Part of the Forest

by Eliza Leone

*This is the closed-door, NO spice, version of Part of the Forest. If you're looking for spice, pickup the After Dark Edition.*

Far in the forests surrounding Alku, tucked amongst the trees and stones, sits Green Cottage. There thrive gardens bursting with life and tended to with care by the only green witch left in Alku.

Xayn Ellwood is the last Ellwood in the midst of the residents of the peaceful sanctuary city located in the Pacific Northwest. He spends his days with no one by his side except his raven familiar, Zamio, and a spirited corgi named Artemis. Until one day, on a trip into town, an intriguing stranger asks to share his table in the local coffee shop.

Something...or someone...may have intended for these two men to meet, but something far more sinister will keep them together. When the forests are threatened and Xayn is the only one who can protect it, his self-inflicted isolation comes to an end. Xayn will need the help of the Keeper and her companions, along with the blonde stranger with amber eyes, and the rest of his chosen family, if he wants to calm a rampaging ley line before something, or someone, gets hurt.

But how?

Well, he’s just going to have to trust him.

Part of the Forest, can be read before or after The Final Keeper Trilogy. In my opinion, it is better to read the trilogy first, but Part of the Forest can be read as a standalone story.

434 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 27, 2025

About the author

Eliza Leone is an author from the Pacific Northwest who specializes in chronicling the stories of her imaginary friends. As a kid, you could find her on the playground with a few kids acting out the stories they'd made up. When she got older and discovered that entire worlds were hidden within the pages of endless books, chances are her nose was in one. Over time, Friday nights were reserved for bookstore runs with her mother, and together, they'd resupply for a week of adventures.
Writing had always been a far-off dream, but her ability to spell and do that grammar thing correctly was severely lacking. It wasn't until her mid-twenties that she decided that if she were only writing it for herself, no one would care about her lack of proper punctuation. Ten years and over a dozen books later, her family, human, and fiction, convinced her to finally share her stories with the world.
From short stories and micro-fiction to the entire urban fantasy universe of Alku and its people, Eliza can't wait for you to giggle, sob, and throw your book across the room with her. Just...please don't throw the e-readers.