Mourning Cloak (10 page)

“Why did you save
me
?” I counter.

She doesn’t even think about it. “Because you are worth saving.”

And I say, “So are you.”

This story owes its existence to a butterfly.

On a family hike one May, we saw dozens of lovely, unknown butterflies. They had dark wings, with bluish spots and cream edgin a g. Being the kind of person who carries an Audubon field guide to every encounter with nature, I looked them up.

They were mourning cloaks, and my muse insisted that there was a story in the name.

My muse was right.

Butterflies inspired
Mourning Cloak
, but other people also had a hand in shaping it. Many thanks go out to Jo Anderton and Robin Cornett for offering comments. Thanks also to Ravven for creating the perfect cover image for Flutter, an arguably difficult character to portray. Kellie Sheridan set up the cover reveal, got ARCs into t
he hands of reviewers, and organized a blog tour—all things I'm very grateful for.

Most of all, this book is for my husband, David, for his technical and moral support, and for our children, who leave us laughing, crying, wondering, shocked, delighted, frustrated—but never bored.

I break fairy tales and fuse fantasy and science fiction. I love to write about embattled heroes who never give up, transformation and redemption, and things from outer space. In my spare time, I read, doodle, eat chocolate, avoid housework, and homeschool my three children.

A native of Pakistan, I grew up in hot, humid Karachi. I then spent almost a decade in Northern New England where I learned to love fall, tolerate snow, and be snobbish about maple syrup and sweet corn. I now live in Northern Virginia.

Visit me online at
http://www.rabiagale.com
or follow me on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/rabiagale
. I love hearing from readers!

If you enjoyed this story, please consider mentioning it on Twitter or Facebook, or reviewing it on your blog, Goodreads, or the site you got it from. Thanks!

She’s a half-breed in hiding.

Rainbird never belonged. To one race, she’s chattel. To the other, she’s an abomination that should never have existed.

She lives on the sunway.

High above the ground, Rainbird is safe, as long as she does her job, keeps her head down, and never ever draws attention to herself.

But one act of sabotage is about to change everything.

For Rainbird. And for her world.

Rainbird
is a fantasy novella of about 31,000 words.

Once upon a time, stories ended happily ever after. Or did they? What if the magic mirror couldn't decide on the fairest of them all? What if Beauty's kiss didn't break the curse? What if choosing a bride based on her shoe size was a bad idea?

Shattered: Broken Fairy Tales
is a collection of three short stories that take a turn into the dark forest instead of out of it.

A cybernetic Rapunzel in a post-apocalyptic world fights back against the woman who imprisoned her.

Wired
is a short story of about 4600 words.

A Pakistani girl with a gift for seeing what no one else can incurs the wrath of a supernatural being. A pudgy accountant who sees far more than he wants to is chased by mysterious figures through the gloom of an industrial city. Both encounter what lies beyond the edges of the mundane world.

Unseen
is a collection of two previously published short stories by Rabia Gale.

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