Acrid smoke stings my nose. It’s the battlefield’s hot breath of relief. I’ve accomplished what I set out to — retribution.
They thought they won, but their hatred created a hatred in me. Now they get to experience it firsthand. May this be a lesson for all in the future: if you cross me, I will destroy everything you ever had.
Boiling, chaotic rage churns my stomach. A battle cry to my left r...
“You do know I have to ride the dragon too?” The examiner looks like he’s been working all night long — exhausted, grumpy, and already regretting this.
Puny human will roast alive before his pudgy bottom graces my scales.
“Right!” My face flushes. “Pickles will let you on. No problem.” I pat her rather aggressively.
You say no problem. You don’t have to carry that donkey.
When I was younger, my Nona’s cabin in the woods gave me the creeps. Fog lingered in the yard, and shadows danced even on cloudy days. But it was the trees that hummed like something unseen was nearby that set me on edge.
Nona loved it. Inside was chaos wrapped in charm — plants spilling over counters, candles melted to stubs, and cookbooks stained and stacked li...
“I’m worried you’ll forget me.” I bury my face into his neck.
Easing me out of our embrace, he wipes away the tear that escaped my eye with his thumb. His smile isn’t mocking — it’s warm, comforting, and somehow brighter than the fear in my chest.
“What if you forget what I sound like?” My voice wavers.
“I’ll call your phone every night. And when you don’t answer, your voicemail will soothe me...
James sits at his desk, leg bouncing. When the phone finally rings, he’s halfway through the door. His hello is a sigh of relief.
Tall enough for pro ball, built like ambition in a tailored suit — James walks like the sidewalk was made just for him. One woman thought she could climb him like a tree. But James sees himself as a short man, capable of being taller.
Tate has been my friend and coworker for all of two weeks. I couldn’t tell you his real name, if his face had surgery or not, or if his style is his or a chance to throw me off his true self. I know nothing real from the man I call Tate — except his stories.
Those have a weight of truth so heavy, I’ll be forced to leave them behind forever. Today will b...
Silver threads pulse beneath the ground, guiding me toward the Thalrix, a gnarl of teeth and claws that slips between realms like a whisper.
Wind whips my hair free from its tie.
I am a breath of air, racing through the forest after the creature who stole from me. The leaves pulse with green thread energy, lighting my path. It smells cold, alive, and elect...
Most people see Theo Blake as the grumpy bookstore owner downtown — but they’re addicted to his shop. The atmosphere is cozy and warm, the coffee tastes like the perfect morning cup, and the books are everything you could hope for.
Maggie Bloom is the divorced new hire navigating a mid life crisis in her late twenties. She names her plants after authors and dog-ears her paperbacks. Maggie is the...
