Sunday Snippet: Nowhere Good

Got a solid week of TV viewing in because the weather has been so back and forth it's easier to not plan anything. LOL

Caught another episode of Chicago Fire and, wow, it was terrific. The whole creepy buildup to the reveal played out really well. I have some thoughts on Brett and Casey but won't hold my breath to see what I want there. Loved seeing some good interaction with Kelly and Stella.

Watched the premiere episode of Daredevil's third season. Not a bad start at all. Enjoyed Karen and Foggy the most and liked seeing Matt try to come back. I'm not completely down with him being all pissy about everything but then again why wouldn't he be?

Enjoyed Frankie Drake Mysteries third episode. I kind of miss Frankie having different guys revolve in and out of her life, but she's got chemistry with the detective… even though I'd kind of like Mary to hook up with him.

Riverdale does batshit crazy better than just about any other show out there. As much as I like Mark Consuelos as an actor, I truly loathe Hiram and seriously see nothing redeeming in his characterization. That's usually when I start to lose interest. Here's hoping that doesn't happen with this show.

Watched several more episodes of Blue Heelers. I can't quite decide if I like the detective or not. And Wayne's wife Roz annoys me sometimes. That said, I love the show. Glad I picked it to watch.

Arrow managed to surprise me with the Brothers and Sisters episode. I'm very intrigued with Adrian Paul playing a bad guy. I can't wait to find out what his connection is to Emiko… I have several thoughts about how it might tie into how Oliver spent some of his time in earlier seasons and who he spent that time with. We'll see if I'm right.

Caught the finale of The Murders and it did not disappoint. I so hope this show gets another season and, if so, it needs to have Nolan. Just saying.

Watched another episode of Classic Roswell and enjoyed it again. I like how viewers can almost see the moment Valenti shifts his perspective on possible alien residency in Roswell.

Speaking of Roswell... New Mexico added the actress who plays Rosa as a series regular for season two. I admit this concerns me. Not because I didn't enjoy the actress; more because this is already a huge cast and I'd rather not have my favorites lose screen time. Maria was woefully underused and my hope is Rosa will help bring her into the fold. If not, I might be saying "so long" to Roswell, New Mexico… which actually saddens me because the first season is still eating my brain.

Caught another episode of Painkiller Jane and it's one I didn't remember. I liked seeing how Jane's situation ties into the whole neuro craziness while at the same time is a completely different beast altogether.

Durham County is so damn hard to watch sometimes. I mean that in the best possible way. It's such a raw emotional look at the big and little things that make people who they are. Ray senior has got to be one of the worst examples of humanity and I want to know how the hell he got to be such a waste of life. Hopefully there's an answer in the series somewhere.

Watched another episode of Midsomer Murders and it was really terrific. Sometimes, especially with a show that's been on so long, episodes feel like they're a rehashing of previous seasons. This one was definitely not.

Caught two more episodes of Peter Gunn and Classic Who. There's something fun about watching black and white television. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor?

In the Dark ripped a huge band-aid off Murphy's life and, boy, did she react. Sometimes I get frustrated with her prickly demeanor but her flaws really are front and center and Jess always has the best way of presenting why it's easy to overlook some of Murphy's abrasive personality traits.

Last but not least, I watched another episode of Blade and I'd remembered it from the first go around. I can't say seeing Marcus's origin story really made me sympathetic to him but I can see how Krista got sucked into the scenario of maybe seeing some shades of gray there.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Nowhere Good, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

After wiping out a rival fae faction, Adrian Stock plants a hot kiss on Shaun Henrickton, a fellow enforcer, and their world tilts sideways. They've got custom and ritual, protocol, and baggage between them and if they cave to their baser feelings, the outcome can't go anywhere good.

And a preview snippet…

Adrian Stock hurled a huge pile of concrete blocks toward the line of fire demons outside the warehouse. "You'd better let the hostages go." Her aim true, five of the beasts went down and shimmered back to the depths.

Her fellow enforcer, Shaun Henrickton, swept another three up in a whirlwind, increasing the speed of the twirling tower until they blew apart. "Thirty seconds to set the sirens free or the rest of you have the same fate." He conjured another mass of spinning air and expanded his arms.

The lead demon hissed a response. "Do your best. We know what we're up against now." He lifted an arm and the remaining two hellspawns rolled into action, shooting flaming arcs from their fingertips.

Adrian anticipated the counterstrike and moved a vat of water in front of Shaun who flung the whirlwind against it and doused the flames. The demons sizzled and popped before blipping out of sight.

Adrian strode toward the leader and lashed out with a whipcord noose, snagging the firebrand around the throat. "Let them go. Call back your inferno so they can get out." She tightened the bonds, cutting off the demons air supply.

He struggled and sent a line of fire in her direction. Her jacket singed but she darted to one side, twisting the rope more. Jerking hard, she got behind the red-skinned beast.

Pressing her advantage, she snarled in his ear. "Call it back and you can live to shimmer another day." She marched him forward, putting him within range to remove the wall of fire separating the fae creatures from safety.

The demon growled and choked out a command. The burning barrier shrank down until it finally extinguished. He thrashed and fought his confines again, demanding to be let go.

Adrian loosened the noose but didn't plan to let the hell beast get away. "Ranger Band, you're under caution by the ruling houses of the glade. You'll stand for judgment of your actions—" A bolt of heat shot up her arm, stopping her vocal warning.

Son of a bitch. She dropped, landing on her left side to dampen the flickering flames. Her right hand kept a tight hold on the whip, instinct and years of being an enforcer kicking in to keep her quarry.

Shaun raced forward, snagging the weapon from her and twisting hard. The demon's neck snapped and he sank to his knees before faceplanting on the gravel surface of the parking lot. The group of sirens came running out, huddled together. Adrian shook off her ruined coat and ran a palm over the burnt skin of her forearm.

Lucky. The damage could be much worse. If not for Shaun…

She startled when he grasped her hand, looking down to inspect the burned area. "Are you okay? Do you need a healer?" He gingerly turned her arm back and forth, trying to assess how badly she'd been hurt.

Luckily, not too much. And only because of him. They saved each other on a regular basis. Always had each other's backs. But only Shaun knew how much she fear fire and hated dealing with creature who could wield it.

She should be seeing to the sirens, making sure they were unharmed and helping them get back to safety.

But, right now, Shaun held all of her attention. He'd killed the demon, usually a last resort once the warning and reading of charges began. And he'd done it to save her.

Adrian gently pulled her arm away and reached up to cup his face. "I'm fine. I'll get Matilda to take a look later." She shivered a little, the chilly air seeping through her lightweight shirt.

Shaun held her gaze and her heart kicked hard when his revealed the worry, concern, and an unguarded depth of something else. The thing they never talked about for more reasons than either could keep track of. The indefinable feeling they regularly ignored so they could keep working together.

Adrian let the unnamed emotion swell and take hold then threw caution out the door and slid one hand to the back of Shaun's head. "Thank you. I owe you my life." She tugged him closer and pressed her mouth against his.

Big mistake.

What she planned as a brief kiss slid into a deeper embrace, with his tongue sweeping past her lower lip and tangling with hers. Everything except Shaun faded into nothingness; the fire demons, the sirens, the cold snap of the night air, her injury. All were forgotten against the backdrop of swirling awareness coursing through her veins.

One thought took up prominence in her mind.

Shaun Henrickton kissed like a god and rocked her world.

Trouble. I'm in very big trouble.

This is a fun story to write. I love it when characters take a random moment and let it open their eyes.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye