I guess I should've known something was wrong when they said my oba Mariko died from a heroin overdose. I mean, how many sixty-eight-year-old biology professors do you know who shoot up? With Tamotsu, my aunt's injured baku—yeah, a real dream-eating creature from Japanese mythology—and Rosalene, a surprisingly helpful nightmare-eating mære, I find myself diving into a world of immortals and ancient beings I never knew existed. From the Spanish moss-draped oaks of Florida to the moonlit Appalachians, I'm tracking down my aunt's killer. But revenge is a funny thing when you're dealing with gods of sleep and mythological creatures. Sometimes vengeance isn't what you need to heal, even if you're a mountain lion shifter who could rip someone's throat out. Trust me, I learned that lesson the hard way.

"Poppies"

by Ashlea Adams