Embracing the Flames: Uncollected Anthology, #28

By Dayle A. Dermatis

In late-1800s Portland, Oregon, eight-year-old Mae loses her mother. The only thing left: a leather-bound old book filled with indecipherable text.

 

When a mysterious man from her mother's past appears, Mae learns about the fiery power she contains.

 

Now she must learn to control the flames before disaster strikes….

 

A magical historical story set in the exciting Portland Hedgewitches universe!

 

"Embracing the Flames" is part of Uncollected Anthology, Volume 28: Unexpected Histories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Soul's Road Press
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201430023

Dayle A. Dermatis

Dayle A. Dermatis is the author or coauthor of many novels (including snarky urban fantasies Ghosted and the forthcoming Shaded and Spectered) and more than a hundred short stories in multiple genres, appearing in such venues as Fiction River, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and DAW Books.Called the mastermind behind the Uncollected Anthology project, she also guest edits anthologies for Fiction River, and her own short fiction has been lauded in many year's best anthologies in erotica, mystery, and horror.She lives in a book- and cat-filled historic English-style cottage in the wild greenscapes of the Pacific Northwest. In her spare time she follows Styx around the country and travels the world, which inspires her writing.To find out where she’s wandered off to (and to get free fiction!), check out DayleDermatis.com and sign up for her newsletter or support her on Patreon.* * *I value honest feedback, and would love to hear your opinion in a review, if you’re so inclined, on your favorite book retailer’s site.* * *For more information:www.dayledermatis.com

Book preview

Embracing the Flames

EMBRACING THE FLAMES

UNCOLLECTED ANTHOLOGY 28: UNEXPECTED HISTORIES

DAYLE A. DERMATIS

Soul’s Road Press

CONTENTS

About This Book

Embracing the Flames

Uncollected Anthology

Ghosted

Chapter 1

About the Author

Also by Dayle A. Dermatis

Be the First to Know!

ABOUT THIS BOOK

In late-1800s Portland, Oregon, eight-year-old Mae loses her mother. The only thing left: a leather-bound old book filled with indecipherable text.

When a mysterious man from her mother’s past appears, Mae learns about the fiery power she contains.

Now she must learn to control the flames before disaster strikes….

A historical story set in the exciting Portland Hedgewitches universe!

Protected in Every Way is part of Uncollected Anthology 28: Unexpected Histories.

Praise for Dayle A. Dermatis

Dermatis has a love of lush language….

– Tangent Online

EMBRACING THE FLAMES

A HISTORICAL PORTLAND HEDGEWITCHES STORY

Mae’s mother died when Mae was eight years old.

The evening after she was laid to rest in River View Cemetery, Mae eased out of her bed and past her sleeping nanny, and made her way down the two flights of stairs. Her fingers slipped from one hand-carved baluster to the next, touching the ornate bumps of cinnamon-colored wood, the same wood that made up the beadboard along the wall, and the stairs themselves, and indeed most of the house.

Then she padded across the cold foyer in her bare feet, wearing only a lace-edged, white linen nightgown, her hair in plaits for sleeping, to her father’s study.

She’d loved her mother very much, and her stomach was twisted and aching from sadness.

She barely knew her father, a man who seemed impossibly large, with mutton chops that framed a mouth that she’d never seen smile. She knew he was an important man—a lumber man—and that they lived in their big house with a tower on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon, because of his business.

Even still, she loved him, and although she loved her nanny, too, in a different way, right now she needed the comfort of family.

She crept up to the doorway and peered around it.

The beadboard and picture rail were the same warm cinnamon-colored wood as the rest of the house, and the walls were painted a dark red above, the color of the wine her parents sometimes drank with dinner. Bookcases filled with leather-bound books lined the room, the gaslight reflecting off the glass fronts.

Her father sat in an armchair by the fireplace, not at his desk. He’d loosened his tie and unbuttoned his coat. Mae had never seen him like that before. The fire had burned down, sending more pungent smoke into the air than heat, but he didn’t look as if he’d called for someone to