Fawn by C.N. Vair

People did not expect such a thing, from a woman or a fawn; we were both meant to be prey.'

In the Appalachian hills, Tess Wynne lives in precious quiet. She tends her wildlife sanctuary, honours old rituals and survives what comes for her each year.

Then she finds a doe split open. And the fawn who survived. Red-mouthed. Full set of teeth. Hungry.

Nature knows what must be done. The town watches to see if Tess will do it.

She does not.

Whispers spread. Old bargains strain. Something feral stirs within Tess—anger, appetite, the slow understanding that prey is only prey for so long.

A dark folktale of teeth and inheritance, Fawn asks what a woman must become to keep what is hers—and what the land demands in return.