Dr. Fraiser pushed them hard. Derrick had never pulled so many all-nighters in his life. He fell asleep for a few hours at a time on the student lounge couch and woke up to work again. It wasn’t just the artifacts that had them struggling; they had to write an analysis and review all the ...

Sigrid was pale against the pillows. Ingrid patted the sweat from her face while the midwife carted away bloody rags and sheets. This one was the daughter of the last midwife they’d consulted. She’d arrived, saying her mother was ill and couldn’t make it, took one look at Sigrid, and explained she was much further ...

Rionan bowed her head for the end of Mass prayer. She tried to conceal her sneer when Gunnar did the same in the front pew. This was the third Mass she had to endure seeing him at. Each time, his demeanor was quiet, and he dressed in solemn colors. Once the bruises had faded, he’d ...

Derrick clutched the game piece and context information in one hand as they waved goodbye to Ira and Callum and headed toward the bus stop.  “Dr. Fraser will not believe this,” Kally whistled. “A mystery that predates the first millennium being solved by yours truly.”  The bench sat in a puddle of white light, and ...

They boarded a small ship on the beaches near Ingrid’s family house. Sigrid and Rionan sat aboard deck and held tight while Ingrid, Helgi, and Bo threw their weight at shoving the stout frame into the water. The sand crunched and shifted beneath their feet. Foam and cold seawater dribbled into their shoes, but the ...

Rionan was assisting her father when Ingrid returned. She stopped in the doorway, confused at the sight of two heads, the first covered in a helmet of red hair and the other blond and balding, leaning together in stilted discussion over something Rionan held gingerly between her fingers. “Curve here?” the girl asked. “Bead have ...

Being able to get the thoughts and feelings that were running through my head on paper was exhilarating. The weight that settled on my chest lifted. I could breathe again, if only slightly better. My mind allowed me to sleep peacefully for the first night in a good long while. I never knew how much ...

Standing here in my room, I wondered what I was going to do next. It was clear that someone on this ship was attempting to take care of me. I would thank whoever it was. I needed to; it was the only thing that made this situation more bearable. Politeness and tolerance would get me ...

I must have dozed off because when I awoke next, there were things in the room with me. Lying at the foot of the bed was a set of towels and wash rags — all in a beautiful ice blue. On top were soap, shampoo, and various other items, I would need to clean up ...