AfteAfterr I lit the wick, the flame bounced around as if it were debating whether or not to go out. I glared at the wayward flame; it recovered quickly, obeyed and began to sway to its own rhythm within the lamp. I closed the lamp feeling proud of myself, and wiped my hands on the apron of my dress. The apron was a recent addition to my wardrobe. If I came home with a soiled dress, Mother would forbid me from accompanying Father again. The thought of what that would do to ou

"Do you ever wonder why the birds fly like that?" Lilly asked, pointing up to the sky. A flock of white dipped and soared overhead. Probably pigeons, Sedric guessed. The two were lying on the hill watching clouds go by like they had when they were youngsters. Sedric chewed on the grass in his mouth for a thoughtful moment and asked, "What do you mean?" The two were an odd pair. Lilly, a noblewoman lying sprawled on the ground in an expensive gown made of fine silk. Sedric, a

Survival. That was my only focus as I drove myself forward through the trees. My survival. Every organism on this planet has a drive to live at any cost. From predators of the north to the parasites that inhabited their hosts. Hell, even sickness and disease had a drive to survive through spreading from host to host. Survival was also driving the humans who were chasing me just now. To them, either they survived, or I survived. So I ran. Eager to prove them wrong. The funny t

How easy it is to disappear into the wilds as a shifter. How easy it is not to be found. Crews combed the area, dogs catching my scent and then losing it again. I was playing with them. I’d always wondered if my scent changed with my form. No one knew what I was. No […]