“As Tight as Any Knot”

Ondrakja had a sharp eye for valuable things. A handkerchief of fine lace from southern Vraszan. An inlaid ivory snuffbox. A purse fat with coins and left too vulnerable, ready to nick off a man’s belt while he was distracted.

A girl begging on the corner of the Uča Idvo.

The world Alyc Helms and I have designed for the Rook and Rose trilogy is so rich, it seemed a shame to only use it for one purpose! With Alyc’s permission, I’ve written an independent short story that takes place a little over ten years before The Mask of Mirrors. It came out from Beneath Ceaseless Skies in January 2021!