A short story involving: A faithful servant and an unexpected errand, a savage mount and a long ride…and a secret rendezvous at the end. What is the difference between servant, slave, and pawn? And can one hope for anything better?

Running for his life, a shape-shifting soldier finds sanctuary with a family, but for how long? Will they keep his secret, or betray him?

A short story concerning a ferocious storm and a frightened kitten meet a wizard who’s lost his cat. Will he grant his new foundling a place in his heart, or choose to live without?

Being a bodyguard isn’t easy, not even when you’re the seventh son in a long line of seventh sons, not even when the magic comes when you call—and especially not when the man you are protecting is a treacherous, lecherous spoilt son of wealth and privilege, who betrays you for a pretty girl. Taken by the garitzik, Seppelitus must extricate himself from a deal between gargoyles, ogres and a demon lord, and then there’s the dragon. What in all the worlds is he going to do about that?

A dark fantasy short story concerning invasion, nationhood, and mercy in disguise. A story for the troops, and a history revealed…but what significance does it have for the battle to come?

Science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, speculative fiction and a touch of horror, this collection plays with just about every genre, touching on everything from dragons to mermaids and pixies to zombies and trolls, this collection has a little bit of everything to share.3RD EDITION NOTE: This edition is a renewed version of Editions 1 and 2, with the main changes being the new cover, new front and back matter, extensive re-paragraphing, Americanization of...

A short story about what happens when a psionic child dreams of shadow, and wakes screaming about ‘many-legged ones,’ ex-Earth Captain Felicity Jones hasn’t a clue what she means—but the lizardine do. An ancient enemy has risen, and they need an ancient ally, but whether or not that ally will reach them in time, is something they cannot know for sure.

A dark, science-fiction short story“They’re just kids,” he said.“You won’t need your blaster,” he said…“It’ll be easy…”Half a dozen kids on a starship to nowhere good, with some unauthorised passengers on board? Not my definition of easy—but now I had to get my stowaways home in one piece.Easy. Right?Right, Mack?

An urban fantasy short story involving: a treacherous colleague, a mistake not my own, but laid at my door, my job in jeopardy…and a dragon I’d thought a figment of my imagination. So what does happen when there really is a dragon in my corner?

I ran away from home to find a better life—not be forced into one. You can call me picky, but a girl likes to be asked if she wants to work for you, not coerced—and Odyssey should know better. Now, I have to find a way to kick free—of Odyssey, and my trainer, Mack—without getting myself killed. Surviving the mission is just the first step. Getting out from under, that’s gonna take some doing.

Bite his friend—and be branded a criminal—or let his friend die, it’s a decision that has Oliver and Lewis running for their lives—and not just from the Lunar One Justiciars. The job went south, their client wants them to join up or die…and their target is out to get their data back—along with a side of revenge. With bounty hunters on their tails, Oliver and Lewis make for the shelter of lupari territory, but will the space wolves take in two stray weres, or will they turn them over for th...

Pixies, trolls and urban policing, things got interesting when the Otherworld renewed its connection to ours. A new suite of crimes sprang into existence overnight…and a new breed of officer had to be found to combat them. This volume brings together all the stories, so far published, of the officers in the Paranormal Operations Squad…and the world in which they strive to maintain the peace.