The Blood of the Land (4 page)

“The Blood of the Land” is a change of pace for me in quite a few respects. First and foremost, I don't often write short pieces. When I write, I almost always tackle a piece with the intention that it's going to be a novel—or a novella at the very least. So writing something that clocks in at just over seven thousand words was an interesting exercise of my craft, and something I hope to try again soon.

Secondly, while it might not seem obvious at first glance, this story is set in the same universe as my novels
Faerie Blood
and
Bone Walker
. If you aren't familiar with those novels yet, suffice to say that the Warders, a lineage of men and women gifted with protective magic, have a long history of guarding their chosen territories from supernatural threats. The price they pay for access to their power, though, is to be physically constrained to the territory they're protecting. In the modern-day era of the novels, this usually means that a given Warder is magically restricted to a single city's worth of territory.

In earlier historical eras, though, what a “city” means could often be different than what it means today. Given that “The Blood of the Land” is set during the Civil War, it let me explore what that territory restriction meant during one of the grimmest eras in American history. And more specifically, it let me explore the idea of how a Warder's connection to his or her territory could become fouled by death. Warder magic is life magic, triggered by a Warder's blood connection to the earth, and if that connection is sullied by bloodshed—like, say, during a war—that's bad.

Third, because of that idea of the tainting of a Warder's magic, this story is by necessity darker of tone than
Faerie Blood
, or even
Bone Walker
. Ideas I play with here, though, may well show up in further works of the Warder universe. Particularly, I should note, the existence of other sources of magic in the world than just the Warders or the Sidhe. The kitsune of Japan show up in my novels, but here, I also give a glimpse of some of the sources of power that originate from Africa.

Last but not least, I wanted to see if I could write a ghost story. Which is, in essence, what this is. Again, not something I write often—but I had fun doing it, and may well try it again.

If you're reading this story, thank you, and I hope you've enjoyed the read!

The very first thing Angela Korra'ti ever wrote, at age 8, was a short story about a girl spirited away to rule over the leprechauns for a day. She progressed rapidly to pretending to take notes in class when she was actually writing novels, and writing fanfic before she had any idea what fanfic was! Music has been a part of her life almost as long, thanks to six years playing flute and piccolo in school band and an adulthood dabbling in flute, guitar, bouzouki, and mandolin. Music is likely to make an appearance in anything she writes. Particularly music that involves Elvis, bouzouki-playing Newfoundlanders, or Quebecois trad.

Angela (Anna the Piper to her friends) lives in Kenmore, Washington, along with her wife and their housemate, two cats, and a whole heck of a lot of computers and musical instruments. Despite the fact that she is a mild-mannered former employee of a major metropolitan newspaper, rumors that she is a superhero are exaggerated. (Even if she did pull the door off a refrigerator.)

As Angela Korra'ti, she writes the Free Court of Seattle series and other works in the Warder universe. As Angela Highland, she writes the Rebels of Adalonia trilogy for Carina Press. You can find out more about all of her works under either name at
angelahighland.com
.

Faerie Blood

If you like your urban fantasy with music, magic, and computer geekery, then don't miss Book 1 of The Free Court of Seattle!

 

 

Kendis Thompson of Seattle thinks she's as normal as the next computer geek, and up till now, she's been right. But her world is about to turn on its ear, for she is the daughter of a Seelie Court mage and her mortal husband—and her faerie blood is awakening. Suddenly the city she's known all her life is transforming before her eyes. Trolls haunt the bike trails. Fairies and goblins run loose in the streets. An old woman who is not what she seems and a young wanderer running from his past stand ready to defend Seattle—and Kendis—from magical assault. She will need those allies, for the power rising within her is calling her fey kin to the Emerald City to find her. And kill her.

 

Find out more at Faerie Blood's official page:

http://www.angelahighland.com/books/faerie-blood/

Bone Walker

Also now available: Book 2 of the Free Court of Seattle!

 

 

Two months should be long enough for a girl to learn to cope when she finds out she's half-Sidhe, or so Kendis Thompson has convinced herself. She wants nothing more than as normal a life as possible, playing her violin and pursuing her growing relationship with Christopher, Warder Second of Seattle. But when the Unseelie bard Elessir falls through a portal out of Faerie, bringing with him a ghostly peril that puts her best friend Jude's life and sanity in danger, Kendis must test the strength of her new magic. And when the bone walker Melorite threatens all of the Emerald City, Kendis must fight to save everyone she loves—even if it means succumbing to the dominion of the Unseelie Court.

 

Find out more at Bone Walker's official page:

 

http://www.angelahighland.com/books/bone-walker/