The Magical World of the Fae Event - Excerpt From Away With The Fairies By S. K. Gregory

“Mum, Declan won’t stop teasing me,” Ciara whined, pointing a pudgy finger at me.
Mum looked up from the washing and gave me a familiar glare. “Declan, stop torturing your sister. When are you two going to learn to play nice?”
“Never,” I muttered under my breath. Why would I want to spend time with my bratty ten-year-old sister? She was always breaking my stuff, then blaming me. Then she would tattle to Mum when I yelled at her.
When Mum turned to place the clothes in the washing basket, I drew my finger across my throat at Ciara.
“Mum!” Ciara whined again.
“Enough. I can’t listen to the two of you anymore. Go outside and play.”
We left the house and headed to the trees at the bottom of the garden. Our house was out of the way, miles from anything.
Mum let us play in the woods, as long as we didn’t wander too far. Not that I listened. The further away I got from Ciara, the better.
Taking off, I headed for the small river which ran along the back of the property, I started building a dam out of rocks and old boards and I wanted to finish it. Actually, I’d much rather be playing video games but since I couldn’t, this was at least a way to entertain myself.
Just as I reached the river, a voice rang out. “Declan! Where are you going?”
I swore under my breath. Couldn’t she leave me alone for five minutes?
“Go play with your dolls, Ciara,” I snapped.
“I want to go with you,” she insisted.
Rolling my eyes, I ignored her and started looking for new items to add to the dam. If I didn’t talk to her, she would soon get bored and leave.
I dug a rock out of the dirt, a big one. Hefting it, I moved to my dam. Only three feet across, it wouldn’t take long to finish it.
I glanced at the riverbank as cold water seeped into my trainers. Ciara had disappeared.
Weird, thought she’d make more of a fuss.
After placing my rock where I wanted it, I climbed back out, looking up and down the bank.
Where did she go?
An uneasy feeling washed over me. If she hurt herself, I would be the one to get in trouble. Mum would blame me for wandering too far, even though no one asked her to follow me.
“Ciara!” I yelled. “Where are you?”
No reply. She probably went back to the house, but if she didn’t…
“For feck’s sake,” I muttered, trudging along the bank. If she was hiding, I would push her into the bloody river.
Laughter up ahead alerted me to where she was. I left the trees to find a field beyond it. About twenty feet away stood a small mound covered in wildflowers and Ciara stood on top of it.
“Look what I found,” she said, throwing her arms out. “Mum says they’re called fairy mounds. She showed me a picture.”
“Fairies? Seriously? Don’t be so stupid!” I sneered. Imagine believing in fairies at her age.
Ciara pouted and crossed her arms, her blonde pigtails blowing in the breeze. “They are real.”
Rolling my eyes, I climbed onto the mound, my trainers sinking into the soft earth. “Go back to the house before you fall and break your neck.”
I tried to grab her am, to drag her down, but she jumped back out of my reach. “No! I want to see a fairy and I’m not leaving until I do.”
Rubbing my nose with the back of my hand, I could feel myself getting angry with her. “They’re not real.”
“Yes, they are.”
“Okay, fine.” I raised my voice. “If fairies exist, show yourselves. Come on! Don’t be shy.”
“Stop it, Declan.”
“Come on, fairies. Come and get me!” I screamed.
Of course, nothing happened. Laughing wickedly, I climbed down. “Do what you want.”
I headed back to the river to finish my dam.​

***

I looked up to find that the sun was starting to set. Confused, I looked around. I was just at the river, but now I found myself standing back in the field with the fairy mound.
“What the hell?” I muttered.
I couldn’t have been out here that long. It was lunch time when we left the house. The sun didn’t go down until after nine.
Shaking my head, I started walking back towards home. I must have completely zoned out, Mum would kill me for staying out so long.
Where’s Ciara?
She probably got home hours ago. Mum would lose it and I’d be grounded for weeks. Breaking into a jog, I realised it wouldn’t make much of a difference given how late I already was.
I can’t spend the summer locked in the house.
Maybe I could tell her that I got lost, but she probably wouldn’t believe me. The house came into view and I hurried to the back door, but it was locked. Running around to the front door, I skidded to a halt.
Dad was getting out of the car with Ciara…did she get her hair cut? It used to hang down her back, but now it fell to her chin.
I’m missing all day and she gets taken out for a haircut?
Ciara spotted me and let out a small scream. My eyes went to Dad, who had a stunned expression on his face like I was the last person he expected to see.
“What?” I asked, annoyed at being stared at.
“G-get your Mum,” Dad said to Ciara.
She headed for the door, staring at me the whole way. She opened the door and screamed, “Mum!”
Dad stepped around the car, walking slowly towards me. “Declan?” he whispered.
“What? Why is everyone acting weird? I know I was gone a long time, I just lost track of time.”
Mum came to the door, wearing a dressing gown and slippers. She looked washed out. Was she sick? She was fine earlier.
“Ciara? What…?” She saw me and her eyes went wide, her mouth dropping open. “D-Declan?”
I shifted uncomfortably. Something was seriously off.
She lunged at me, wrapping me in a bear hug. “Oh thank God. My baby, you’re home.”
“What’s the big deal? I’ve only been gone a few hours,” I said, trying to break free from her grip.
“A few hours?” Dad sputtered, still rooted to the spot. I could see tears in his eyes. Dad never cried.
Mum looked at me, her hands on my cheeks. “Declan, baby, you’ve been gone for a year.”

USA Today Bestselling Author S. K. Gregory writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance and horror stories. Rarely seen without a pen in her hand, she loves writing about supernatural worlds and the creatures that live within them.
An avid reader and chocoholic, she has been creating fantasy worlds since she was a child. When she isn’t writing, S. K. enjoys binge-watching her favorite shows and hanging out with family and friends.
To learn more and to keep up to date with her latest book releases, you can follow her Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/authorskgregory or check out her website: www.skgregory.com