Beholden, page 24
Max once told me that a fortune-teller said that she had an “innate ability to seek out what others are searching for.” She always thought that was a reference to her bounty-hunter skills. I’ve since learned that it means she leads people to the truth, to what they need in life. In my case, she was exactly what I needed.
GLOSSARY OF CREATURES AND POTIONS
Potions (all can be purchased from Beatrice the Apothecary):
Thirty-Winks: used to disorient a victim.
Forty-Winks: sleeping potion with a purple haze/smoke. Smells like lavender.
Fifty-Winks: stronger sleeping potion, sometimes dangerous. May have caused the death of a few people by accident.
The Final Wink: lethal, produces black smoke.
Savers Salve: general first aid, used for cuts, scrapes, and other minor injuries. Can disinfect serious wounds like an Umbral bite, but cannot heal them.
Storm-in-a-Bottle: creates a storm, complete with thunder, lightning, and rain, to use as a distraction. Its magic comes from lightning striking all of the ingredients as they’re mixed.
Alcohol:
Gloom Glug: cheap dark beer, has an earthy aftertaste.
Crum Chug: cheap pale beer, undertones of urine.
Tuber Toddy: strong root liquor, murky, tastes awful but will get you drunk quickly. Great for distracting you from the pains of existence.
Creatures:
Umbral: a giant wolf with two sets of eyes, huge claws and teeth, and toxic saliva. Their saliva is deadly to humans and many other races; elves can recover from an Umbral bite, but the pain of the wound itself is agonizing. Only spotted in the Grimmaker Woods, possibly extinct.
Tooth faerie: cat-sized spider-like creatures which feast on teeth and are typically drawn into a home by those left under children’s pillows. Once they identify a target, however, they won’t rest until they have extracted all of their teeth. They make a tinkling sound when they move as a result of all of the teeth inside of them clinking together.
Lake mermaid: lake creature that appears to be half-human female. Uses its looks and ability to communicate telepathically to lure people into the water, then consumes them with its massive fangs.
Miniature dragon: a dragon, but miniature. Comes in a variety of colors. Very fashionable!
Other:
Calcinite (also known as the Neon Shackle): a neon green gem mined from the Invisible Cliffs. It is harmless to most beings, but depletes the magical abilities of elves and for that reason was weaponized by the kingdom of Barrien during their war with Emynor. The gem is no longer mined, sold, or utilized.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Francesca Crispo is a fantasy romance author living near Seattle, WA. She received her B.A. in English Literature from Arizona State University in 2016 and her M.Ed. from Arizona State University in 2018. When she isn't writing or running a business full-time, she enjoys spending time with her family and dogs!
ALSO BY FRANCESCA CRISPO
Rabbit Heart: Book 1 of the Terrafolk Trilogy
Seaborne: Book 2 of the Terrafolk Trilogy
Crispo, Francesca, Beholden
