Shattered Stone (Part 1)
As the last bits of sunlight faded, Vanya drew back the hood of the cloak she wore, letting long black hair fall over her shoulders, and glanced around the marketplace. She'd awoken at dusk, as usual; tonight was her first night in Groveport in...
The Narrow Road in Morning Light
When she entered the inn, framed momentarily in the doorway by the fading sunset, the four patrons--and the innkeeper--looked up. Normally, few passing by her on a road would spare a second glance. She did stand out; wolves were an uncommon race, and...
Indigo Rain (Part 2)
Reaching the White Orchid Inn required walking all the way back to the business district, then three more blocks north into one of the oldest sections of Norinton. Professional offices, high-priced restaurants and beautiful old hotels and inns lined...
Indigo Rain (Part 1)
Bells on ankles, wrists, and tail jangled a wild rhythm as Roulette spun on one leg, the other bent at the knee, lifted high. Each ring and clap was as precise as each flare of her skirt. With no musical partner, it fell on her shoulders alone to hold...
Christmas at Joe's
The bell on the diner's door jangled, stilled, jangled again spasmodically as a blast of cool air came in from the mostly-empty city street outside. "Hi, Frank," Jean said. She hadn't looked up from the counter, cleaning rag still in hand; she just...
Carrier
Joan sat on the front steps of her condo, watching the sun start to crest the western hills, sipping coffee brewed from carefully-hoarded beans and listening to bird song, loud and bright from a dozen trees. One of the few ironic graces these days: you...
Shattered Stone (Part 2)
She woke up to the sound of a soft tapping at her door. She blinked sleep out of her eyes, and looked at the clock; the hour suggested it should be twilight. Sitting up in bed, she arranged the sheet around herself and unlatched the door from across...
Going Concerns (Chapter 9)
Sinvy had reached the hotel room before they did; as they walked down the hallway toward him, he had his own pocketwatch out. "There you are!" he exclaimed. "You're five minutes late!" "That's it?" Gibson sounded surprised. "We made better time than I...
Going Concerns (Chapter 8)
"I hate funeral homes." Annie trudged behind Gibson up the walk to Barash and Sons Mortuary. In the way of all its kind, the building imposed serenity through artifice. The tastefully understated one-story brick structure _almost_ looked like it could...
Going Concerns (Chapter 7)
"So you're saying _you're_ our original informant." They guided him inside, Annie only letting go of his arm once he'd been guided to the couch and forcibly sat down between them. The Rilima nodded, readjusting his shirt collar and glaring at Annie....
Going Concerns (Chapter 6)
Not having much of a green thumb, Annie had never been to a garden shop, but she imagined them as bright, sunlit spaces full of colorful flowers. Maybe in some room on the inside, the inventively named Charin Street Garden Supply House matched that...
Fixer (Excerpt)
So I'd been thinking of leaving the business. It wasn't that work had dropped off, or gotten much more dangerous. It wasn't that I disliked the area. I was a North Florida native, and I loved all of this crazy state, but the Gulf Coast was my...