1869: Two years after playing a literally world-saving part in the events of A Tree of Bones, hexslinger Chess Pargeter roams the weird West with his new partner (and lover) Charlie Alarid, seeking out hexation-bred oddities to banish in the name of keeping Balance in an imbalanced world. The ruined Appalachian community of Burnt Bowl, where the ghosts of inhabitants massacred during the Civil War are rumoured to set fire to any stranger who tries to occupy the place, would certainly seem to qualify . . . but Chess and Charlie will have to contend with the machinations of another, far less moral hex before they can do anything about it.

A new story set in the Hexslinger Series universe, set after the events of the final book in Gemma Files's brutal, no-holds-barred Weird West trilogy.

ChiZine Publications (CZP) curates the best of the bizarre, bringing you the most excitingly weird, subtle, dark, and disturbing literary fiction. Look for more titles in the ChiZine short stories collection to build your digital library.