Sunday Snippet - Beauty and the Beast

Here's a little snip from my rewrite of the tale of Beauty and the Beast.

Rosalyn made it into the castle. She could hear screams and moans, heavy furniture being moved to blockade a door to prevent Arkadiy’s entry. Over it all she heard his chanting. She made her way to the great hall. A scene of terrible slaughter met her as she pushed open the heavy double door.

The young lord sat on the chair that had been his father’s, his face white with terror. All around him, his advisors were screaming in agony as their bodies were slowly ripped to shreds by Arkadiy’s magic. “Arkadiy, stop,” Rosalyn cried. “What are you doing?”

“He was preparing to send his soldiers to our house, Rosalyn,” Arkadiy said. “Their orders were to kill all seven of us. He was getting ready to order the deaths of our children, all because these men flattered him and called him a prince.”

“I wouldn't have done it,” the boy on the dais said. “It was them that were giving the orders, not me. I didn't want anyone to hurt your children.”

“But you would have stolen us from them, just like your parents were taken from you,” Rosalyn said softly, seeing a copy of the orders lying on the floor. “Why? We served and protected you for your whole life. Why have you abandoned everything your parents taught you?”

“It was because of you and your ideas that my parents died,” the boy said. “They would never have tried to help the peasants if you’d just left well enough alone. But they did and they caught the plague and died from it.”

“It was because of us and our ideas that so few ended up dying,” Arkadiy said. He finished dispatching the men who’d been trying to facilitate the murder of his children. He turned his cold, burning eyes on the young lord. “Now, for you.”

Snippet Sunday - Marked

Here's another little snippet from my current WIP.

Aislinn watched her cousins work and wondered again who her parents had been that she was so different from them. Catriona, Osheen, and Daragh were all fair haired with gray eyes and rosy skin. Aislinn was dark skinned and dark haired with bright blue eyes. Daragh was the only one shorter than her, and he was only eight. He’d hit a growth spurt soon enough.

Aislinn often dreamed of things she couldn’t explain. Who were the people she saw so clearly in her sleeping mind, yet the only features she could recall was the woman’s dark skin and the man’s blue eyes? The colors, the smells, the sounds that surrounded her were nothing like what existed in her world. She had no names for some of the things. Others she knew only the truly wealthy could afford. She’d once told her aunt about the dreams. Her aunt had told her not to speak of such foolishness. The fear in her eyes convinced Aislinn to keep silent about her dreams from that day on.

The ache in her leg subsided so she made her way back to the house. “All finished in the fields?” Ena asked.

“I planted the last of the vegetable plots,” Aislinn said as she washed up. “Uncle Fionan told me to come back when I was done.”

“Well, you came in time to help me with the laundry,” Ena said.

Aislinn changed out of her dirt covered clothes and brought them down to be washed with the rest of the laundry. She sat on a stool beside the wash tub and started scrubbing as her aunt hung up the clothes that had already been washed. “Aunt Ena, what were my parents like?”

“Aislinn, you’ve asked me this question how many times now?” Ena asked. “I’ve already told you everything I know about your parents.”

“I’m just wondering how I came from your sister and yet I look so different from you and the others,” Aislinn said.

“Your father was dark skinned like you. You favor him more than your mother,” Ena said. “You know that.”

“Yes, but where did father come from? Do I have any other family besides you? Where did I come from?” Aislinn asked.

Ena turned and looked at her. “Where did this come from?”

“Sheen says I’m not a part of the family,” Aislinn said. “He’s said it before. He’s right. I’m not really a member of this family, am I?”

Ena walked over and stood in front of Aislinn. “Aislinn, you are my precious niece. Your mother was my sister and your father her husband. You are blood of my blood. In spite of what Osheen may think, that makes you as much a part of this family as he is. You have more right to be here than Mairtin and you don’t hear Osheen complaining about him.”

Sunday Snippet - Raven

This is just a little bit of another one of my WIPs.

Arcturo waited until there was barely enough light to see. The fledgling ignited whatever the Aeryons used for lights and the cave entrance blazed in the darkness. “There,” Arcturo said. “Aim the grapples for that opening.”

Four of the men took a few steps back, the metal hooks whirling above their heads. They released the hooks and the metal barbs sailed through the air. The first one hit on the first try, but it took another shot to get the other three connected. Arcturo slung one of the tangle nets over his shoulder and started climbing. The others followed his example. A faint tingle in his hands told Arcturo that the anti-slip spell was in place on the ropes.

Arcturo pulled himself into the aerie. There, reclining on a pile of curtains with a book open in front of her, was the fledgling he'd come to steal. Her hair was as black as her wings, and strands fell over the feathers. She was paler than most Aeryons, which gave testament to her imprisonment in this cave. She looked up from her book, eyes wide. “Who are you?” she demanded, pushing the book to the side.

Before she could move any further, Arcturo gave his net an expert flip and it tangled around her wings. The fledgling shrieked as she struggled against the net. Two more nets wrapped around her. The more she thrashed the harder it became for her to move until finally she was completely immobilized.

“Fastest I've ever seen those things work,” one of the men said as Arcturo pulled a long, thin needle out of his belt. He approached the fledgling, who stared up at him with wide, frightened eyes.

“I'm sorry, youngling,” he said in a quiet voice. “I can't let you stay here.” He inserted the needle into the side of her neck. A few seconds later, her eyes fluttered closed and she went limp. “Quickly now, get those ropes up here. We've got to work fast.”

Sunday Snippet - Marked

Here's a brief little snippet from my current WIP - Marked, formerly known as Only A Name.

It was a beautiful night. The moon was full and cast its silvery glow over the countryside. The stars were bright against the velvet blackness of the sky. Lord Mikhael looked out over his garden and not for the first time cursed the gods who had made him High Lord of Sorran Hold. He turned to his wife. “They’ll be here soon.”

Lady Rowan nodded. “We don’t have much time.” Even after all this time her voice still held a hint of the northerner’s speech. “Emberlie, come here.”

“Yes milady?” The dark haired maidservant stepped forward.

“Bring me Sorcha,” Rowan said. “Be quick. There’s not much time.”

“Yes milady,” Emberlie said. She ran from the room, her hair flying behind her.

“This is the only way, Rowan,” Mikhael said.

“I know. But she’s just a child. She shouldn’t be left alone like this,” Rowan said.

“If we aren’t here when they come, they’ll hunt for us. That would put her at greater risk. At least this way there’s a chance,” Mikhael said.

“I will miss her smile,” Rowan said.

“As will I,” Mikhael said. “If we survive this night, we will meet at the shrine. She’ll be there waiting for us.”

“I know,” Rowan said. Unspoken between them was the certainty that neither of them would live to see the dawn.

Sunday Snippet - A Murder of Crows

This is from one of my various short stories that I've written over the last few years.

Aya held up her hand. The light Bailey was following fluttered down and settled just above the old woman’s palm. It darted here and there above the old homeless woman’s hand. It looked like she wanted to fly off but was held by something. “Interesting little thing, isn’t she?”

“What is she?” Bailey asked.

Aya smiled, showing a distinct lack of proper dental hygiene. “She’s a Glitter Wisp.” She extended her dirt covered hand. “Watch.” Aya closed her fingers around the light. It went out, and the music stopped. A moment later, Aya opened her hand again.

A piece of faceted yellow topaz glittered on her palm. Bailey’s eyes narrowed. “This is one of those stupid sleight of hand things, isn’t it?” she asked suspiciously. “My mom told me that there were a lot of street people who would try and beg money off of me with these kinds of tricks.”

“Your mom sounds like a sensible woman,” Aya said with a snort. “This is what happens when you catch a Glitter Wisp. It’s how they protect themselves. Otherwise the poor dears would be pecked to death by magpies and crows.” Bailey heard a rustling sound. She looked up, and saw a bunch of crows staring down at her. Aya set the crystal down on the edge of her box. “Watch.”

Bailey crouched next to the box. Two of the crows landed on the box, but Aya shooed them off. They cawed angrily at her, and Bailey saw the gem shiver. For a moment, even the shadows in the alley seemed to grow darker and colder. Aya’s eyes glittered cold and black as she watched the young woman.

“Nothing’s happening,” Bailey said after a few minutes passed in silence.

“Patience, girl. I gave her quite a scare,” Aya said. She jerked her head at the crows. “These damned birds aren’t helping things either. She’s terrified.” There was a faint sound, almost like glass cracking. “Ah, here she comes.” Aya’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Quiet now. We don’t want to scare her again.”

“What’s she doing?” Bailey whispered.

“She’s peeking out to make sure that we’re not a pair of nasty old birds with a taste for Wisp,” Aya said.

There was that tinkling sound of breaking glass again. Suddenly the gem exploded in a flurry of sound and
light. Bailey blinked. A tiny woman with dark gold hair and crystal dragonfly wings stood in place of the gem.

Snippet Sunday - Anila and Mkai

An excerpt from another one of my works in progress. This one has no definitive title yet. It's just Mkai and Anila's story. But here's a piece of it so I hope you enjoy.

“My apologies for lighting your fire without your permission,” Sauda said. “But we will need something to calm the little one and put her to sleep so I can check for broken bones.”

“That is understandable and there is no need for apology,” Mkai said. He set the child down on his bed. Again, she squirmed out of his grip and dashed around the room. This time, her good hand encountered one of the pillars that supported the building. She patted it a little and then started climbing. She was about halfway up when a spasm caused her to lose her grip and fall.

Mkai caught her before she hit the ground. The one violet eye that wasn't swollen shut stared blankly up at 

him. “Nimble little creature, isn't she?” Sauda asked.

Snippet Sunday - Burning Dreams

This is longer than six sentences, but I couldn't pick out just six sentences this week. Here's how our two main characters meet in Burning Dreams.

Raghnall was pummeled mercilessly and beaten into the ground. His hands were trussed up behind his back and he was hauled over to the massive tree that shaded the crossroads. “They’re all dead,” someone said. Raghnall’s ears were ringing and his head was spinning. He couldn’t focus his eyes enough to concentrate.

“Then it’s a murderer we’ve got here,” one of the men holding him said. “String him up.”

A rope was produced and a noose was fitted around Raghnall’s neck. The rope was thrown over a branch and two of the men started to pull on it. Raghnall felt the scales constrict on the right side of his body. She was preparing to come out. Off to one side Raghnall heard chanting. A moment later a fireball hit him square in the chest, exploding and taking out the soldiers holding him. Raghnall dropped to the ground.

“Void take it,” a voice muttered.

Raghnall sat up. His clothing was gone, as were the ropes. The men who’d been holding him were obviously dead. He looked around. Six soldiers smoldered in a semi circle around him. He stood up, brushing the ash off. Sensing he was no longer in danger, the snake subsided.

“Ah, you’re still - intact.” A young man moved into Raghnall’s field of vision. He leaned on a staff, his gaze fixed on Raghnall. Long blond hair was pulled back in a braid which hung over one shoulder. His face was framed by a close cropped beard. He was dressed in clothing that wouldn’t look out of place on a prosperous farmer. He had a pack on his back and his belt held a number of pouches.

“Have you never seen a naked man before?” Raghnall asked as he looked around for his pack.

The young man averted his eyes before walking over to a pile of packs. “I would assume this is yours,” he said, holding up Raghnall’s pack. He tossed it over and Raghnall pulled out a spare set of clothing. He dressed himself and joined the other man at the pile of packs.

His would-be rescuer was already rummaging through one of the packs. Raghnall started searching through another pack. They worked in silence, pulling everything useful out and leaving the rest. “Now that the unpleasant business is over with, I suppose it’s only good manners to introduce ourselves. I’m called Elan.”