The Monster of Elendhaven

by Jennifer Giesbrecht

“They barricaded us in our home,” Florian hissed. “Until we were all dead, save for me. On the mere suspicion—the absolutely baseless suspicion—that one of us might have been a sorcerer! Well, I decided that if Elendhaven wanted to see a magical plague so badly, I would do my best to show them one. And I see no reason to stop there. The landed gentry, the emissaries from Mittengelt, the southerners who stole our futures and picked our bones … no one is blameless.” “The suspicion wasn’t baseless, though. One of you was a sorcerer.” Johann trailed his fingers down the back of Florian’s silk stocking as he pulled his leg free of the boot. “They weren’t wrong.” Florian reared up in his seat, furious. “How dare you—!” “It’s funny, don’t twist my words—these assholes signed their own death warrant, but Florian: they weren’t wrong. They feared that the Leickenblooms were harbouring a magical child, a monster who would unleash a plague on them. Here you are.”