Shanthi looked across the table at the two people interviewing her. Both a good ten years younger than her, probably closer to fifteen, both looking confused by her answer. The one who'd introduced themselves as Yan, with they/them pronouns, asked. "Why, if you're coming in as a strategist, would you be spending time on the …
Eleanor set her shoulders. She could do this, she was good at learning, very good, much better than some smug village girl who was only here to try and beat her, if Eleanor left, Maggie would probably lose two helpers, not just one. Maggie’s eyes looked through her again, but all she said was. “And …
“You have to have a love triangle; all the best-sellers are doing it these days.” “Which means by the time this makes it through the publishing sausage-machine, it’ll be too clichéd for words and the kiss of death for the book.” Moira stretched her arms over her head and watched as her younger sister frowned …
The carriage had been built to impress pedestrians on the close-cobbled city streets of Stormhaven, and while it had rolled along well enough on the smooth, flat highway between there and Market Middling, it was a heavy pull indeed on the uneven, upward-sloping road towards Snowreach. They’d been plodding along the road since just after …
Jass had no idea how Ben knew this place, how he’d become friends with people living in a strange, beautiful valley in the middle of nowhere, with a set of hot springs in a tucked-away spot at the narrowest end of the valley. She might not know, but she wasn’t about to complain. After two …
Life has been blessedly quiet after the nightshade episode. School is back and the new little coven has been introduced to a few other witches in the area as potential apprentices. There’s no way I could take all of them on, I barely cope with Sarah and Ben. Even sour-sauce Emma has a mentor in …
"Are you expecting some sort of apology?" Dina snorted at Damien's question. "From you? I may as well set up an airport for pigs." "What's that supposed to mean?" "You stood me up on prom night. Did you apologise? No. You abandoned me in the middle of Rome, a strange city, among a language I …
“We’ve been acquired!” Heads in the office popped up as Alistair burst through the doors, waving a bottle of champagne. “I didn’t know the company was for sale.” Whoever spoke didn’t sound too happy. Alistair didn’t seem to notice as he all but danced towards the kitchen area. “We weren’t but the EMX guys made …
There was a bottle on the windowsill. It was clear glass, about half full of water, and held a single, pink flower. Simeon wasn’t sure what type of flower it was, he wasn’t familiar with gardens, but it gave him a focus as he lay in a room he didn’t recognise, as people he didn’t …
When Cadan announced, during dinner, that he would be staying in the village the following day, Matthew looked worried. “Not that I’m quibbling, lad, your wife is important, but someone needs to get word to the castle about fixing their road before this rain washes a new river straight through it. Ingrid’s already said you …
The DNA of Stories 