Jonnora had loved Gret for years. They’d grown up side by side, racing through fields of flowers taller than they were and hiding amongst the blooms until it was too dark to see. Their childhood was a wild one, and they were free in the way that only young girls can be. When Jonnora discovered that she had the gift of magic, she kept it hidden from all but Gret and delighted her friend with illusions. If Gret wanted a fresh apple, Jonnora would simply wave and one would sprout from the top of the nearest tall tree. She would watch Gret climb, daring her to go higher and faster, to leap from branch to branch. If Gret had ever slipped, Jonnora would have caught her. Gret never slipped. She was surefooted and bold, an adventurer wrapped in the form of a high-born girl. She grew taller, even m
