Sun Touched

a free serial set in the Fey Touched universeby Erin Zarro Part 5 Get caught up: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 DAY 2 – Continued                 The hallway was strangely quiet as we walk-hobbled. I kept waiting for more rogues to materialize from the shadows, but none did.                 “How do we get out of here?” I asked Ry. There were several doors on both sides of the hallway, but nothing jumped out to me as the way out. It reminded me of an old, creepy castle.                 Ry took a deep, rattling breath. I remembered that tomorrow was day three. If I didn’t heal him…he would die.                 Tomorrow.                 It felt like a sucker punch. I wasn’t even sure I liked him. I wasn’t sure I was going to heal him. But the thought of him dying clearly did something to me. Something I didn’t understand.                 And I didn’t want to think on it too deeply.                 “There’s a door on the left that leads to another hallway. We take that all the way down, turn left, and we’re there.” Ry coughed.                 “Sounds pretty easy,” Tanya murmured.                 “Oh, but it might not be. Not if I have anything to do with it,” a voice said. It was male, and it was coming from in front of us, but no one was there.                 “That’s Andre.” Ry coughed again. “He’s mastered the art of hiding behind illusions. C’mon, Andre, show…

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Curiosity Killed the Cat – Part 3

Curiosity Killed the Cat A free fantasy serial by KD Sarge Part 3: Many Doors (Read part 1 here. Part 2 is here.) Srivasi reached for the door and hesitated. He had the right answer now, but there was no guarantee that the correct door led to safety. He looked back, and it was still dark around the corner they’d come from. He could go check, but probably the door was still closed, still hidden by the skill of its builder. Maybe he could find it and force it open, find a way to get back to the surface—and maybe he couldn’t. He wasn’t particularly eager to have the boy see him fail. If— “Oh, fine.” The boy bounced forward and yanked the door open. Leaped back, leaving Srivasi standing before the doorway alone. Only darkness flowed out. Metaphorical flowing, not real, thankfully. “Are you going to make more light?” Dasid demanded. “Or should we just stand here a while first?” Oh. He’d let his wand go out, distracted by running for his life. Srivasi thought of shoving the child through the door and holding it closed, but the boy would make noise and bring anything that might be nearby to attack. Though on the other side of the door… No. If something attacked the child, Srivasi would have to help him. Better to avoid it if he could. Srivasi sighed and lit the tip of his wand. “Huh,” Dasid said. “It looks just like where we are,” Srivasi said. “Yeah,…

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Coat of Scarlet: A Clockpunk Tale, Part 4

by Siri Paulson Read previous installments: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 “Oh, no you don’t!” Marius shouted, pelting after the red justacorps coat as it vanished into the crowd. The thief moved faster, but it wasn’t hard to keep that bright a colour in sight. As he dodged piles of lumber and moving carts, his thoughts galloped along just as fast. What kind of misbegotten son of a poxy dog would steal a coat anyway? Did they want it for the valuable fabric, or because they recognized it as Niko’s, or because there was something valuable in it he hadn’t noticed? Some of the seams had felt a bit bulky, but he hadn’t particularly wanted to unpick them to check whether something was hidden inside, on account of Niko being an airship pirate and all. Now he wished he’d known what exactly he had been entrusted with… Just how furious would Niko be if Marius couldn’t bring it back in time? He thought of Niko angry, the way the pirate had shoved him up against the wall of his own shop without any effort at all. Then he pictured Niko’s eyes clouded with an expression of betrayal. His stomach sank. He leaped over a coil of rope, ducked under a descending basket, and dove between two sailors of the female persuasion. A scrap of scarlet fluttered just ahead. Marius threw himself forward and tackled the thief. Two breaths later, and Marius was on his back in the…

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Coat of Scarlet: A Clockpunk Tale, Part 3

by Siri Paulson Read previous installments: Part 1 | Part 2 Marius bowed to Master Poole yet again, praying his customer would leave. Yes, Marius had done fine work on Master Poole’s vest, up to the last instant; yes, he had risen to the occasion despite the short notice for the party, for which Master Poole apologized once more; yes, he would be called upon again in future, with more notice this time, no doubt, although one never knew when an event would arise unlooked-for, when a society hostess might decide that her longstanding monthly party must be a masquerade this time, or when the fashions might change at the drop of a hat, so difficult keeping one’s wardrobe up to date, thank goodness for a good tailor… Marius let his thoughts drift towards the tall, dashing airship pirate with the incredible cheekbones who was even now preparing to sail away on the evening air currents. They’d made an agreement, he and Niko. He was to come along to finish Niko’s coat, and in return Niko would introduce him to the weavers of spider silk. And maybe he could get to know Niko better. The glimpse he’d had of Niko’s smoothly muscled chest had made him hungry for more. Of course, Niko was a pirate captain—he wouldn’t be impressed by a lowly tailor. But the heat in Niko’s eyes the last time they’d met…maybe there was hope. Master Poole kept on talking. All the time, Marius watched the sun drop…

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A Thousand Lifetimes

A Thousand Lifetimes by Kit Campbell   The pathway was long and dark, spiraling into trees that stretched on forever. Snow dusted leaves and grass. Adelia pulled her cloak closer around her shoulders, taking a deep breath, trying to ignore the crunching of running footsteps behind her. “Wait!” Her brother, Charles, slid to a stop, just outside her range of vision. “Please, don’t do this. I don’t mind, really. Come home.” She couldn’t turn to look at him, or the thinness of this place would be lost. Without answering him, she dug into her bag, pulling out a heavy key, blackened with age. Charles sucked in his breath, but he didn’t reach out for her. Adelia reached the key straight out in front of her, holding it steady. Then, she turned it. The door—and it was a door, though she had expected something less definite—swung open without her touching it. Adelia replaced the key in her bag and squared her shoulders. Beyond the door there was more darkness and hints of whispers. A breeze stirred her hair as she took a step closer. “Please,” Charles said, though now he sounded more distant. “Don’t do this.” But she had to. Her brother—her town—depended on it, and she would not allow his sacrifice. Not to the darkness. Not to the madness. It would not be enough. Though she wanted to look back, to assure him that she needed to do this, she knew the rules. And you never looked back. The darkness…

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Sun Touched

Part 4 A free serial set in the Fey Touched universe Get caught up:  Part 1| Part 2 |Part 3 Part 5 DAY 2 — CONTINUED Ry had become a ball of agony, moaning and screaming and swearing. I continued to feel the pull of my healer self, but resisted. I couldn’t take his illness into myself. And he was the enemy…except…he didn’t feel like the enemy anymore. Maybe it was because I’d impersonated his lover, Ava, to give him comfort. Or maybe it was because I felt closer to figuring out a solution. So I was totally unprepared when there was commotion near my cell again. “Ivy!” a familiar voice called. “Where are you?” Several people in leather headed toward me. Hunters wore leather— “Sweet Artemis, it’s you!” I moved up to the bars of my cell and got a good look at who was there. Three people: Jane, my sparring partner; Tanya, our falcon-caller; and Josh, Tanya’s mate. My kin. My tribe. I couldn’t contain my happiness; it was too big for mere flesh. My wings exploded out of my back and Jane laughed. That happened to me sometimes. Okay, fine. It happened more often than not, when I was happy. I made them disappear. “Ivy?” Ry murmured roughly. “What’s—” “It’s my tribe,” I said, glancing his way. “They’ve come to rescue me.” “No! You can’t leave!” “Um, yes—” “He’s right.” The woman who’d been with Ry that first day stepped out of the shadows. Jane palmed her…

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Curiosity Killed the Cat – Part 2

Curiosity Killed the Cat A free fantasy serial by KD Sarge Part 2: Before a Closed Door (Read part 1 here) Jhi Bo heard a muffled shout and just knew it wasn’t the child she sought. It was Srivasi. He’d found trouble again. Somehow. Heaven’s truth, she thought, she should just leave him to the consequences, but she was already running as she thought it. The farm girl saw Jhi Bo running and shouted something, her face joyful, as she ran to intersect her path. Jhi Bo ran past her. The girl’s feet thudded behind her; the goats with their bells trotted after. In the middle of two stone-marked circles—multiple warnings, right there, that this place was important and should be left alone—in a dome of marble and glass surrounded by circles, Jhi Bo found nothing of Srivasi but the fading scent of his fear. The dome was glorious; the floor was smooth dirt, patterned and braided as if a river had run over it. In the center of the room stood a twisted pillar of marble with writing chasing over every surface. To Jhi Bo, it was another warning—probably go away, written in a number of scripts—but she knew it was just the thing to attract foolish Srivasi and his all-devouring curiosity. But then why wasn’t he still poring over it? The girl, Gerda, came into the dome, her eyes on the soaring pillar. The goats, wiser than their human, stayed outside. Gerda said something in a questioning tone. She might…

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Coat of Scarlet: A Clockpunk Tale, Part 2

by Siri Paulson Read Part 1 first! Two days after the visit from the airship pirate, Marius was engrossed in the tiny stitches of a buttonhole when the shop door darkened. There was Niko again, frowning at the vest Marius was holding as if it had personally offended him. Today he wore a blue damask justacorps coat, snug enough through the torso to hint at his muscular shape, then flaring over the hips to end at the knee and show his finely turned legs in their white breeches to best effect. The fabric and cut of the coat were high-quality, Marcus saw, but the gold trim and other finishing details were not nearly as fine as on the coat he had left for mending. “What is that?” the pirate demanded, gesturing elegantly towards the vest. Marius realized he’d been staring. He set his needle hand moving again. “It’s a commission. Something for a party, I understand.” He’d been lucky to get such a complex job. Maybe, just maybe it would lead to more, extravagant outfits with details like cuffs and pleats and lots of fiddly little braids, or even a mantua for a lady, where he could really shine… “And what of my coat?” Marius looked up, blinking as his concentration fell away. Niko looked as imposing as he had the first time they had met, and he moved with an ease that implied that Marius’s stitches on his injury were doing their work well. But something about the way…

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Fireborn Teaser

Hey, this is Erin, and what follows is a teaser from Chapter 1 of Fireborn, our August release. Enjoy!   “I can’t stop thinking about those deaths.” Rick and I were in the car on our way to the veterinarian—an animal doctor—which was what normal cat owners did. Rick figured that Love looked pretty normal, with the exception of her razor-sharp claws and glowing eyes. She managed to dim them for now, and I hoped they’d stay dimmed. Or else we’d have lots of questions to answer. I had been wondering how her general health was. Whether living outside the Underworld had caused any permanent effects. It didn’t seem that way, but what did I know? I was still impressed with indoor plumbing and telephones. Rick glanced at me. “Are you are still being called?” He made a turn to the right. I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just…I want to fix it.” “You can’t fix death, as extraordinary as you are.” He flashed me a grin. “I don’t mean it that way,” I said, watching the scenery pass by. “I meant…change it…no, that’s not it.” I sighed. “This is tough to explain. I want to stop the suicides from happening.” Rick stopped at a red light. “So you do want to help?” “I feel like I should, you know? But this life means that I get to be normal again, and I don’t want to be involved with death anymore. I can’t decide.” My chest constricted. What I didn’t…

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1-800-HAUNTME

by Kit Campbell   Xavier had just connected when Amy burst in, blood staining his hands. “Quick! Do we have any more chickens?” Xavier held up one hand. “Spell out the following,” he instructed into his headset. “Do not seek what is not meant to be known.” A pause. “Yes, I know it’s long. No, I don’t feel like spelling out crushes tonight. Just do it, okay? Hold on.” He pulled the headset off his ears. “How can you be out of chickens already? I gave you five.” “Well, there’s not a lot of blood in a chicken.” Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Are you giving her her schedule again?” “No,” said Amy. “All right, yes. But in my defense, you should see her. She’s a mess. She’d never get to class on time if I didn’t remind her.” “Amy, darling, this is supposed to be a demonic possession. Blood oozing down the mirror spelling out threatening messages. You reminding her to get to her classes is not threatening. And what was it last month? A pick-me-up after a bad date?” “It’s still oozing in blood.” Xavier sighed. “Maybe I’ll give you paint,” he murmured. “Would the difference be obvious?” “Harder to clean,” Amy supplied helpfully. “Maybe a nice dry-erase marker—” Isham popped up from behind Xavier’s desk. “They exorcised me again.” “I am on a call here!” Xavier groaned and picked his headset back up. “Better transfer them to Hezekiah. I’ve got to deal with this. Thanks.”…

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