Jason, a bronze sickle in one hand, glimpsed movement at the edge of the woods and straightened to peer above the golden stalks of barley. At the far end of the field, Dame Stilwell, his teacher, had emerged from the… Continue Reading
The imperial mage let himself into the menagerie long after closing. Merdesac hurried to the bear enclosure and called through the wrought iron fence, “Prince Adrian. It’s time.” A large brown bear trundled over to him. Behind the mage, a… Continue Reading
“Old father, will you tell us a story?” The hall hushed; women settled their children, men settled their drinks. The old man cleared his throat. “I suppose…” he began. Despite his feigned reluctance, he enjoyed these nights, rare moments of… Continue Reading
Lysandra glared across the wide desk at her second cousin and erstwhile manager. “You can’t fire me!” “I believe I just did.” Pyralis idly tossed the golden apple up into the air. “But it’s the family business,” Lysandra spluttered. “And… Continue Reading
Once upon a time, a young man stopped in at Leon’s Neon City and asked for work to tide him over until spring. The shop foreman grinned and winked at one of his journeyman crafters. The fellow winked right back.… Continue Reading
Nick finished the magic chant for a new body and face. He liked the body and face: a sharper chin, darker eyes. But the hair was too long. Another chant and it shortened, just the right length to look wild… Continue Reading
Anna disappeared on her ninth birthday. She excused herself from her party with a polite goodbye, went up to her room, and never returned. For a time, no one noticed her absence amid the chaos of clowns, piñatas, and dozens… Continue Reading
The day came lilac and hazy. Trees whispered sluggish, cotton greetings. A crow, from its high cedar perch, blasted a call to its mate three trees down. I sat on the porch and watched the birds fly over — smudges… Continue Reading
I mumbled a spell as the aged woman spun the wheel. Most avoided the wheel at the carnival, but I could use magic to make the wheel stop where I wanted. I had learned much from an old wizard before… Continue Reading
Farren lay in the dark, listening to the quiet drip drop of the rain. He stretched, wincing at layer on layer of bruises. His cot creaked as he settled on his side and listened. There was no answering sound from… Continue Reading