For Istas—born waheela at the top of the world, where the thaw never comes and the cold needs no name—adjusting to life in Manhattan has been difficult, but worth the struggle. For the first time, she can make her decisions based on what she wants, not what she must do to survive. For Ryan Yukimura, her tanuki boyfriend, this is a welcome change, and one that he's hoping to encourage.
It's really too bad that neither of them could predict that Istas's family would be upset about her disappearance, or that they would have reason to come hunting for her. New York City may be in for an early freeze, and Istas may find that her old life is stronger and more dangerous than her new one could ever hope to be...
"Red as Snow" was originally published in the Fiction River anthology Hex and the City, released in December …
For Istas—born waheela at the top of the world, where the thaw never comes and the cold needs no name—adjusting to life in Manhattan has been difficult, but worth the struggle. For the first time, she can make her decisions based on what she wants, not what she must do to survive. For Ryan Yukimura, her tanuki boyfriend, this is a welcome change, and one that he's hoping to encourage.
It's really too bad that neither of them could predict that Istas's family would be upset about her disappearance, or that they would have reason to come hunting for her. New York City may be in for an early freeze, and Istas may find that her old life is stronger and more dangerous than her new one could ever hope to be...
"Red as Snow" was originally published in the Fiction River anthology Hex and the City, released in December of 2013.