Tag: writing snippets

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #30

Ariel Paiement

This week’s main work-in-progress has been Pathway of the Moon. With eleven chapters left to a total of sixty chapters, this books has been a major undertaking. It’s the longest project I’ve ever worked on, and it’s hard to believe that, a little more than a year after I started it, it’ll be finished, at least in its rough draft form. I’m really excited! This week’s WIP section comes from the last chapter I completed.

~~~

LEO rubbed his eyes and stared at the pages in front of him. They’d come no closer to answers with their night of studying than they were the day before. Books and scrolls donated to their work by the scholars from the Argos Records Library and their new friends among the Disciples of Rith lay scattered everywhere. Amadeira had fallen asleep at some point, her head resting atop one of the smaller tomes they’d received. He sighed and set aside the diary.

He’d learned a great deal more about the things he was, supposedly, capable of, but in all that searching, nothing to explain the problems with the Pathway. His blood should have opened it. And it had, but now the Pathway was broken, allowing no further travel to and from their world. He’d discovered only one thing in all his searching. 

Pages were missing from the diary. Who knew what they’d contained or where they’d gone. Maybe they were another prophecy. Maybe another explanation to help him, the Son of Shadows, find his true path. But so far, he just felt like his head might explode, and he wanted to throw the book across the room.

He stood and rubbed his temples. Maybe fresh air would help. He glanced over at Amadeira. Still asleep. She shivered slightly in the draft coming from the window. He walked over and latched it shut before snatching a blanket from the seat beneath it. Then he returned to Amadeira and settled the warm, scratchy wool over her sleeping frame. She whimpered but didn’t wake up.

Satisfied with that, he left her to sleep and meandered out into the halls. His aimless walk led him to the gardens, the still crisp air of early morning washing over him. He settled onto a bench with a sigh. All the things he’d learned about himself and the frustratingly elusive solution he needed permeated his mind, refused to let him relax. Two days of searching for nothing. Leo buried his head in his hands with a groan. What good did it do him to know he could use the shadows to teleport or that he could quite literally touch another person’s soul with them if he was unable to solve the issue they most needed to solve?

“You look restless.”

He glanced up to find his mother staring at him with arms crossed. “What are you doing up so early?”

“I’ve been an early riser for quite some time.” She settled beside him. “But you were too busy dispensing justice to others to notice.”

He frowned. “What?”

She fixed him with a stern gaze. “Did you think I had no idea what you were doing? What you were trained to do?”

His frown deepened. “You mean you knew the whole time?”

“Suspected at least. And when you went traipsing off on some secret mission, I guessed the rest. They’re saying you defeated Kiarhsu while you were away. The least you could have done was tell me the truth.”

He sighed. “I couldn’t. They wouldn’t allow it.”

“Before that, you could’ve.”

“I didn’t want you involved.”

She smiled and took his hands in hers. “I know you didn’t. I just wish you hadn’t gone through everything alone. I heard from Amadeira that the king’s making you his liaison with the nobility.”

He nodded. 

“So what has you so down?”

“Honestly?” He sighed. “Too many things.”

“Very well.” His mother squeezed his hands and stood. “Walk with me, and tell me what you can about it.”

He complied with a worn out smile. “Where to start?”

“How about with the trip? I’m certain that’s where some of these troubles are stemming from.”

He laughed sadly. “Yes, some of them. Actually, most of them.”

“What’s troubling you most?”

“The Pathway. We found it, and I opened it because I wasn’t given a choice.”

“Weren’t given a choice?”

“Well, when it’s between letting the one who owns your heart die and saving them by sacrificing yourself to open a Pathway… What would you do?”

She smiled. “You love that girl a great deal. A very large change from when you first met her.”

“I was just trying to protect her back then.”

His mother snorted. “You just didn’t want to pull anyone else into your fight. You were afraid of getting attached and losing her.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine. That was part of it. But that’s beside the point. The point is, I couldn’t let her die just to avoid opening that Path. So I let it happen. We barely made it out alive, and this time, she saved me. But ever since I went undercover out there, I’ve been finding more and more things that unsettle me.”

“Like what?”

“Well, first of all, I’m the object of numerous prophecies written by Queen Bane of Ashkarith. Did you know that?”

She raised a brow. “Is that accusation I hear in your voice?”

He glared at her. “Mother, for the love of Albrith! Did you or not? I’m having an existential crisis here. I don’t need to add to it.”

She patted his arm with a sweet smile. “I didn’t know anything about it, no. Your father suspected your potential back when you returned from the woods that night at six. But he never confirmed those suspicions.”

“He confirmed them,” Leo muttered.

“The night you killed him?”

“You knew about that too? Why am I not surprised?”

“I know more about you and your life than you realize. So, you opened the Path?”

“And now it doesn’t work. I’m supposed to figure out why using the diary and books given to me by the Disciples of Rith and the king’s scholars. But I can’t find anything. All I’ve done is uncover the ways my power can be used and all the ways it can go wrong.”

“Go wrong?”

“Plainly put, I need a tether of some sort. I need to be grounded the same way the strongest of those with Controdene abilities do. Even though mine isn’t a mental power, it could still consume me if I’m not careful, and my tether pulls me back from the edge of insanity.”

“That tether is Deira.”

He swallowed and scuffed a foot through the gravel of the path before lifting his head to watch the rising sun. “I think so. I can’t be sure, but she was able to bring me back from the edge of death back in Dubarin. My powers were consuming me and my mind, and she followed me into the dreamscape I was in.”

“Does she know what her part in this is?”

He shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. He still hadn’t brought it up with her. Didn’t know how to, if he was honest. How would he tell her that she was in the prophecies right alongside him? That she would be the difference between his salvation or damnation of himself and all of Alcardia.

~~~

Hope you all enjoyed! What have you all been working on? Did anyone finish out their NaNoWriMo projects? I did, though I didn’t manage to finish all of the things I was working on when I started. However, the important thing is that I met my goal of writing at least 50,000 words in November!

As always, feel free to share bits of whatever you’ve been working on or to offer feedback to others here. Just remember to keep everything polite and friendly.

Flash Fiction Fridays – Sinking

Ariel Paiement

This week’s flash fiction is about Ansiel again! Hope you guys enjoy! If you haven’t read the last post on Ansiel, you can go read it here.

~~~

Ansiel stared as she spun away from him into the arms of another man. He barely caught his newest partner in time. She batted pale lashes at him, her pastel pink gaze darkening with interest. He kept his attention firmly fixed on her. On Queen Saeread. She was the only reason he was here in England at all. But he could only curse the purpose that tied him to her now. That purpose was the reason she was untouchable.

He left his partner dancing with another man and wove through the crowd, left the party to find some place of peace and quiet. The festive air everyone else possessed weighed him down, made his heart freeze and his lung seize. He should be happy right now. Should be glad for the reprieve from court back in Ireland. But he couldn’t find a single spark of thankfulness inside his sinking heart.

Hurrying out onto a balcony that was sheltered by an overhang and the wall, he found his sanctuary. Out in the darkness, listening to the pounding of the rain on the cobblestone below, he tried to regain control. She wasn’t his. She never would be. 

A soft footfall sounded behind him. He didn’t turn around. Didn’t need to when he already knew who it was. “Queen Saeread. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She came to stand beside him at the rail, stood in the shadows and let the wall block her from view of those in the party. “Do I need an excuse to see you, Ansiel?”

He winced. No, of course not. But he needed a good excuse to stay. Temptation flared. He could excuse it because his King should be wedding his mate, not some random Fae Queen from London. He could excuse it because he knew the pain his sister would endure if this woman was wed to his King. But he also knew the price for betrayal was high, and he couldn’t bear to start a war that would most definitely involve his sister. So, he remained silent.

“Why don’t you speak?” Saeread’s arm brushed against his. “I hadn’t thought I’d done anything to make you angry.”

He shook his head and glanced over to find her watching him with a pout. “Nothing at all, my lady.”

She sighed. “Do you hate me?”

He tensed. Of course not. “Why would you ask that?”

“You tease me more often than not. And you look at me with something burning so hot in your gaze that I assumed you must. Besides, you spend more time running from me lately than you would if you liked me. Is my company that wretched?”

He couldn’t bear this. Groaning, he turned to face her. “Do you know what it feels like to feel as if, with every step forward you take, you might be taking your last? To feel as if you walk on a razor’s edge?”

A dainty frown creased her brow. “I–“

“No, I’m not done.” He pressed closer, didn’t care that he shouldn’t. “Do you know what it’s like to have a weight sitting on your chest every day? To be torn between two decisions? To feel as if you are sinking down, down, down until you don’t know which way is up? Until you feel like you can’t hold your breath any longer?”

She sucked in a breath, her pretty eyes brimming with tears.

“You don’t. You don’t know what it’s like to see what you want right before your eyes and to know that it’s yours but be unable to take it. You don’t know what it’s like to feel as though you’re sinking deeper into the bottomless sea of despair each day with no chance of rescue.” He shoved past her and paused in the doorway. “And until you do, Saeread, you can’t understand why I look at you the way I do.” 

She sucked in another gasping breath, as if he’d wounded her to the core. But he didn’t wait to hear her response. He just fled. Fled from her, the party, himself, everything. It was all that was left to him now, after all. If he couldn’t have the one woman who should be his, then what was left for him, anyway? 

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed. Have a great weekend!

Flash Fiction Fridays – Citadel in the Sky

Ariel Paiement

This one doesn’t necessarily have to do with a particular series or work I’ve got going on right now, but I was working on a world-building exercise and came up with an idea for this week’s flash fiction, so here we go!

~~~

Luna scampered down the halls of the citadel, her tail brushing against the floor. She glanced back to see Loan just a few feet back, still in hot pursuit. The other Cat Changer had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. And now, as they were nearing adolescence, they remained as close as ever. However, something new had taken over in the last months. A new fluttering low in her belly that accosted her whenever he was around. The tingles too. Luna didn’t know what to make of it.

Her mother had explained something about adolescence being the time when mates were taken, but Luna hadn’t really been paying attention, and she’d already decided a long time ago that Loan was it for her. If he didn’t want her, then she’d just die alone. She wouldn’t let anyone else have her.

She picked up the pace and skidded around the corner, her claws clacking on the metal of the hallway. They weren’t supposed to be playing back here, but what harm could it do? She pranced through an open door into the dimly lit room beyond. Loan would never think to look for her in here. Just ahead, a pedestal stood in the center of the room. The musky scent of earth and greenery filled the dim rim, and she breathed it in deeply. Reverting to her human form, she wandered further into the room to take a look at the glimmering green cup on the pedestal.

Upon closer examination, she found that someone had fashioned the cup out of pure emerald with a hammered gold rim ringing the lip of the cup. Inside, the cup held only a large amount of freshly turned dirt mixed with peat moss. No plants grew in it, and it seemed to nice to be a plant’s pot anyway. So what was it?

She reached out and skimmed her fingertips over the cup’s handles. A jolt of electricity ran through her, and she yelped, snatched her fingers back, and stumbled toward the door.

Loan poked his head around the corner then. His eyes widened when he saw her. “Hey, we aren’t supposed to be in there.”

She glanced behind her at the odd cup. “I know… I just thought I’d hide here. The door wasn’t locked.”

“Headmistress Roana will be furious if she catches us in here touching her pot.”

So that’s who it belonged to. She wondered how Loan knew. But then she dismissed the thought. Loan knew all sorts of things he shouldn’t. Stepping out of the room, she reverted to her feline form with a loud yowl. Loan transformed too, and she raced back the way they’d come. But as she ran, she couldn’t get the image of that strange emerald cup out of her mind. Even with the burn in her muscles and the ache in her lungs to distract her, she could still feel the lure of the cup, and she knew that soon she’d be back here to look for any further clues. 

~~~

And that’s it for this week, folks! I hope everyone enjoyed. Have a request for a flash fiction Friday? Feel free to comment below!

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #28

Ariel Paiement

This week’s work-in-progress Wednesday comes from Trader Prince of Aleshtain. Rhubhian is left alone with Albhia, the Crown Princess of Argos, who is visiting the Aleshtainan court as a potential bride for Crown Prince Eras. And as the tension ramps up, Rhubhian is forced to defend herself.

~~~

RHUBHIAN fiddled with the red silk scarves that wrapped her waist and tried not to look at Albhia. The other girl was gorgeous. Eras had done her an injustice in his description. But the others had given her too much credit in theirs. She was beautiful, but she didn’t strike Rhubhian as particularly kind. 

They were of equal rank, though the witch didn’t know it, and even were they not, she had no right to treat another human being like that. But truth be told, Rhubhian was more hurt by her behavior than anything. The other girl’s dismissal of her and clear disdain made her feel like she was a bug underfoot. As if she wasn’t worthy of Eras’s attention or time.

“So, you’re the wench he’s been messing around with.”

“Excuse me?” Rhubhian lifted her gaze to find Albhia eyeing her critically.

“Well, you’re pretty enough in a foreign sort of way.” She smiled sweetly. “I can see why he’s infatuated. But let me lay it out for you clearly. His old man adores me. He can’t marry a slave first, and he certainly can’t sire the next heir with one. So, if you behave yourself and stay out of my way, I might allow you to have him second. I might be nice enough to share.”

Heat rose in Rhubhian’s cheeks, and she clenched her fists in her lap. “I think my master has made himself clear on where he stands, Princess. I may be no one, but at least he can stand me.”

Albhia’s fair skin reddened, and she shoved herself back from the table with a sneer. “How dare you talk to me that way?”

“I’m only stating the obvious. The Crown Prince doesn’t want you.”

“If you think warming his bed somehow makes you above me, you’re wrong. You’ll never have him if you keep this up.”

Rhubhian snorted and lifted her chin. “I don’t want him.” Liar. “And if I did, I’d be able to have him. Can you say the same? Does he want you?”

“Whether you want him or not doesn’t matter, you ill-mannered wretch.” Albhia’s voice rose. “He’s clearly been bedding you. otherwise, you wouldn’t be acting superior.”

Rhubhian lowered her voice, glancing toward the kitchens. She didn’t want to get them in trouble with this argument, but she also wasn’t going to stand for this mistreatment either. “He has been doing no such thing. I don’t need to whore myself out in order to curry his favor.”

“You… You…” Albhia’s fists clenched, and she looked like she might throw herself over the table at any moment.

Fortunately, the door opened and Eras entered. He took one look at both their faces before striding to his seat and settling down. “Is something the matter, Albhia?”

She sat back down in her seat with a delicate cough. “The roast is a bit spicy for me, and I was startled by it.” 

Eras cast her a glance and she looked away. Her eyes teared up for some reason, and she tried to hold the tears at bay. Why was it that Albhia’s comments stung so much? And why was it that around Eras, those negative emotions always seemed to come out freely?

He didn’t comment on her sudden refusal to face him, and they finished the meal in silence. As soon as he was finished, he eyed her plate. “Are you going to play with that or eat it?”

She bit her lip, still on the verge of crying but trying to hold it in until she had privacy to cry. “I’m not hungry, sir.”

He sighed and pushed away from the table. “Very well. You look like you’re ready to drop. Let’s get you to bed. Are you feeling unwell?”

She shook her head, her throat constricting until she couldn’t even force sound out to form words. He pulled her chair back from the table and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she stood. She shrugged him off, his touch bringing her even closer to the brink of an emotional breakdown. Besides, Albhia was right. She was just a slave. She didn’t deserve the kind concern and gentle caring he’d shown her the last two weeks since he’d bought her. 

He frowned at her display, and she knew he was annoyed by the disrespect. But she didn’t want to embarrass him in front of Albhia even more by bursting into tears. So she held her back erect and hurried to the door. Eras let her go, but stopped her as he reached out to open the door for her. “We’re going to have a talk about whatever that was back there once we’re in my room.”

She stayed quiet but offered him a faint nod of acknowledgement. If he wanted to punish her or yell, she would bear his anger meekly. After all, she was his slave. She didn’t have rights, no matter how much he claimed otherwise. And he was probably going to marry Albhia, despite her refusal to admit that aloud. She might have been defiant in the face of the princess’s caustic behavior, but now she felt small. So very, very small.

So when Eras took her arm this time, she didn’t wrench away or protest. She just lowered her head to hide the tears that she couldn’t quite contain.

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone! What are you all working on? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Flash Fiction Fridays – Kidnapped

Ariel Paiement

This week, I’ve got a flash fiction about Rhubhian from Trader Prince of Aleshtain. Enjoy!

~~~

RHUBHIAN stared out across the village, almost unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Smoke and fire curled up from the hide and straw huts. She sank to her knees on the promontory above her village, and the tears streamed down her cheeks. She’d heard the stories from refugees about the slavers who were hitting outer villages, but she’d never expected it would come this close to Faeridhia. This close to her cousin’s domain. Why had this happened?

She spun on her heel and hurried down the steep, rocky path to the village. Her mother and baby brother were down there, and her father had probably been involved in the fighting before the village was ransacked. She had to find them. Her foot slipped on the rocky ground, and she struggled for balance. Regaining it, she continued her headlong rush down the path. 

Something rustled ahead of her, and a man stepped out onto the path. He wasn’t wearing the attire of her people, and his skin was paler than anything she’d ever seen. She took a shaky step back up the path. His grey eyes fixed on her, and his lips parted in a leering grin. “Guess it’s my lucky day.” 

She struggled to understand the words, but the look on his face told her what his words didn’t. Her Common wasn’t good enough to understand his accent. But then, it didn’t need to be because the lust and greed was etched all over his face. She backed up more and shook her head.

The man took a step forward with a laugh. “Where are you going, girl?”

She shook her head again and turned to run. Her foot caught on a root, and she stumbled. She fell to her knees and released a cry. The sharp rocks dug into her knees, and she sniffled, forcing back the tears. She shoved herself to her feet and continued running. The man cursed and hurried after her. She could hear his sharp breaths and his footsteps growing closer, and she gasped. Increasing her speed did nothing. A hand wrapped around her hair and yanked her backward. She screamed and thrashed back against the man now holding her. She reached out for the objects around her, prayed that there was something large enough to knock him out. 

Nothing happened. His hot breath fanned over her ear, and he laughed, his hands holding her tight. “Don’t bother. Your mind tricks won’t work against me because I can negate them.”

She choked on a scream as he wrapped his fingers around her throat and dragged her back toward the path. With his grip around her throat, she couldn’t even struggle now. She tried to scream, but he slapped a hand over her mouth. Something bitter coated her tongue. Rhubhian attempted to spit it out, but the man pressed his giant palm over her nose and mouth, leaving her no choice but to swallow.

She squeezed her eyes shut and thrashed in his grip. But it did nothing. And as the bitter tablet he’d shoved into her mouth dissolved and trickled down her throat, she found her muscles slackening. Her heart rate spiked, and a moment later, she felt the line connecting her to her ashtra dim. She couldn’t reach it. She couldn’t use it. Tears dripped down her cheeks. As the man dragged her down the path toward her burning village, she couldn’t even lift a finger to save herself. Her mind drifted as the drugs seeped through her entire body. Then darkness settled over her like a heavy blanket, and she left the world of consciousness.

~~~

I hope everyone enjoyed this week’s flash fiction! If you did, you can look forward to reading more about Rhubhian in Trader Prince of Aleshtain. Once I have more content written, I’ll start posting that on Wattpad and Inkitt for readers.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #27

Ariel Paiement

This week’s WIP Wednesday is from Trader Prince of Aleshtain, the second book in the Legends of Alcardia series. This is a scene from the most recent chapter I finished. Let’s take a look!

~~~

WHEN he strode into his room, the first thing he laid eyes on was Rhubhian’s drawings. They were scattered around the room, and the ones she’d done reflected a dark, haunted mood. Pained expressions, empty gazes, and screaming faces filled the pages. He swallowed and stepped past them, his gaze flitting around the room. Where was she? Her mind wasn’t in a good place judging by these drawings, and he didn’t want her trying to hurt herself.

The sharp weapons in his closet came to mind, and he hurried toward the other room and the adjoining bathroom. He was about to go into the closet when he caught a flash of bright red clothing in the bathroom. Stepping back, he stared at Rhubhian. She was huddled in a heap on the bathroom floor, her tiny body curving in on itself. Tear stains tracked her cheeks, but she was breathing slow and steady. At some point, she must have fallen asleep.

How long had he been gone? Now that he thought about it, he’d left her here alone for almost an entire day, if he included the night he’d spent at Ifan’s plaza. He hadn’t even considered how she might feel if he left. In fact, he hadn’t thought she’d care that much. But then, he had taken off after yelling at her for being so stupid. She must have been going out of her mind with worry, boredom, and guilt. 

He walked into the bathroom and crouched down beside her, brushing her damp hair off her neck with a sigh. She stirred, and her long lashes fluttered against her cheeks before she opened her eyes and met his gaze. At first, confusion clouded her eyes, and then recognition dawned, and she bolted into a seated position.

Eras pulled back. She probably wanted her space. Maybe she was even angry at him for leaving her for so long. He’d be angry if he was in her position. But strangely enough, no trace of anger appeared. Instead, she flung her arms around his neck and clung to him, sobbing like a child.

This was new. Not that he’d complain. He liked having her close, and he liked her display of her humanity even more. While he’d prefer she weren’t upset or in pain, he was glad to see her opening up. Hopefully after the trauma faded from her memory a bit, she wouldn’t revert back to her previously closed-off self. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her against him.

Her fingers fisted in his shirt, and he rubbed her back. Murmuring soothing nothings in her ear, he continued to hold her close and comfort her. She tried to say something past the tears, but the words came out garbled. He leaned back and brushed her tears away with a sigh. “I’m so sorry for leaving you alone for so long.”

She tightened her hold on his shirt. “You are angry at me…” 

“No, No, I’m not angry anymore.” He took her face in his hands and ignored the tears dripping down his palms. “Rhu, look at me.”

To her credit, she obeyed more promptly than usual, but no doubt that was born out of fear he might leave and guilt over not staying put the day before. She didn’t say anything further, and he wished he knew how to convince her he was no longer angry. Frustrated, certainly. But not angry. In fact, now he mostly felt relief over her safety and guilty for leaving her alone. “I never should have left you alone. I never gave you the chance to apologize if you needed to or to tell you that I was only angry because I was so scared for your safety.”

She ducked her head as much as he would allow. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you left so quickly, and I didn’t know what to do.”

He pulled her back into his arms with a sigh. “Rhubhian, everything is forgiven. In your position, I would’ve done the same thing, and you were never told you should stay put in the room. It’s my fault. I should’ve made sure you knew what I was expecting. Next time, I’ll make sure I do. But if you’re ever unsure, you put your safety first, you hear?”

She nodded and rested her forehead against his shoulder. “Why did you leave?”

“I needed time to cool off. But I didn’t think about how it would affect you. I should have, and again, I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

For a while, she didn’t say anything. Maybe she wasn’t willing to forgive him. If it made her feel better, though, he’d bear that burden. He didn’t deserve forgiveness after the way he’d gone off on her before leaving her to stew in her own self-reproach with no way to fix anything. So, he just sat there and stroked her hair while holding her close until the slight trembling of her body stopped.

Finally, she pulled away and looked up at him. “I forgive you.”

He blinked. “You do?”

“You asked me to, right?”

He nodded.

“Then I forgive you.”

He sat there for a few moments in silence. Then he reached out and stroked her hair away from her face with a sigh. “You think I deserve it? Even though I was selfish?”

She shrugged. “You saved me. And…” She bit her lip. “And you were right to be angry.”

He stayed quiet.

“I’m sorry too.”

She understood her mistake, then? But maybe she didn’t. Who could say? She could be apologizing just to smooth things over. “Sorry for what?”

She cast him a look that bordered on rebellious. Eras crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her. The irritation dimmed, and guilt replaced it. “I’m sorry that I went after you. Even though you didn’t tell me to stay put, I still knew you wouldn’t like it. But I did it anyway.”

“Why?”

“I was… I was lonely, and I needed to get out of this room.” She ducked her head.

He reached out and tipped it back up. “You should have said so.”

Her gaze met his, and she swallowed. The sheen of tears glossed over her eyes. “Are you angry?”

He shook his head with a sigh. “No. No, I’m not angry.” 

She didn’t say anything, and for once, he gave in to the temptation to peek into her mind. He found only pain, fear, and a tiny bit of hope. Hope that he might not be lying.  He shook his head and reached out, gathering her into his arms. She tensed before relaxing. The time they’d been spending together every day and his kindness to her were paying off. At least she didn’t fear him. Only what might happen to her if he didn’t choose to stick around to protect her. He wove his fingers through her hair and pressed her head to his chest. “I’m not going to leave you, sweetheart.”

She shivered against him and sighed. “No matter what?”

“No matter what. After all, I did get you into this mess.”

~~~

Well, that’s it for this week from me. What are you guys working on? Feel free to share in the comments below! Is anyone doing NaNoWriMo this November, by the way? I am, though I’m aiming for 50,000 words total between the various projects I have going on, so I’m not doing it the traditional way exactly. So, what about you guys?

Flash Fiction Fridays – Ansiel’s Quest

Ariel Paiement1 Comment

This week’s flash fiction is about a new character, Ansiel. This particular character features in a short story on the Fae Queen of the London Fae Court. If you haven’t gotten your free copy of Revelar’s Queen and read through it, then I’ll let you know now that the Fae Queen in my short story, Unseen, is the same one who was in charge of the London Fae Court during the events of Revelar’s Queen. With that note out of the way, let’s dive right in!

~~~

Ansiel leaned on the railing of his balcony with a sigh. A quest to scout out a bride for his king was quite a weight. And while he felt honored that his master had seen fit to send his personal bodyguard to do the scouting, he wished it didn’t have to be him. He wasn’t cut out for all of the diplomatic nonsense and courtly fawning required of ambassadors. It wasn’t even in his job description. Or it wouldn’t be if he’d had a job description. But, he couldn’t tell Faread no. So, here he was on the night of his departure, moping.

Soft footfalls alerted him to an intruder, and he spun on his heel. A slender figure stepped from the shadows, and he sighed. Then he shook his head with a soft smile. “Still at it, Ceili? When will you accept that you can’t sneak up on me?”

“Never.” Ceili matched his grin with one of her own. “So, what is this I hear about my brother becoming a diplomat?”

He put his hands on his hips. “Where did you hear that?”

“‘Read may have let it slip.”

Ansiel crossed his arms. “Nicknames, now, eh? Have you moved from mistress to prospective bride?”

She snorted. “Really, Ansi. Is it necessary to be that way? When are you going to accept that your baby sister is old enough to make her own choices? If I choose to warm my mate’s bed, that’s my own decision. Given what we went through over my career choice, I assumed you’d learned I was an adult.”

“That’s hardly fair! I’m your older brother. It’s my job to protect you, and I can’t do that if you give your heart to a man planning to wed another and risk your life protecting his kingdom from the threats he sees in every shadow.”

“He’s my mate.” She crossed her arms. “What do you want me to do? Abandon him?”

“He’s abandoning you.”

“Mates only happen once for us. You know that. And there’s only a fifty percent chance that you will.”

“I know that too,” he noted.

She shook her head with a huff. “And as for my career choice, I like what I do.”

“You enjoy killing people and living in the shadows. Never thought I’d hear that coming out of your mouth. A year ago, before he finally noticed you, you hated it.”

“Well…” Ceili groaned. “Well, I guess I still hate some aspects.”

He laughed and turned his back on her to watch the moon rise over the Irish countryside. “Ceili, he’ll be the death of you. Marry a man who can love you. A man who won’t make the woman he should cherish into a glorified prostitute.”

She didn’t answer him, but her soft intake of breath spoke volumes. A rustle of cloth filled the silence that stretched between them. When he finally turned, she’d already gone. He dragged his fingers through his hair with a groan. He shouldn’t have said that. Even if it was the truth, he didn’t like that it separated them and caused anger between them. And he really didn’t like that it meant leaving her with a bad taste in her mouth while he traipsed off to the Fae Court in England. Unfortunately, the words had been said, and she was already long gone. Probably headed off to cry in Faread’s arms. The man would console her like he always did, give him an earful about hurting his sister’s feelings, and then move on without a care in the world.

Ansiel gritted his teeth and stomped over to his four-postered bed. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man wanted to marry a woman besides Ceili. The king wanted to make a ruined woman out of his baby sister, and she seemed determined he should. That alone was enough to make him want to kill the man. But he always bit his tongue and held back his true feelings towards the king. Admitting his hatred would be the best way to his job and his head. And when it all fell apart, Ceili needed someone to be there. He was all she had. He slid into bed and yanked the covers up over his head. For her sake, he would continue suffering this charade of a child in a man’s body and pretend that it didn’t make him sick. For her sake, he would turn a blind eye. And for her sake, he would pick up the pieces when it all shattered.

~~~

That’s it for this week! What did you all think? Have something you’d like to see in future Flash Fiction Fridays? Share your thoughts and comments in the comments below!

Work-In-Progress Wednesday #26

Ariel Paiement

NaNoWriMo is in full swing now, and I’ve been getting lots done on my current works-in-progress. This year’s NaNo has been different than the last time I did one a few years back. This time, I’m focusing more on reaching the word count goal of 50,000 and less on achieving it with one work. Since I have so much going on right now, starting a new novel entirely didn’t make sense, so I’ve been working on Pathway of the Moon, Trader Prince of Aleshtain, and the collection of short stories I want to have out in 2021. So it’s a bit of a nontraditional approach, but hey, nothing wrong with that!

This week’s work-in-progress comes from Pathway of the Moon. I’m currently on chapter 49 of 60. I’ve written roughly three and a half chapters in the last seven days thanks to NaNoWriMo and not being able to work my second job thanks to injuring my foot. So that’s where life is at right now. I’m about forty percent of the way done with my NaNo challenge though!

Now, on to the piece for this week. It’s from the last chapter I wrote.

~~~

LEO opened the door to their room and stopped. King Faolrian turned away from the window and greeted him with a warm smile. Leo hooked his thumbs into his pockets and shuffled inside, nudging the door shut with his toe. “Sire? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Faolrian smiled. “I’m not here on any official business. Not exactly, anyway. How are you settling in?”

Leo let out a soft sigh. So he wasn’t in trouble. Good. “I’m settling in fine. The accommodations are much nicer than I’m used to. I appreciate your generosity.”

“Any headway with that journal you were given?”

Leo glanced at the book where it lay on his bed. “Depends on what you mean by headway. The prophecies aren’t the easiest to understand at times. But I’m working on it.”

“You can understand it without a translator?”

“My father made sure I was versed in the original dialect of Wyrdhan, specifically the prophecy case. It was expected that every leader in the… Well, anyway, you know.”

The king smiled. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of your past. You didn’t choose it, Leo.”

Leo grimaced and walked into the room. He picked up the diary from its spot on the bed. “Why wouldn’t I be ashamed? I was affiliated with a cult that wanted to destroy the country I love.”

“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t be ashamed. You love this country. And your love for this country, your loyalty to it, led you to leave the people who wanted to destroy it no matter the cost. I think that’s admirable.”

“You’re the only one who will think that.”

“Actually, I’m not. The nobility, on the whole, quite like you. They’ve been asking when you’ll start making appearances.”

Leo cracked a smile. “They should remember my reluctance to socialize back when I was just a Duke with a title I had to buy.”

Faolrian laughed. “Some do. They were surprised to discover you were so instrumental in defeating Kiarhsu’s cult. In fact, rumors are now going around that you were in the war between the Aleshtainians and our men on the borders, and that’s where you gained the money to buy your title.”

Leo blinked. “Where did that idea come from?”

The king shrugged. “I didn’t make it up. But off the record, I think the spymaster may have let it slip that you were a highly decorated captain out there.”

“A highly decorated… What?” Leo groaned. “Sire, do you have any idea the social nightmare you’ve managed to start for me?”

Faolrian clapped him on the back. “Nonsense! You’re a highly decorated war hero. Brings a great deal of respect. They’re even saying you single-handedly negotiated for the release of some of our soldiers.”

“Anything else I should know about that they’re saying?”

“I think that’s all for now, but you know these stories. They grow. You’d better figure out your official story to avoid any problems. I think you learned that lesson well enough previously though.”

Leo laughed in spite of himself. Not figuring out a story ahead of time was the very reason he had gotten into so much trouble in the first place. He’d certainly learned his lesson. “That I did.”

Faolrian headed for the door then paused and turned back. “Just two more things, Leo. First, don’t keep that woman of yours waiting too long. I’ve seen how you look at each other, and you don’t want to miss your chance.”

The tips of his ears heated.

“And secondly, I need you to see if that book of yours says anything at all about the Pathway.”

“The Pathway? What am I looking for?”

“The Pathway doesn’t work.”

Leo stared at him, baffled. “But something came through it.”

“Something did. But we aren’t able to pass through to their side of the Path. Anything you can find out would be helpful.”

Leo nodded, a frown furrowing his brow. Why would the Path only work one way? “I’ll be working on it, then, Sire.”

The king nodded and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Leo stared at the wooden door. Had the book ever said anything about the Path? He couldn’t be sure since he hadn’t finished the entire thing. But it just didn’t make sense. If one side could be used, theirs should be working too. He’d opened it just as the prophecy had claimed he would. So what was going on?

~~~

That’s it from my end, everyone! What have you guys been working on? Anyone else doing NaNoWriMo? If so, let me know how it’s going in the comments! I’d love to hear about what you all have started.

Flash Fiction Fridays – Hear Him Thunder

Ariel Paiement1 Comment

This week’s flash fiction is from a universe that hasn’t shown up in any of my official work yet. It may or may not ever do so, but it is connected to Revelar’s Queen in an interesting way. The connection between this world and the occupants of the location being terrorized by the villain in this piece was the result of an exercise in Holly Lisle’s Build a World Clinic ebook. If you’re interested in learning how to world-build what you need as you go along in a sane, organized fashion, I highly recommend it!

~~~

ENLIL rose into the sky, the sparks dancing around him and the winds picking up. He opened his mouth in a soundless scream of triumph, spread his arms and unleashed the storm inside. They thought they could beat him down? They thought that because he was of a lower class than they were that they could treat him like scum? Well, they’d learn. Because this so-called slave was their downfall, the perfect storm to bring reform. She was his, and they had denied him to her simply because he didn’t look like the one they thought she was pledged to. 

Lightning arced out of his fingertips, and the thunderheads blew from his mouth as he howled his victory. Below, houses went up in flames, and torrents of rain washed away whatever the flames didn’t touch. Then the rain put out the flames in the other areas too, and everything was enveloped in a maelstrom of wind, rain, and lightning with the thunder booming over it to provide the final beat on the drum that announced that death had come. 

He stretched his arms out further, tipped his head back and laughed into the sky. This was power. This was freedom. They would learn, and they would suffer just as everyone they had touched with their corruption had. Just as he had. This storm, he himself, were only the beginning. The beginning of devastation.

Only his betrothed would escape. But if she scorned him? His fingers twitched, shooting off more sparks and another bolt of lightning. If she scorned him, he would make her suffer more than all of her subjects. She had no right to refuse destiny, no right to look down on him because fate hadn’t chosen a more worthy object for her affection. So, if she thought him unworthy, he would show her how wrong she was. The vessel that housed him might be a slave, but he was no slave. He was far more ancient and powerful than any of them. He was storm. He was thunder. And he was destruction incarnate. He would have his way.

They would hear him thunder, and they would regret awakening his wrath.

~~~

That’s it for this week! I hope you all enjoyed. Have something you’d like to see in this section of the blog? Leave me a comment or shoot me an email! I’m always open to suggestions.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #23

Ariel Paiement

This week, I have an excerpt from the most recent section of Pathway of the Moon. I’m already finishing up Part Four of Six. I’m really excited about how much progress I’ve made, and I can’t wait to start on the sequel. I’m slowly working on planning that. At any rate… Enjoy!

~~~

ALRIAN huddled in the reeds on the shoreline. The water lapped at her bare feet, and she shivered. The moon hung full and heavy overhead, a silent testament to the remaining time. Too much of it. Something snapped in the distance, and she retreated further into the reeds. Was it Shiador? The noise quieted. Not Shiador, then.

She let out a soundless sigh. She’d hid well. He wouldn’t find her if she stayed here. But she couldn’t hide until dawn anymore like they’d planned. With Leo and Deira’s arrest, she had to find her way to them. But she didn’t know where they were, and she had to figure it out without being caught by Shiador. Thankfully, she was certain he was searching obvious places. He still believed he was in possession of superior intellect, so why would he start in the good hiding spots? A dumb girl like her obviously wouldn’t be smart enough to prepare or think through her hiding places. And the women he was used to would never break the rules the men laid out.

After their last run in, he should already know she wasn’t anything like the women in camp, but she wouldn’t complain about how dense he was. It was working in her favor at the moment. She listened a moment longer, then stretched her stiff limbs in preparation for the swim back to the mainland. Her clothes had barely dried from her last swim.

She sighed.

Swimming with them was possible, of course, but was it really wise? The cold water and damp cloth against her skin for hours more could slow her down and make her sick if the air got any colder. She groaned softly and began to peel the thin clothing off. Bundling it together, she used the thin sash from the dress to tie it to her shoulders for the swim. She’d wait for it to dry again before she redressed. It was barely any protection against the wind anyway.

Then she took a deep breath and plunged into the water. The cold crashed into her, spread through her bones. But she pulled on her ashtra and forced her limbs to keep moving through the moonlit waters.

Ten minutes later, she dragged herself out of the water and onto the bank. Pushing her sopping wet hair out of her face, she sprawled out and took slow, shallow breaths to slow her heart rate. Best to take a moment to recover now while she knew Shiador wasn’t anywhere too close by.

While she rested against the cool, damp grass, she took a moment to think. Where would the Pathway be? Would Leo and Deira be there or would they have escaped already? She didn’t have any answers, though if they were still at the Pathway, it was probably because Leo was incapacitated. And they couldn’t be near any source of water because Amadeira would have been able to use that against them.

The wind played over her bare, damp skin, and she shivered. Somewhere in the distance, a fox released a sharp alarm cry and another one picked it up. She pushed herself to her feet and crept into the bushes. The sounds were quite far away, but who knew what had alarmed the animals. She veered away from the sound and headed for the camp. It was probably the last place Shiador would think to look, and it would be the first place she might find clues to the Path’s whereabouts.

Something hooted, and she jumped. The soft flutter of wings in the night met her attentive ear. She sighed. Nothing but a bird. If she made it out of this alive, she swore she would never spend the night alone in a creepy forest again. And she’d definitely make sure she stayed armed if she ever ended up the hunted instead of the hunter.

Speaking of arms, hadn’t Leo left a few knives and other weapons back in the little cottage? If she could make it there, she’d at least have some measure of protection on her if Shiador ran across her. Better that than nothing, and with the element of surprise, she might even stand a chance. And while she was there, maybe she could find a warm change of clothes.

She glanced up into the foliage overhead. The moon shone as bright as ever. She heaved a sigh and began the trudge back toward the camp. The sounds of the animals in the forest enveloped her, and she let them guide her through the forest safely. If she heard cries of alarm or disturbances nearby or in the distance, she stayed away from that area.

But the forest was large, and in the moonlight, it looked far different than it did during the day. Going a different direction from usual also hadn’t helped. Was she even on the right track? The forest began to thin, and a path cleared for her. She frowned and followed the trail. 

Things began to look more familiar. There was the old twisted tree that had been hit by lightning. And there was the stone with odd carving on it. Her shoulders sagged in relief. She slowed her pace and moved from the cover of one tree to the next. If anyone was watching for her, hopefully this would keep her out of their sight. She paused on the edge of the woods. Would anyone be watching for her? Would they suspect she might try to return to the cabin in search of her friends?

She peered around the trunk of a tree. No lights lit the cottage from within, and everything was quiet outside. Shiador had hardly been quiet in his initial pursuit of her, and she doubted he would bother doing so now. He wanted her running and terrified out of her mind so she wouldn’t think straight. Too bad for him. She wasn’t the type to do that. Maybe if he’d met her before she joined the military, he might have had more luck.

She rolled her eyes. As if. He’d only have had more luck because she wasn’t trained to deal with situations like this back then. She slipped out from behind the tree and hurried to the cottage. No one stopped her, and no one tried to accost her. The place was deserted. She turned the knob on the back door. The handle turned with ease, and she pushed inside.

Nothing moved or made a sound in the cottage’s interior. She eased the door shut behind her and hurried toward her trunk in the living room. She stumbled over an overturned cushion from the couch and stubbed her toe on the edge of a table leg. The search party Kiarhsu had assembled had left no stone unturned, and it seemed they had also left the house in disarray when they’d left. She slowed down and squinted to make out the shadowy shapes by the moonlight streaming in the window. If only she could turn on a light. But that was too risky.

She groped around beside the love seat until she located the trunk she’d thrown her clothes and weapons into. Opening the lid, she sighed. At least her things were still in the trunk. Someone had folded everything neatly, and she guessed Deira must have done so while she was trying not to go mad with stress before she and Leo were moved to the Path. She dug through it and laid out a warm shirt, loose fitting pants, a belt, and her weapons. Then she yanked the soaking wet dress the camp’s women had adorned her in off her back. The cursed thing looked like a shapeless, sad mess now. She wadded it up even more and threw it into a corner. Infernal invention. She dragged the shirt over her head and then tugged on her pants with a grim smile. Much better suited for what she was doing. Traipsing about the woods naked or clothed in a flimsy dress meant to slow her down was Rith’s own curse. No woman deserved to be chased through the forest by a madman in clothing that was designed to slow her flight.

And besides. She had another mission to perform. Besides evading Shiador, that was. She strapped her sword on and strode to the front door this time. A quick peek out the windows confirmed that no one was lurking around in wait, so she pushed the door open inch-by-inch until she could squeeze out. Shutting it behind her, she scanned the immediate surroundings. Nothing.

The birds and other night animals were creating the usual soft buzz of noise in the background. Nothing had come this way recently besides her, and they knew she was not a threat. Her shoulders sagged. That was one problem out of her way. The next problem was a bigger one: would the women be willing to help her?

She squared her shoulders. Only one way to find out.

~~~

Thanks for reading! What are you guys up to? Feel free to share in the comments below. I’d love to see what all of you are working on right now.