Sunday Snippet: The Pit and the Pyre

August 4, 2013

I gotta say we're having the most incredible weather right now. August in Ohio tends to be hot, sticky, humid, sweltering, and generally horrible. We're four days into the month and haven't hit above eighty degrees. It's honestly been the most pleasant summer I can remember, even with a buttload of rain. J

On a more random note, I'm actually rather 'meh' about the choice for the twelfth doctor. In all honesty, it's going to be hard for me to picture someone who had a prominent role on Torchwood—a sister show of Who—as anyone BUT that character. And the guy had a featured guest role in the Pompeii episode, so again, it effs up my continuity. And yeah, yeah, Eve Miles had a featured guest role on Who and went on to play Gwen, so what the hell am I bitching about, right? I guess it's because she didn't end up playing a third role in both shows.

Enough about television. LOL

Tonight's post is from The Pit and the Pyre and will probably end up being a novella. This story has one of my kinky tropes, a forbidden love with a small twist. The main characters have a history and that's always fun for me to write. J

Here's the tagline:

Virgo Sohn walks through five years of hellfire to get back to Gunn Gladstone, but she finds him married to Glynne Allmore. Accepting the hand dealt, Virgo refuses to explain the circumstances of her return until Glynne succumbs to a raging virus and Gunn feels he should join her on the pyre.

And the preview snippet…

Virgo waited until the cavern emptied and walked down to Gunn's location. "Nice service. She deserved that."

Gunn didn't look up and remained seated at the side of the pyre. "She deserved more than I ever gave her." His hand toyed with the long match that would send Glynne onward to the afterlife.

Virgo pulled a chair from the first row and dragged it forward, setting it a few feet from Gunn's. "That's not fair, Gunn. You did your best." And he had, staying with Glynne throughout the brief illness, not to mention sticking by her when Virgo returned.

Gunn reached out and placed the kindling thatch at the base of the pyre. "Somehow my best is never quite good enough." He heaved a sigh and a broken sound escaped.

Virgo understood his despair, but the pity-fest irritated her. Gunn had still had a leadership role to play and if he wallowed in misery, no one would follow him.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You should really climb out of the pit, Gunn. You don't belong there." He actually belonged by her side, but the idea wouldn't rest well with him.

Gunn shrugged. "I don't know, Virgo. Sometimes I think I deserve to be burned on a pyre." His head rose and he met her gaze. "I loved Glynne, but I loved you more. She knew it. And I knew it."

Virgo's heart broke for him and she grasped his hand. "And yet she still married you. Because she thought you might have a chance. That's both brave and stupid." And strong, because Virgo wouldn't have been able to ever accept second place in Gunn's heart.

Gunn snorted. "I was the stupid one. Thinking I could build a life on a lie." He gently pulled his hand away. "You can't build a life that way. No one can and make it good."

Virgo let him keep the distance he wanted. She understood his need for a little space.

But she couldn't let him think he'd completely failed. "Maybe not, but you tried. And you were happy—for a while anyway."

His gaze met hers again and he nodded. Bending forward, he struck the long match against the stone hearth under the pyre and held the flame to the kindling thatch. Once the fire caught hold, he eased back in the chair and worried the wooden remnant between his fingers. Lost in thought, he stayed silent, and Virgo gave him a few moments to say his last goodbyes. When he exhaled a long, drawn out breath, she finally broke the quiet.

"You might think you should burn on the pyre with her, but it won't take away the wrong." She moved to the edge of the seat, leaning in closer to Gunn. "Only time can take it away, and learning to own the pain and damage you've done."

Gunn's head whipped around. "I already own it, Virgo. Even moment of anguish I caused her, every agonizing second she spent wondering, and waiting for me to leave"—his hand shot out, gripping her arm in a tight grasp—"because you came back. Like a tidal wave of destruction." His fingers bit into her flesh. "Why? Why are you here?"

She yanked free and put some space between them. He'd just asked the blazing question everyone wanted answered. And she couldn't provide him with one.

Not yet.

He had to be ready to listen and hear the truth. And he couldn't possibly do either while his spouse lay burning to ash, taking her final journey. Virgo rubbed the area his fingers had dug into and welcomed the discomfort. The pain and damage she caused went so much deeper than anything he'd ever been responsible for, but the tingling twinge under her skin reminded her she'd grown past the harm of her youth.

She slowly met his gaze to find him waiting, his brow raised. Ah yes, he'd asked her a question.

Giving him a gentle smile, she answered with one of her own. "Gunn, don't you think the better place to start would be how am I here?"

Did I mention I have a slight kink for mysterious returns? LOL So much fun to write. :D

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye