Contents WHERE LIES BEAUTY By Sheri L. McGathy MOURN A MOONREFT SKY By Shannah Biondine THE WELL OF FOREVER By Jeanine Berry THE TREASURE OF ARVALIS By Jeanne Allen

Author's Introduction to WHERE LIES BEAUTY A hush settles over the land. Time seems to slow, and for the briefest of moments, you behold the beauty of twilight. You seek its magic as you reach upward and let your fingers waft through the shimmering veil of blue-gray hues. In the wind, you hear the fading whisper of what might have been even as you long for the promise of what might someday be. Then twilight ebbs and moves on, leaving you to wonder if what you thought you saw, what you felt, could ever truly exist. I hope you enjoy WHERE LIES BEAUTY. ~ Sheri L. McGathy WHERE LIES BEAUTY By Sheri L. McGathy Prologue He looked upon the flower, to its dew-kissed bloom shimmering in the light of early morn. He traced the pad of his thumb across the delicate petals and downward along the contour of the curved thorn that hid amongst its pale green leaves. He paused over the thorn's sharp point. What was perfection without the shadow of fault? He pressed against the thorn. Its sharp point pierced his skin. When he withdrew his thumb, a bead of bright red blood lingered. Does beauty exist if the one who looks upon it cannot see its charm? Can beauty's light survive if hidden within the cloying mantle of darkness? He could only hope this was so. He raised the bloom and inhaled deeply, taking in its unique aroma. "Bittersweet." His voice, though barely above a whisper, shattered the silence surrounding him. He was helpless to halt the sigh that escaped him. Within all beauty resides the remnant of its darker self. An unseen presence feared by most and shunned by all. A secret, locked away and closely guarded. Yet, within the ugliest of things, there remains true beauty. He did not believe one could exist without the other. It was a belief he would place all his hope upon. He stared beyond the soft edges of the rose petals to the fading luster of a once vibrant land. The Hagath's touch crept ever closer, her vengeance seeking to destroy all memory of what once was, while tainting all in her path. Her laughter haunted the breeze-her glee, his great sadness. Soon, she would come for him. And with her arrival, his world would fade, leaving this realm without him. 'Twas the price he had agreed upon.to offer hope to the future and assure memory for the past. Summoning the last of his light, he swept his hands before him. "Sleep, dream.and recall." He laid the flower in the cradle of his palm and traced the tip of his finger along its fragile stem. "Within you lies hope. Guard your treasure well." A single tear slid silently down his cheek and fell against the blood-red petals of the rose. His sadness weighed heavily upon him as he whispered, "And who shall shed a tear for me?"