In Jim Butcher’s ”Curses”, Harry Dresden investigates how to lift a curse laid by the Fair Folk on the Chicago Cubs. In Patricia Briggs’ “Fairy Gifts,”, a vampire is called home by magic to save the Fae who freed him from a dark curse. In Melissa Marr’s “Guns for the Dead”, the newly dead Frankie Lee seeks a job in the afterlife on the wrong side of the law. In Holly Black’s “Noble Rot”, a dying rock star discovers that the young woman who brings him food every day has some strange appetites of her own.Featuring original stories from 20 authors, this dark, captivating, fabulous, and fantastical collection is not to be missed!Contents:Curses / by Jim Butcher --How the pooka came to New York City / by Delia Sherman --On the slide / by Richard Bowes --The Duke of Riverside / by Ellen Kushner --Oblivion by Calvin Klein / by Christopher Fowler --Fairy gifts / by Patricia Briggs --Picking up the pieces / by Pat Cadigan --Underbridge / by Peter S. Beagle --Priced to sell / by Naomi Novik --The bricks of Gelecek / by Matthew Kressel --Weston walks / by Kit Reed --The projected girl/ by Lavie Tidhar --The way station / by Nathan Ballingrud --Guns for the dead / by Melissa Marr --And go like this / by John Crowley --Noble rot / by Holly Black --Daddy longlegs of the evening / by Jeffrey Ford --The skinny girl / by Lucius Shepard --The Colliers' Venus (1893) / by Caitlín R. Kiernan --King pole, gallows pole, bottle tree / by Elizabeth Bear.

    Jayne and Tony, together with a group of runaway teens, are hijacked and sent into a forest, where nothing and no one are as they seem. Who will emerge triumphant? And what will they be when they do? Content Warning: Mild violence and significant foul language within. Meant for older Young Adult readers (age 15+).

    But then there’s the challenge of her boyfriend’s precocious teenage son…Arcadia "Cady" Bell may have saved the Hellfire Club’s children from a local bogeyman, but she and her Earthbound demon boyfriend, Lon Butler, now face a more disturbing problem: his teenage son’s new demonic abilities. Jupe Butler can persuade you to do anything—or so he thinks. To test the limits of his newfound power, Cady invites the co-owner of Tambuku Tiki Lounge to be the teen’s guinea pig during an afternoon boat cruise. But when an angry storm whips the Pacific into a frenzy and Jupe puts them all in serious danger, will Cady's magick trump a teenager’s excess confidence?

    Twice-Touched by the Blue Sense--which gives her the ability to feel the emotions of others, and read impressions left behind on objects--Marnie also has a doctorate in preternatural biology and a working knowledge of the dark arts. She is considered without peer in the psychic community. Then her first big FBI case ended with a bullet in one shoulder and a chip on the other, a queasy heart and a serial killer in the wind, leaving her a public flop and a private wreck. When the FBI’s preternatural crimes unit tracks her down at a remote mountain lodge for her insight on a local case, her quiet retirement is promptly besieged by a stab-happy starlet, a rampaging ghoul, and a vampire-hunting jackass in tight Wranglers. Marnie figures the only real mystery is which one will kill her first. Too mean to die young, backed up by friends in cold places, and running with a mouth as demure as a cannon’s blast, Marnie Baranuik is about to discover that there’s no such thing as quitting time when you’re Touched.

    . . New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh delivers a smouldering story with Secrets at Midnight, as the scent of Bastien Smith’s elusive lover ignites a possessiveness in him that’s as feral as it is ecstatic. And now that he’s found his mate, he’ll do anything to keep her.In #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’ novella, Magic Steals, when people start going missing, shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau and jaguar shifter Jim Shrapshire must uncover the truth about the mysterious creatures responsible.From Milla Vane—a warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. But she quickly discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself. It’s seer Makenna Frazier's first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations, and her first assignment is more than she bargained for when bodyguard duty for a leprechaun prince’s bachelor party goes every which way but right in national bestselling author Lisa Shearin’s Lucky Charms.

    Melena must keep her promise to return the fae device that opens the portal to Purgatory. Except there’s one problem—Kerbasi. How can she go when she has one of heaven’s minions practically attached to her hip? One who will strike fear in the hearts of the fae the moment they realize who he is. When her shape-shifter cat suddenly gets sick, she can’t delay the trip any longer. Only the fae can help get Sable healthy again. And if Kerbasi tries to cause any trouble while they are there, she’ll just have to find creative ways to keep him in line.

    What is his real mission and will his Aunt Archangelica approve of his treatment of her cat?In this short story, New York Times Bestselling Author Gail Carriger uses her comedic voice to delve into the history of one of her most beloved characters. If you have ever wondered about Alexia's father, this will give you a glimpse into his adventures and character.This story was first published in The Book of the Dead, a Jurassic London anthology.

    Discover the story behind Cajun cop Rick LaFleur’s cat tattoos — and the powerful witch who inked them. And, in the final, all-new story, find out what happened between Jane and Rick seconds after the end of Mercy Blade. Plus, get a never-before-seen index of vampire clans and alliances and a letter from the author about the origins of Jane Yellowrock. And don’t miss a special excerpt: the first three chapters from the newest Jane Yellowrock novel, Raven Cursed!

    Darynda Jones revisits the sexy, suspenseful world of supernatural shenanigans she created in her Grave series with For I Have Sinned.  In this Charley Davidson story, Charley helps a woman find out how she died and gives her the closure she needs to pass through to the other side.

    Not that she really cares. A successful news photographer turned paranormal investigator, she now has a 'family' of friends that includes ogres who constantly raid her refrigerator and take over her TV, and a dragon who drinks far too much for his own good.But when the only elvan relative she has any contact with asks her to investigate the disappearance of a siren, she finds herself unable to refuse.All too quickly the disappearance becomes murder, relatives come out of the woodwork, and a man she'd much rather forget steps back into her life. Harri wants nothing more than to run—especially when the evidence beats a path to the doors of those who'd long ago abandoned her. But when the life she's created for herself comes under threat, Harri has little choice but to hunt down a killer—before everything she holds dear is destroyed.

    So when she travels to Scotland to meet up with her hunky boyfriend, and celebrate her eighteenth birthday, she’s thrilled at the chance to leave Atlanta and its troubles behind. Denver Beck, who has been studying for months to become a Grand Master – a rare and highly dangerous job -- is just as eager to see his girl. He’s anticipating a romantic reunion, keen to take their relationship to the next level. But Riley’s twisted history with Hell has garnered unwelcome interest by people willing to use her for their own purposes. Trouble is brewing in the land of the heather, the kind that will drive a wedge between her and Beck, and prove the ultimate test of their love . . . and their survival skills. Bonus content includes demon illustrations and two Demon Trappers short stories.

    Much to her regret. And her parents expect her to act like one. That includes marrying a nice white witch who can provide her safety, companionship, and all the comforts one could desire in their gilded cage.Hiram Nádasdy is no gentleman. He’s a black witch with a reputation that strikes terror in the hearts of his enemies. But not in the girl. No, the girl is fearless, reckless, and determined to know him. He ought to reveal the darkness lurking in his heart and scare her away before it’s too late, but he’s curious about her as well. And, frankly, he’s not sure it would work.Black witches don’t befriend white witches, and white witches don’t fall in love with black witches. They certainly don’t marry them.Or do they?

     Witch Imogene Hobbs, with the exception of her frill-necked lizard familiar, Liz, has spent most of her life alone, but not because she’s anti-social. Nope. She’s cursed. The ghost of her Puritan ancestor’s bitter enemy, Dorcas Hoar, haunts Immie every second of every day. Working with botanical magic sustains the creator witch, even with an ornery spirit on her ass all the time, and Immie manages to eke out a living cultivating rare, hard-to-grow plants for magic potions. Bear Shifter Tabor Cotton shows up in Assjacket, West Virginia with a proposal for Immie—save his town’s most precious tree, the Great Ash, an ancient source of pure magic. In exchange, he will help her lift her curse. Baba Yaga, the head honcho of all witches, insists on Immie’s cooperation—not that Immie is protesting. To complicate matters, Tabor believes that Immie is his mate. All because of the so-called “mating scent.” Yep. Immie thinks Tabor smells like fresh cut grass on a spring morning, while Tabor thinks she smells like dark honey licked straight off the comb. As Tabor and Immie learn to navigate their blossoming romance, prune a cursing crone, and weed out a plot to kill to the Great Ash, you can bet your sassafras that Wild, Texas is about to get a whole lot wilder.

    She's ready to meet her daughter, but also very excited about the possibility of seeing her feet again. But trouble always seems to find her...Ethan and Merit have been married for eight months, and they're preparing for life-with-baby. Ethan's battling his overprotectiveness, while Merit's hoping she can figure out how to be a loving parent given her family's chilliness.While out on an evening walk, Merit stops to help a human in need, only to find herself under attack. A sociopath with a debt figures pregnant Merit is an easy target--and Cadogan House would pay handsomely for her return...

    18+ only***I'd always been different. I saw objects in the night where others saw emptiness. Large, human shaped shadows, fierce yet beautiful, melting into the darkness. I collected secrets like other women collected bells; afraid to fully trust lest my oddities be exposed.Until I saw him. He'd been gliding down the street, unshakable confidence in every step. It wasn't just that he was breathtakingly handsome with perfect features. Something about him drew me. Sucked my focus to him and then tugged at my body. As his eyes met mine, I was entrapped.No one had noticed him. He'd been right there, just beyond the light, but only I had perceived.I had to know if he was real. Or maybe I really was crazy. And even when my secret box was blasted wide open, dangers hurled at me like throwing knives, I couldn't stop until I unraveled his true identity.I just had to know.