Hello, September. I'm always caught off guard when the calendar flips over to September 1. It's like, wait, wait, I'm not ready for the insanity to start yet. Sadly, the universe doesn't care and the days keep marching on anyway.
The Last Ship's second week provided entertaining fare. I can't wait to see what happened after the end of last week's episode.
Caught the finale for Dark Matter and truly hope it's not the actual series finale. Way too many questions left up in the air. Fingers crossed someone picks up the series and it continues on some way.
Killjoys is renewed for two more seasons! I'm up to the episode before the finale and I'm so, so happy we'll get more of this terrific cast and show.
Wynonna Earp keeps blowing me away. I only have a few more episodes to watch before the finale. I'll honestly be glad to see the last of the widows.
I'm caught up on Teen Wolf and ready for tonight's episode. More familiar faces are returning and I'm excited to see what happens this week.
That wraps up television for this week. Tonight's post is from Utter Not a Word, a novella that started with the two-word prompt of "move over".
Here's the mini-blurb:
Maren Roth is reeling over the loss of her oldest friend after a skirmish with an opposing faction goes horribly wrong. Wayne Edelman, a superior adept with the responsibility of their sect resting in his hands, offers comfort and support in a very unexpected way and Maren realizes the man has become an expert on reading her moods. With a huge battle brewing, she takes solace in the concept that together with Wayne, they might have a fighting chance at winning.
And a preview snippet…
Maren Roth put her hands out and pushed a blastwave of air toward her opponent. "Jessie, we have to keep moving. There're too many of them." She pressed her back against her best friend's.
The two women circled the area, facing away from each other, flinging everything they had at the trio of wizards and their half dozen mage cohorts. Nine enemies were more than the two women could hold off for long.
Jessie Newell spoke an incantation and conjured two large fireballs. "I'm going to up the heat, be ready for retaliation." She flung the flaming orbs at two of the wizards.
One scored a direct hit and his two mages dropped to his side, pulling him out of the room.
Maren braced for impact. The other two wizards, one male and one female, combined forces and raised their arms above their heads. Maren caught the tail end of the spell—a forceblast—and barely got out of the way, shoving Jessie down when Maren dived sideways.
She got to her knees. "Jessie, stay low. Backup can't be far now." She sent bolts of electrical energy out, zapping two more mages.
They dropped where they stood, but wouldn't stay down long.
Jessie scrambled up from her crouch. "I'll buy some more time." She clapped her hands together, speaking an ancient language, then drew her palms apart, ready to unleash the spell.
Movement caught Maren's attention. The two wizards formed a linked chain with the remaining mages. Not only would they block whatever Jessie threw at them, the charge would amplify and create a feedback loop that would zing back to its caster.
Maren shouted a warning. "Jessie, no! Don't send the—"
Too late. Jessie let the powerful burst fly. The shockwave fanned out, bouncing off the wall of supernatural beings. The force sent them sprawling, breaking the link—but not soon enough to disperse the magnification of the original spell.
Helpless to stop the ricochet effect, Maren shouted, "No!" She couldn't get to Jessie in time to break the forceful wave or absorb part of the energy.
Jessie went airborne, slamming upward into the rafters of the building before banking off the steel gird to crash against the metal interior wall. The door on the far side of the building burst open and off its hinges, admitting the backup team of Wayne Edelman, Bart Simone, and Linder Adams. Maren crawled over to Jessie's prone form. The new arrivals could handle the rogue wizards.
Maren gathered Jessie in her arms. Lifeless eyes met Maren's gaze. Tears prickled and leaked out, trickling down Maren's cheeks.
She smoothed a hand over Jessie's forehead. "Damn you, Jessie. You're not supposed to ever get caught by a rookie maneuver." Anger and rage built over the loss.
Maren carefully placed Jessie back on the floor and rose, singling out the two wizards. She went darkside, raining hellfire down on everyone. She vaguely became aware Wayne countered most of her damaging outpouring and Linder and Bart got the others safely in custody.
Wayne motioned for the team to clear the room. The red haze of fury drained from Maren and white hot grief replaced it. Maren made her way back to Jessie, kneeling down beside her, and let the pain and sadness wash over Maren. Wayne remained close but far enough away to give Maren some privacy.
Saying goodbye to her oldest and best friend—the sister in spirit Maren always wanted—crushed something deep in Maren's soul. She hovered over her friend, whispering the death rites, then singing the keening song of departure. When it came to performing the last act, committing Jessie's body to ash, Maren couldn't speak the incantation.
Wayne put a hand on Maren's shoulder. "Let me." When she nodded, he took over and handled the final phase.
Jessie's form flared into flames, her aura burning a bright purple before slowly extinguishing to black soot. A part of Maren broke when she gazed down at the pile of cinders where her friend used to be. For the first time in a very long while, Maren had no idea what to do. Her next steps always involved Jessie.
Wayne wrapped an arm around her. "We need to leave, Maren. It's time to go."
She didn't want to move, but didn't fight Wayne when he guided her out of the building and into the midnight blue SUV. She couldn't remember the drive back to the estate, but Wayne cut the engine and got out, coming around to open her door.
She slid out, her legs collapsing. A wave of fresh pain hit her hard but, this time, the agony flared around her head, making the world go fuzzy and gray. Wayne caught her and swept an arm under her knees, hauling her close to his chest.
He started for the main doors of the manor. "Come on, Maren. Let's get you inside and back to being whole."
Maren wanted to laugh but feared the sound would have a hysterical edge to it.
Her head pounded and her vision swam. From grief or injury, she couldn't say.
The only thing Maren did know at that moment? Being whole again might not be an option.
This one is a challenge to write but I'm enjoying it.
That's it for this week.
Cheers!
Skye
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