What Comes Back

A potion maker who fixes what the dungeon breaks keeps finding reasons to stay in the town he chose by accident.
Lucan Voss didn't plan to settle down. He certainly didn't plan to settle down in Ketterram - a salt-bitten coastal town built around the Siltgate, a tidal dungeon that gives up treasures and takes its toll on anyone who dives too deep. But his apothecary has regulars now. His 'pet', Spool, has claimed the best shelf. And every Tuesday, a diver named Tess Margin walks through his door with rare ingredients, sharp opinions, and a smile she pretends is just professional courtesy.
Lucan tells himself he's passing through. He's been telling himself that for two years.
When Doss, a young diver, collapses from Siltgate poisoning, the standard remedies fail. The town's apothecary - the one who was just passing through - is the only person with the skill to try something new. Lucan must push his craft into uncharted territory: cold infusions, temperature sequencing, ingredients that require descending into the Siltgate itself alongside the woman whose Tuesday visits he's started counting on.
The antidote might save the boy. The work might cost Lucan the comfortable distance he's kept from everyone. And somewhere between the grinding of powders and the rising of tides, he'll have to decide: is Ketterdam a place he ended up, or a place he chose?
What Comes Back is a cozy fantasy about craft, community, and the courage it takes to stop running. Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree, TJ Klune, and Sangu Mandanna. Features a grumpy potion maker, a brave diver, an eel who is definitely not magical, and a town that grows on you whether you planned on staying or not.