Sunday Snippet: An Enticing Yule

April 22, 2018

Whew. What a week. We had prom catastrophes averted and a halfway decent Saturday for the big event. My daughter's dress needed some alterations and my wonderful aunt and my next door neighbor came through like the awesome women they are and got the dress in prom-worthy shape. I'm biased, but my girl looked lovely.

Even with all the crazypants running around, I got a lot of television watched. Finished the second "season" of Vixen and enjoyed the episode. Finished up the first season and started the second of Blindspot. I like the introduction of Jane's family and having more of her background in the mix. Not sure about the addition of the NSA character, but I'll hold off on judgment. Definitely interested in who the new mole in the FBI is. I have a feeling I know who it'll end up being and not sure I like it. LOL

Got an episode of Gotham in and, seriously, season four is kicking so much ass. It's twisty and turny and I love how many levels of crazy there are. I truly hope there's another season of the insanity.

I still have so many mixed feeling about this season of The Flash. I want to love it, I really do, but I'm just not there. We'll see if how things play out in the finale. Maybe it'll have the elusive element I'm looking for to turn things around.

Missed both Black Lightning and Riverdale this week so I'll have to play catch up. I'm looking forward to both.

Arrow rocked. It's nice to get the full backstory of a villain. That said, Felicity and Diggle could use some of that love. We know a few of the things that shaped both characters and that's terrific, but each could use some additional rounding out. Just saying.

Started a new for me series called Ghost Squad. The premiere episode hooked me and I'm definitely interested in catching the full first series. Also started Endeavor and I like it. Nothing beats a good BBC crime drama.

Last but not least, I started Syfy's Krypton. Loved the first episode. Here's hoping the momentum continues and I fall in love with this series!

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from An Enticing Yule, a Holiday Spirit Short featuring a multi-shifter and a watcher.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A shifter and a watcher have to find their Yule cheer… with a little help from holiday spirit, Cinnamon Mistleberry. She's got her work cut out for her. Pandora Prewitt is a multi-shifter struggling to find her true form or risk banishment from her tribe. Dexter Diamond is a watcher, the group of preternatural humans who document the shifter chronicles, questioning his life's work. Cinnamon brings the duo together at Yule to show them the enticing value of love.

And a preview snippet…

Cinnamon Mistleberry appreciated the finer things in her spiritual existence. Crisp, bubbly champagne, a glorious soaking tub by a roaring fire, and a full week of downtime during the Yule holiday. The afterlife couldn't get much better.

Lifting her glass, she sipped the golden liquid. "Here's to a nice, quiet solstice." She wiggled her toes, sending ripples of scented water fluttering around her.

Her head dropped back to the curved edge of the porcelain and she twirled the fluted stem in her hand. Peace, love, harmony. Yuletide at its best.

She sat up with a sputter when a pulse of energy zipped along her nerve endings. "No… no, no, no." A tinkling bell sound followed. "Argh. I'm supposed to be off this week." Exiting the tub, she grabbed her robe and slipped it on over her shoulders, keeping her goblet in hand.

The trilling peals grew louder in intensity when Cinnamon strolled into her room.

A parchment shook and shimmered on her bedside table. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Geez." Heaving a sigh, Cinnamon snatched the document and skimmed over the last-minute assignment.

Setting her glass on the nightstand, she reread the information. Oh, no way. The powers that be had to be out of their minds. A shifter and a watcher? At the same time? Argh!

Picking up the fluted goblet, she drained the contents and shrugged. "Well, Cinn. You've been known to pull off the impossible before." But this?

Whew. Tasked with helping the duo find their true happiness, she'd have to think outside the norm.

Carrying her glass into her living area, Cinnamon settled onto the slipper chair by the hearth and tucked her legs under her thighs. She called forth the Book of Everything and started with the female, Pandora Prewitt. Twenty-seven. Biracial on her human side and a rare multi-shifter. Hard case and on the brink of banishment because she struggled to find her true form.

Cinnamon tsked. "Oh, dearie, it's so hard to pick one thing when variety is the spice of life." And sometimes dangerous.

Pandora had to find her inner beast, the one that would soothe her soul. If she didn't, she ran the risk of her personality fragmenting and completely losing her identity, which would put her pack in danger. However… if Pandora chose wrong, she'd constantly be at war with her spirit and live a life unfulfilled.

While she refilled her glass, several ideas swirled in Cinnamon's mind, but she shelved them to review her second subject's issue. Dexter Diamond, a senior watcher—the group that observed the shifters during their lifespan.

Cinnamon sipped more of the bubbly liquid. "Hmm… I see what you're doing here." Oh, those tricky powers that be.

At thirty, Dexter's third-generation status gave him a full slate of preternatural abilities. Heightened senses topped the list. Easy on the eyes, if one liked the rugby brawler type—and, oh, how Cinnamon did—Dexter stood out in the watcher community. But he'd had a bad run lately.

The group chronicled the lives of the shifters, keeping track of bloodlines and animal forms. They also kept tabs on the human-animal interactions. For all of Dexter's skill and ability, he'd been unable to stop a rogue shifter from taking lives. The man went on a shooting spree then ate his gun. Dexter arrived too late to halt the carnage.

And now he questioned his life's work.

Cinnamon shook her head. "We can't have that, sweetie. Sometimes a situation escalates out of control." And opened up a perfect opportunity for redemption.

She thumbed through the Book of Everything, skimming for a perfect location to send her two wounded charges. She discounted the penthouse in the heart of the city, hand-waved the perennial favorite river cruise, and nixed a guided tour of Paris.

Flipping through more pages, she sighed. "I need something secluded, with no outside influence." Somewhere in the netherworld.

Cinnamon scrolled to the needed section and finally settled on the Goodacre Bed and Breakfast. The charming manor house and pristine location suited the scenario she had in mind. Pandora and Dexter were positioned to help each other out. Dex needed a reminder of his purpose and Pandora required guidance. Who better than the other to show the way?

To be safe, Cinnamon glanced around, searching for a sign or signal of disapproval from the powers. Nothing came. Satisfied, she called forth another bottle of champagne.

Pouring a fresh glass, she rubbed her hands together. "Can't work on carefully crafted invitations without the proper motivation, can I?"

I'm excited to see how this one turns out. The sages are brimming with ideas!

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye