Header Background Image

    103 Results in the "Burned Cover" category


    • Chapter

      08 – The Dragon and the Fire

      08 – The Dragon and the Fire Cover
      by Tower Curator “The Sears Tower?” Erika stared up at the tallest building in Chicago with a heavy frown on her face. Of course, the shadowy organization that ran the entire city made its headquarters in the most prominent building around. She should have guessed. Headed by someone who called herself The Emperor, Erika could just picture her standing with her arms clasped behind her back, staring out over her city. “The Willis Tower, technically,” The Art said, turning the large SUV down into a sub-level…
    • Chapter

      07 – i – The Mind

      07 – i – The Mind Cover
      by Tower Curator The massive man, suspended on wires and chains within a fragile glass cube, itself suspended over a bottomless pit leading to the depths of The Castle’s asylum, turned his head the moment The Mind looked in on him. He always did. Most of his bones were still broken, and enough sedatives to kill an elephant coursed through his veins, and still… he knew. The Mind held his gaze a moment longer than was comfortable, then looked away. The rest of The Castle required attention. The corridors of The…
    • Chapter

      06 – Haunted

      06 – Haunted Cover
      by Tower Curator Erika strolled into Varn’s Friday evening, glancing behind her every few steps for any sign of pursuers. Her eyes found every reflective surface, every glimmer of movement, and every flutter of white cloth. She slipped past the sparse crowd and, with nothing more than a wave to Daniel as he manned the arcade’s prize counter, barged into the back room. Glassware rattled on the table as she clapped her hands to its surface. Sofia, present for once, jolted back in surprise. Rick and Anna turned away from…
    • Chapter

      05 – Family Matters

      05 – Family Matters Cover
      by Tower Curator “Adjustment!” Erika said, surprised with herself at being happy to see the spider-woman. Maybe it was that The Adjustment had come down to Varn’s on her own. If The Eclipse was pissed off about the whole maggot thing or the bird thing or The Puppet thing, they probably would have shown up in force, rather than just sending their usual liaison. That meant good things for The Hunters. “Agent,” The Adjustment grumbled, pushing right past Erika into Varn’s back office. She dragged out a chair…
    • Chapter

      20 – The Cult of the Dead God

      20 – The Cult of the Dead God Cover
      by Tower Curator Erika sat in the rear seat of The Warrior’s enchanted van, glowering out the window as they traveled away from the bird city, back toward the long, black cobblestone bridge. “Am I the only one who thinks we shouldn’t be headed toward the giant monster chained up under a bridge?” The Stalker asked, echoing Erika’s thoughts. Nothing about the situation felt good to Erika, but she didn’t exactly have better ideas. They were headed back to where Erika found herself after appearing in this…
    • Chapter

      03 – Not So Dangerous Anymore

      03 – Not So Dangerous Anymore Cover
      by Tower Curator “Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is the most haunted graveyard in the world?” Erika read off her phone. “I find that hard to believe.” “Why not?” Daniel asked, sitting alongside Erika in the back seat of Rick’s new van. “It’s a creepy old graveyard.” “It isn’t that old,” Erika corrected, reading from the article. “The first burial was apparently in 1844, not even two hundred years ago. Pick a random graveyard in Europe and I bet they’re older than this place.” Leslie,…
    • Chapter

      02 – Flying High

      02 – Flying High Cover
      by Tower Curator “The Terminator didn’t follow you into the future,” Erika said, not as a question, but as a simple statement. She was willing to admit that most of the fight sounded confusing, but she got that part of it. “I don’t believe it can. At least not to the same extent that I am able.” Erika drew in a deep, slow breath as she took in The Fixer’s recounting of their fight with the clockwork angel. Having seen The Fixer’s full robot form in action against Jack, she was surprised they would…
    • Chapter

      01 – Flipping the Narrative

      01 – Flipping the Narrative Cover
      by Tower Curator “I’m standing here live in Millennium Park, where crowds have gathered behind police barricades around The Bean. This is one of several locations in Chicago and its surrounding area where what can only be described as enormous, metallic-feathered birds have taken up a perch.” Erika paused, dropping a heavy weight, as she watched the camera pan off the reporter. The curved chrome of The Bean reflected dozens of people gathered around the artistic sculpture, all holding phones up to record. As the…
    • Chapter

      29 – i – Outside Context Problem

      29 – i – Outside Context Problem Cover
      by Tower Curator Reality fractured, splitting apart at the seams. It began at the macro level, with large, whole objects. The old motel’s walls shuddered as paint bubbled and peeled away in slow-motion waves. Windows melted like wax, glass pooling on the sills before the windowsills cracked and split into thousands of identical fragments. The bed elongated, stretching to fill the room even as the legs twisted and knotted together like tree roots seeking water. Light itself bent, creating pockets of blinding white…
    • Chapter

      28 – Comprehending the Incomprehensible

      28 – Comprehending the Incomprehensible Cover
      by Tower Curator “She’s still breathing—” “Get her inside, quickly!” “Rick, get me the first aid kit. Sofia, find clean towels.” “On it.” Leslie swept his arms over the table in Varn’s back room, knocking aside stuffed animals, party balloons, and packs of trading cards destined for the prize counter. Erika’s hands shook around Delilah’s shoulders as she helped Anna lift the girl up. The metal creaked under Delilah’s weight, and a few stray cards fluttered to the floor; Erika barely…
    Note