Disclosure
When Oaknail had said "garage," he wasn't kidding. Just off the extended carport and its modest collection of vehicles, a small building stood, looking equally modest. From the outside, it appeared to be a large two-car garage that might be found in...
The South Tower
I was reluctant to break the spell that Lightwing had woven, as it appeared to affect us both so deeply. It felt good to let the dream wrap around me, to give myself the chance to feel it, to see it through her eyes, to believe in it. That was easier...
The North Tower
I listened to my own words, having to fight the mad desire to laugh at how stupid it sounded. Detective Luton, in the study, with the Sword of Justice. To my own credit, I didn't say that out loud; to their credit, they didn't laugh at the stupid words...
Visitor's Vita
When Lightwing and I got to the den, I half expected to see Rainmist in the same chair I'd seen her in last night, gazing out the window. Tonight, there was no rain to attract her attention, so I wasn't all that surprised to see her in one of the...
Rooibos and Reflection
The stairs from the South Tower weren't as grand as the central stairs up to the living quarters, nor as beautiful as the stairs on the north side, with its warm display of windows. This staircase was as wide as the stairwell on the north, but the...
Epilog -- Famous Last Words
That was more than two years ago now. Much has changed since then, and I thought that I should tell you what's happened. Darkstar informs me that this is called "breaking the fourth wall." That's a construct of narrative, he says. Truthfully, my...
Reunion, Part 3
By the time I'd gotten home that evening, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, like some huge grimy cloak that I couldn't shed or clean off of me. I tried to get rid of it by standing for a long time under the hot spray of my shower; it...
Morning
The precinct had been making changes, although no one knew where the money was coming from. I didn't bother challenging it, since I'd finally been given an office of my own. It reminded me a lot of Chelsea Watson's claustrophobic office at LK&M,...
Recovery
Several minutes had passed as the three of us tried to regain our composure. Lightwing managed to eat, joking weakly that she was rarely so upset that she'd ever miss a meal. We had agreed quickly enough that we needed to keep my bomb from going off...
Homicide Detective
My next genuinely aware thought was that I was being held and rocked, not quite in Heartsinger's lap, still there on the log, the creek and forest still keeping us safe from the rest of the world. I hadn't truly lost consciousness; it was more like I...
Watercourse Way
As the three of us moved toward the front door, I took long, lingering looks at the bunkhouse, wondering, dreaming, thinking of what it might have been like, perhaps even wondering what it might be like now. The main house seemed palatial by...
Bunkhouse Stories
"I thought you were out of town for the weekend," I said, "not that it's not good to meet you." The stallion's smile never wavered. "Not that far out of town, and I very much wanted to meet you as well. After I parked my car, I saw Frank in the...