Into the Darkbower

30 years ago, a stranger sat down to have a drink at a small-town inn…

When 2 townsfolk are maimed by unknown means trying to help the drunken stranger up to bed, the Holy Sanctuary's crack detectives get called in. Their suspect is happy to explain; he blames a high-court faerie prince, and he's keen to tell them how they became friends. No one else has seen the faerie, but he pulls off tricks human wizards can't. Either the faerie is real, their suspect is the greatest wizard who ever lived, or he isn't human, period.

When he escapes, the squad pursues. They can claim it was their duty, and that's true. But they devoted their lives to studying the Darkbower and its denizens, and there the Wild is, close enough they had a chance to talk to it. The smart call is to let him go, but they won't realize it until after they jump off the edge of the world.

Esmerelda was one of the lucky ones. On the eve of her retirement, she stays up late to review the case, which she means to leave behind as a guide for future generations: whatever you do, don't do this.