all things fiction

/allthingsfiction. Accidental Intrigue podcast (https://accidentalintrigue.com). Furtive Khan novels (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CB6H3SH). @carboncopy-refi.

The temple bell rang six times. Alexander brushed the last of the fallen leaves into a pile he'd been making for the past hour. His breath misted in the cold November air. He left his rake by the Keyaki tree and hurried to where the others were already gathered for morning prayers. No heads turned as he sat at the back on the tatami mat floor. The monks had ignored him since he turned up at their hillside retreat seeking sanctuary. It was only the temple's master who showed any concern for his well-being and permitted him to stay provided he worked from dawn to dusk for little more than a straw bed and a few bowls of rice and steamed vegetables each day.

He heard them chanting but his mind was elsewhere. Five thousand miles and one hundred and thirty-seven years presented no barriers to a woman so hell-bent on revenge she'd sold her precious soul to the prince of darkness himself. He'd escaped but he was still running. It was only a matter of time before trouble showed up.

Writing sci-fi stories and other things too: markmcclure.xyz Casting in the word shallows.