Fiction:
"Birthing Kings," by Tricia Urlaub
Kings reside in the basement, drawing their nourishment from leftovers and the sounds of lovemaking. That is, after all, how they were born: through the lust of Amy and Greg, neighbors, married but not to one another. And now to only keep them quiet, hidden, secret. And nourished.
"The Treasurer Spirit," by Lisa Mantchev
The Treasurer Spirit is said to protect all miners in the salt mine from collapses. Eva, dressed in lace and floating her way toward an elegant dinner party, coughing blood into a linen handkerchief, finds the Treasurer Spirit can be credited for far more than only this.
"The God at Ixtlan del Rio," by Richard Harland
Martin isn't like the other tourists, and the historical site of Ixtlan del Rio strikes him quite fascinating. A temple that had been built for a Mexican god and another had arrived. A humorous idea at first but then -- what god had come to take shelter?
"While Thy Book Doth Live," by T.K. Kolden
Vacation. Husband & wife. Rented Mercedes. Rain-slicked road. Minor collision. Shelter from the weather in an old, strange bookshop. Entire stock printed-in-house. The smell of a wood fire, the feel of dozens of thoughtful eyes.
"The Dust Season," by Andersen Prunty
The caravan -- freak show -- moved from east to west, Bradley trapped in its core. He had once been the show's psychic. But they'd needed something new. A real money-maker. And despite his talents, he hadn't seen them coming.
"Return on the Downward Road," by Sonya Taaffe
Jena seeks the Scholomance, the Black School, the Devil's School. Ten scholars every term, and the Devil keeps the hindmost. Will it reveal itself to her? Will she recognize it when it does? And what of those who feel the Devil's very grasp as they struggle for release into the sunlight?
Poetry:
"An Explanation," by Elizabeth Penrose
Splitting their hulls to let us out unharmed.
"Understanding," by Julie Shiel
She holds rituals by moonlight
"The Word," by James R. Cain
ears to hear the angels weep
Artwork:
Arthur Davis Broughton (Cover)
Cynthia Rudzis ("Birthing Kings")
Eric Asaris ("The Treasurer Spirit")
A.R. Hall ("The God at Ixtlan del Rio" & "The Dust Season")
Marcia A. Borell ("While Thy Book Doth Live")
Russell Dickerson ("Return on the Downward Road")
