Tag: Cian

Representation – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“You did threaten to dissolve your last attorney.” Winter kept digging in her large, pale denim hobo bag without looking up. The occasional soft chink of thick glass tapping glass rose from the wide opening, the sweet tones of steel striking steel. Something was loose down there. Wonderful. If this kept up, she’d have to go back to the purple bag. But to start, how could a stack of folders that thick go missing in here? There were two full surgical kits, not to mention the complete stock of medical potions, for heaven’s sake. “That’s not how I’d put it.” Read More …

Kissing – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Cian loved these early mornings with Winter, when the house was quiet, and it was just the two of them, the scent of rising bread, and the constant warmth of the English stove taking the chill off the predawn air. They would talk about the day, sometimes work on replenishing Winter’s stocks, and inevitably practice Cian’s favorite new skill, kissing Winter. Soon the house would wake—Etienne heading out to the forge, Noel needing to be fed and changed, Jessie getting ready for school, and Alerich and Fitz possibly pouring themselves into bed, still buzzed, from a long night talking literature Read More …

Be Mine – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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The February wind chased Cian across the wind-chilled patio concrete and back into the house. He closed the sliding-glass door against the onslaught and set his covered basket of fresh cuttings from the winter garden on the table, tickling little Noel’s toes with cold fingers and eliciting a squeal of delight from the baby. He shrugged out of his coat and draped it across the back of a chair, stooping to kiss his son’s round cheek, then straightening and crossing to the big island counter to lay a kiss on the back of Winter’s neck. “I think I got everything.” Read More …

Monster – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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He was coming back. Jessie whimpered and bit her lip, hating the sound for making her look weak and vulnerable. Of course, she was vulnerable, hanging from the chain in the vineyard’s barn. Helpless against the cuts and blows the red-headed freak was inflicting on her. Her body was tender with fresh bruises and sticky with drying blood. She was dizzy and exhausted, her throat raw from screaming, and her arms trembling where the chain held her upright. She had no idea how long she had been here. Less than a day but far too long already. Winter would come Read More …

Special Delivery – A Books of Binding Short Story

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Cian woke in the dark to an urgent rapping on his bedroom door. Winter’s low voice carried through the wood. “Cian, we’re on.” Cian sat up in bed, trying to parse that. On? On what? English wasn’t his first language and sometimes idioms — he hoped it was an idiom — tripped him up. He pulled his jeans on and made his groggy way across the spacious room to find Winter on the other side of his door, dressed in her usual loose dress and cardigan, her purple bag over her shoulder and her surgical bag heavy in her hand. Read More …

Social Climbing – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Jessie set two overly full fountain drinks on the small table and flopped down into the empty chair. “Rock climbing is thirsty work.” Cat Chen, her new friend from Seahaven Academy of the Arts, smiled around her straw and took a long drink as she adjusted her harness. “Fun though.” Jessie took several long swallows and nodded. “I’m glad we did this today. It’s been a rough month, and like half my house is in mourning. I feel bad for them and everything, it’s just…” “A little much sometimes?” “Yeah, a lot much sometimes. It’s good to get out of Read More …

A Midwinter Night’s Reading – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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A warm glow peeked out from under the Mulcahy Library doors and Cian smiled. Rick must be up late again. He had only been here at Mulcahy House a couple of weeks, but already it felt like he belonged in the Library. The House felt happier with him in there. Cian backtracked through the dining room and butler’s pantry into the kitchen and heated milk for cocoa. Rick had a sweet tooth, Cian had discovered, and would surely welcome a warm, sugary drink on this chilly January night. Though it wasn’t nearly as cold as last January had been in Read More …

Epiphany – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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Fire and chaos sluiced from Winter’s thin body down the shower drain, the remains of the vineyard that they had left burning in their wake. The humans could not be allowed to find evidence of the demons who had hunted them through the winter-dry vines, no evidence of the murders that had been committed in the night. No evidence that magic was real and would eat them in the dark. As soon as she shut off the water to the shower, Winter heard Etienne’s voice coming from her bedroom across the hall. She twisted the excess water from her white, Read More …

News About Book Three and a Sale

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Greetings from all of us at Team Lowan. We have been on an extended hiatus dealing with a health problem but are on the mend and nearly back to full speed. We are hard at work on the third book in our Books of Binding series, Beneath a Stone Sky. At this point we are expecting book three to release in early 2020. We are very excited about this book. Many of you have been asking when you’ll see more of Etienne and Cian – you don’t have much longer to wait. We are thrilled to delve deeper into Etienne’s Read More …

Personal – A Books of Binding Flash Fiction

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“I don’t have this recipe. Are you sure this is right?” Winter frowned as she seeped magic into the thickening crimson liquid while she stirred with her focus object, a graceful oaken spoon thickly engraved with spell glyphs inherited from her great-grandmother. The nascent potion—poison?—had little odor, but the color just looked… malevolent. “Yes. Just keep pouring in power. It’s just about there.” Elspeth picked up her own focus object, a large silver spoon with glyphs elegantly engraved over the handle following the art deco pattern of polished and unpolished metal and began tapping it in a rapid pattern on Read More …

Lelia – A Books of Binding Short Story

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Lelia did not remember much about the night she met Jeremy Moore. She remembered going to the club, Fever, in Midtown. She remembered drinking, but not that much because they were overpriced and not that awesome. She hadn’t been looking to hook up. She’d just wanted to dance and celebrate her new job, and mentally flip her parents off for their snotty attitude about her dropping out of college. She didn’t need a liberal arts education to be successful, no matter what they said. She remembered seeing Jeremy watching her from the other end of the bar… and then she Read More …