Tag: writing snippets

Flash Fiction Friday – Training Bane

Ariel Paiement

For this Flash Fiction Friday, I have a piece that focuses on Banach and Rith. This one shares the first training session he had with her in magic.

~~~

Banach closed her eyes and drew in a long, slow breath. She placed her palms in Rith’s large hands and crossed her legs. “I’m ready.”

“You remember what we discussed?”

She nodded.

“Repeat it back to me. I want you to run through the steps one more time.”

His baritone voice trickled through her, left heat behind everywhere it touched. She shivered and brought her mind back to the task at hand. Repeat the steps. She reached out to his mind. He’d want her to practice every aspect of her ability, so she might as well start now. She might be too tired for it later. You want me to reach out with my mind to touch yours.

Good. I see you got a head start. His thoughts eddied through her mind, left an impression of a smile as they moved on. The next step?

Then I should try to plant a suggestion. Try to encourage you to do something that you weren’t previously thinking about.

He chuckled. Yes. That’s good enough for today. Let’s try.

She ran her thumb in circles along the pulse point of his right arm. His long fingers clasped her wrists, tightened.

Focus, Bane.

Her cheeks heated. He should’ve known his touch would cause this. But he’d insisted that she needed to start learning by grounding herself to someone she knew and loved. That left only him. If she wanted to learn, she’d learn his way.

She frowned and focused on the sensation of her forehead wrinkling to distract herself from his fingers. Rith had never been pushy with her, but on this point, he refused to budge. If she wanted to train, she’d train with him on his terms. Still, what was there to complain about? She had him all to herself during these moments, something she didn’t get often. And he was supportive.

His fingers tensed against her wrists. Had she forgotten to bar him from her mind at the beginning of the exercise? Suddenly, she couldn’t remember if she had. Fine. If he wanted her to focus, she would. She’d focus on the one thing she couldn’t seem to get out of her head. A smile turned up the corners of her lips.

She reached inside to the ashtra. Would it like the idea too?

The ball of energy tinkled with laughter. Do I like it? Of course, child. He’s earned it.

The smile widened.

“You know, I can feel the smugness just radiating off you.” Rith chuckled. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“Telling you that would ruin the point of the exercise.”

His thumb brushed over the pulse point of her wrist again. She shivered, and he laughed. “I think I can guess. You’re supposed to be concentrating on the exercise, though.”

Oh, she was. She took hold of the ashtra, shaping the energy into a single thought and easing it into Rith’s mind. It was similar to the way she spoke to him mind-to-mind, but at the same time, it was completely different.

He sucked in a shaky breath, and she smiled. It had settled in.

She opened her eyes just as he did the same. His normally warm gaze seemed to sear into her now, and she shivered. Maybe she’d gone overboard? He looked like he wanted more than a simple kiss, which was all she’d meant to suggest. His gaze raked over her, settled back on her face.

His lips curved up into a wicked smile. “You’re playing with fire today, aren’t you?”

Her lips parted, and she shook her head.

“I think you are.”

“I—” She cleared her throat. “Of course not.”

He leaned closer until their chests brushed. “Really?”

She lowered her gaze and watched him from beneath her lashes. No, not really. She’d clearly messed something up. He wasn’t supposed to tease her like this. He was supposed to kiss her. Just one chaste kiss. But based on the fire burning in his gaze, she’d get a lot more than that.

“You want me to kiss you?” He slid his fingers under her chin and tipped her face up.

She fought for breath, closed her eyes. “Did I say that?”

“Yes.” The terse answer rumbled through his chest and vibrated into hers.

“When?”

“The minute you planted that thought in my head.” His lips brushed hers. “Like I said, you’re playing with fire.”

She was. And she hoped it would consume her. Because at this point, the slow burn his touch ignited wasn’t enough. Heat sparked through her and blossomed in her cheeks.

“Nothing to say, Bane?”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen?”

He chuckled, tugged her into his lap. His head dipped, and his lips pressed to her neck. “You expect me to believe that?”

She straddled him and pressed her hands to his chest. “Yes. You’re supposed to be training me, and I don’t know what I’m doing. Obviously, I’ll make mistakes.”

He hummed and moved his hands down to her hips. “I suppose. But when you make mistakes, it’s my job to show you the consequences. Here, in a controlled environment where you won’t be hurt if it goes wrong.”

Even now he retained control. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Right now, his control made her heart sink and her body burn. Definitely a bad thing if he didn’t plan on relieving the ache. Banach sighed.

Rith lifted his head and smiled. “Something wrong?”

Her cheeks warmed, and she stared at the bushes hedging the clearing’s edge. Would it kill him to quench the fire he’d started? Or had she started it? Probably. She’d been the one to plant the suggestion to kiss her, after all. But she hadn’t meant for this to happen.

Rith’s rough palm cupped her cheek. “I’ll give you what you meant to ask for. No more.”

The warmth in her cheeks traveled to her ears. She met his frank stare and bit her lower lip. “No more?”

“No more.” His gaze darkened. “Otherwise, I might not be able to control myself.”

She smiled and reached out to run her fingertips over his furrowed brow. “Somehow, I doubt that. You’re the most controlled person I know.”

He dipped his head and brushed his mouth over hers. “Maybe. But I’d rather not tempt fate. Let’s just say this training session was a mixed success.”

Was it though? A success, that was. It didn’t feel like it. His quick, chaste kiss wasn’t at all what she wanted. She lowered her head to his shoulder. True, it was what she’d initially wanted. But after the looks he’d given her, his kiss disappointed. It was all she was going to get, though. So, she’d take it.

Besides, she knew there would be other times when he would go further. When he’d give her what she wanted and more. In lots of ways, he already did. The disappointment faded. He’d give more when he felt it was appropriate, when he felt she was ready. Because whatever he did, he was always trying to ensure her safety and happiness. He loved her. That was enough for now. Maybe the training session had been a success after all.

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone! I’d love to know what you think! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have anything you’d like to say or if you have suggestions for more things you’d like to read on Flash Fiction Fridays.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #11

Ariel Paiement

For this week’s work-in-progress Wednesday, I have an excerpt from Pathway of the Moon. In this excerpt, Alrian is once again butting heads with our favorite assassin, and she strikes a little too close to home for comfort.

~~~

THE cell door slammed open. Leo bolted upright, instinct kicking. He reached for his obsidian blades, but his fingers only brushed against the loops of his pants where they should’ve hung.

“Relax. It’s just me.” A familiar voice snapped him out of his sleep-fogged state.

Leo slumped back against the wall. “Next time, knock or something.”

“I didn’t realize that was standard procedure with prisoners.” Alrian crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

He eyed the open door then dropped his head back against the wall and shut his eyes. Escaping was pointless. Even if he hadn’t been literally shackled by the collar, he was just as shackled by those who would suffer if he left. Honor-bound to remain for their sake, he forced himself to ignore the instinct to fight free of the cell.

“Glad to see you aren’t going to run first chance you get.” Alrian kicked the door shut and went to sit on the windowsill. “If you had, you wouldn’t be going anywhere until we left.”

Leo refused to let her see that her words had grabbed his attention. He remained still and silent.

“Aren’t you the least bit curious about what I came to offer?” Her voice held an edge now.

Good. He’d gotten under her skin. A small victory, all things considered, but it was a measure of control in an out-of-control situation. He still didn’t respond.

She shifted, her uniform rustling. “Fine. Be that way.” The door opened again.

He opened his eyes, her question nagging at him. She’d come to offer something? That was outside the normal way things went around here. Normally, she was in here to demand something. He sighed. “Wait.”

Alrian turned back to face him, arms crossed. “So, you are interested. You’re just too much of a Rith-cursed jerk to let me have the satisfaction of knowing right away.” Her jaw clenched.

She’d pegged him. His cheeks heated, and he looked away. “Can you blame me for trying to find some control in this situation?”

She heaved a sigh and slammed the door shut again. Striding over to him, she settled cross-legged on the floor. Just out of reach, he noted. “Are you going to live your entire life trying to be in control? That’s a miserable existence.”

He raised a brow.

“If you’re always trying to control things, you’re constantly going to be frustrated when things invariably end up out of your control.” She shrugged. “It’s one of the few useful things I learned from my worthless father.”

Leo cleared his throat. “I don’t have to control everything.”

“Really?” She snorted. “You absolutely do. Even if it means losing your life, you refuse to cooperate with others unless it fits with what you’ve already chosen to do.”

He stared down at the floor. She was right again. Though, lately, nothing had seemed under control. Since he’d gone off script and rescued Deira, everything had been a jumbled mess. “Not anymore.”

“Then what was with the childish behavior earlier?”

He wished she’d quit making good points. Maybe then he could argue with it. “Things haven’t been under my control for quite some time, Lord Alrian.”

She crossed her arms. “And that means you have to behave like a mule?”

“No.” He ground his teeth. “I suppose it doesn’t.”

~~~

That’s it for this week’s Work-In-Progress Wednesday. Have a piece you’re working on and want to share? Feel free to leave it in the comments below. And as always, keep any feedback you choose to give respectful and constructive!

Flash Fiction Fridays: Lost Soul

Ariel Paiement

For today’s Flash Fiction Friday, the focus is on Rith. Featured as the dark god or god of shadows in the Alcardian novels, he’s seen facing off with his sister in Rith’s Disciple, a short story set before the events of Pathway of the Moon. In this piece, the event leading to his parents’ and fiancee’s deaths is revealed.

~~~

The smell of smoke blasted him in the face as he approached the long gravel drive leading to his ancestral home. Rith frowned. Was father burning brush again? He glanced up at the darkening sky. Too late in the day. His heart squeezed, and his stomach ached. Something wasn’t right.

He broke into a run, trying to Step in the shadows. They didn’t answer. He tried again, reaching out with his mind. But still the shadows remained out of reach, refusing his request to portal to the house. His head ached with the effort, and he stopped in his tracks, grasping for his magic once more.

Why wasn’t it responding? Had the drinks he’d had with Sedra and Albrith addled him that much? He tried to reach out to his sisters, but only cold silence greeted him. He couldn’t touch their minds like he normally could either. Could he touch anyone’s? He reached for Raewen and his father. Nothing.

It didn’t matter. He forced himself to keep sprinting down the drive, ignoring the burn in his lungs. The smell of smoke strengthened, and his throat ached as it filled his nose and lungs. The heat in the air grew the closer he came to home.

Then he rounded the corner and saw it.

The entire mansion blazed, the fire angrily licking at the wood and anything else consumable. It raged through everything, flickering and leaping from the windows.

Rith froze for a minute and stared. How? How had this happened?

Where were his parents? And what about Raewen? His heart lurched. Raewen! She’d been planning to visit so they could announce their engagement. He’d been out celebrating the news with his sisters upon their insistence, but she should’ve arrived shortly before he did.

He broke into a run, rationality fleeing. Their motorized coach sat in the driveway where it should be, and he cursed, pushing himself to go faster. The heat seared his skin, but he ignored it, listening for any sign that anyone had survived.

He couldn’t call anyone for help. If they were in there, he was their only chance.

A scream lifted faintly from somewhere at the back of the house. Raewen. Were his parents with her? Why hadn’t they been able to get out? He sprinted around the side of the mansion, searching for any entrance point that wasn’t consumed with flame. The only part of the house untouched so far was the section without windows or outside doors. They must’ve been unable to break past the fire and had been forced to hide in the laundry room. But it wouldn’t be long before the flames reached them.

There wasn’t time to wait for help to come.

He called to the shadows again. They flickered in response but didn’t let him through. Sinking to his knees, he released a guttural scream and wrenched at the magic with all his might. Something inside snapped, and pain seared down every nerve in his body. He stiffened, screaming out of pain now instead of frustration. It shouldn’t feel like this. Why did it hurt so badly?

The screams inside the house grew louder before choking off. He stretched trembling fingers toward the house, his vision blurring. If he could just endure the pain, he could make the magic respond. He could save them all.

The shadows swirled around him, caressing his burning skin and whispering in agitated murmurs. They didn’t like what he was doing. The pain flared higher, and he dug his fingers into the cool grass beneath him. He would not lose them. He couldn’t.

With an agonized groan, he reached out to the magic again and screamed at it with his mind. Let me through! The shadows screamed alongside him, and then the world went dark as they sucked him in.

He was spit back out in the laundry room. Tumbling to a stop, he took in the situation, every nerve in his body still alight. Was this what it would feel like to have the fire rage inside of him? He sucked in a breath, the smoke and heat searing into his lungs. His gaze flew around the room before landing on three still forms in the back of the room. He’d found them.

Stumbling to his feet, he hurried to them. Each step cut into him as if he was walking barefoot across glass. His fingers trembled at his side, and the magic inside of him bucked against his restraint. Why was it acting like this? Why? He hadn’t been out of control like this since he was five.

He’d almost reached them when it happened.

The magic slammed into his walls of restraint and crashed through. Like a river blowing through a dam, it raged through him. The shadows in the room writhed in response, and his head felt like it was being split open. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head between his hands. Tears slid down his cheeks and evaporated as soon as they fell. Make it stop. Anyone, please, make it stop.

His vision blurred again, and he curled up in a ball on the floor, his own screams distant in his ears. Somewhere, he heard a muffled explosion. The ground trembled, and chunks of plaster from the ceiling hit him in the side. He couldn’t stay here. They couldn’t stare here.

He forced himself to his hands and knees, crawling toward his parents and fiancee. Maybe if he could reach them, he could portal them all away from here.

The wall behind them was webbed with cracks. He frowned, blinking. Was he hallucinating now too?

A groan vibrated through the floor and the walls. More chunks of plaster rained down on his back. Then the wall exploded backward, as though ripped out by an invisible hand. Rith collapsed, unable to hold his own weight. What was happening? His dazed mind couldn’t process any of it anymore. He stared at the ruined, jagged edges of the wall. Stared at the void beyond. The gloaming of dusk and his mother’s flower garden were no longer visible. Only blackness greeted him, deeper than any shadow he’d Stepped through.

Was this the end then? He lifted a trembling hand, wondering if the void could act as a portal. It was his last hope. He pushed himself back onto his hands and knees. Inch by inch, he crawled toward his parents and Raewen.

His head throbbed, and each movement was sheer torture. The magic rioting inside of him didn’t ease up. The darkness in the room deepened, swallowing up the forms of his loved ones. His limbs gave out again, and he slammed face first into the stone floor. A sob clawed from his sore throat, and he lay there, staring at the darkness. Then it swallowed him too, and the pain ceased as he gave in, letting it carry him away from the anguish in his soul.

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the piece. I’ll have a few more pieces on Flash Fiction Fridays showing more of Rith’s story if you liked this one. In the meantime, if you enjoyed this, you can learn more about his story in my novel Bane of Ashkarith, which releases at the end of July 2019.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #10

Ariel Paiement

For this week’s Work-In-Progress Wednesday, I’ve got an excerpt from On Anarchy’s Wings. In this section, Awnia has confronted Dabhan about Iradia’s refusal to help them and has asked him to help convince Iradia to stop rebelling against the King.

~~~

Awnia rose, turning to face Dabhan. He leaned against the door-frame of the mansion’s drawing room, his long legs crossed. “How good of you to visit, Nia.”

She lowered her head. How dare he behave this way after all he’d done? “I should have you arrested. But I’m going to give you one more chance to be the man you once were.”

“Are you, now?” Dabhan pushed away from the door and strode into the room. He knelt in front of her and reached out to brush a stray curl away from her face. “Fascinating. Just how do you plan on doing that?”

She smacked his hand away from her face. “Keep your hands off me.”

“Why?” Dabhan rose and ambled to the fireplace, picking up the fire poker to stoke the burning coals.

Why? Because his touch made her skin crawl. Because she wasn’t his. Because she was someone else’s. Just like she had been back when he’d first touched her. “You have no right to. That’s why.”

He stiffened. “I have as much right as—”

“No.” She straightened, her fingers clenching into fists in her lap. “You do not. I don’t belong to you. I never have. I never will.”

“Then it seems our interests do not cross, my lady.” Dabhan clenched the poker tighter and turned to her with a sly smile. “What do you want of me?”

“What I’ve wanted since I first came here to parlay. I want you to convince Iradia to join forces with Gabriel. Eclesia is facing the largest threat in her history. We have to be united.”

“No.”

“No?” Awnia rose from her chair, her nails digging into her palms. “I don’t think you understand, Dabhan. If you help, I can get you pardoned for your part in this. You can claim she made you do it.” She narrowed her eyes. Surely he wouldn’t refuse knowing his life was on the line. “But if you won’t help, then you’re going to be executed for treason. No questions asked.”

He shrugged and turned back to the fire. “How is our beloved King, anyway?”

“Fine, no thanks to you.”

Dabhan snorted. “The poison isn’t through with him yet. They’ve only burned out the plant-based portion.”

Icy fingers crept down Awnia’s back. “What did you just say?”

“They’ve only burned out the plant-based portion.” Dabhan placed the poker back in the rack beside the fireplace and turned to face her. “The magic-based portion will begin to work in a few days when he’s beginning to recover fully.”

Her chest tightened. They hadn’t saved him at all. He was still dying. They just hadn’t known it. Her fists trembled against her sides. “How do I reverse it?”

“Reverse it?” Dabhan tapped his chin with a sly grin. “You don’t. Maybe I will.”

She searched his face. What was his game? Was this another clever ploy to force them to cave to Iradia’s demands? “What do you want?”

He strode closer.

Awnia backed up, tipping her chin higher. Her heart raced in her breast, but she held her poise. He wouldn’t have the satisfaction of seeing her fear. Men like Dabhan thrived on fear and control. She’d seen it plenty of times. And she wouldn’t fall prey to his trap. “What. Do. You. Want?” Each word burst from her like a bullet from one of Earth’s machine guns. Sharp. Quick.

Dabhan took another step forward.

She took one back. Two could play at this game. She’d wait him out until he saw the game was pointless and told her his price for fixing his mess.

Her back hit the wall. When had their drawing room become so tiny? It hadn’t been this small when she’d received her late husband’s guests here. Had it?

Dabhan pressed close until she could feel every hard plane of his muscular body. He lowered his head close to her ear, his nose brushing the rim. “Simple. I want you. Marry me.”

~~~

That’s all for this week, everyone. What are you all working on? Feel free to share it in the comments below! Have feedback to share on my work or someone else’s? You can leave that in the comments too. Just remember to keep everything polite and constructive!

Until next time, everybody!

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #9

Ariel Paiement

Hey, everybody! We’re on week 9 of Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and today’s excerpt is from Bane of Ashkarith! The book is launching on the 31st of July but is available for preorder on the 14th on Amazon and Kobo!

~~~

Night had fallen. The workers outside were finishing up, and the candles were guttering on the table near his work. Kaidan straightened and twisted to pop his back. He’d finally pieced together all the clues to determine the location where Banach had hidden the scrolls the journal spoke of.  He jotted it down, his heart thumping against his ribcage, and then sat back, staring at it in disbelief. How could it be located there? Did this place even exist anymore?

The voice of his wife and the workers’ headman drew closer, and he listened to her talking to the man. “Respect is important to everyone in this situation, I know. So, since we’ve proven what we came to prove, we’ll be finishing up with the dig tomorrow.”

“Much appreciated, ma’am. I’ll inform the workers.”

“See that they’re careful when they rebury the remains, please.” His wife pulled aside the flap and ducked inside the tent as she spoke.

“Understood, ma’am. They’ll be told to take care.” The headman glanced inside the tent. “Evening, Master Kaidan.”

Kaidan smiled at the man. “Good evening, Leotwo.”

The man’s gaze wandered around the inside of the tent. Then he returned Kaidan’s smile and ducked his head. “Well, I’ll take my leave for the evening, then.”

The two of them bid him farewell, but Kaidan’s attention was only partially on the headman and the current situation. His wife sat down on the mat beside him, tracing her fingers down his spine. “What’s that?” She pointed at the paper he was holding loosely in his fingers.

“The location.” He crumpled the paper in his fist.

“And?”

“You’re right… It is a suicide mission.” His stomach dropped, and he wondered what they were thinking. They couldn’t do this, could they?

“But where do we have to go?” She began massaging the knots out of his shoulders.

He closed his eyes, groaning when she hit a sensitive spot between his shoulder blades. “Ashkarith. We have to go to Ashkarith.”

“Ashkarith?” His wife’s hands stilled against his back. “No one even knows for sure if the city still exists, though.”

Kaidan sucked in a deep breath. “I know…”

“The jungle supposedly reclaimed it, Kaidan. How are we going to find that?”

Kaidan shrugged. He didn’t know that either. Only that it would be one Rith-cursed nightmare to do it. “No one will trek in there, and the captains of those new-fangled flying ships refuse to fly over the spot. They say it’s cursed.”

“That doesn’t answer how we’ll find it. That just means we’re going alone.” She resumed kneading knots from his stiff muscles.

“I know. We’re going to go to the city of Arabhin. It’s the closest to the former city’s location, and if anyone knows whether or not the city survived the jungle and where to find it, it’ll be the natives.” He slumped over the table to give his wife better access to his back and the sore muscles.

“But that’s still deep in the jungle. No one will fly us there.”

“True, but we might be able to find someone to lead us there.” Kaidan sighed as his wife’s nimble fingers removed the aches and tension in his back.

“Kaidan, you know what’s said about the Faelkishians.” Zerua wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back.

Kaidan snickered. “Come bearing gifts unless you want to be eaten alive?”

She smacked his side lightly. “You know that’s not what they say.”

Kaidan sat up and drew her into his arms, stretching out on the mat with her beside him. Perhaps it was the wrong time to joke around about the dangers of the trip. He sighed. “I know, I know. They’re unpredictable and vicious.”

“That doesn’t concern you?” She traced his cheekbones with her fingertips.

“We’ll find a way, Zer. There’s no other choice.”

“We’re going to get ourselves killed.” She bit her lip.

Kaidan leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. “What better way to die than in pursuit of truth?”

She rolled her eyes, but his words drew a smile from her. “Perhaps of old age in your sleep?”

Kaidan brushed his lips over hers with a smile. “Boring.”

Her lips flirted with his own, and her breathy laughter greeted his comment. “I thought the same.”

“So, it’s settled? We’re going to go after this?” His heartbeat thundered in his ears, and his breathing became ragged.

She nodded, her smile fading. “I don’t see another option. Now that we’ve dug up this, we’ve got to find out if it’s true. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to believe that wrong is right and truth is untruth for the rest of my life.”

His gaze dropped to the small space between them. “Neither do I.”

“Then we’ll set out for Ashkarith as soon as we finish up here.” She tangled her fingers in his hair. “But for now, let’s take an opportunity to rest. I have a feeling we won’t be doing much of that in the near future.”

Kaidan gathered her closer to him. She’s right. Whatever we find in that jungle is going to turn our world upside down, and I don’t think either of us will have a chance to rest easy once we find out the truth. He closed his eyes with a sigh. The journal’s already disturbing enough. His mind drifted as the lack of sleep for the last few months caught up with him. Ashkarith. City of the dead. What would they find there? His breathing slowed, and after a few more minutes, he was out.

~~~

That’s it for today! What are all of you working on? If you’d like to, feel free to drop an excerpt in the comments below. Also, feel free to give feedback on both what I’ve posted and on the things posted in the comments. Just keep all feedback respectful and constructive!