Not being at work first thing on Monday morning felt like a step down a path I did not want to take. Abuela’s path. “You must take care of this,” she’d told me. “Of him.”

Well, screw that.

XIX. Blackreach and Blacker Hearts

The moth’s carcass smouldered, wings fused to a cigarette butt like a failed origami angel. Evelyn traced the curve of Georgia’s hip, her touch tender as a grease fire. For three breaths, the room held still—the kind of quiet that lives between a trigger pull and the bullet’s verdict.

Persuaded
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Lord Brett Sinclair drove his Aston Martin up to the front portico of the Hotel Barrière Le Majestic in Cannes and threw the keys to the valet, Maurice.

“Welcome back, Lord Sinclair,” said Maurice, opening the door for the British peer, a regular visitor in the past

This world features a blue sky, and an atmosphere I eventually learned is similar to Earth’s. And there are people who look... not quite human. I was reminded of the term “uncanny valley.”

After flubbing a powerful incantation, meant to give newly coronated Demon Queens the wisdom of their ancestors, Devilla Satanne awakens to memories of her past life as Jacob Divington, a human from Earth. Having gained a new perspective on life, she quickly comes to a rather horrifying conclusion: she's been a complete and utter brat! No wonder everyone hates her!

And then there's the fact that she's apparently been reincarnated as the villainess of Tower Conquest, a lesbian porn game with a surprisingly intricate plot. One in which the Heroine conquers Dimona Tower, turning Devilla's people against her in the process. In victory, the Heroine brings about a glorious age of peace between demons and humans for the first time in millennia. ...Which actually sounds pretty good for her people, come to think of it. Devilla knows her terrible behavior is beyond forgiveness, but maybe she can still make up for her past mistakes? She just needs to make sure the events of the game unfold correctly. Though there is one little detail she'd like to change - the part where Devilla herself is killed or enslaved!

The series cover was commissioned from https://twitter.com/HaizeUqei

Author's Note: There is sex in this story. Some of it is explicitly described. I've seen folks post in the comments of other stories they were surprised or unhappy with this. Be forewarned.

The ongoing trials and tribulations of Ronin Kassius as he assumes the identity of Isabel val Sanreal and returns to Ar Telica City. Having survived the encounter with the Gun Queen of Ar Telica, Ronin returns to Ar Telica and begins his/her new dual life as Isabel val Sanreal, illegitimate daughter of the uber rich Sanreal Family, and as the Gun Princess, Mirai, an artificially created entity with preternatural abilities.

Chapter 2: Questions

Chapter 13: Facing the Music

The afternoon sun blazed down, shimmering off the surface of the pool as Yuqi floated lazily on her back, trying to relax. The water was cool and inviting, a stark contrast to the heat of the day. Kelly swam laps nearby, occasionally splashing Yuqi for no reason other than to be annoying. The day had been quiet, the kind of peace Yuqi knew wouldn’t last forever.

This is an alternate take on Dawning... Or How I Survived a Plane Crash, Sort Of which is the same up to the kiss. If you have just read that story, you can skip down three or four pages (to “kiss a boy”) and pick up how this version goes.

The darkness never changes, but sometimes it smells different. After 400 years, whether my eyes are open or closed matters because it’s how I communicate. One if by land, two if I see….

PART FIVE
LUCY/1960s YVES SAINT LAURENT