Bella — R. Michael Conley

In an alternate 1800's America, where magic is real and dragons soar through the skies of the American frontier -my name is Topher. I had a good life, mostly. It wasn't great, but what can a young African girl living at the Edge of the World expect? I had a shack that I shared with my Ma, I knew the vendors I could pocket an apple from, and was better than anyone with a spitshot. Then that chucklehead Wasco rolled out of the mountains like a toppled boulder and dragged me into a whole mess! I figured if I guided him around town, maybe I could pocket a penny or two from him. Before I knew it we were trompin' around the Blacklands, getting shot at, almost eaten and damn near gutted by some bull-headed dandy! All because someone went and took Bella, and Wasco aimed to get her back.Jacob, who was about the handsomest gunfighter a body could imagine, turned out might be some kind of monster. Old Ying was acting like one of them wizards from the storybooks, and Li had a magic sword!I had been too stubborn not to follow them. Yeah, it had been a good enough life. I just wasn't sure I was going to make it back to it. Or if I wanted to.