In the dusky predawn, the Carnival changes. The rides speed up. The music turns frantic, and the dancers match the pace. Fairies, earlier drifting and enjoying the sights, clear the rows between tents and stalls as a new crowd strides the carnival grounds ( Read more... )

It's an hour or so to sundown, and the barracks are full of golden sunlight and long slanting shadows. Harry's standing just outside the barracks walls, in one of those patches of deep late afternoon shadow, staring off in the direction of Tempest's castle with an expression most people who know him well would be deeply concerned about.

Harry ( Read more... )

"--something I have to tell you about ( Read more... )

Okay, this?  This was a bad idea.  Unfortunately, this bad idea was already well underway before Tommy realized just how bad it was, which placed him in a pretty awkward position.  So, let's start from the beginning.  As a teenage boy-- well, a geriatric alien in the body of a teenage boy, same difference-- Tommy had a pretty high threshold for ( Read more... )

As dawn approaches in the Wood, something rolls across the landscape like a thunderstorm - it comes with a sense of pressure, a soundless roar that shakes trees and earth briefly before moving on. It may wake some of the newcomers to the Wood in their beds; others may notice it only dimly, roll over, and return to sleep. Whatever it is, it doesn't ( Read more... )

In the middle of the little walled town (it's a quiet village, you know), there is a donkey. Specifically, there is a pissed off donkey that used to be an archangel. Gabriel, to be honest, has had better days. In fact, he'll take getting trapped in a ring of holy fire while simultaneously being blood-bonded to his crazy ex-girlfriend over this any ( Read more... )

It's the early hours of the morning the day after everyone arrives at the barracks. As the sun breaks over the trees and sends scattershot yellow light through the mist that drifts lazily within the barracks grounds, a long brown shape darts between the buildings. It's hard to get a good look at it, quick as it is--three feet of stocky body, ( Read more... )