Author's Note: I wrote this book for everyone who remembers the magic of listening to bedtimes tales, and for those that tell them.

The Moon Coin and The Dragondain have since been published in paper and ebook, with the same full-color illustrations displayed here.

It takes a lot of time for me to produce one of these tales, and I appreciate all the readers who've taken the time to read about Lily and Jasper's adventures in the Moon Realm.

Remember, Wattpad monitors the number of votes and comments books receive, so if you like what you're about to read, and want to help other people discover the Moon Realm, please leave lots comments and votes. Also, I try and answer as many questions as I can, so feel free to ask me anything.

Published by Gibbering Gnome Press, A Division of Ingenious Inventions Run Amok, Ink

2296 Potts Point Road, Huntingtown, MD 20639

Copyright © Richard Due. All rights reserved.

ebook version

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication my be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book, except in the case of the brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

First Publishing: 2011 Printing in the USA.

❍

Prologue

Bedtime Tales

Nine years earlier.

Ebb Autumn stood tall and slender in his coat of many pockets. He was wearing his world-traveling clothes, and while the items in his many pockets normally remained private, tonight he had presents.

Lily and Jasper were bouncing on the bed when he knocked. A gentleman always knocks. Their uncle had a habit of arriving late or not at all, but when he showed up at bedtime, he always had a new story in need of telling-as if a thousand-year-old publishing factory resided in his head. And for this reason, as bedtime drew near on Lily's fourth and Jasper's fifth birthday, they were listening for him.

Ebb paused in the doorway, and a wave of concern passed over him. He'd missed their party. So many things to do. He brushed a long, silver-blond lock out of his eyes and stared with wonder, as if he were looking at the two most precious children ever born.

Jasper sat in plain sight, trying his best not to appear guilty by association, a situation he found himself in daily. Sometimes twice daily. Sometimes fifteen times. Next to him, beneath the covers, lay a Lily-sized lump.

A fearsome green dragon figurine rested on Jasper's lap. It was the last present he'd unwrapped that morning. His mother had gasped when she saw it, and his father had gone as still and silent as a statue. Jasper wasn't sure what that meant, but he knew immediately the dragon was special. Its emerald hide sparkled even in the dim light. Long whiskers drooped from its jowls, and the eyes in its spiked head gave the disturbing impression that they were staring back.

"Come to tell us a story, Uncle?" asked Jasper.

"Possibly," said Ebb. Striding into the room, he plopped down on the bed and rested his hand on the lump. "But where's your sister?" he pressed. "It wouldn't do to start without her."

Jasper knitted his brow. He had the look of someone who wanted to say something, but had been tasked with remaining silent . . . under threat of penalties . . . painful, awful, unrepeatable penalties.

Ebb smiled his crooked smile, which a stranger undoubtedlywould have said looked sinister, but Jasper knew better. "Gone on an adventure again, has she? Leaving you all alone to fend for yourself? Did she swear you to secrecy before she left?"

Jasper fingered the tip of the dragon's long tail. "Nooooooo," he said, swallowing hard.

Ebb took a long look at his nephew. He was growing much too fast. Ebb observed Jasper's increasing mental prowess with both dread and fascination, but he felt only pride as Jasper screwed his courage to the sticking-place and gestured with his eyes to the lump under the covers. Ebb was pleased that Jasper's need to tell the truth was stronger than his desire to participate in Lily's schemes.

"Did you enjoy your fifth birthday?" Ebb asked enthusiastically.

Ebb was no stranger to enthusiasm. In fact, he had an unnatural talent for infecting others with the stuff. It was one of his gifts.

No longer burdened with the secret of Lily's whereabouts, Jasper's eyes lit up. "Yes!" he shouted. "Thank you very, very much for the dragon!"

"You're most welcome, my good man!" Ebb twiddled the tips of his long fingers atop the lump beneath the covers. "It's too bad about your sister, though. I was going to give each of you one more present." The lump stirred, but now it appeared as if Ebb's hand was holding it in place. "But I suppose . . . since Lily isn't here . . . I could give both of them . . . to you."

"You will not!" said the lump in a muffled voice.

Ebb leaned forward, as if listening intently. "What did you say, Jasper?" Jasper looked worried again. "Threatened you, did she?" he whispered conspiratorially. Jasper nodded, now looking a little sad. "Well then," said Ebb in a louder voice. "No Lily, no present. It's just as simple as that."

The lump shook violently. "My goodness," cried Ebb, "what's this?" The instant he lifted his hand, out popped Lily, like a towheaded jane-in-the-box.

"Presents!" she said.

"Why, there you are! You had me worried. Tell me, did you make any new friends today?" Lily tugged a winged figurine from under the covers and drew it up to her chest. A smile spread across her face, absorbing eyes, nose, and ears before it was finished. "Have you named her?"

Lily nodded, flinging hair into and out of her eyes. "I named her Blossom!"

Ebb's fingers flew to cover his lips. One of his fits had seized him. They always reminded Lily and Jasper of laughter, but this one was so severe Ebb was bouncing, ever so lightly. "Oh, dear me," he said under his breath. "Do do me a favor, won't you?" He paused, temporarily overcome. "If-no!-when you meet her-" Ebb slid his hand over his eyes, covering most of his face. Lily had just begun to wonder if something was wrong, when Ebb slowly withdrew his hand. "Don't"-he said in a forbidding voice-"ever tell her that."

Lily frowned. "Why not?"

Ebb's smile returned, his demeanor lightened. "Because that's not her real name, of course."

Lily gave her uncle a cold look. "Her name is Blossom," she said with a frighteningly steely edge for one so young.

"It's . . . a lovely choice," said Ebb. "For when your parents are around."

Blossom stood regally on Lily's knees. Graceful wings draped over her shoulders and hung down her body like a long, gray-feathered cloak. When Lily pulled Blossom's arms wide, her wings unfolded and spread with all the complexity of a living creature's. Underneath the feathers, she wore a dusky dark blue leotard, tattooed with a black pattern that blended so perfectly with her arms and legs that it was difficult to tell where the fabric ended and her bare skin began. Her wild black hair stuck out in all directions like striking snakes, and her face was a thing at once both terrible and beautiful.

Lily peered around the wings and eyed her uncle suspiciously. "So, what's her other name?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"I like secrets," said Lily. She turned slightly and gave Jasper a superior smile.

"You can't ever speak her name outside this room, or to anyone other than your brother or me. You have to promise."

"I promise," said Lily quickly.

"It has to be a real promise."

"Real promise," echoed Lily.

"Same goes for you," Ebb said to Jasper. "Are you in?"

Jasper stared, paralyzed by the blatant subversive tactics being used by his sister and uncle. Lily and Ebb both knew that an actual, verbal yes was out of the question. But as the silence dragged on, and the opportunity for Jasper to decisively say no began to fade, Ebb held up his pinky. "Good," he said. "Then it's a pact." Lily hooked her pinky in Ebb's and stared at her brother. Jasper licked his lips.

"Come on," hissed Lily. "It's just a name."

Jasper held out his pinky and reached halfway. Lily pulled hers and Ebb's closer, but Ebb stopped Lily just shy of hooking their pinkies into Jasper's.

"It's your decision to make," said Ebb.

Jasper looked at them both by turns, took a deep breath, and hooked his pinky into theirs to seal the deal.

"Her name," Ebb breathed, "is Faerathil." Lily's face softened, as if she'd just heard a magic word. "The Faerie Queen."

"Faerie Queen," whispered Lily, spellbound.

"Yes. Oh, yes, most certainly-yes! And she can fly, just like-Well . . . throw her into the air and you'll see."

Lily hugged the figurine tightly. "She won't!"

"But I tell you she will. I designed her myself."

Jasper looked at his dragon. It had wings, too.

"She's too big and heavy!" exclaimed Lily. "She'll crash!"

Ebb crossed his legs, clasped his knee with both hands, and sat a little straighter. "Ah, I see. Well, as you grow older, you'll discover a curious thing about the truth-it plays by its own rules. It cares not one whit about your or anyone else's beliefs. The truth just is. There is no stopping or changing it. Further, I would counsel you to prepare yourselves, as the truth can be quite far removed from one's . . . expectations. Now, go ahead-give her a good toss. Do it over the bed if you must, and good luck catching her on the way down."

Lily loosened her grip and looked at her beautiful figurine. "You'll fix her when she breaks?"

"She won't break."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Grimacing, Lily hurled Faerathil into the air. Once free of Lily's grip, once free in the air-free! like a jinni out of its bottle-she spread her long wings, dipped precariously, then swooped up and away from the bed. Lily let out a little scream-Faerathil was beating her wings and circling the room.

Ebb playfully fell backward onto the bed and pointed to the ceiling. "Launch your dragon, my good man!" he commanded.

Jasper threw his figurine as hard as he could at Faerathil. The instant the dragon left his fingers, its enormous wings snapped open and gave a single great beat, shooting it upward. As if on purpose, it deftly dipped one wing, maneuvered past a tall bedpost, then veered back toward its intended target.

"Oh, my," said Uncle Ebb.

Lily and Jasper flopped down on either side of their uncle.

"How long will they stay up there, Uncle?" asked Jasper.

Ebb laughed, pointing to Faerathil as she tactfully avoided a midair collision with the dragon. "I-I don't really know." The dragon banked hard, flying as if it could sense Faerathil's flight path. "Did you see that?" asked Ebb, pointing at the dragon and sounding astonished.

Lily let loose with a belly laugh. "My Faerathil's faster than your dragon!" she yelled.

"Does my dragon have a name too?" asked Jasper.

"Yes," said Ebb dreamily. "Morgoroth. Morgoroth the Devourer, Keeper of the Magic Flame, the greatest dragon in all the Moon Realm. Or so Faerathil would tell you. It was she, after all, who created him."

After a merry chase, and several near misses, the figurines spiraled downward-Faerathil landing on Lily, Morgoroth on Jasper.

Even at the age of four, Lily didn't miss much. "Moon what?"

Ebb sat bolt upright, looking very surprised-both at himself and at his niece. Lily had long been the more mischievous, but now her curiosity had made her dangerously observant; in watching Jasper's development so closely, Ebb had somehow overlooked this trait in Lily. Jasper was going to have to work hard to keep up with his sister, at least until they were older. And how would Lily react when her brother was no longer so easily manipulated? Ebb didn't want to know.

"I . . . I have presents for you," he said, recovering. "In my pockets."

The children fell on their uncle like ravenous raccoons. Lily pulled out a small pencil worn to a nub. Jasper found a small pad of paper. Then Lily pulled out a second pad, and Jasper a third. During the assault, the top button of Ebb's collar popped open and Lily spied the glint of metal at his neck. Quick as a dragon bite, she took hold of a thick, golden chain.

"What a pretty necklace," she said. Ebb's hand shot up and enclosed her small one. "Can I see it?" she asked.

"No," said Ebb firmly.

"Please?" she pleaded. Lily patted a lump on Ebb's chest, just under his shirt. "What's-"

Ebb grabbed up both of Lily's hands and looked her squarely in the eyes. "No means no!" he said in a voice that would have sounded harsh to anyone else. It was a phrase Ebb used onlywhen no amount of begging would change his mind, and Lily had heard it plenty.

Lily went back to searching pockets, but something strange had happened.

"They're all empty now," she said.

"Nonsense," replied Ebb. He produced a handkerchief from the pocket Lily had just searched, brushed off some unseen offense from his tan canvas trousers, and then returned it to the same pocket.

Lily dove after it, but again the pocket was empty.

"It's empty. You lied," said Lily.

"Are you sure?" said Ebb. "Lying is a pretty big accusation, you know."

Lily folded her arms. "Grown-ups aren't supposed to lie."

"But I didn't."

"Did too."

"Try this one," offered Ebb, indicating one in a row of pockets sewn down his sleeve.

"No!" said Lily.

"Suit yourself." Ebb offered the pocket to Jasper.

Jasper dipped in his fingers and closed them around something cold and hard. With a tug, he pulled out a golden disk the size of a drink coaster. Jasper shot Lily a look as though they'd just witnessed real magic.

"My turn," shouted Lily, thrusting her hand into a random empty pocket. She drew out her hand very slowly, looking disappointed.

"I think it's hiding from you," said Ebb. "Try the next one over. That one there."

Lily reached in tentatively and pulled out a beautiful shell the size of a grape.

"It's so pretty!" she gasped. "What kind is it?"

"The name doesn't translate well, I'm afraid," said Ebb, his voice suddenly sounding far away. "I picked that one up while strolling down a beach . . . while in the company of a most singular woman."

"Did you give it to her?" asked Lily.

Ebb arched his eyebrows. "Yes," he said. "I certainly did. If you look carefully, you can still see the small hole where she ran a chain through it."

"Where's the chain now?" asked Lily.

A shadow passed over Ebb's face. "With her," he said.

"What's this, Uncle?" asked Jasper, waving the golden disk.

"That's a dragon scale," said Ebb, snapping back to the present. "From a very special dragon, named Fendragon."

"A real one?" asked Jasper, astonished. "It's not very big." Ebb smiled.

"Dragon scales come in all sizes, many even smaller than that one."

"Are you going to tell us a story, Uncle?" asked Jasper.

"No. Not tonight, I think." Jasper's small shoulders slumped. "But if you think you're up to keeping another secret, I might be willing to tell you a tale."

"There's a difference?" asked Lily.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. You see, a story can be made up as easily as you please, or not. But a tale, now that's a moon of a different color. A tale is an account of things in their due order, often divulged secretly, or as gossip. Would you like to hear one?"

"Yes, please," said Jasper.

"What's gossip?" asked Lily.

Ebb eyed his niece and nephew shrewdly.

"We'll be quiet," offered Lily, crawling under the covers-standard practice for bedtime stories.

Ebb tucked them in. "What I'm about to say, I don't say lightly. And if I am truly to tell you a tale, then it must stay here"-Ebb tapped the tip of his finger to Lily's temple-"and here"-followed by a tap to Jasper's temple-"in the little black boxes that live behind your eyes. You must never breathe a word of it, especially to your mother and father. Do you understand?"

Jasper made the dragon pretend to sniff the golden scale. "I won't say anything," he said.

Lily held the shell to the Faerie Queen's ear. "Me either," she said.

"You won't find the tales I bear in any books. Well, at least not any books around here. My tales are from the Moon Realm."

"Where's that?" asked Lily.

"Sshh!" said Jasper.

"The Moon Realm is a place where nine moons, or worlds-depending on one's cosmogony-swirl around one another like-"

"What's cosmogogonanny?" asked Jasper.

"Sshh!" said Lily.

"It's complicated," explained Ebb. "Let's just say . . . the locals each have their own ideas about who's in charge and leave it at that, shall we?" They nodded. "Good. Very good. Now, the surprising thing about the moons in the Moon Realm is that they circle their sun as a group, bunched up together, as if caught inside a big, ball-shaped net."

"But don't they smash into each other?" asked Jasper.

"No," said Ebb. "But neither do they stray far. They do, however, at very special times, come so close that the tops of the tallest trees of one moon can brush up against the treetops of another."

"That's close!" said Lily.

"Why don't they smash into each other?" asked Jasper.

"Because they don't. Now, less talking and more listening. On the moon Dain, high on a hill, in the beautiful city of Perianth, lived three very special souls: King Mondain, Queen Naramay, and Fendragon, the Dragon King. They lived in peace, harmony, and friendship: the king and queen in their castle, and Fendragon, along with all his dragon kin, high in their perch-towers, looking down on the city and people they so dearly loved."

Lily raised her hand. "Do tales have talking squirrels?" she asked softly.

"No," said Ebb. "Those are only in stories."

Lily and Jasper exchanged a dubious look. "Some people are just sad when there aren't talking squirrels," said Lily. Jasper nodded.

"I think you will find there are other . . . beings . . . who are every bit as interesting as talking squirrels."

"Like what?" asked Jasper.

"Well . . . let me think," Ebb's gaze wandered around the room, as if looking for inspiration. "The Rinn," he said finally. "They live on a moon named Barreth. . . . They're cats, of a fashion."

"Cats," said Lily, clearly unimpressed.

"Yes . . . more like lions, actually, with wider faces." Ebb continued. "A full grown Rinn is a little larger than one of Ms. Jenny's Clydesdales."

Lily's eyes opened wide. "Can you ride 'em?"

"Oh, yes. The men and women of Dain who have that privilege are called Dainriders. You have to be kind of . . . born into it, of course."

"What else?" said Jasper, now clearly on the hook.

Ebb thought. "On Min Tar, there are giants-eighteen feet tall! They use their forges to fold magic into things."

"There's magic?" asked Lily.

"More magic than you can wave a wand at. Of course, the Tinkers use steam and arcane knowledge to make things you would think use magic, but don't. They're so secretive, they won't even tell the name of their moon! And Dik Dek, which is one giant ocean, is alive with coral cities, filled with merfolk, seahorse dragons, and pearls and gardens the likes of which you would have to see to believe."

"Your pictures!" said Jasper.

Ebb looked down at his hands. "Yes . . . all of my paintings are of the Moon Realm. And they will mean much more to you after you know the tales that go along with them. So . . . now . . . may I start?"

Lily and Jasper leaned back into their pillows, looking very pleased.

Nine years and hundreds of tales later . . . Ebb went missing.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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