Last month I posted a Future Treasures piece about Jennifer Fallon’s new novel The Lyre Thief, the opening volume in a new trilogy, and the first novel set in the world of her popular Hythrun Chronicles in over a decade.

It’s not the only work of fiction set in that world released this year, however. Last month Tor.com published her short story “First Kill,” a brand new tale that uses the same setting. It’s available free online.

How do you kill with honor? When is murder not a murder?

In “First Kill”, assassin Kiam Miar will find out when his first assignment goes awry and he is faced with an ethical choice…as if assassins could have ethics.

And if he makes the wrong choice, he could not only lose his life but throw a good chunk of his world into chaos…

“First Kill” was posted at Tor.com on Jan 26. It was edited by Claire Eddy, and illustrated by Tommy Arnold. It’s available here.

If you enjoy “First Kill,” check out Jennifer’s novel The Lyre Thief, published last week by Tor Books. And see all the latest free fiction at Tor.com, including stories by Brian Staveley, Joe Abercrombie, Matt Wallace, David Nickle, Delia Sherman, and Alyssa Wong, here.

We last covered Tor.com with Michael Swanwick’s “The Night of the Salamander.” For more free fiction, see all of our online magazine coverage here.