Tag: Amadeira

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #38

Featured Ariel Paiement

This week’s WIP Wednesday is the last one that will feature Pathway of the Moon since I’m on the last chapter and finishing it up. Enjoy!

~~~

WHEN LEO WALKED through the door of the cottage, Amadeira flung herself at him. He caught her and staggered back before he caught his balance and held her to him. They stood there in silence, and she looked over his shoulder to see Nadar lingering on the doorstep. She caught his gaze and looked at him, praying he’d have the answers she and Leo needed.

He dropped his gaze to the ground, regret twisting his features. Her heart sank. No answers then. She squeezed Leo closer and buried her face in his shoulder, the hot tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Well, it had been too much to hope that the old world god would know when this kind of thing wasn’t documented anywhere. None of the books documented anything like it, and Bane’s diary said nothing on the matter. She’d checked it three times while waiting for Leo to return, but nothing had turned up. 

Leo rubbed her back and pulled away with a sigh. “He didn’t have the answers, Deira.”

She bit her lip and lowered her head.

He cupped her face in both hands. “Hey, look at me.”

Her heart lurched at the raw emotion and affection in his words and his touch. She did as told and found hope warring with sadness on his face. Heart aching, she reached out to run her fingertips over the crease in his brow. “Tell me it’ll be okay?”

He leaned closer and rested his forehead against hers. “It’ll be okay, sweetheart. We’ll figure it all out, but we can’t find any of the answers here. We need to go.”

She sighed. “Are we going on the king’s orders or on our own?”

“On the king’s orders. His men are waiting for us at the Path. They gave us time to say goodbye to this place and grab whatever we needed to take with us.” His fingers tangled in her hair, holding her to him. “Did you pack?”

“Yes.”

“Good girl.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled away.

She blushed and stepped to the side. “Nadar, why don’t you come in and make yourself at home? Leo and I will grab the bags and be right back out.”

He glanced toward the small bedroom and kitchen barely visible from the doorway. Shrugging, he stepped inside and strolled to one of the couches, sprawling out there. His expression neutral, he scanned over the place dispassionately. She gave him a weak smile and hurried after Leo, who was already rummaging through things in the bedroom.

~~~

That’s it for this week! What are you guys up to? If any of you write on Wattpad, are you doing the Open Novella Contest this year? I’m doing it, and I’m really excited about it. I’ve already met the first 2,000 word-count milestone for it. If you guys are doing it too, I’d love to hear what you’re writing about! Feel free to share in the comments.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #36

Featured Ariel Paiement

This week’s work-in-progress comes from Pathway of the Moon, mainly because that’s what I’ve been working on most lately. I’m getting so close to done, and I’m definitely feeling end-of-book jitters. More than usual, in fact, but I guess that’s to be expected since the book is way longer than anything I’ve ever done before. But, hey, I’m still excited to write the sequel, so that’s probably a good sign, I think.

~~~

THE CEREMONY WAS finally here, and it didn’t quite seem real. She stood at the front of the small chapel with her hands in Leo’s, and for the first time, it slowly started to sink in. She would be his Bond when this finished. Really, truly, his. A small tremor zipped down her spine. Before today, she’d dreamed of this moment and spent hours fantasizing about it. It wasn’t everything she’d dreamed of. But it was everything she really needed.

Anyone who mattered even a little sat in the rustic pews and watched the two of them as they placed their interlocked hands over the bowl of clear, fresh water on the altar. In the old days, this would have been done in a large pool of water for larger chapels or at a stream for chapels without the ability to furnish the pool. Now, they kept the symbol without the actual ancient tradition. She stared into the clear water. A symbol not only of the purity of their intentions today but also a sign of the clarity and transparency that was to characterize their lives as Bonds. 

The presiding minister stepped forward and wrapped a leafy length of vine around their hands to show the way their lives would be bound to each other’s, and she smiled. The words of the ceremony barely registered. Didn’t matter anyway. She knew that she could pledge herself to the man standing across from her with no doubts or reservations.

He squeezed her hands with a smile of his own, and she knew he wasn’t paying close attention to the droning of the minister either. She blushed and lowered her head. Her mind drifted toward the other ways they’d become Bonded after the ceremony. They’d been holding back on it for long enough, and finally, the waiting would end. No more interruptions or people keeping them apart. If anyone tried to get in the way of her Bonding night, she couldn’t be held responsible for what she’d do. Her entire body was ready to combust with a single touch from him, and the gentle pressure he was putting on her hands felt like a silent promise.

And then the minister was asking her for her vows, and she resurfaced just in time to recite them. If she was being honest, she doubted she’d remember much about this part of the ceremony. It already felt like a blur, and she hadn’t even finished going through it yet. Years from now, her Bond’s expression and the love shining in his eyes would probably be all she remembered. That thought didn’t bother her nearly as much as she’d expected it to, though. Really, Leo and her new family was all that mattered. The ceremony was a formality to allow the Bonding magic to unite their ashtras. Nothing more.

The priest kept droning on for a few more minutes, and Leo rolled his eyes. She glanced out across the crowd and caught a smirk on Brennan’s face. At least one person had caught onto their impatience. A bubble of laughter welled up inside her, but she squashed it. Laughing now would be highly inappropriate. Leo looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to rush the priest or laugh about how stuffy the man sounded. Well, they were in this together then. Just like they would be in everything else from now on.

Finally, the priest said the only words Leo had been waiting for this entire ceremony. The moment he had permission from the priest, he dipped her back and covered her mouth with his. No chaste, polite peck for him. He had to devour her lips like a man dying of thirst. She clutched his broad shoulders for balance, knowing this was only a small taste of what she’d get later. Her cheeks heated, but she liked that he wasn’t shy about declaring his affections even if Nadar did cough when the kiss went on a little too long. He finally let her come up for air, but his dark gaze whispered promises for the minute he got her back to his room. She shivered and didn’t let go of his shoulders as his gaze swallowed her whole.

~~~

Well, that’s all for this week, everyone! What are you guys working on? Anything you’re finding fun and exciting? For those of you who don’t write, what are you reading? Feel free to share in the comments!

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #22

Ariel Paiement

This week’s WIP Wednesday is an excerpt from the latest chapter of Pathway of the Moon.

~~~

LEO tried to catch a glimpse of Foren as he and Amadeira were dragged from the cabin into the woods beyond. The moon shone down in silver-white on the ground and dappled the faces of the antagonizers who surrounded him. Not a friendly face in sight. Had Foren given up on helping now that their plans had been blown apart? Or had he too been discovered and locked away to await sentencing?

His mind drifted to Alrian for a minute. She’d be undergoing the preparations of an Equinox Bride right now. Hardly anything enjoyable. But he’d have to leave her safety to her now because he couldn’t do anything for her. He wasn’t even sure he could do anything for himself without risking Amadeira. That wasn’t an option, and fighting his way free would leave her vulnerable. He couldn’t protect her and himself while going on the offensive. Not against this many enemies.

So he let them drag him along without making a fuss. Beside him, Amadeira was silent, but when he looked over, he caught the glimmer of her tears on her cheeks. She glanced at him and tried to offer a smile, but it fell seconds later. He groaned. If his hands were free right now, he would take her in his arms and wipe those tears away. He’d comfort her until she no longer wept or felt fear. But his arms weren’t free, and he had no comfort to offer. Not when he didn’t have the first clue how they were supposed to survive this.

He’d have to make it up as he went along. There wasn’t exactly another option at the moment. He’d reevaluate their position when they reached the Pathway. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe Kiarhsu would only have him flogged instead of putting him to death. They needed his blood, but they didn’t need to kill him for that.

Which brought up another problem. He didn’t want them to open the Pathway at all. And his blood could open it. They weren’t likely to give him a say in what was done with the blood spilling from his veins later on when they bled him under the full moon. Shame, really. But what villain would give his hostage a chance to voice an opinion? It just didn’t work out well. Best to keep them quiet.

He swallowed back a laugh. What was he doing? He should be thinking of ways to escape, not letting his mind ramble to every absurd, obvious thing it could find to dwell upon. This wouldn’t help them out at all. He forced his mind back to the task at hand. Forming a plan with very little to go on.

Kiarhsu waved at his men, and Leo received a boot to the back. He stumbled forward, tripped over a dip in the path, and dropped to his knees. The men hauled him up roughly and lifted him onto a horse where he was promptly tied to the saddle. No escape there, it seemed. Not that it would do him much good to escape without Amadeira. And Kiarhsu knew it, Rith take him! He scowled down at the man who had ruined everything in just under a day. How much longer until he could be rid of the pest?

Right. Not until he actually had a plan. Well, that was frustrating, but it couldn’t be helped. He slouched down in the saddle with a grumpy growl, but he didn’t give the men eyeing him warily any cause to hit him or bring him back into line with brute force. Best to save the fighting for a moment when he could actually achieve freedom with Amadeira at his side. This was not such a time.

~~~

That’s it for this week! What have you guys been working on? Feel free to share it in the comments.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #19

Ariel Paiement

This week’s work-in-progress piece comes from Pathway of the Moon. In this section, Leo is scheming with Deira on how to get rid of the man Kiarhsu sent with them on their mission, and things don’t go quite as planned.

~~~

LEO eyed the man Kiarhsu had sent with them. Clearly, Kiarhsu hadn’t been taking any chances with this. Short of knocking the man out and portaling him to some place very far away, Leo had tried everything to lose the man. But Foren was smart and determined in addition to being massive. If they were going to get rid of him, then extreme measures would have to be taken.

Which was why he was now sitting across from the man, staring over a roaring fire and figuring out what to do. He couldn’t take the man by surprise here. Foren wasn’t dumb enough to let Leo get the upper hand here, where he was expecting it. He sighed. At least the man wasn’t paying close attention to the conversations he had with Deira. Which meant she could help him out.

He leaned over and tugged her into his lap, keeping his eye on Foren. The man rolled his eyes but didn’t stop them. Amadeira squirmed in his lap, and he caught the irritation in her brief glance. Well, she’d get over it when he told her what he had in mind. Leaning in, he made a show of flicking the tip of his tongue over the shell of her ear, gaining a furious hiss from Amadeira and a flat look from Foren. He tightened his grip on Amadeira and dropped a kiss to her neck before moving back up to place an open-mouthed kiss right beneath her earlobe. She couldn’t get much stiffer, and he fought down the apology. Finally, Foren looked away and grumbled something about not making a man look at what he couldn’t have. As soon as Foren had looked away, he eased up on the public display of affection and whispered in Amadeira’s ear. “We have to get rid of him. I need you to make an excuse to go into the woods a little ways. Then make some sort of noise that he can’t miss. I’ll take it from there.”

She bit her lip and wiggled in his grip. “L-leo, I need to relieve myself. P-please, may I?”

If he hadn’t seen the briefest flicker of a smile, he would’ve assumed she was terrified to ask. Foren’s sharp gaze settled on them again. Leo shrugged and let her go, forcing a grimace onto his lips. “Hurry up. And don’t think this gets you a pass on tonight.”

Foren grunted but didn’t try to stop Amadeira when she rose and hurried toward the bushes surrounding the clearing where they’d camped. He watched her go in silence before returning his attention to Leo. “You can drop the act. I know you’re soft with her.”

Leo raised a brow.

“Good thing she’s naturally submissive.” Foren folded his arms.

“There’s more than one way to train a dog.” He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from taking back the words. He needed to sound callous, like one of the other Ishtralian men. Not like himself. Not like someone who cared.

“You think I’m stupid, Ryalin?”

“Not particularly, no.”

“Then don’t disrespect me by treating me like it. We’ve all seen the way you look at her. Like she’s your whole Rith-cursed world. Don’t know how she managed to gain such a high position, but I’ve almost never seen a man among us look at his woman that way.”

“So? Is there a problem with it? I find that humanizing her makes her feel cherished. Then she wants to obey, and it makes my life easier.” If only this man knew that his woman had followed him two days’ ride against his express orders just so she could be here now.

“I don’t have an issue with it.” Foren rested his hands on his knees. “I’m rather fond of the approach myself. I handle my own wife that way. But I don’t look at her like a love-lorn puppy.”

“I don’t look at my wife that way.”

“So first you thought I was stupid, and now you think I’m blind?” Foren scowled at him. “Your affection for her is going to get you hurt.”

“Really? And how will that happen, precisely?”

“You really don’t know what you’re up against.” Foren laughed. “Friendly piece of advice. Kiarhsu will use whatever leverage he can on you when he’s ready to make a move. And you’re going to cave like Ashkarith.”

Leo folded his arms. “I’m prepared.”

“So was the city. The defenders there still lost.” Foren picked up a stick and poked at the fire. “She’s your weakness. And you shouted it to the world from the day you arrived. I admit, I don’t blame you for claiming her publicly. Pretty girl like that? Any one of us would kill to get his hands on her. But broadcasting it? That was just plain stupid.”

~~~

That’s it for today! I hope you all enjoyed it. Have something you’re working on? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Feel free to share.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #15

Ariel Paiement

This week, on Work-In-Progress Wednesdays, I have an excerpt from Pathway of the Moon. In this selection, Leo arrives at the Ishtralian camp with Alrian and Deira in tow, and he’s greeted by his nemesis, Ishtralian leader Kiarhsu Kashal.

~~~

LEO stared at Kiarhsu Kashal for a long moment. How long had it been since he’d last seen the man? Not long enough. Eternity wouldn’t be long enough. His magic snarled inside og him. Reacting to the other man’s presence, no doubt. Even after all this time, it still did that.

“You got my message.” Kiarhsu glanced at Amadeira and Alrian with a snaky smile. “And who are these lovely women? I don’t recall asking you to bring a tribute in return for your pardon and welcome home.”

As if he’d have brought one even if Kiarhsu had demanded it. His hands clenched tighter on the reins. “My ward and my wife. Not a tribute, I’m afraid.”

“I didn’t realize you’d taken a wife. Or a ward.”

“There are many things you don’t know, Kashal.”

“True.” Kiarhsu waved to a boy nearby. “Kestrel will feed and water your mounts. You and I have some catching up to do. Bring your women.”

Alrian made a low noise somewhere between a snarl and a hiss. Leo shot her a warning look. She’d dragged him into this mess. She could play by his rules now so they wouldn’t be executed outright for being spies. She gave him a mulish frown, but she didn’t say anything or act out.

“She objects to being called your woman?”

Leo looked back to Kiarhsu to find him staring at Alrian with a bemused smile. Not good. He’d seen that look before. It just meant Kiarhsu was mulling over the newest bit of information for a way to use it. “My ward isn’t accustomed to our lifestyle. She’s still learning. I had to give her more freedom than I usually would in Kier. You know how the chapter there is.”

Kiarhsu’s upper lip curled. “Yes. Soft.”

“Precisely. I’m sure she’ll fall in line with some time in this place under my strict discipline. A little time on a tight leash will whip her into shape.” His gut twisted even as he said the words. They sounded like something his father would say. He wanted to wash out his mouth, but he knew it wouldn’t wash away the sense that he was dirty.

“I’m sure it will.” Kiarhsu’s sharp gaze landed on him, pierced through him.

Leo dismounted and went to help Amadeira down from her horse. He probably shouldn’t show any public affection toward her, but he couldn’t help it. He needed her near so he could be sure she was safe. He’d hoped she wouldn’t be here at all, but now that she was exposed, the protectiveness welled up so strongly that he had to resist the urge to hide her away behind him until he could lock her in whatever tent they were confined to.

“A little attached, aren’t we? Newly-wed?”

“Yes.”

“No marks?”

“They didn’t end up in an obvious place for us.”

“Ah. Well, marks or no, you know no one will take her without your permission. There’s no need to worry for her safety with the men in camp.”

“I’m well-aware of their respect for the property of others, and that doesn’t worry me.” It did, but he wasn’t about to let Kiarhsu know that. Bad enough that the man knew any of his weaknesses without giving him another.

Kiarhsu smirked. “Then why are you attached at the hip in public like this? Makes you seem weak. No self-respecting Ishtralian man clings to his wife’s skirts.”

Amadeira’s grip on him tightened, and Alrian’s hand went to her hip where her sword had hung. But he had that packed away now. If they were attacked, his powers were the only ones likely to keep them all alive. Kiarhsu noted both movements with a wry smile. “You give your ward weapons, I see. But not your wife. Interesting.”

Leo gritted his teeth. “Can we please go inside? I’d like to sit down and talk in private.”

“I’m sure you would. The trip was tiring, I take it?”

“Very.”

“Well, this way, then.” Kiarhsu gestured for him to go first.

“After you. It’s been a while.”

“Surely not so long that you’ve forgotten the way to your family’s cabin?”

Leo eyed him. He wouldn’t forget the way to that place for as long as he lived. And the glint in Kiarhsu’s eye told him the other man knew it too. He shouldered his pack with a smile. “Of course not. Is that where we’re staying?”

“I thought it would be best if you did. It hasn’t been occupied since you left. A pity your mother couldn’t come too. Is she too frail for commune life?”

“Afraid so.” Leo took Amadeira’s hand in his and tugged her forward. “Well, let’s go then.” Might as well get this over with sooner rather than later.

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone. Have something you’d like to share? Feel free to leave it in the comments below! I’d love to hear about whatever you’re currently working on too.