Racing the Sand & Konstantin: Two Short Stories

Racing the Sand (a fantasy short story): Someone--or something--is attacking travelers on the caravan road. But Rastaban doesn't know that. He wants to start someplace new, someplace where no one knows about the power he inherited from his mother. So he walks away, leaving his brother to cross the desert on his own. When Rastaban hears rumors about the attacks, he abandons his plans and races across the desert in an effort to reach his brother in time.
Konstantin (a science fiction short story): When his brother falls for a pretty face and unwittingly lets a threat on board, it is up to Konstantin to stop the hacker before it is too late. There's just one problem-Konstantin is the ship, with his brain hardwired to its systems. By attacking the ship's computer, the hacker is attacking him, and in order to gain complete control, she just might have to shut him down for good.