The Magical World of the Fae Event - Ramora By Debbie Manber Kupfer

 RamoraDebbie Manber Kupfer


Ramora stood on the peak of Manus Wu. It had taken her six hours to climb the slope, but finally she’d arrived. She took a deep breath and gazed down into the valley below. By now her mother would be preparing the evening meal. She wondered if she’d even noticed Ramora was gone.
From this high up, it felt like she could reach out and touch the clouds. She sat down and waited. The fairy had said she would come. She felt in her pockets for the vial of potion and the silver coin. Freedom – she would buy her freedom from the fairy. It was the only way.
She gazed down at her mud-splattered dress, so impractical for climbing the mountain. No matter, the fairy had promised her riches – dresses of spun silk, pearls, and emeralds. She would have no need for this old rag anymore.
She had first met the fairy on the day she was summoned. Her mother and father had called her into the drawing room on the morning of her twelfth birthday. It was time, they said, she was to be betrothed. The gentleman sitting in the drawing room was three times her age and gazed at her like a piece of meat. He was a merchant from the market, by the name of Rodwin. He had a cruel look in his eyes as he appraised his bride-to-be.
“She will do,” he said.
Ramora felt warm tears rolling down her cheeks, but she said nothing; there was nothing she could say. This was the custom in her village, and she was of age. The wedding was set three moons hence.
“It’s not fair,” said Ramora to herself, as she sat several hours later on the Thinking Rock at the edge of the village. She watched an eagle soar through the sky. “Oh, how I wish I could fly away from all this.”
“Why so glum?” said a voice. “A maiden as young and beautiful as you should be happy, and yet you seem so sad.”
Ramora looked up. The fairy was emerald green with tiny gossamer wings and beady yellow eyes. She hovered by Ramora’s side and smiled at the girl, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
“I am to be married,” said Ramora.
“Then you should be joyful,” said the fairy. “Is that not what every young woman wants?”
“It is what my parents want.”
“And a girl should always listen to her parents, oh yes!” said the fairy. “For if she does not, no good can come of her. But still, if a girl should want more, well maybe there is something a certain Teg, could do for her . . .”
“Teg?” asked Ramora confused. She thought she’d heard the word once, but could not place it.
“Ah, I see you don’t know me . . . I, on the other hand, have been watching you ever since the day you were born. Watching and waiting, watching and waiting . . .”
“Waiting for what?”
“For you to see me, of course, for I am Morgana. Morgana the Teg – the most powerful Teg in the whole of the universe, and that is a very big place. My sister Stella believes that she is the strongest, but she is wrong. Morgana has the greatest power.”
“You don’t look very powerful,” said Ramora dismissively, gazing with disdain at the tiny, fluttering fairy.
“Smart girl. That is because Morgana is currently between hosts. But you, dear, can help Morgana. And grateful Morgana will help you. With me you can have riches beyond imagination. With me you will not have to marry that boorish merchant. With Morgana you can be a princess and have your choice of princes from around the globe. And there is more . . .”
“More?”
“Don’t you think it a shame that one day you will die?”
“Of course, but everyone dies, eventually, and I am young. I have years before I need to worry about that.”
“Ah, but those years fly quickly. Tick tock, tick tock and before you know it you are old and spent. But it does not have to be. If you come to Morgana, you will never die. With me, you will live forever and ever and ever.”
Ramora stared at the Teg.
“Think about it. I will be watching. But one thing – you must make your decision before you marry. For my magic to work, you must be innocent. Morgana does not care for a soiled body. For Morgana you must be pristine.”
And with that she disappeared.
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Debbie Manber Kupfer grew up in the London. She has lived in Israel, New York and North Carolina and somehow ended up in St. Louis. She lives with her family including two very opinionated felines.
She works as a writer, editor, and puzzle constructor. She is the author of the young adult fantasy series, P.A.W.S. which features a secret international organization of shapeshifters.

She has also written several children’s picture books including Adana the Earth Dragon and Esmeralda Grunch and the Red Tulip. She is the editor of the Sins of Time horror series and has stories in anthologies including Fauxpocalypse, 13 Candles, and Corvid19.
When not writing or editing fiction she writes puzzles for Penny Press magazines, the Tribune newspaper, and has also published a book of puzzles, Paws 4 Logic with her son, Joey.
She believes that with enough tea and dark chocolate you can achieve anything!
Where to find Debbie:
Paws4Thought: http://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/
Paws4Puzzles: http://paws4puzzles.wordpress.com/
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