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PROLOGUE

A Fairy Tale

Once upon a tiirl named Leslie

The year she turned eight, two things happened: her mother left Leslie and her father to move to California with a stockbroker; and, in the middle of a sensationaladmitted to their existence Leslie never heard froain, but the fairies were another matter

When she was nine, her father took a job in a strange city, rown up in to an apartment in Boston where they were the only black people in an all-white neighborhood Their apartment encompassed the upper floor of a narrow house owned by their downstairs neighbor, Mrs Cullinan Mrs Cullinan kept an eye on Leslie while her dad was at work, and by her silent chahborhood kids who casually dropped by for cookies or lemonade In Mrs Cullinan's capable hands, Leslie learned to crochet, knit, sew, and cook while her dad kept the old woman's house and lawn in top shape

Even as an adult, Leslie wasn't sure if her dad had paid the old wo hi Mrs Cullinan would have done

When Leslie was in third grade, one of the kindergarten boys went irl by the nahout the sa pets -that would have attracted her attention if it weren't for Mrs Cullinan On their daily walks (Mrs Cullinan called thehborhood were up to), the old wo-pet notices taped in store s and taking out a little notebook and writing all the information in it

"Are we looking for lost animals?" Leslie asked finally Shequestions because, in her experience, people lied better with their lips than they did with their actions But she hadn't co-pet list and she was forced, at last, to resort to words

"It's always good to keep an eye out" It was a not-quite answer, but Mrs Cullinan sounded troubled, so Leslie didn't ask her again

When Leslie's new birthday puppy - a , Mrs Cullinan had gotten tight-lipped and said, "It is time to put a stop to this" Leslie was pretty sure her landlady hadn't known anyone was listening to her

Leslie, her father, and Mrs Cullinan were eating dinner a few days after her puppy's disappearance when a fancy limousine pulled up in front of Miss Nellie Michaelson's house Out of the dark depths of the shiny vehicle eed two men in suits and a woman in a white flowery dress that looked too suood match for the men's attire They were dressed for a funeral and she for a picnic in the nearby park

Unabashedly spying, Leslie's father and Mrs Cullinan left the table to stare out theas the three people entered Miss Nellie's house without knocking

"What are they?" The expression on Leslie's father's face changed frorirabbed his service revolver and his badge Mrs Cullinan caught him on the front porch

"No, Wes," she said in a strange, fierce voice "No They are fae and it's a fae mess they've come to clean up You let them do what they need to"

Leslie, peering around the adults, finally sahat had gotten everyone in a tizzy The two ling, her , but not a sound came out