To the Mana Born:  The Commodity

By Christopher Leeson
 
Revised 12-19-14

Author's note: This story takes place in the same universe as my earlier tale, The Dark of the Moon. The mystic forces that were at work behind the scenes in that story were kept veiled from the reader. In this entry, much of what happened to Darrell and Loren can be placed in context. But this is not a new Darrell and Loren story; it explores the universe from the perspective of other characters. Many TG stories before this have featured wicked stepmothers, but few of them have focused specifically upon the stepmother character, exploring her dilemma and explaining why she does what she does. But though Elisa Ardens is not necessarily typical of every wicked stepmother, we hope that her story is a good one, and that it shall both interest and entertain.

This story has appeared elsewhere, but it has undergone significant editing and polishing for this BC posting.
 
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