae formed a troop when two Native Yunwi Tsundhi' met brownies, sprites, a hob, a gnome, and a wood nymph from the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Africa. In time, they formed unbreakable bonds.

These four stories depict pivotal moments in their history.

In "The Ghost Pipe," the troop's original members meet during the early, misty years in which the first British settlers penetrated deep into the Appalachian Mountains.

"The Scarlet Waxcap" reveals how the rest of the fae join forces to protect an orphaned Cherokee infant.

"The Daisy Chain" tells how the troop comforts another lonely girl living beneath the budding town's only bookshop.

And finally, in "The Wild Rose," they unite with others to welcome their long-lost faery queen from her sixty-five-year exile in the Earth Realm.

Discover how the magic began.