The collection
Stories
Every story stands alone and ends where it should. Start anywhere.
Borrowed Rain
The rain is exactly what she promised. The kingdom beneath it isn't. To move the storm across the border, a hedge-wizard must sacrifice the land her brother depends on.
The Empty Comb
Every hive erupts. Next door, a man's tools lie abandoned. A beekeeper's helper calls it swarming season—but the bees have left behind something a natural swarm never would.
Patched
The cable reports a successful repair. The handwritten note on its surface says otherwise. Outside an orbital elevator, an inspector must decide what safe actually means.
The Hum of Her Own Number
Maren Kael has spent her life filling every gap with words. As a radio host, silence is failure; as a stenographer, it was a lie.
Hauling the Thaw
Warm air promises a passage beyond the known cave. When the way back collapses, a rescue instructor and her injured trainee face a climb neither can complete alone.
The Van Between Us
One refrigerated van, two competing flower shops, and a spring packed with weddings. Sharing the keys is awkward enough before the rival in the passenger seat becomes someone worth staying parked with.
Eleven Minutes to the Underground Court
Three passengers. Two entries on the manifest. Both escorts have the right credentials, but one intends to kill the witness. The conductor has eleven minutes before the compartment unlocks.
The Bellows and the Flame
Her master's hoard contains no gold—only overdue library books. Now they're drinking the furnace's heat, and a glassblower's apprentice must reckon with the price of returning them.
The Plaster Marrow
The prize marrow has a plaster shell, and its grower wants a rival expelled. Before anyone loses their plot, the new secretary has a few awkward questions about the weigh-in.
