My plans for the morning took an unexpected turn when Jason Bandswich from the Manor called. Not that it’s unusual for him to call, he’s a sweet boy, an American tech genius who sold something terribly clever for a ridiculous amount of money and decided to take a break from ‘the scene’ by exploring his …
Reba spotted her apprentice’s signal from the shadows behind a pile of rotting barrels and beckoned him over. He ghosted across the street, a pulsing artery of the city’s merchant area in the day time, quiet as a tomb at night. Misty was draped across Byron’s shoulders, greeting Reba with a sharp-toothed yawn. She was …
“Why should I solve your problems? Again.” Ari sat back, trying to keep her expression cool and challenging instead of furious. Phaedre bit her lip, a singe tear trailing from one eye. “I didn’t mean to…” “You never do. And you never learn. It’s past time you grew up.” “But…” Ari stood. “No. I told …
Maggie raised a brow at Eleanor who was trying to work out how to carry both clean clothes and dirty without transferring the problems of one to the other, then held out her basket. “Pop your muddy ones in here, and we’ll get to scrubbing.” They followed a swaggering Martha into the bath house, where …
Livvy cringed and tried to smile at the sight of the too-bulky, too-short sweater. Knitted in Nan’s favourite squeaky polyester yarn in a particularly lurid shade of snot green. “Thanks Nan, I love it.” Why couldn’t she be more like Emily and Amanda’s Nan, who just gave them gift vouchers? Nan smiled, it lit up …
It's a little-known fact that a core part of the school curriculum for young elementals is a solid grounding in human fairytales and myths. Our local head teacher does not wish their students to accept these stories, and their depictions of both humans and fae, uncritically, so made a trade with me. Their side of …
The front door slammed, Joy called out. “Tea and cake in the kitchen.” The magic mention of food brought two scowling teenagers to the huge, battered table in the middle of the back room. Joy left them to demolish most of the generous slices of chocolate fudge cake she’d served. Then, as the eating slowed …
My latest traveller came the other way, up the mountain, rather than down. Most going in that direction pass my home early enough that they don't care to stop. The pass is ahead, beckoning with the promise of a crest and a downhill run by evening if they keep going. It's true too, they will …
Nathaniel Gracen, Imperial Prime Minister, hoped he looked calm as he walked down the endless corridor to the Dowager Empress’s apartments. Her Imperial Majesty did not have favourites among her grandchildren, except when she did, and everyone knew she saw a great deal of herself in Princess Isabella. Who was about to be married and …
Eleanor had thought bread baking was hard work, it was nothing on the laundry. Items were dunked into a tub and thoroughly wetted, which made them ten times heavier than they’d been mere minutes before. The water was nearly hot enough to scald, and the soap used felt like it was removing the skin from …
The DNA of Stories 