Sunday Snippet: Uncommonly Good

Yeesh, July has been a rough month. I'm kind of glad to see the tail end of it. Of course, mid-August starts the school year and it's crazypants from then until after the first of the year. LOL

I'm almost caught up on Dark Matter, which remains pretty decent. I do love the character interactions in this show. I'm slightly put off by all the new introductions, but I'll get over it.

Still need to catch up on Killjoys and Wynonna Earp. I really, really hate being made to wait for the episode for a full week. Seriously? The stupidest thing ever to not have the episode available immediately for people who can't watch or have another commitment and are unable to view when it's on. I'll never understand why network executives get paid the salaries they do when they're making decisions that shoot themselves in the foot. <shrugs>

Final episodes of Teen Wolf start tonight and I'm looking forward to seeing how this series ends. Very excited for the returning faces.

Less than a month away from The Last Ship. Again, impatiently waiting for one of my favorite shows to return. Come on August 20!

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Uncommonly Good, a novella that started with the two-word prompt "ladies first".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Shelby Fewes and Creed Campanalla have a very friendly rivalry vying for top name in their respective dark and light organizations. When Creed is ordered to eliminate Shelby for retaliation, he makes a different call and the duo have an uncommonly good time proving the two sides can live and love together.

And a preview snippet…

Shelby Fewes dropped to her knees and focused her energy. With an outward push, she toppled her target, a low-level lightsider. She gave him props for not fighting against the bonds she snared him with.

Rising, she crossed the space separating them and lowered down to his side. "Malcolm Penter sends his regards. You're too far behind to catch up and he's making an example of you."

The guy, Benji something or other, closed his eyes and turned his head away. "F-figured he'd come calling sooner or later." He angled back toward her and met her gaze. "At least I get to look on something of beauty when I meet my end." Giving a nod, he indicated his readiness for her next move.

She ignored the bile rising in her throat and did her job. Placing her palms on either side of his head, she gave a sharp twist and ended his existence. Blowing out a harsh breath, she rocked back on her heels, keeping her head bowed while she dug out her phone. Snapping a quick picture, she forwarded the proof of her handiwork to her employer. One more job down… a meager notch in the column of what she owed against her mother's debt.

Getting slowly to her feet, she sent a message to the ward leader, Basher Cole, asking to have her fee applied to the balance on his books. She hated playing the numbers game. Poor Benji lost his life over a loan he'd taken out from a darkside fae. Why hadn't he sought help from a fellow lightsider?

She sighed. "The answer doesn't matter. Only the bottom line does."

She'd researched his habits and haunts and the guy didn't seem to be a bad sort. Maybe not the brightest fae in the bunch—hello… seeking financial assistance from the other side? Not a smart move. But he didn't go out of his way to hurt anyone and he'd worked a steady job plus another one on the side to make his payments. When he lost the second gig, he fell behind.

And she got the dreaded call.

Blowing out a hard breath, she turned and walked away. "Geez, I need to find another line of work." Of course, she had her own inherited debt to pay. "I've become entirely too damned good at killing."

Each death weighed heavily on her and she needed an outlet to deal with the frustration and shitty circumstances that turned her into an assassin for the darkside. Good thing the next round of cage match fights were only a week away.

"I need to kick some serious ass and take the top prize."

Anything to help balance the ledger.

Shelby's lack of choice is a challenge for me to write and I'm enjoying exploring her inner demons.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye