“Miss Grant?” The blue suited man ducked into the office. Sydney scraped off her goggles, knocking over a row of beakers. White vapor plumed. She lunged for the bucket of water in the corner and doused the spill. The man tiptoed back as streams raced for his shoes. Sydney sighed. “Need something, sir?” “Was this […]

“Orland found her in the Outback Rocks.” The words always burrowed under Annie’s skin like poisoned roots. Tanner Village spread below her, a handful of humped houses and a blacksmith’s forge. What origin could they boast? Her thoughts sank the closer she came. Her produce basket cut into her elbow. If she and Orland could […]

Another thud shook the roof. Lillian jumped and spilled scalding tea on her knee. “If that horse does not settle down in one minute—” Mam popped her pricked finger into her mouth, clutching Lillian’s torn shirt with the other. “It’s a winter horse, Mam. It doesn’t know how to stand still.” “Tell me again why […]

“And it wasn’t here last night?” Iggy leaned closer, her breath fogging the glass orb. “No. The Christmas lantern ran out of batteries, so I took it off the hook. When I brought it out this morning…” She gestured to the ornament swaying gently from a length of white ribbon. “Those are the tiniest plants […]