Celebrations in the Season of the Long Nights
Escape from the Holidays
Release Date: December 12, 2018
Word Count: 12,500
Editor: Jaymi E
Cover Artist: Catherine Dair
Having escaped his abusive family by winning a scholarship to college, Shahin promised himself he would never go back. So when his plans for winter break fall through and he’s left homeless for a month, he decides he’d rather camp in the park than go home. But he doesn’t realize it's the solstice, the longest night of the year, the start of the season when the supernatural is at its strongest.
Yima is a demon-hunter, a duty passed down through his family. He doesn’t resent it, but it does get lonely, especially since his work is at its most difficult and dangerous when everyone else is celebrating with family. After he rescues Shahin from an demon attack and finds that he has nowhere safe to stay, he takes him back to his flat. He just arrived in town and hasn’t even gotten the electricity turned on, leaving the two men with little to do but talk.
It isn’t a surprise when they end up in bed, though what at first feels like a temporary comfort grows over days spent together into a deeper bond. Nomadic Yima has to find a way to stay without demons coming after his lover, and Shahin has to decide whether he can risk his heart loving a man who constantly puts his life in danger.
Part of the 2018 "Escape from the Holidays" Series
Stay Awhile by Kassandra Lea
Burning Down the House by Gregory Norris
The Holiday Spirit by Carole Cummings
Slow Thaw by J. Scott Coatsworth
Celebrations in the Season of Long Nights by Mere Rain
The Holiday Home Hotel by Lou Sylvre
Something to Celebrate by Evelyn Benvie
Holiday Hijinks by Toni Griffin
Yule Planet by Angel Martinez
Waiting on the Rain by Freddy Mackay