Sheri Yutzy - Speculative Fiction Author

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You are here: Home / All Posts / #FallintoFF / The Apple Magic – #FallintoFF

The Apple Magic – #FallintoFF

November 4, 2019 by Sheri

“It needs to be thicker, like honey,” Aunt Kira said.

Liza blew her damp hair out of her eyes. “How would you know?”

Aunt Kira’s chin dropped toward the kettle of bubbling apple brew and Liza felt a stab in her heart. “I’m sorry, Aunt. I just…I’ve been trying to get this right for weeks. What if I can’t match Father’s and the King destroys our contract?”

Aunt Kira put her hands on Liza’s where they hovered in the steam above the copper kettle. “You carry the apple magic in your blood, Liza. Even your doubt can’t change that.”

“I wish he was here to teach me.” She glanced across the cottage at Mother’s still form on the bed by the fire. “What will we do if—”

“Hush.” Aunt Kira pulled her hands away. “I think you need to walk in the orchard again.”

“But the cider is due tomorrow!”

“All the more reason to speak with the apples. Perhaps you missed something.”

Liza stepped back and the brew calmed. “All right. I’ll try one more time.”

<<<

The crisp air beneath the trees cooled the sweat on her forehead. If she didn’t figure this out soon, the King would choose another Cider Maker tomorrow. They would lose the farm, and Mother would never see a real doctor.

“That is not an option,” Liza said through her teeth. “I will match Father’s cider.”

Her own words echoed in her head, entwined with something Mother often said before she fell ill. “You must be your own human, Liza. The magic in your blood is a responsibility, but only you can use it properly.

All these weeks, she’d been trying to make a cider just like Father’s. Was that why the cider wouldn’t cooperate? She needed her own brew, or the magic backfired.

Hope flooded in like a mug of something warm. She was at the end of the orchard, and she was out of breath by the time she reached the cottage again.

“I knew it.” Aunt Kira smiled as Liza burst through the door.

Liza waited until her lungs stopped aching to raise her hands over the kettle again. The brew leaped up and bubbled, as if sensing the change in her. She closed her eyes and let her hands move as they would. She felt sticky vapor coating her fingers as the cider thickened, and then thinned, and finally filled with air.

“Bubbles!” Aunt Kira laughed.

<<<

Dressed in her best burgundy gown, Liza concentrated on holding her hands steady so the cider tray wouldn’t shake. The King’s mug of cider sat in the center with a snowy napkin beside it. The cider sparkled constantly, even more so when Liza stepped near.

She’d felt so sure yesterday, this was her brew, her own kind of magic. But would the King even want something so different from previous years. Father’s brew had been sweet and heavy, like honey. The King mixed it with cream. This brew was more like punch, and filled one with a desire to laugh. Aunt Kira had giggled all night from her zealous sampling.

“The Cider Maker, Sire,” the footman announced to the King.

“Bring him in.”

“Ah, I’m afraid it’s his daughter, Sire. The Cider Maker passed on last year, remember?”

“Oh, yes. Of course. Bring her in, then.”

Liza managed to walk straight. She approached the King as she had been instructed and bowed low. “Your cider, Sire.”

“You may look at me, Miss…”

“Liza, Sire.” She peeked up at him. His dark eyes looked kind, but tired.

“I am ready for the most delicious cider in the kingdom, Miss Liza.” He gestured her to come forward. She set the tray on the side table and carried the mug and napkin to him. She felt cold and empty inside, and was grateful for the feeling. Otherwise she’d have dropped everything and run.

An hour seemed to pass as the King lifted the mug and drank. He squinted, thoughtful. Liza held her breath. The King took another long swallow and smacked his lips. He grinned, and then his chest shook with a chuckle. Liza let out her air as he drained the mug and held it up.

“Miss Liza, I have never tasted such delicious cider in my life. Bubbles! In cider!” He laughed. “Bring me more!” He roared.

 

 

Like this Fallish story? Follow #FallintoFF on instagram for more to come. Check out Laura L Zimmerman’s version at https://lauralzimmerman.wordpress.com/

Filed Under: #FallintoFF

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About Sheri

Here Goes Something New!

Hi, I'm Sheri Yutzy. I love forests under the night sky, trying new foods, and drinking Irish tea. I've been to 17 countries, and once spent the night in a hotel lobby in Florence, Italy, because the entire city was fully booked for a festival.
I'm married to a musician who looks good in black, mama to three curious kids, and happy resident of a Cape Cod cottage in Ohio.
I write YA fantasy and am acquisitions editor at sparkflashfiction.com.
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I’m still here… Still living life, writing and I’m still here…
Still living life, writing and editing, loving every falling leaf and crisp breeze. I started listening to Christmas music yesterday while baking pumpkin muffins because I just couldn’t resist.😅 This year I’m planning to focus on Advent and the weeks leading up to Christmas, since we’re always traveling out of state over the 25th, and it seems to slip by in the busyness.
I have a lot going on right now, and social media is taking a back seat for the moment. Or the month. But I’ll be back, when I have the focus to spare. Until then, I wish you all a happy, mindful fall.
Love you 😘

#sheriyutzy #livingslow
Lovely things await! My contributor’s copy of CO Lovely things await!
My contributor’s copy of COMMONPLACE from @daughtersofpromise has arrived.
I gasped when I saw the artwork with my article on Forest bathing. So rich and beautiful!
As always, they’re a joy to write for. 

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🌚 COVER REVEAL🌚 We finally get to see the b 🌚 COVER REVEAL🌚

We finally get to see the beautiful cover for THREAD OF DREAMS, @embarnettauthor’s upcoming debut from @owlsnestpublishers! 
I can’t wait to get my hands on this dreamy book.

Here is the blurb:

Nova’s sunless planet is sustained by the magic of human dreams. Born as a moon mage, Nova’s job is to harvest dream threads from unaware humans to be used against a dark parasite eating away their land. 

Then, Nova meets Arlo, a boy who not only sees her but whose aching heart permeates his dreams. Desiring deep connection, Nova ignores the warnings of her people in order to visit the beauty of his subconscious.

But nightmares not only seep into minds and hearts, they also stalk the bioluminescent forests of Nova's world. Danger lurks in waking and sleeping, and to fail means succumbing to the parasite while cut off from Arlo forever. But if Nova can find a way to fight back, she and her people could be free to dream again.

#threadofdreams #emilybarnettauthor #bookworm_insta #booksoutside #fantasylit #yalove #amwritingyafantasy #yafantasywriter #yafantasyauthor #novelfantasy #loveagoodbook #readtogether #iamreading #indiebook #newbooksmell #loveofreading #imreading #booksmell #booklovergift #bookloversoftheworld #constantreader #books4life
I’ve been reading a lot of books, but not taking I’ve been reading a lot of books, but not taking many pictures of them.🥸 
Mostly because this weather is as anti-inspirational as it gets for me.😭 this happens every year—the last few hot and muggy days of September make me want to hide inside 24/7. But it’s supposed to get cooler by the weekend, thank God.

I saw DREAMS LIE BENEATH at the bookstore and was captivated by the cover. It’s so different from A RIVER ENCHANTED that I didn’t realize it was the same Rebecca Ross. I actually thought, one of them needs to change their name.😅

This one is my next read, I think. Have you read it? What did you think?
@beccajross #rebeccaross 
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