Fiction
The Broken Word – Part 4
Elira’s voice had returned, but the power it carried was no longer hers alone. Each syllable of the Binding Tongue pulsed with a second heartbeat—Marrek’s influence embedded like a splinter beneath the skin of her magic. Her speech wavered between liberation and control, and though she stood stronger now, every invocation whispered danger.
By Richard Bailey9 months ago in Chapters
A memory
It was Psychosabbath. Katina had woken up early to attend the church service. She and her sister Despina had gathered the day before to prepare the offerings. But no blessing or prayer from a priest can ease the pain. It's been four years since her son, her pride, was lost at sea. Charalambos—her Bambis, as she called him—was lost. Lost, not dead. It’s easier for a mother to be told her child has died than that he is missing.
By Foteini Tzouveleki9 months ago in Chapters
Businesswoman Chapter 126
Loreen sat back in her chair at her apartment in downtown Wilmington. The socials all showed the pictures of the venue where she was supposed to speak. The newscasters offered sobering facts but no solid leads to who placed the threat.
By Skyler Saunders9 months ago in Chapters
The Broken Word – Part 3
The route to the Thorned Archive’s remnants lay through the Hollowwood—a forest not mapped by any cartographer still in possession of their sanity. Trees grew in spirals, bark blackened with old warding runes, and fog clung low to the mossy ground like breath that wouldn’t leave.
By Richard Bailey9 months ago in Chapters
Businesswoman Chapter 125
Dampness covered the ground around Loreen’s house. She looked at the raindrops falling to the ground. A speaking engagement meant she would step forth through the elements. She affixed a broach to her lapel that looked like a jade scorpion.
By Skyler Saunders9 months ago in Chapters
The Broken Word – Part 2
The mountain trail that led to the Oathkeeper’s Grave was older than memory and twice as bitter. Vaelin led the way, his boots crunching over frostbitten pine needles. The path narrowed along a steep ridge where ancient prayer flags fluttered from twisted branches—most had rotted into shreds, their sigils faded by wind and time. The forest here was silent. Not dead, but listening.
By Richard Bailey9 months ago in Chapters
Businesswoman Chapter 124
The cleaner, lubricant, and preservative (CLP) oozed out onto the surface of the stainless steel firearm. Loreen’s sure hand and careful eye ensured that the weapon would be completely free from dirt, dust, and sand. She brushed with vigor and wiped with ease.
By Skyler Saunders9 months ago in Chapters
The Pale Thorn Pact - Part 5
The city of Calvenholde was silent beneath a veil of mist. The frost still clung to its rooftops, and the river had not yet thawed from the long winter. Morning light filtered weakly through the clouded sky, catching on spires, chimneys, and copper-burnished watchtowers. It was a city old enough to have forgotten half its sins and rich enough to bury the rest.
By Richard Bailey9 months ago in Chapters
