Candles and Starlight is a novella written by Seanan McGuire. It is a bonus story included with the text editions of Sleep No More and covers Rayseline Torquill's experiences during the events of the book.
“ | Pinch him, fairies, mutually Pinch him for his villainy; |
” |
–{(W|William Shakespeare}}, The Merry Wives of Windsor |
Plot[]
May and Rayseline go back to the house to settle in.
Rayseline takes a nap and wakes up in Blind Michael's lands. She encounters one of Blind Michael's crows. Dean rescues her but says he doesn't trust her. She follows him to find a motley collection of mixed-blood fae.
Raysel goes to find Blind Michael. She finds him, Acacia, and Luna holding court in the woods and Luna appears as if she had never escaped to the Summerlands. Raysel confronts them and is thrown into the stables as a captive. She meets a bunch of Undersea changelings and tells them stories of Toby as distraction from their plight.
She is woken by Medley, who helps Raysel and the others escape the stable. She and Dean come to an uneasy truce before Blind Michael's Riders find them and capture Dean, leaving Raysel behind.
Raysel follows them and finds Dean with Luna, who is upset at all the strange fae who suddenly appeared. Luna bargains with her: in exchange for the refugees caring for the abandoned Blodynbryds' gardens, she will let Dean go and allow them to take harvest food.
Months pass, and the refugees tend the abandoned gardens. Dean continues to avoid Raysel, and she spends most of her time with the younger kids and Medley.
Dean and the older children get themselves caught by the Hunt. Raysel confronts Luna and threatens the gardens in order to get Luna's help rescuing the kids. Raysel vows to herself not to let any of them get captured again.tured again.
Characters[]
- Rayseline Torquill
- Dean Lorden
- May Daye
- Danny MacReady (unnamed)
- Spike
- Blind Michael / Andrew Brown
- Acacia
- Luna Torquill
- Scott, a Sea Wight changeling. His dad is one of Dianda's subjects.
- Medley, a Hob changeling from Blind Michael's stables.
- Jia, an Undersea child
- Adam and Seb, Tangie changeling brothers
- Marlon, a Siren changeling girl
- Various other changelings: Merrow/Tylwyth Teg, Roane/Daoine Sidhe, and others.
Mentioned:
- October Daye
- Sylvester Torquill
- Cagney and Lacey
- Tybalt
- Quentin Sollys
- Raj (unnamed)
- Jasmine Patel
- Oberon
- Simon Torquill
- Peter Lorden (unnamed)
- Oleander de Merelands
- Evening Winterrose
- Dianda Lorden
- Dugan Harrow
- August Torquill
- Patrick Lorden (unnamed)
- Katie (unnamed)
- Ceres
Places[]
- Toby's home
- Blind Michael's Realm
Mentioned:
Continuity[]
- Takes place concurrent to the events of Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep.
- Toby killed Blind Michael in An Artificial Night.
- Rayseline tortured Dean and Peter in One Salt Sea.
- Simon became Dean's stepfather in A Killing Frost.
- Dean learned more about Simon's true motives in the Lorden Shorts.
- Luna lost her Kitsune skin in Late Eclipses.
- Quentin lost his girlfriend Katie to Blind Michael's Ride in An Artificial Night.
Trivia[]
- To bring a guest into Toby's home, a resident must tap the doorframe six times. Toby is the one who sets the wards.
- Spike is one of the largest rose goblins Rayseline has encountered.
- Rayseline could understand rose goblins before the Blodynbryd was removed from her blood.
- Blodynbryd population:
- Blind Michael and Acacia supposedly have five daughters together, one of whom has returned to visit Acacia since Blind Michael's death -- presumably Ceres.
- Luna says she has both brothers and sisters.
- There are eight total Blodynbryd plots.
- Raysel knows how to knit and embroider but struggles with crochet.
Pop Culture[]
- Aquaman