Sunday Snippet: Melee

April is off to a weird start. We had a tornado warning in the wee hours of Thursday morning. That was fun. The temperature warmed up then dropped back down with a chance of snow tomorrow or Tuesday. But, sure, we aren't having any climate issues.

Still plugging along on multiple work projects. I did finish up two and added another new one to my pile. I'm very happy to be busy!

Had a decent viewing week. Ended up making it through my full slate of shows and I think I know which new program I'm adding to the lot. I'll give it a view and report back.

Actually realized I did finish up London Kills last week, so I ended up watching another full episode. Things are headed for a showdown with David and Vivienne and I'm here for that.

Watched Death in Paradise and enjoyed the episode. Discovered Izzy is still around and, well, still not a fan. If she returns, maybe she'll grow on me.

Caught Beyond Paradise and thoroughly enjoyed it. So nice to have a little backstory for Esther. And, if rumors prove true, a potential love interest in season three. That'll be fun.

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. I'm definitely interested in how things will play out with Kitty's attacker. I can't wait to see if it gets resolved in the next installment.

Watched an episode of Batman Beyond. This is one I remembered from my original run through. Quite liked seeing it again.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats and it's one I don't remember so a new-to-me episode. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Only a few more left before I move on to the reboot again.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Melee, a novella that puts a couple through a trial by fire.

Here's the miniblurb:

Josie Walls and Parson Parrington gain extraordinary skills when they're captured and experimented on in a remote laboratory in an icy tundra. Longing to be free, they put their newfound abilities to the test, escaping their prison and going on the run.

And a preview snippet…

Josie alternated between floating on a cloud and diving into hot burning coals. Heat coursed through her veins and her skin felt like it sizzled.

Somewhere in the periphery, a tersely worded questions burst from Hollis. "What do you mean the experiment failed? You were supposed to make them pliable and programmable to do my bidding?"

A nasal voice responded. "We told you the serum might not be ready yet. You said you didn't care. Well, this is what happens when you don't."

The sound of a fist hitting flesh bounced off the walls.

"You have three weeks to fix this mess. For now, put them in containment." A door slammed.

No doubt Hollis made his usual dramatic exit.

Shuffling feet drew close to Josie and fingers wrapped around her wrist.

"Ack! Shit. She's burning up." The shuffling turned to scampering and then fumbling hands. "El? This is Em. Check your subject. Mine is burning up."

Josie focused on the voice, trying to shake off the lethargy and drowning, bobbing sensation from the drugs. Brief stretches of semiconsciousness followed by long periods of dark dives into nightmarish dreamscapes had Josie struggling to form coherent thoughts. The adrenaline from the lab tech—at least she assumed the nasal voice belonged to a technician—gave her a jolt and helped her stay on this side of wakefulness.

Em made a garbled choking sound. "So, yours isn't burning up but they're giving you shocks? Like the static kind?" He sighed. "No, no. I didn't foresee this either. But the stupid, blundering ass didn't exactly give us time to test the serum, did he?" Another sigh. "No, he didn't take it well. Yeah, he wants us to fix it. And no, I don't have a damn clue how."

Josie strained to make sense of the one-sided conversation. What the hell did Hollis give her … them. She'd almost forgotten Parson. He'd been moved to another room … cell … whatever the fuck they wanted to call it.

Nasal Em snorted. "Aw, fuck. If this is what you think it is, and we've trigged some kind of latent ability in the subjects, we're all fucked. It doesn't matter what Hollis wants." A pause. "Yeah, yeah. I'll make the notations. And I'll increase the sedation dosage. Yes. Yes. Then I'll get some sleep. From here on out, we have to document everything." Em ended the call and started back toward Josie, muttering to himself. "We're so off the page we're not even in the book anymore. Hell, we're not in the same library." He grabbed a rolling cart and slid it beside the gurney. "At this point, all bets are off and we're officially in uncharted territory."

A sharp prick against her bicep brought the fuzziness back. Josie dreaded going back under and succumbing to the inky darkness of unconsciousness. But … she had something she didn't have before…

Hope.

I'm having a lot of fun with this story. Josie and Parson are going through it, and they'll have to use everything they have to get through this challenge.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Melee

I'm so excited because for the first time in over twenty years—actually, maybe longer—I got some new furniture. It's kind of my holiday present from everyone in the family. A new small recliner and a new couch. I'll be adding a chaise at some point but haven't found one I like yet. The couch story is an entire saga and I didn't expect it until December 23, but it arrived Friday!

I also had a super-busy work schedule, which had me buried for most of the week. I'm definitely not complaining. I love to be busy.

Had a decent week of television but somewhat abbreviated. I started with the Madam Blanc Mysteries. I'm quite enjoying how the larger mystery arc is being woven into the weekly episodes.

I finished up the second part of Silent Witness and started a new episode. Gotta say I'm now into episodes I haven't seen yet. The first part left quite a cliffhanger. I'm a little freaked out.

I caught a full arc of Classic Who and, yes, the Master showed up. I started a new four-part arc and I think this is when we say goodbye to Five. I'll let you know next week.

Watched Mysteries of Apollo and this episode focused on NASA's first heroes, mainly the astronauts from Mercury and Gemini. Quite an interesting episode.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Muppet Show. Senor Wences and Bruce Schwartz and Debbie Harry were the guest stars. Both were fun episodes.

Caught another episode of Fantasy Island. I'm quite happy with this updated version. Looking forward to the holiday episode.

Watched an episode of Peak Practice. An interesting plot with this one. Kind of cool to get a little more backstory for Andrew.

Started a new MasterClass. The instructor is Bill Nye and I can't wait to dive into his classes.

Caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. Season two is a lot of fun with some memorable stories.

Enjoyed a holiday episode of Chicago Med. Gotta say Dr. Charles is going through it right now. Actually, both of them are. A really great episode nonetheless.

Watched another Brokenwood Mysteries. As usual, this show makes me happy. I love the characters and their interactions. Kind of interesting to meet another one of Mike's exes.

That's pretty much it for this week. Tonight's post is from Melee, a novella that puts my characters in harm's way when they have issue with the same antagonist.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Josie Walls and Parson Parrington gain extraordinary skills when they're captured and experimented on in a remote laboratory in an icy tundra. Longing to be free, they put their newfound abilities to the test, escaping their prison and going on the run.

And a preview snippet…

Parson bit back a groan. It fucking figured. His stupid, double-crossing, absolute asshole of a former business partner.

His head jerked sideways. "Wait, you know Hollis?"

Josie flinched. "Ugh. Unfortunately. He's my ex."

Parson rolled his eyes. "I'd like to ask what the hell you saw in him, but I'm all too aware of the charming front her projects to get what he wants." Especially raven-haired beauties like Josie.

Her hands clenched at her sides. "Oh, yeah. It's all fun and games until the gloves come off." Disgust laced her tone.

No doubt she left out the part about when the fists started flying. Part of the reason Parson severed ties with Hollis had everything to do with the man's abuse of anyone or anything he grew tired of.

Parson lowered his voice. "We were business partners for five years before I finally figured out his midas touch wasn't worth the toll it took on my conscience." Or the potential legal problems if Mayweather decided to use Parson as a patsy. "He didn't appreciate losing the beard of civility when I walked away." And Parson paid a price for doing so—might possibly still be paying.

Josie tsked. "Let me guess … you had an accident that wasn't an accident, right? Nothing too serious but bad enough to act as a painful reminder." Her fingers uncurled and flexed.

Sick dread filled Parson. Hollis hurt her or someone close to her. Fucking asshole.

Parson grunted. "Something like that. But this … is a whole new level of what-the-fuck. Drugging, kidnapping, and keeping us prisoner? That's off the hook even for Hollis."

Josie angled her head toward him a little. "I only had fifteen months with the guy but I figure being here might be more par for the course than you want to believe."

Parson weighed her words. "Maybe. It's been three years since I've seen or heard from him, but I've heard rumors about some shady shit." Why didn't I pay attention?

Josie snorted. "Pretty sure the shady shit is the tip of the iceberg. I walked away six months ago because I overheard Hollis threaten to end a rival's entire family line. No idea how he planned to accomplish that feat or if he was even serious, but at that point, I didn't care." He voice went quiet. "I saw him clearly for the first time."

Parson understood completely. "Right. The blinders come off and the picture turns ugly. I get it." He wanted to ask what kind of retaliation she'd experienced but the door snicked open and two white-coated men entered the room.

Hollis Mayweather strolled in behind them.

He moved to stand between the two gurneys. "Good to see you getting to know each other. You'll have plenty more time to continue. But first, you're going to be the very first test dummies for a new compliance program I'm setting up." He rubbed his hands together and nodded to the other men.

Parson flinched when a needle pricked his bicep. The room went fuzzy and gray but he didn't black out. Instead, he remained aware and cognizant while the lab techs started an IV and pushed a cold liquid into the tubing. Josie received the same treatment.

Parson started getting heavy-eyed and his ears roared with white noise but he wouldn't forget the look of utter glee on Hollis's face before he exited the room.

I love having a Bond-like villain and Hollis fits that bill to perfection. I can't wait to see what Parson and Josie do to take Hollis down.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: Melee

Brrrr. The past week ended up being a wild ride of crappy weather and really cold temperatures. Of course, we're warming up for a few days then back to the icy tundra again. I predict lots of colds and other nasty viral illnesses in the near future. Bleh.

It was a good week to stay in and watch television. I finished a 77 Sunset Strip marathon binge watch. I love the classic show, even the last season that only had Bailey as the detective. Completely different tone but good episodes.

Caught another episode of Pensacola Wings of Gold. Kind of fun to have them in a different location. Also watched an episode of Lexx. This is one I didn't remember seeing the first time around. Nice to have something unexpected.

Started the fifth season of Endeavor. I love this show. I'm kind of looking forward to maybe doing an entire start-to-finish watch of Inspector Frost once the Endeavor series concludes. I can follow it up with Lewis. Started episode two of season fourteen of Midsomer Murders. I'm quite enjoying the new Barnaby and somewhat different tone of the show.

Finally got to watch the fifth season premiere of Gotham. The app on my streaming device was being contrary and kept stopping before the opening credits even rolled. Played the stupid ads though. Loved the opening episode. Between this show and Riverdale, the batshit crazy can't be topped. Just saying.

I caught some more Classic Who, finishing up the space museum episodes and starting on the next Dalek arc. Also binge watched a day of Mod Squad.

That's it for television. A little lighter than I originally thought. Tonight's post is from Melee, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "forget this".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Josie Walls and Parson Parrington gain extraordinary skills when they're captured and experimented on in a remote laboratory in an icy tundra. Longing to be free, they put their newfound abilities to the test, escaping their prison and going on the run.

And a preview snippet…

"Psst. Hey. Hey, you. Raven chick. Wake up."

Josie Walls fought through the fog in her brain to address the persistent voice to her left. "The name's not Raven and I'm not asleep." Drugged to the nth degree, yes.

Definitely not asleep.

The voice, deep and smooth but with a bit of a rasp between breaths, spoke again. "Do you know where we are? Or how we got here?" Struggling sounds echoed in the space. "Or what the hell is going on?"

Josie blinked and tried to sit up. Fuck. She couldn't move either. Restraints around her wrists and feet and—if she didn't miss her guess her midsection—held her immobile.

She growled. "No. No. And no. Absolutely clueless over here." At least the fuzziness in her mind started to clear. "You can't move either?" The rattling of metal on metal answered.

Shit. What the hell happened? The last she remembered… being at Zero Chill, the new club on the boulevard. Out of her league on a good day, she'd gone to blow off steam and max out her ex's credit card. Damn, I looked kick-ass in that slinky red dress.

"Hey. Hey… did you zone out on me?" The voice broke through her memory.

Josie shook her head… or tried to. A band of something foamy held it in place, too.

She cleared her throat. "No. Trying to piece the how and what together. Head hurts and everything is fuzzy and distorted." Like a bad experience with booze or drugs.

The guy snorted. "Yeah and not in a good way. This blows ass." He struggled again. "Name's Parson. Last thing I remember is getting out of a limo with a group of friends at Zero Chill."

Josie jerked in response to the name of the club. "That's where I was." Why couldn't she remember leaving?

Parson cut into her musing again. "That's something at least." He waited a beat. "Can I know your name?" Waited another. "Aw, hell. Do you remember it?"

She smiled, which made her face ache, something she'd have to ponder later. "I remember. I'm Josie." Angling her head as much as the restraints would allow, she got her first glimpse of Parson.

Whoo, boy. Covered from shoulder to toe in a clear, gauzy fabric, he took up most of the neighboring table. The material left little to the imagination. The man's primo physique displayed nicely. What the hell, Josie? Figure shit out now… ogle later.

"Wish I could say it's nice to meet you, Josie, but I'd rather know what the hell is going on instead."

She almost chuckled. But she couldn't. Unease slithered its way through her when she cast a glance around their location. Stark white walls, lots of stainless steel, and terrifying-looking equipment met her gaze.

She made a stab a keeping the rising fear at bay. "Uh, Parson, something tells me we're not in Zero Chill anymore." Hell, it didn't look like they were in the US anymore. The language on the piece of machinery looked foreign.

He made a garbled choking sound. "Yeah, I got that." He struggled against the bindings again. "I'd like someone to tell me what the fuck is going on."

A bright light snapped on overhead and a booming voice supplied an answer. "All in due time, my captive subjects. Until then… enjoy the solitude while you can." A rumble of something resembling a laugh followed.

Josie closed her eyes, the full extent of her dilemma seeping into her. "Son of a bitch. Hollis Mayweather."

Her stupid, lowdown, good for nothing ex.

This one is taking some turns I didn't expect but I love it. I'm at the point where a long brainstorming session needs to happen so I can flesh out all the story beats.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Melee

Welcome to May! I'm excited to have some warmer weather finally… enough to want to be outside and working on my yard. :D

Let's see, television this week ended up being a mixed bag. I want to really love Hunters, but eh, not quite sure I'm feeling the joy with that one. We'll see what ends up happening.

The Flash and Agents of SHIELD put out two good episodes. I'm truly interested in finally discovering who's under the mask in the Zoom's cage. Also hoping whoever it is, they're an ally. My jury is still out on AoS, but we'll see how the next few episodes go.

Arrow is breaking my heart, but wow, what terrific performances by the entire cast. My one small gripe has to do with showing Barry having his speed back when Tuesday's episode ended with Wells saying he'd help Barry get it back. Then again, schedules being what they are, they might not have had a choice. I'm just a little disappointed because they're usually so on top of small details like that.

Legends of Tomorrow remains pretty awesome. I'm so thrilled with the character interactions any disappointment I have over Savage being so smarmy as a villain are miniscule.

Wynonna Earp? Man… I love this show so much. It's acting as something of a replacement for Lost Girl with strong, kick ass females and the plotline is truly interesting. I love the sister dynamic and the fish out of water scenario Wynonna experiences on a regular basis. Looking forward to more revelations about Doc's deal with the devil and seeing how long he rides the fence.

Still behind on Banshee, but hoping to catch up soon. Also backed up on Marcella, but I rather love the twisty turns this series takes on a regular basis. Love not knowing if the heroine of the show is actually a villain, too. J

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from Melee, a novella based on the two-word prompt "Forget this." I already had the glimmer of an idea for meta-human based story and the prompt spurred the sages to release some creative ideas.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Josie Walls and Parson Parrington gain extraordinary skills when they're captured and experimented on in a remote laboratory in an icy tundra. Longing to be free, they put their newfound abilities to the test, escaping their prison and going on the run.

And a preview snippet…

Josie crept along the corridor, thankful to find the darkened space empty. She needed a moment to tamp down the raging burst of lust Parson's embrace left behind. Questions filled her head. Instead of draining her, the lip-lock supercharged not only her libido but also her power, if the tingling in her hands counted as an indication. Why and how crowded for dominance in her brain. Followed by a desire to kiss him again and see where they ended up. Hopefully in the throes of passion against a flat surface. She didn't care if they were horizontal or vertical as long as they got hot and heavy with a side of sexy action.

A strong hand grasping her shoulder jerked her out of her thoughts.

Parson leaned in close. "Careful, there, Jose. Listen." His fingers slid down, gripping her arm, tugging her into an alcove.

Footfalls echoed ahead and she'd almost missed the sound. "Right. Let me get a quick count." Peering around the wall, she estimated four guards were moving toward the training area.

Which begged the question… how many more would they have to get through? She angled her head around and held up four fingers then motioned for Parson to move further into the shadows. Clearing her mind, Josie focused then brought her hands up, making fists. She inhaled deeply then stepped out into the corridor ready to zap the men heading toward her. They walked in a solid wall, shoulder to shoulder, taking up the entire space.

Josie exhaled and made her move. The energy built faster than usual. Too fast. She flung double fireballs in the direction of the guards and the percussive force sent all four flying backwards.

Parson moved to stand beside her. "What the hell, Josie? How did you do that?" He moved forward, leaning down to check her handiwork.

She shook her head. "I have no idea. I couldn't control the force." Glancing down at her hands, she discovered blisters on the fingertips.

That's new. A sliver of worry skittered down her spine. If she couldn't control her ability, they might not make it out of the compound.

Parson lifted his head. "They're dead, Josie. We've gotta get moving." He rose up and motioned her to precede him.

She moved a little slower than usual, the weight of killing four men settling in her stomach. Not the plan at all.

Parson nudged her shoulder. "You good to go?"

She wanted to laugh, but bit back the sound. "Not sure, but we have to move, right?" Two more levels to get through in the rat-like maze.

Luckily for them, the security team would have to come from behind to catch up.

Parson slid his gaze toward her. "We do, but only if you're certain you can follow through." Concern etched his features. "Maybe I shouldn't have—"

Josie cut him off. "But you did and, yeah, I think the kiss had unexpected effects. I'll get my head around it, but not right now." She started forward, unwilling to dive into an in-depth conversation about locking lips with him. "If I'm careful, I can get us through. Once we're out, we can examine the hows and whys of what happened." And she could have a good old-fashioned freak out.

Parson followed behind her. "So… that probably means more kissing in our future, yeah?"

Josie bit back a laugh. Parson's sense of humor always kicked in when she needed a distraction. The worry and tension eased and she squared her shoulders. Get out of the building, find a safe zone, then see what would happen when they next locked lips.

The future looked much brighter than it had twenty-four hours ago.

Little longer than normal preview, but I liked the way this scene came together.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Melee

March 9, 2014

Whew. Crazy weather week of back and forth between frigid temps and snow and a lovely little warm-up that didn't last very long. LOL At least I had good television to watch.

As predicted, Arrow's episode fifteen, The Promise, proved to be seriously bad ass. I almost think they crammed too much into the hour—I would have loved to see a little more detail. I'm just not quite down with Slade being so uber-pissed at Oliver over Shado's death. Yes, I'm aware the Mirakuru IS the reason he's not particularly rational. But Ivo's manipulation seemed a little conveniently heavy-handed. Of course, Oliver's guilt doesn't help so there's that. LOL I'm also really interested to see if the rumor mill speculation about who Felicity's father is proves correct.

Bitten is still eating my brain. Seriously, the final episodes of the season should be mega-uncomfortable for the characters. And if Daniel Santos doesn't die a horrible death like he did in the books, I'm gonna lose my mind. J

Only one episode of Banshee left and I'm actively praying Rabbit gets his due. Then I'll probably have to wait for next season to see what the fallout will be from Proctor, but I can deal. Something to look forward to. J

Tonight's post is from Melee, a novella where my characters end up with super powers and have to escape from captivity. Fun times. J

Here's the tagline:

Josie Walls and Parson Parrington gain extraordinary skills when they're captured and experimented on in a remote laboratory in an icy tundra. Longing to be free, they put their newfound abilities to the test, escaping their prison and going on the run.

And a preview snippet…

Josie eyed the guards and glanced toward Parson. "Forget this." She went for broke, taking on the biggest dude in the group.

Parson could kiss her. By providing a major distraction, he could focus his attention and draw the energy he'd need to take out the whole group with one blow. If he failed, they could fall back on Josie's pyro-kinesis ability and burn their way out. Together, they'd clean house and finally get out of the stainless steel nightmare they'd lived in for six months.

He shut out everything, letting his mind go blank then homed in on the electricity humming in the background, finding a spark and backtracking to the main generator on the facility. Inhaling slowly, he absorbed the power from the huge unit, making the lights flicker overhead. He cut the flow, containing the vast surge, gaining control over it so he could direct the output. Seeking sight of Josie, he found her climbing up and over one of the guards, out cold on the floor.

Fighting the urge to unleash the wave, he shouted. "Now, Josie. Find a ground."

Her head shot up and she glanced around. Finding a safe zone, she dropped and rolled onto one of the rubber mats they used for sparring. She crouched low, tucking her head under her arms.

Parson let go, blasting the kinetic energy outward in a wide arc. The half dozen guards left standing flew back away from Parson, slamming into the closest surface behind them. Parson didn't wait to see if anyone remained standing, he staggered in Josie's direction and grabbed her hand, dragging her up and toward the exit. They had to clear the training room before he keeled over from expending too much of himself along with the burst of power.

Josie jerked him close, wrapping one arm around his waist to keep him on his feet. She made a fist with her other hand, ready to form a fire ball if necessary. Parson held on, his legs already moving slower, lethargy setting in.

He glanced back over his shoulder. "Two following, we gotta keep moving, Jose."

She grunted an acknowledgment and managed to keep him upright until they reached the door. Her hand shot out to push the handle and met resistance. They were locked in.

Josie growled. "Shit." She shot him a sideways glance. "Do you have enough left in you to bust through? I can weld it shut when we're clear."

Parson had no clue if he had the reserve to get through the lock, but he nodded. "Let me try." She propped him against the jamb and turned to let two fire balls loose, directing them at the pursuing guards.

Parson focused his attention again, drawing on Josie's rage, letting it fill him with a burst of adrenaline. He drew his arm back then shoved it forward, busting the door open. Josie caught him before he hit the ground, dragged him through the opening, and kicked the heavy steel shut.

Parson collapsed as soon as she let go.

She nudged him with her booted foot. "Get and stay clear." He crawled to the opposite side of the corridor, giving her room to work.

Pressing her hands on the metal door and jamb, Josie closed her eyes and exhaled. She melted and fused the steel into a solid mass. Satisfied, she stepped back, swaying slightly before she righted herself by laying a hand on the concrete wall. A burn mark marred the paint, exposing the poured surface underneath. Josie pushed away from the wall and staggered over to Parson's location, dropping down beside him on the floor.

He let out a harsh breath. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, a little wobbly, but I'm fine."

She didn't need as much time to recover when she used her ability and Parson envied her at the moment. The next part of their escape would be risky and rest heavily on her. Josie would have to lend him a good deal of her energy until they cleared the compound—the one part of their plan Parson didn't like.

But he had an idea, and now seemed the time to test his theory.

He angled his head around. "Jose? You still pissed and angry?"

She snorted. "Damn right I am."

He reached forward. "Good." Hauling her close, he tilted his head and slanted his lips over hers.

Sliding his tongue past her teeth, he thoroughly explored her mouth and she responded in kind. Her hands cupped his face, moving up until her fingers twisted in his hair. His lethargy melted away, replaced by a burst of sexual energy that made his blood hum through his veins. Passion rolled in and Parson tore his mouth from hers, afraid he wouldn't be able to stop if he got too caught up in the heat of her.

Josie blinked and shook her head. "What the hell, Parson?" Realization dawned and she sagged against him. "Dammit. Warn me next time, will you?" She eased away, putting some space between them. "How did you even know that would work?"

Parson shrugged. "I didn't. Not for certain." He slowly got to his feet, happy when his knees stayed steady and didn't buckle. "But I figured it might and couldn’t think of a faster way to get back on my feet." He held out a hand to help her up.

She grasped it and rose, swaying a little.

Parson steadied her. "Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't think the concept all the way through." He cupped her face. "Too much drain on you. I won't be doing that again. I'll find another way to—" Her fingers over his lips stopped his speech.

She pinned him with her gaze. "Stop it. I'm not all shaky because you took too much, okay." She pushed away from the wall and brushed past him, heading toward the next exit.

He caught up with her. "Then why—" He paused when she slid him a sideways glance. "Oh."

She nodded. "Yes, Parse, that kiss had everything to do with me being twitchy." She looked ahead again. "Just not for the reason you thought." She moved forward, stopping at the next junction, easing her head around to make sure they had a clear path across.

Parson followed slowly, mulling her words over in his head. So, the kiss affected her, too.

Josie cleared her throat. "Parse, you coming or what? We've got a schedule to keep here."

He met her gaze. "Yeah, yeah. I'm right behind you."

He'd tuck her response away for later. But if they ever got out of the damned compound, he planned to examine whatever they had between them, up close and personal.

I love writing people with extraordinary powers. It's fun to see what they accomplish… and what limits them. J

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye