Silver Thaw

The nameless girl sang, her voice cascading over notes and words as a brook over smooth river-rock....In a mining town filled with forgotten men and used up women, a handcuffed girl and her deaf guard arrive just as a blizzard descends. Lured by the girl's singing and driven by an old obsession, one man releases an ancient spirit that could destroy the town and the estate it supports.As the year wears on, the murderous spirit tightens its grip on the town and the estate, living on an ever-rising wind that descends from the mountain. Brave and holy men seek to destroy the evil, but few return alive. Those who do return have few wits left.When others fail, a donkey handler named Clem must risk the simple, peaceful life he's carved for himself to save it from destruction. Unfortunately, Clem knows that when the wind comes down the mountain, even the most steadfast men can't resist its call.Edited by Hannah Bowman. Cover photo courtesy of Paul Smith.