Madame Stepmother, the old miser, threw a dinner party—hoping that someone might take a liking to her pale daughters. But everything went awry: the young Marquis Boulea got drunk and challenged Baron Eggers to a duel—or rather, a brawl. That’s when things got out of hand, right there in the kitchen. The marquis hit the…
In the small pizzeria, the air is filled with the scent of delicate dough, freshly formed under the tanned hands of François. He cheated on his wife with a blonde flight attendant from Los Angeles. His wife kicked him out, and François has spent his nights at work for the past three weeks. It’s a…
Sometimes Queen Elisabella imagined her own death. Someone would rush to the Council of Sages with breathless news that “the Loncon Monster” had perished barely a month short of coming of age. The Sages, of course, would panic and squabble, chins wobbling, sleeves flapping, debating what this meant for the Empire—and more importantly, for themselves.But…
In the old part of Lonkon, there’s an eerie place known as the Witches’ Staircase. An ancient tower once stood there, but now all that remains are a few worn steps and a wall that looks like a broken fang. Every year, after the winter rains, the wall crumbles more and more. So, the city…
