C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 94

A Long Week, A New Cover, A New Release, and Some Specials

I'm not going into this week beyond: homeschooling is hard work and some days are harder than others; house inspections are also hard work, but the house looks great afterwards... also, just before they occur (or you're in trouble); and, finally, eye examinations need to be done regularly because indicators of other medical issues can be picked up during them... get yours done if you're not up-to-date.

Oh, and book releases are fun - and there'll be another one next week!

Now, on to the news:

The New Release:This week, I released another novel with LMPBN Publishing: Trading into Darkness . It's the second book in the fantasy series, and it hit best-seller status two days after release. I have the most wonderful readers in the world. You can find it on Amazon, HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Trading-Darkness-Magic-Below-Paris-ebook/dp/B07PMKRRXZ/

The New Cover:This also meant I have a new cover by the wonderful Mihaela Voicu to go with that one, and she is busily working on the next. I'm loving the kat!


Some Specials - LMPBN Fan Pricing:
Every Saturday (US-time), LMPBN Publishing sets some of its books at 99c for the day. Here are this week's offerings, and the links to go with them.

NOTE: At the time of posting, these specials had a few more hours to run. If you come across this post after that time, they'll be back at their usual prices. Links are to Amazon, US. You may need to adjust them for your locality.

LINKS:

Intern - urban fantasy by Cassandra and Hayley Lawson: https://www.amazon.com/Intern-Covens-Magical-World-Adventure-ebook/dp/B07PMD51MD/

Slave Trade - science fiction by Craig Martelle: https://www.amazon.com/Slave-Trade-Adventure-Thriller-Executioner-ebook/dp/B07PHFYWVQ/

The Horsemen Gather - urban fantasy by Michael Anderle: https://www.amazon.com/Horsemen-Gather-Adventure-Unbelievable-Brownstone-ebook/dp/B07PDXBLQJ/

Trading into Darkness - fantasy by me and Michael Anderle: https://www.amazon.com/Trading-Darkness-Magic-Below-Paris-ebook/dp/B07PMKRRXZ/ 

Wednesday’s Verse—Do You Know the Troll Wind?

This week’s verse moves from a fantasy villanelle about unicorns toan urban fantasy verse in an unknown form about trolls. It is taken from 366 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2016.

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Do You Know the Troll Wind?
Did you knowthe troll wind blowscold and hard and dry.From deep beneath the ground it grows,swollen with tortured cries.
I knowthe troll wind blowsfrom the otherworld. It’s a blight.When you feel it, turn your collar,lest your heart grow chill with fright.
Did you knowthat when the troll wind blowsyou must beware, be aware,for close by has a bridge gate openedto let the trolls wander our world fair.
I know,and I pray,that when the troll wind blows,it brushes by me on the brightest daysand that, by nightfall, the gate is closed.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------You can find the first two poetry collections at the links below - although there are plans to reissue them with more genre-appropriate covers in the future. The third collection will be released later in the year. books2read.com/u/mVLQZb books2read.com/u/bxgyLd

Tuesday’s Short—Dreams of the Serpent

This week’s short story takes us from a ghostly fantasy to a rough-and-tumble future on the outskirts of mankind’s latest world—and not everything is going as planned. Welcome to Dreams of the Serpent.

When the contract’s done, and you’re fleeing for your life, the company’s supposed to be on your side, right? Am I right? So, you tell me what happens when the company understands the contract wrong, and you get stuck somewhere you really don’t wanta be. You tell me how I’m gonna make it back to the stars.Dreams of the Serpent
The rocks rose around me, tall monoliths shaded a dull, rusty red with just a hint of orange. They gleamed with pink and touches of yellow, reflecting the sunrise in the first grey light of morning, and I shivered. The air was edged with frost, and I was making desperate white clouds as I panted for breath.Behind me, the alarm would have gone out, and the search begun. It wouldn’t take them long to find my trail—even without the dogs. I had slid into the morning dark, and walked quietly to the river bank, dreading the icy touch of the water, when I would have relished it later in the day. Using the current to carry me downstream as I’d crossed, I’d made it to Diamond Ford and cut over the rocks to where I’d stolen a change of clothes from the ferryman lodging there—and then I’d locked him in his hut.He wouldn’t be impressed when he woke, and he’d be even less impressed to find the batteries to his comms equipment in the river, but I didn’t care. He served the Rohani with a steadfast faith I refused to understand—and I couldn’t afford to have him calling for help, and ruining the little lead I had.I had taken the gravel road leading into the hills, then followed Ember’s Spine, a long ridge of rock poking out of the range. It wouldn’t take much of a tracker to work out what I’d done, and track me using logic and little else. If I was lucky, the Rohani didn’t have a tracker that good in town.By the time I’d reached it, the ridge had been a paler outline against the shadows at its feet, and I’d risked jogging along the top, hoping not to fall. I’d crossed the crest and left the ridge just as morning threatened with grey light and a line of white on the horizon. Colour highlighted the start of another cloudless day.I’d hoped for rain.Ember’s Spine followed the arch of the hill, and then tapered down into the valley. It varied in height, but was a fairly uniform width, until it started curling up the hill on the other side. There, it gradually tapered, narrowing from four feet across to a bare half foot where it vanished into the ground. I was both sorry and glad to see the end of it.Sorry, because it meant I could no longer guarantee hiding my tracks, but glad, because I’d actually managed to cross the valley and reach the second line of hills before the sun was fully up. I bounded across the crest of the second hill and began a hurried sliding descent down the scree-littered slope on the other side, where, nine feet from its crest, I’d found a forest formed by pillars of rock.I’d been hoping for trees, scrub, something—anything—to shelter me from the sky. I didn’t stop to complain, though. All around me the light grew, and I stumbled forward. I stopped running. Firstly, because it was too dangerous; the ground was littered by rocks and pebbles, and I couldn’t afford a turned ankle. And, secondly, because I was out of breath and my legs felt like jelly.The best I could hope for was a brisk walk, and that only once I’d gotten my breathing under control. A month of incarceration had really taken a toll on my stamina. I kept moving, intending to go down to the bottom of the hill, and then traverse this valley to the next. Each step took me deeper into uncharted territory, but it also took me further away from the village, the Rohani, and a potentially unpleasant fate.The day grew warmer as I wove my way between spires of rock, skirting sudden drops, as the slope gave way to cliffs, and what I’d thought was a hill turned out to be the edge of a plateau. Slowly, I worked my way down, wondering where the dogs were, and the drones, and why there was a complete absence of pursuit behind me.The Rohani had horses, or skimmers if they preferred. I’d expected to be running for my life by the time the sun had reached mid-morning, and probably captured by lunch, unless Odyssey picked up my signal. Instead, there was nothing, just the sound of the wind whispering its way around the pinnacles of rock, and the clatter of stone underfoot as I passed. I tried to keep something between me and the latest cliff-top, even though I was tempted to stretch out on my belly and peer out over the edge. I hadn’t realised the village had been set up so high.I’d thought it was closer to the sea.I was an idiot not to have checked.This mission was going dirtside in a very big way. It made me wonder what Catriona would have done. And then I decided she would have taken on the raiders all by herself… and probably won, too, and that was so out of my league that I didn’t want to think about it. I just had to think about what Iwas going to do.The mission itself was on track: I’d already discovered the colony site was compromised. I even knew it was the Rohani that were behind it, and that was more than we’d had before. If I’d stayed longer, I might have worked out which of the Rohani leaders was responsible, but they’d rumbled me before I could. Which brought me to the question of how.Before I could think of an answer, I heard the clatter and bounce of dislodged pebbles above me, and slid around the nearest spire, putting the stone between me and source of the sound. Perhaps I wasn’t as alone as I thought. Maybe the Rohani had followed on foot, and hadn’t used the dogs.Maybe you’re being hunted by something else, my mind suggested, and I bit back a curse.There were predators listed for this part of the world; I just hadn’t thought of them, when I’d made my break for freedom.But a predator wouldn’t make so much noise, I thought, and startled as the clatter came again. It was almost enough to send me into headlong flight, but I grabbed that instinct tight, and pressed myself hard against the pillar, instead. Forcing myself to take note of where I was, I felt my heart begin to race.The pillar I stood behind was two feet from the one closest the cliff edge, and I’d yet to find a way down. I glanced left and right, confirming that I’d been following some sort of trail along the top.Dammit! I knew better than that. I did. I rea…All thought froze as stone rattled a third time, and several small pebbles bounded past me, skipping by the pillar ahead, and hurtling out into nothing. This time, I heard claws scrape, smelt something that reminded me of a large cat, or… I sniffed again, but couldn’t place the scent. And it was closer. Would be on me if I stayed where I was.Dammitalltothestarsabove!I edged sideways, peering back around the pillar in an attempt to see what had caused the sound.And yelped in surprise when a large, clawed hand framed my throat between the web of its thumb and forefinger, pinning me against the rock.“Too slow.”I might have agreed, but the hand was pressed too tight against my throat for me to make more than a strangled croaking sound—and I still hadn’t seen what held me. All I knew was that it was wearing gloves made of scaled hide.And then I realised those gloves had the warmth of living flesh, and the claws weren’t there for decoration. I tried to run the other way, but the palm resting on my chest pinned me too well, and I was still standing there when the rest of the creature appeared around the edge of the boulder.It was Rohani, but not. For one thing, it was bigger, and more bestial in form, although it had chosen a semi-humanoid shape for this hunt. Its face was slightly elongated, an interesting mix of the Rohani’s human-like features and something more reptilian. Not quite lizardine, I thought, and not leonine.I panicked, trying to break its grip with my hands, my legs and feet running with nowhere to go, and it waited while my body caught up with my head.“You were told to wait,” it said, regarding me with amber eyes.It was true. I had been told to wait, that my place within the tribe would be decided by the athlach.“I already have a tribe.” I’d said it then, and I tried to say it, now, but the creature wasn’t listening.“You will come,” it said, slowly easing its grip on my throat, but waiting until I nodded before it took its hand away.As soon as it had let go, I threw myself back around the other side of the boulder and sprinted down the trail as fast as I could go. Almost too terrified, I remembered the cliff—and then I heard a roar, and forgot even that—not that it made a difference.The creature slammed into my back, knocking me onto my front. I got my hands down before my face, but that was it.“Fool human,” it said, as I fought for breath and wondered exactly what I’d broken in the fall. “Your Odyssey was warned of the cost of doing business here.”It was? That hadn’t been in the brief.“They were told to send one operative. One,” it said, adding emphasis with a little bounce that knocked the carefully gathered breath from my lungs.“Not. my. brief.” I gasped each word, but it stayed on my back, easing its weight by resting an elbow either side of my shoulders, when I began to cough. “Get off me.”“No.”I rested my forehead on my hands, feeling as though I had a very large, very scaly dog sitting on my back.“I’ve broken something,” I tried, feeling pain sear through my chest and at least one arm. I might have felt better about my other arm, if I could feel it at all, but thems the breaks… so to speak.“I know.”It could have sounded like it cared, I thought, and focussed on lying still. Maybe it would just eat me and get it over with. I waited, watching my world being swallowed by darkness as the pain flowed over me. And the damn thing didn’t say a word.When I woke, it was with a gasp, and I was back where I’d started.It was still dark, the day close, but not yet here. The door was still locked. The guards still hadn’t found the hole between the wall and the roof. And nothing was broken.This time, I made it to the river, suddenly aware of being hunted as I neared the bank. This time, I hadn’t slipped into the chill waters; I had dived into them, knifing my way beneath the surface and travelling a good way, before surfacing and striking out towards the other bank.This time, the monster pulled me under, and I didn’t make the other side.I was shivering when I woke, surprised to discover it was still dark, still before dawn. Again, I made it through the hole in the wall—only to crawl right into the monster’s shins. Again, bones cracked, but this time as it slammed me into the outer wall of my prison.“You were told to wait.”What might have happened next was lost to me, as I was wrapped in light, feeling the monster’s fingers fade from around my throat as the teleport took me away. This time, when I woke, I really was in a med-box, in the medical centre, aboard the Odyssey ship, Orion’s Blast.“You’re going back,” my supervisor said, as soon as my eyes opened.I stared at her, too shocked to say a word. I couldn’t go back. I didn’t belong to any one world, any one system. I belonged out here, where the stars were almost close enough to touch. I wanted to shake my head, but didn’t dare take my eyes off her.“We made a mistake thinking it could be any other way,” she added, watching my reaction.A mistake? I stared at her. This was Agent Catriona Delight; she didn’t make mistakes. Odyssey didn’t make mistakes. Ididn’t make the mistake of being trapped on anyworld.“I can’t,” I managed, daring, for the first time, ever, to argue. I searched for the words to explain why, but couldn’t find them.Catriona returned my gaze, but she said nothing, just reached into the med box and poked me in the ribs, close to my back, her eyes not leaving my face as I yelped with pain.“How many times do you want to repeat the experience?” she asked, and I felt my skin go cold.She watched my expression, the look on her face reminding me of the creature that had pursued me on the slope, and into the river, reminding me all too well of its expression as it studied me pinned against the rock, and the side of the hut. I really…“I didn’t think so,” she said, and placed both hands on the edge of the box. Her look almost faded into one of compassion, but when she spoke her voice had a hard edge. “Your orders have changed. This time you will wait for the Rohani athlach, and accept your place in the tribe.”“But I can’t,” I protested, and her lips twisted in denial.“You will. It’s in your contract.”And she closed the lid to the box. I wanted to argue, but the box did its thing, and I was out within seconds. The next time I woke, I was back in the hut, but it was well past midday, and the monster that had chased me through my dreams sat quietly beside me.I won’t say I’m proud of my initial response, but at least it didn’t laugh. It waited for me to come to my senses, after I panicked my way backwards out of the med box, and half scrambled, half-backed into the wall opposite, and then it spoke.“When you’re quite finished.”“What would you have done if they hadn’t sent me back?”Its nostrils flared, and I had the sense it was laughing at me.“What makes you think you ever left?”“But, I…” I gestured at the med-box standing between us, felt the return of fear, as it simply vanished, and sat down on the floor. “Is any of this real?”And the world rippled, the med-box returning to its place, and me still tucked inside. This time, Delight’s head appeared alongside the creature’s, as they both looked down at me.“This time it’s real,” Delight said, and frowned when I clearly didn’t believe her, “and you’re still part of the tribe.”She glanced across at the monster standing opposite her, clearly unhappy.“The athlach says so.”An unhappy Delight, I noted. Well, who’da thought.And both of them glanced down at me.“I’ll have your exit papers ready to sign when your ribs are healed,” Delight added, and closed the lid, blocking the two of them from view.“Fantastic,” I muttered. “As if this situation can get any worse.”I should have known better than to even think it, let alone put it into words, and, several days later, I was kicking myself as I was escorted into the small open space that served as a courtroom. Apparently, the colony’s sponsors, along with Odyssey, had decided I wasn’t a suitable representative, what with being subsumed into the tribe and all, but it was much, much worse than that.“The athlach says your place is not here,” the chieftain said, as I knelt before him, a Rohani warrior on either side, each laying a firm hand on one of my shoulders.I glanced up, wondering if he was joking, and their grips tightened. If my place wasn’t with the tribe, then where, exactly, was it? It wasn’t with Odyssey; they’d retired me. On the up-side, they’d let me walk away alive. I counted that as a plus, but… The chief’s voice broke through my thoughts.“He says your place is in the stars.”My heart leapt. Of course, it was in the stars. Of course, it was. I kept staring at the chief, wondering where he was going with this conversation, and my heart sank at the sternness in his face. Perhaps, they were going to send my soul to the stars, no body attached. I waited, flexing against the hands on my shoulders, watching the chief, my gaze flickering between him and the athlach at his side.The chief continued, as though oblivious to the turmoil his words were causing.“He says your place is at his side…”My heart sank again.“…as our representative to the worlds beyond…”I felt a cautious hope. I could do this. I waited, steeling myself for the catch.“…helping us become a member of their society, just as you become a member of ours.”I waited some more, wondering what other sacrifice I would be required to make.“Do you accept this position within the tribe?”It wasn’t until one of the warriors gave my shoulder a gentle shake that I realised I had to respond.“I, uh…” I blinked, hardly able to accept that he was done, that allI had to be as part of their tribe was their representative to the worlds beyond.I hesitated long enough that the athlach started to look concerned. He exchanged glances with the chief, and then the chief repeated his question.“Do you accept this position within the tribe?”Both grips on my shoulders were tight enough to hurt, as I stumbled through the reply.“I… yes… yes, I do,” I managed.“Then welcome Rohanim of the Stars,” the chief answered, and the gathered Rohani cheered.The warriors pulled me to my feet, letting go, but staying close as the athlach approached. He dismissed them with a nod and a smile, and then laid an arm across my shoulders, turning me around and walking me through the tribal welcome.“Why did you hesitate?” he asked, when we were out of earshot of the celebrations.I stopped and studied the earth at my feet, focussing on the grass, and wondering what to say. The athlach waited, until I finally found the words.“I was waiting for the catch,” I finally admitted.“The catch?” At first the athlach was confused, but then he understood. “You thought there’d be more to lose?”He sounded shocked, but I nodded, and he turned me to face him, laying a hand on each of my shoulders and stooping until he could look me in the eye.“We pulled you from your people,” he said, and I wanted to argue that it had been Odyssey’s choice to send me away, but he kept going, and I let him.“Do you know how many Odyssey sent before you?”There had been others?I shook my head.“Twenty to thirty.”I returned his gaze, not trying to hide my surprise.“They did not tell you?”“No.”“The first few were so hostile, they tried to wipe out every tribesman in the village.” He stopped and his eyes took on a faraway look that told me he was remembering. “One almost succeeded.”I didn’t need any elaboration on who that might have been.“And then there were those who were too afraid of reptiles, or who hated them too deeply, to ever be able to represent the tribe fairly. Some of those chose the cliffs, or the waterfalls, in every single dream we tried.”“And, finally, there were those who had too many ties that could not be transferred, who tried to fight their way out of the med-box on the ship so they would not be returned.” He paused. “You let them send you back, and had enough courage to argue or try negotiating when you could not run.”“They could have just asked,” I said. “You could have just asked.”“Volunteers come for a multitude of reasons,” the athlach said. “We wanted to see how someone might react when they thought they had no choice. You were open to the idea—and loyal to whoever held your contract.”“But how did you know?”“I can see inside your head. You were content to side with us, as long as we let you have the stars.”I opened my mouth to argue, and then closed it again. After all, he couldsee inside my head, and all I had ever wanted was to be up amongst the stars. It was the only thing I really desired. Working for Odyssey, working for the Rohani, it didn’t matter. As long as I was able to roam the black—and, yes, maybe have somewhere to come back to. I liked the plateau—I’d be glad to return there, when I was ready, but, first and foremost, I wanted the stars.I looked the athlach in the eye, and I didn’t say a word. He knew. When the silence had drawn long between us, he spoke.“If we are to keep our world,” he said, “the Rohanim need the stars, too—and someone to be our guide. That is your place in the tribe.”Again, I said nothing—I had no words—but I smiled, and, for the athlach, it was enough.After all he could see inside my head. 


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Dreams of the Serpent is available as a stand-alone short story at the following links: books2read.com/u/m2okar.

You can also find Kristine Kathryn Rusch's latest free short story over on her blog: kriswrites.com. Why don't you go and check it out?

Carlie’s Chapter 4—Dear Tiger: I Don’t Think I’m Human Anymore

LAST WEEK, Simone was working her way through her treatment. This week, things start to get interesting for Tiger.Chapter 4 – Things Look Bad


Hi Simone
Wow! Cool! And scary.And I’m not sure I’m really an Alby Waffle, but, whatever, okay? Do you really think they won’t find out you’re talking to me?At least there weren’t any black bits in your email, this time. I really liked that.You can relax, okay? I would never talk classified stuff with you. We both want our parents to keep their jobs, right?I am kinda worried about you, though. It almost sounds like you’re becoming a psi, and, if you become that then I don’t think the company will ever let you go. I hope this email is as secure as you say, because they will make me disappear, too, just to keep you secret.Be really, really careful, okay? And I will be, too.I don’t know how you’re going to keep them from getting into our mail. I hope you have time to warn me, if they do, but don’t worry too much, I have put things in place that will keep me, and my mum, and dad safe.I’m trying to work out if I can do something like that for you and your parents, but it’s not happening, yet. Give me time, okay. I’m doing my best.The planet my parents are on is Deskeden, and there really arefossils here. I am so excited! But I’m starting to get worried, too.You see, we found ruins, here, and I remember you saying that your parents found ruins, too. You know, way back before you got that parcel, and your world went all sorts of sideways. And I’m just a little bit worried.I looked into the company files, and Deskeden isn’t listed.It’s a bit like that wall in that school, you know? Where there was no expedition listed for Sharvin? Well, Deskeden and Sharvin have one thing in common—they’re not in the company database. They’re not on its website, and they’re not on any of its star maps.I tried to raise it with my parents, but you know how they get when they’re in the middle of a big find. They’re away from camp from first light right up until dark, and there’s nothing I can do about it. When they doget back, they’re almost too tired to eat, or they’ve got to file reports.If I’ve got something hot and waiting, I can get them to sit at the table and eat. I just can’t get them to talk to me about anything I need to talk about. They ask how my studies are going, and then they make me go over what I learned, and, by the time we’ve done all that, they’re done, and they’re back into their files.Honestly! I’d kick over their sample boxes, if I thought it would make a difference. Well, that would make a difference, because I’d be grounded, and by grounded I mean confined to my tent for the rest of the trip. I don’t want to be stuck in my tent when I turn twenty-one. That would be… just horrible.Anyway, sorry. I got side-tracked. I looked up Deskeden and Sharvin. They’re not in the company records, any more—or not that I can access, and I’m scared.And I’m scared for you, too. I want you to be okay, but I don’t think you are, and I don’t think the company is helping you. I think they might even be experimenting on you, and I don’t know what to do about it.I feel so far away.I also don’t want to leave my mum and dad. I think we’re all in trouble, and I’m stuck.But I won’t give up.You wouldn’t give up, so I won’t.Let me know if you think of anything that can help, okay?And I will do the same for you.

hugs and all that kind of stuff

take care

Tiger.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The complete series is available as short, individual ebooks, and will become available as an omnibus, later this year. In the meantime, you can find them on this blog, until one week after the last chapter in the last book of the series has been posted, at which point this series will be taken down, and a new series serialised on site.
books2read.com/u/4Awrze
books2read.com/u/mgrxdR




















books2read.com/u/4DoG8D books2read.com/u/b5Mng1
books2read.com/u/3GYBla books2read.com/u/4782k8

Wednesday’s Verse—The Unicorn Fierce

This week’s verse moves from speculative to fantasy in the form of a villanelle about unicorns. It is taken from Another 365 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry to be released later in the year, once both collection and cover are complete.

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The Unicorn Fierce
With gleaming horns and dancing hoovesthe unicorns gallop through the nighthunters fierce of all that moves
These equine beasts in moonlight grooveshunt ‘twixt the trees in darkest nightwith gleaming horns and dancing hooves
Merciless on all that roaming, chooseto walk in territories long-claimed by mighthunters fierce of all that moves
Equine in form, they fleetness use,to capture meals of flesh in flight,with gleaming horns and dancing hooves
Guardians say some, or Evil’s ruseto destroy the good of grace and lightthey’re hunters fierce of all that moves
With coats that shine in all known huesthese mighty beasts roam every nightwith gleaming horns and dancing hooveshunters fierce of all that moves.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------You can find the first two poetry collections at the links below - although there are plans to reissue them with more genre-appropriate covers in the future. The third collection will be released later in the year. books2read.com/u/mVLQZb books2read.com/u/bxgyLd

Tuesday’s Short—Destiny’s Queen

This week’s short story takes us from another of Mack and Cutter’s science fiction escapades to a more ghostly fantasy, with a queen facing a tough decision. Welcome to Destiny’s Queen.

Life’s not fair, when you have to find a fiancé or risk setting your kingdom up for a fall. It’s not fair, when your dead lover comes to call, assassins in his wake, and your dead maid by his side. And it’s really not fair, when everything happens on the night of your suitors’ ball. It never rains but it pours. I am a queen by blood and right, and not some random happenstance—yet who am I to argue when Destiny comes to call?Destiny’s Queen
“But your dream prince is a ghost!” My valet was beside himself, but I wasn’t about to give in.“Shamraven’s Hollow is open, tonight.”He glanced towards the open balcony, and the gathering dusk.“My lady, my, my Queen, please!”“I want him back.”“But you have to be at the ball, tonight. The kingdom cannot survive another war.”“Hush your mouth!” I warned, all too aware that the walls had ears. “That’s not something I want the world to know.”He stared at me, his face growing pale, his eyes luminescent with unshed tears. They’d be tears of frustration, I was sure, and I refused to let them move me. I watched his face, as his mind worked to find another excuse to turn me from my path.“My lady, you are needed. Your suitors…”“Are not whom I would choose.”His lips firmed in a tight line of disapproval, his next words a slap across the face.“The Prince Rothvannen did not care a whit for you!” he said, and I gasped.“He so very much did so!”“He did not. He only cared for your fortune and your lands.”I felt my heart freeze, wanted to send the man from my presence, banish him from the castle, to cry, and shout, and scream, but queens did not do such things, and especially not when their kingdoms were at stake. Now, it was my turn to stare, as I felt my face grow cold and pale.“Tell me,” I said, hearing the brittleness in my voice, and he took a step, his hand half-extended as though to soothe. I backed up a step. “Now.”“Let me show you,” he said, and walked to the window overlooking my private courtyard.I followed, coming to a stop beside him, close, but not close enough to touch.“Watch,” he said, indicating the corner I knew as ‘The Cascades’.Water splashed down a rock wall, and into a pool at its foot. The ferns bordering either side had perfumed foliage that scented the air when wet, and fish swam through tall stands of lilium at the waterfall’s base. The prince and I had spent many hours on the stone bench tucked alongside a garden bed opposite, trusting the water to mask our voices.I had not returned, not to my courtyard, and certainly not to The Cascades, since the night my prince had taken an assassin’s blade meant for me.The assassin had also taken my lady-in-waiting, which was why I now had a valet—the man who had once walked at Rothvannen’s side, who had fallen for his counterpart, and grieved her as much as I had grieved my prince. I stared at the Cascades, my secluded bench, the scene of my recent nightmares.“Watch,” my valet instructed, indicating the shadows over the bench.I opened my mouth to protest, but the shadows stirred, a familiar form coalescing at the entrance to my courtyard. I cast a swift glance at my valet.Twelve months!Twelve months had passed, and he had failed to show me this? I stared at the shape of my prince, waiting at the garden gate, saw my former lady’s maid come into being at my side.Never!I hitched my skirts, and turned swiftly about, avoiding the valet’s outstretched hand. Quickly, I stepped from my chambers and into the hall, hurrying for the stairs, as my heart leapt and hammered in my chest. Quickly, so as to avoid the rapidly gaining footsteps of my servant.“Why?” I asked, keeping my voice low, so as to not attract the attention of my guests.“My lady,” he protested, “please stop so I can explain.”“You have until we reach the foot of the stairs,” I snapped back, turning into the stairwell, and hurrying down towards the garden.With a softly muttered curse, he followed me.“Well?” I pressed, one hand lifting my skirts, the other on the rail to steady my descent.He huffed a sigh.“The assassin!” he said, and I came to such a sudden halt that he ran into me.“I’m sorry, my lady,” he said, grasping me by the upper arm to stop me falling.I ignored his apology.“The assassin,” I pressed.My valet had wounded the assassin, made him miss his mark, driven him off before he could kill me.“He still lives, my lady.”“And?”“If he completes his contract before your next betrothal, the Prince Rothvannen will live again.”“How can that be?”I was balanced precariously on the stair, half-turned so I could see him.“Because the Prince must live, if the Guild is to receive the full price.”I glanced about the stair well, the valet following my gaze.“Please, my lady. Might we return to your chambers?”But I thought of my Prince, of my poor lady-in-waiting, of being able to ask if what the valet was saying was true. I straightened my back, shook my hair over my shoulders, and started down the stairs, once more, albeit at a slower pace.The valet’s response was preceded by a sound of dismay.“My lady,” he said, not letting go of my arm, but not trying to halt my descent. “At least, take this.”I paused, long enough to spare him a glance, saw that he offered me Prince Rothvannen’s blade.“That was supposed to be buried with the Prince,” I managed, but I accepted it, anyway, and let him take it back so he could belt it around my waist.“There,” he said, adjusting it so the scabbard was partially hidden in my skirts. “Be careful when you draw it.”I sighed, and turned to resume my journey down the stairs. Of course, I would be careful when I drew it—if I drew it. And I knew how, having insisted on lessons after the demise of my prince. I heard him fall into step beside me, but ignored him, until he stepped ahead to open the door to the courtyard.I did not expect the way he turned the handle and kicked the door open, nor the way he turned abruptly back and swept me against the interior wall. I certainly did not expect the multiple whistle of rapidly-fired darts that shot through the doorway, as soon as it was open.“Your prince is by the gate,” the valet said, taking me by the shoulders, as he shifted away from, and looked into my eyes. “He cannot enter without your consent. Speak with him, first.”I nodded, and he released me, and then he stepped into the doorway to lead the way outside. More darts whistled, and he fell, rolling to one side to clear a way for me.“Watch for the assassin,” he said, and I nodded, staring at the darts protruding from his chest, staring harder as he plucked them free, and cast all but the last one aside. That one, he held up for me to see.“It’s poison,” he said. “Enough to take its time in killing you, so that the prince could wed you, and then mourn your loss.”I glared at him, recognising the discoloration on the tip as the same I’d seen on the assassin’s discarded blade, twelve months ago.“I don’t like your tales,” I said, and he shrugged, pushing to his feet, and standing to one side of the door.“Then let’s go speak with your prince,” he challenged.I glanced out into the dark.“The assassin?”“I will watch for him. It will take him some time to reach the courtyard from where he fired.”That made sense, and I tried not to wonder how my valet could be so sure. My prince was waiting by the gate.“Let me in,” he said, half-pleading, half in command.“Answer me truly,” I replied, standing back from the gate, and he lifted his gaze to meet mine. “Did you try to have me killed?”Behind him, my handmaid’s shade nodded vigorously, and I almost missed the momentary shift in expression that told me he had something to hide.“What is this? Don’t you remember our courtship? Our love?” His voice rose. “Did you never truly love me, that you should forget the two of us so fast?”My dead lady-in-waiting rested her brow against her palm, shaking her head, and he noticed my glance towards her. Before I could react, he’d reached back and seized her by the hair, dragging her forward so that he could pull her back against his chest. Quicker than sight, he’d set a short and wicked blade against her throat.“Did you know that ghosts can die a final death?” he asked, as I stared in horror. “Open the gate.”What could I do? My valet had gone strangely silent, and my maid did not deserve to die a second time. I opened the gate, stepping back as I kept it between us, glad my valet had interposed himself.Music drifted from the palace hall, the minstrels preparing for the feast. The prince cocked his head.“Take me to the ball,” he said, and pressed the blade just hard enough to draw a single drop of blood from my poor maid’s too-pale throat.“Take me!” he demanded, just as the valet whirled away from me, and two blades met with a loud clash.“Guards!” I cried, and the valet drove the assassin back, meeting each of the shadowy man’s attacks with swift surety.“Jothram!” my prince shouted, outraged beyond belief. “Do not thwart me, again.”I saw his arm tighten, heard my maid gasp.“Yes!” I said, and he stilled. “Yes, If you let her go, and let her live, I’ll take you to the ball.”And, as simple as that, he released her, shoving her away as though she offended him. He sheathed his blade, and offered me his arm, just as the palace guards arrived, and the assassin broke and ran.“Jothram,” I said, and my valet looked towards me. Before he could speak, I continued. “Prince Rothvannen will be my escort to the ball, and you will accompany Vangela.”I watched him cast an anxious glance from me, to where my handmaid’s shade drifted, weeping softly, a thin line of blood across her throat. One glance, and he hurried to her side. I schooled my features into a smile, and looked up at my treacherous, dead fiancé.“Shall we?” I asked, slipping my arm through his, and we walked back through the courtyard, past our special seat by The Cascades, and up the stairs.I walked him down the hall, well aware of slyly cracked doors and whispered comments, all too conscious of my guests hurrying their preparations so that they, too, could make their way to the hall, and watch whatever spectacle was to unfold. Behind me, I could hear Jothram’s footsteps. I could not hear my maid’s.The hall was ready, when we arrived, bouquets and scented tubs of flowers, providing color and freshening the air, the floor tiles polished and gleaming. I allowed Rothvannen to escort me to the head table, well aware of the chill seeping through my gown’s sleeve, where I touched his arm, not liking the way the painful cold leached the feeling from my sword hand, even as I prepared to use it.We were halfway up the hall, with my first guests coming in behind us, when Rothvannen turned me towards him, took my other hand, and went down on one knee before me.“Be my wife?” he asked, even though he was still dead, and a ghost, and I could still see right through him, perhaps more so than before.He’d drawn my gaze downward, but I still caught a glimpse of the shadow that dropped from the ceiling, was still able to take several steps back so that the assassin landed between us. I swung my hips letting the skirt’s folds shift as I dropped my hand to the scabbard Jothram had strapped to my side. I used my half-frozen right hand to flick clear the hilt and pull the sword free.I was just fast enough to deflect the assassin’s first strike, observant enough to note the discoloration of his blade.“No,” I declared, countering the assassin’s next attack, aware of Jothram coming in close.“Take out the one who issued the contract,” the valet advised. “No payment. No profit.”He looked at the assassin.“Isn’t that right, guildsman?”The lower half of the assassin’s face twisted into an angry sneer, and he came for me again.“Your choice,” Jothram said, and sank his blade into the man’s chest.I had stepped closer to the Prince, trying to work my way past his paid man. I deflected the assassin’s last strike, and swept my own sword in a horizontal arc. If Jothram’s blade hadn’t finished him, my strike would have. Using the end of the arc to effect a change in direction, I brought the blade up, and reversed its path.By shifting my feet, and repositioning my body, I was able to gain a clear shot at Rothvannen’s head, or rather, at where his head was joined to his shoulders by his neck. Even he couldn’t get to his feet fast enough to avoid it. Imagine my surprise when the blade connected solidly enough to send a jolt up my arm.Fortunately, I tightened my grip, instead of dropping the weapon in surprise, and followed the stroke through. On a mortal man, the blade would have sliced across the front of the throat, cutting wind pipe and blood vessels alike. It took Rothvannen the same way, covering the front of my dress in an arterial spray that ruined fabric and lace altogether.Rothvannen’s ghostly face took on an expression of comical surprise, and he disappeared from view. I turned to look at Jothram, and found him with his arms around Vangela, saw their foreheads pressed together, her palms on either side of his face slowly solidifying, until I could not see his cheeks. I looked past them to where my guests had gathered just inside the door, and struggled to find my voice.“Please,” I managed, and cleared my throat to find more volume. “Please, come in and find your seats.”At my words, my servants hurried forward to guide my guests to their seats. While they worked, I caught the gaze of my chief steward, and gave him the most regal nod I could manage—and then I returned my attention to where Jothram stood with a now very corporeal Vangela.“There was a curse,” he managed, and I tightened my lips, half in anger, half in irony.Of course, there was a curse.“I…” He blushed, and tried again. “I spoke to your advisor.”“You what?” Before I could continue, my chief steward interrupted, coming to my side, and gently plucking the sword from my hand.“Your Highness,” he said. “Let me escort you to your seat.”He looked across at Jothram and Vangela.“And you may sit with her,” he added.Jothram opened his mouth to protest, but the steward silenced him.“I insist.”“Master Hanvenen…” Jothram began, but the steward scowled, even as he shot me a comforting smile and tucked my hand through his arm, so Jothram subsided. “Yes, Master.”It seemed even royal valets did not argue with the Master of a queen’s house.Given it was supposed to be a party, the banquet turned into a sombre affair, and I was uncomfortably aware of the furtive glances cast in my direction, and muted whispers coming from each table. When the steward announced it was time for dance partners to be chosen, the line at my table was shorter than anticipated.This was, after all, supposed to be a banquet from whose guests I chose my suitor’s successor.I took a nervous sip of wine, and glanced up at the man who stood at the head of the line. His expression was as nervous as I expected, but not for the reason I might have thought.“Your Highness,” he began, and I could tell from his tone that I wouldn’t like what came next.“Yes, your Lordship?”“I…” Colour crept up his throat, and I stayed silent as it slowly reached his hairline. “I’m afraid I mustwithdrawmysuit.”It took me a long moment to decipher that last, rushed mumble, and a determined effort to nod graciously, afterwards.“I appreciate your honesty, your Lordship,” I said, struggling to keep my voice clear and strong.He bowed, again, and hurried away, stopping to accept a glass of wine from one of the servants, who guided him to a group of ladies standing to one side. At least my staff were diplomats. I raised my head, using just a look to invite the next man in line to approach.He, too, wished to withdraw his suit.As did the prince, who came after him.And the widowed duke behind the prince.And the long-single earl, whose lands in a neighbouring kingdom bordered my own.It was both disheartening, and a relief. I bowed my head after each rejection, using the time to gather myself for the next unwitting assault. Many of these men were still my subjects, and their support, in the coming months, would be vital. I could only hope that, after tonight’s display, I still had it.Hearing my chief steward clear his throat, and feeling Jothram’s presence at my side, I took a deep breath and raised my head. It took more than a heartbeat to hide my surprise, and even then I’m not sure I was successful. I had forgotten I’d invited the elves. Also the dwarves. They were my neighbours, after all.The elf that stood before me was eyeing me with quizzical smile.“Your Highness,” he began, and I braced myself for another rejection, “would you care to dance?”I found that I did, indeed, care for a dance with the elf, and with his rival from the dwarven lands. I even found I had a handful of human suitors left, and was relieved to see that those who had rejected me had at least stayed to dance with others. For an evening that had started out in such disarray, it was becoming more of a success than I’d hoped.I danced, and I talked, and I wondered who would make the better king. I even wondered if I could rule alone, but knew my kingdom would be more secure if I wed. It would have been the same if I’d been a man. This left me with but one dilemma: Whom to choose?It took me until midnight to realise that Jothram had brought that first suitor to my side more often than any other. We had danced, and we had rested, chatting on a balcony under Jothram and the Steward Hanvenen’s watchful eyes, and we had parted, only to find ourselves brought together, again. When Jothram brought him to me yet a sixth time, I stared.Jothram blushed.“Your Highness,” he began, but I dismissed him with an impatient wave of my hand, and turned to the elf.“Jothram seems to like you,” I said, and the wariness of his expression yielded a slight smile; I did not let that distract me, as charming as it was, “but I wonder how you’ve succeeded in having him bring us together so many times over.”I glanced at Jothram, who was standing only a few feet away.“He knows I will make you happy.”I fixed him with a dubious glare—even though he’d succeeded in doing just that, during the evening. The elf moved closer, and I caught sight of Jothram’s sudden tension. I made myself stay still, wishing the chief steward hadn’t taken my sword.“He doesn’t know I lost my heart to you, when I saw you facing down one ghost to protect another whose time is yet to come.”I started back from him, glancing over at where Vangela stood watching us with anxious eyes. Jothram followed my gaze, and then looked back at me, his own face sharpening with worry. Ignoring him, the elf reached out to take my fingertips in his own, and then dropped to one knee. I swallowed hard, and stifled an urge to flee.Elven princes knelt to no one, and nor did elven kings.He spoke, drawing my attention back to where he waited.“Your Highness,” he said, and then continued, but not with the words I expected. “I know you are meant to declare your choice of betrothed, tonight, but would you consent to letting me pay you court until this time next year?”His words drew protest from the other suitors, until I fixed them with a stern glare, and used his hold on my hands to draw him to his feet.“Your Highness,” I said, “I cannot break the rules”—and some of the tension went from his rivals—“but I would be honoured if you would consent to wed me when next the Dragon Moon rises.”I shifted my grip, until I held his hands in my own, and kept my eyes on his face, trying not to flinch as I met the surprise there. Amongst the other suitors, there was a restless shifting of feet, and an unhappy murmur, but none of them protested my decision—at least, not yet.I watched his eyebrows twitch, and wondered how many elven protocols I’d just breached. Did female elves even get a say in whom they wed? Would he reject me out of hand, despite the demands of human custom? I kept my doubts from my face, and waited, letting my grip relax enough that he could pull away, if he chose. He didn’t.Instead, he lifted my hands and touched his forehead to the backs of my fingers.“My lady,” he said, “you are the one who does the honour.”I turned to my guests, and saw they’d been shepherded together by my ever-vigilant steward and his army of servants.“My betrothed,” I said, holding the prince’s hand in my own, and raising it between us. “Please welcome his Highness Sutselket of the Arkashian Hills and Loretselk Forests.”My words drew gasps of surprise from my guests, and they knelt as one. I looked to my prince, wondering what my people and neighbours knew that I did not. He just gave me a mysterious smile, tinged with regret.“What is wrong?” I asked him, when we had retired to a balcony, from which we could see most of my kingdom spread before us.“What do my people know of you that I do not?” I asked, and he nodded, as though he’d expected it.“They know I wield an army that could swallow your kingdom in less than a day, and they’ve heard that I make war without mercy to capture what I want.”I felt my face grow cold, and knew I paled at his words. I stared out at my lands, silent as I turned his words over in my mind.“And would you have taken these lands, if I had not asked for your hand?” I asked.He followed my gaze, taking in the lands spread below us.“No,” he said, and looked to me. “I came for you alone.”“Why?”“Because I need a queen,” he said, “and I hoped…” He paused, and glanced away, before turning back. “I hoped I could find one on my own, before my people chose one for me.”I stifled the urge to giggle, because it truly wasn’t funny, but, then, it was, and I giggled, anyway.“What?” he asked.“You and I,” I said, “bullied by our people, even though we rule them.”He sighed.“If you have any doubts…”“None,” I said. “You?”“None,” he agreed, and we looked out at what would soon be ourlands, and not just my own.How long we would have sat there, I do not know, but there was a polite knock, and then the doors opened. We turned, and I found the folk of two entourages looking at us with questions in their eyes, and the first hint of royal business we needed to attend. I looked to my king-in-waiting, and he looked to me, and then we linked hands, and rose to greet them.I looked for Jothram, and found him, right beside Vangela, and the sight reminded me that meetings come by chance, that destiny can’t always be chosen, but sometimes chooses us. And as for hearts and love, and kings and queens, well, this time I was lucky to find they could align.There were three weddings in my future: one for Jothram and Vangela, who would stand in for me when I was with my king; one for me, in my palace, under the Dragon Moon; and one for my king, in the elven halls of his forebears. Three times’ the charm, or so I’ve been told, and I sincerely hope so, because I’ve seen what lies ahead in the future mists, and the elven seers and I agree: Whatever storms lie before us, my king and I were destined to face them together, as long as we chose the path. 


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Destiny’s Queen is available as a stand-alone short story at the following links: books2read.com/u/31xkY6.

You can also find Kristine Kathryn Rusch's latest free short story over on her blog: kriswrites.com. Why don't you go and check it out?

Carlie’s Chapter 3—Dear Tiger: I Don’t Think I’m Human Anymore

LAST WEEK, Simone was somewhere new, and under close supervision. This week, she's having dreams - strange, strange dreams...Chapter 3 – Maybe I'm Psi

Dear Tiger
You know they read our mail right? But don’t worry, I’m about to fix that, okay?Anyway, I guess my mail isn’t the only email they take that black pen to, although I don’t know how they manage to do that to an email from outside the system. I haven’t been able to take it apart, so I can look at it, yet. And then we’ll see what they’ve got.I’m pretty tired of being told what I can and can’t say, and what I can and can’t talk about with my friends. They blacked out the name of the planet your mum and dad are working on, and what it was they found. That’s really weird, Tiger. Why would they do that? It’s not like we’re going to tell anyone else, and I know you wouldn’t tell me anything you knew was classified. You wouldn’t, would you?Anyway, before they take away my email privileges and tell me I can’t talk to you any more…How are you?I’m doing pretty good here. I’m still not sure I’m human, but at least the headaches have gone away, and the doctors have stopped looking at me funny. And there are fewer of them, too. That has to be a good thing, right?Funny thing is, I think I can hear them talking, and sometimes it’s all at once, but when I look, not one of them is saying a thing. And I’m dreaming, Tiges. Dreaming so bad. I keep thinking I can see people I know, but they’re never where I think they should be.That Marrietta, for example. In the dream she’s not in school any more. She’s somewhere really dark, and she’s scared. I don’t get it Tiges. Why would she be in the dark? And, if she’s in a company dorm, why would she be scared? That girl does the scaring. She’s too mean to be scared of anything.But in my dreams, she is.I told the docs, but they say I’m imagining things because of the way Marrietta treated me, when we were at school. I even asked them to check on her. At first, they said no, but I asked so much they did. They said she was fine.But I don’t know, Tiges. The doc that told me didn’t sound right, and his face was all kind of expressionless, like he didn’t want me to know what he was thinking. I don’t know what scared me more, Tiges, the fact he was keeping something secret, or the fact I think I know what it was.And if you think they’re going to see this letter, then you’re wrong, ’cos I’m hacking their system, and I’m not sending you this, until I’m done. And then I’ll tell you where to send your email to, because we can’t keep talking the way we were. I’m sick of other people reading my mail.If you can’t guess, I’m writing this letter over a couple of days.They changed my medication, and whatever the new stuff is, it really doesn’t agree with me. I’ve spent the last two days feeling really, really rotten, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve thrown up. I hate being here, Tiger. I hope they let me out soon.Hope you don’t mind having a whole new identity.

Love

Simone-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The complete series is available as short, individual ebooks, and will become available as an omnibus, later this year. In the meantime, you can find them on this blog, until one week after the last chapter in the last book of the series has been posted, at which point this series will be taken down, and a new series serialised on site.
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A New Cover - and Good Company

I have a new cover (by cover artist Mihaela Voicu) - and a novel releasing tomorrow, based in Michael Anderle's  Age of Magic setting. I'm excited!


And I'm not alone... just the last for the week.

These are the other titles that were released this week, including Magic Unchained, Book 4 in Jace Mitchell and Michael Anderle's Hand of Magic series - also set in the Age of Magic, The Brownstone Effect, Book 5 in Judith Berens, Martha Carr's and Michael Anderle's Alison Brownstone series, and Ghost Revolution, Book 12 in Michael Todd  and Michael Anderle's Soldiers of Fame and Fortune series. You can find these, and their authors, at the links included above.

Friday’s Flash—Tiramar and the Druid

From urban fantasy, we move to fantasy – and from pixies and unicorns to vengeful druids and their swamp creatures. This story forms the March 1 in 366 Days of Flash Fiction , and is one of the longer pieces in that collection.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Tiramar and Druid
Helovak lived in the swamps of Jevnovar, working with the lizard people to preserve the swampland, as vile as it was. Some call Jevnovar The Reeking Swamp, but no wise man did that where Helovak the Druid could hear them. The swamp might be vile, but Helovak’s temper was worse. He was known for keeping a grudge. He even had a list.A merchant had once called him a ‘hopped up lizard jockey’, and not one of that company’s caravans made it through, or past, Jevnovar from that time on. Helovak’s list was difficult to be crossed off from. Rumours said it was written in blood on the skin of a dark frog. The truth might have been less colourful.The merchant’s fate was not unique. Anyone who violated the swamp’s sanctity had their names recorded. Any found hiring such miscreants ended up on the list, as well. Sometimes, names were given to Helovak. He wasn’t particular about their source.His lizardine network was spread throughout the fen, and they dominated all others who dared dwell there. Tiramar fell afoul of it in the second week of Awakening, when the flowers slept late in nascent buds.Lady Tiramar Velessen has taken hevalla blooms for her wedding, the whispers said, and Helovak added her name to the list.In the third week of Awakening, when she was preparing to attend yet another ball organised by her matchmaking mother, Tiramar Velessen vanished from her quarters. Later, she would say only that she had smelled a wondrous perfume, and then the world had gone dark around her.She woke to the sound of mosquitoes and the scent of stagnant water. Her bed was the sodden ground. Her clothing was gone, and shadows were descending around her.“Mother?” she called, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “Selene?”Her mouth curved into a perfect ‘O’ of surprise when she realised where she was. Her first shriek of alarm rang through the swamp when she saw what was emerging from the straggling willows around the water’s edge. Picking up a fallen branch, Tiramar held it before her.“Stay back,” she commanded, but the pale spider only hissed, approaching more cautiously, now it saw its prey was armed.Tiramar settled into a swordsman’s crouch—it wasn’t for nothing that she spent an hour each day, drilling with her bodyguards. The raiders had been bad of late, and she was determined not to be helpless, if an attempt was made to take her. She decided on a two-handed strike to the side of the creature’s head, and shifted her body to prepare it.The spider noted the change in her stance, and hesitated.“Stay back,” Tiramar ordered, and it made a chattering sound, its mandibles clattering.Tiramar tightened her grip, hoping it was the only one, hoping it guarded its territory from the rest. Still, the chittering sounded puzzled, and it was an improvement on the hiss.“I don’t know why I’m here,” Tiramar said. “I will go as soon as I can find my way.”The spider gathered itself, and then suddenly stilled.“You don’t know why you’re here?” The deep voice sounded cynical and disbelieving. “You are the Lady Tiramar Velessen, are you not?”“I am,” Tiramar said, repositioning her feet so she could see both the newcomer as well as the crouching arachnid.She saw a dwarf dressed in carefully crafted armour and leggings. The top of his head came to her chest. His staff was as long as she was tall. He gave her no more time to study him.“And you have taken hevalla blooms for your wedding, have you not?”Tiramar’s mouth dropped open, and the dwarf’s face twisted.“I thought so,” he said, starting to turn away.Tiramar found her voice.“I am not getting married!” The words came out more harshly than she’d meant. “And I prefer purple to pink.”The dwarf stopped.“You’re not getting married.”The spider chittered, again, and the dwarf raised a hand, signalling it to be still.“No. I sent my last suitor away, four months ago.”“And were you polite?”Tiramar felt warmth colouring her cheeks, and tightened her hands on the branch.“I’m afraid not. He was very insistent we should wed, but his family… he came from pirate stock and did not want to repent. I would not have my children raised to that.”Pirates. Helovak thought back. He’d encountered pirates a scant two months before. The cold season had driven them into the Jevnovar’s waterways seeking cover, and they had repaid the swamp’s hospitality by using the fen pixies for target practice, and trying to cut down a dryad’s tree when she’d refused them. He’d learned Tiramar’s name from their captain.“Barakal,” he said, and she raised the branch, her eyes darkening with murderous intent.“Take one step closer, and I will take your bearded head from your shoulders.”Her threat amused him, and he brushed aside the unintended insult.“You’re forgetting whose swamp you are in.”From the sudden pallor of her face, she’d heard the stories. The branch bobbed uncertainly. The pale spider advanced, but Helovak barked a command that sent it scuttling back to its home beneath the willows. Once it was gone, the druid refocused on Tiramar.“I… I’m sorry,” she said. “I did not mean to trespass.”“And if you truly like purple, then you do not want the hevalla.”“Not for my wedding, no,” she said, her face flushing.“But you planned to take some?”Now, she paled.“By the stars, no!” Helovak saw her horror at the thought. “But I had yet to think of something I could offer before asking such a boon.”“And did you?”She ducked her head, and the branch lowered a foot, although not enough to cease being a threat.“I found a colony of melekat in the Silver Stream. I wondered…” She let the words trail away, but Helovak unslung his cloak and held it out to her.“Perhaps, we should talk,” he said.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------You can find the first two flash fiction collections at the links below, until the covers are updated. The third collection will be released later this year.
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New Cover - Rogue Retrieval

I'll be releasing this shortly... as in 'hopefully today', but, since I have other news coming down the pipe, I figured I'd give you a quick at the cover I created this morning. This is my new cover, for my about-to-be-released science-fiction novella Rogue Retrieval , the latest release in the Mack 'n' Me 'n' Odyssey series.


I was doing okay, right up until Mack arrived, with Delight and Pritchard in tow. Retrieved for a rescue mission, I was in more trouble than I knew, and, as if that wasn’t enough, Mack had an agenda of his own. Well, of course, he did…