Finally!
At long last, the finish line is in sight. The third volume in the Graylands saga, THE GRAY KINGS, is coming soon!
As we approach its release, I’ll be posting previews and other updates.
Let’s start with a returning character, the reluctant demon Lily Blackthorn, as she hunts under less-than ideal conditions….
The sign in front read: MAUDE’S STOPOVER.
It stood alone on the side of the road—a simple, one-story structure of brick and wood with an arched roof. Smoke floated from the stone chimney in the center, almost invisible in the storm. Behind it was an open field that had become an ocean of snowy dunes leading to denuded trees. The road before it curved down the hill leading to Abbey, which twinkled through the haze like stars beyond the clouds.
Inside, Maude—a middle-aged and heavyset woman with bushy hair—busied herself ensuring her patrons were warm and comfortable. The way-station wasn’t a tavern, yet it offered food and drinks. It wasn’t a shop, but there were supplies for sale. Not an inn, but spare cots were available for rest. Given how bad the blizzard had gotten, and with Abbey still a mile or so away, her Stopover stood as a welcome shelter from the storm.
The demon sat on the wooden fence outside, like a crow on its perch, and watched the way-station with glowing red eyes. Snow swirled around her in the droning wind, though the occasional gust became a whining howl that made her coat billow like a cloak. A veil of frost formed over her ash-gray hair, and with every breath, a cloud of steam wafted from her mouth. Despite her outwardly human form, the cold didn’t affect the demon. She was in her element.
She was hunting.
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M. Walsh 