Sunday Snippet: Nowhere Good

Another month end is almost in sight. August is gearing up to be a busy month for me and I'm excited and exhausted at the same time. I love being busy and having projects on my calendar but also have to remember to take time to decompress.

Cleanout project stalled again. I had deadlines to meet and also got a new office chair that needed assembly. Have to admit it's comfy.

Had a solid work week with several projects ongoing and two that needed to be finished. I got those out of the way and started a new one that's a long procedural.

Pretty good week of viewing. Made it through a full round of shows and started both of my back-burner ones.

Started with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed the backstory of Janie and Phryne. Almost through the first season.

Started the new season of Madame Blanc Mysteries and a holiday episode. Looking forward to more of this show.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. Kind of sad to see Marlon go. He ended up growing on me. Thrilled to see JP back for a brief appearance. The mystery also gave Marlon time to shine, which is nice for his final ep.

Watched another episode of Poirot, which is the first of two parts. Looking forward to seeing how this one ends. A super-young Polly Walker is a guest star!

Enjoyed an episode of Elementary. I haven't quite decided how I feel about Moreland sticking around for a while, but I did like his interaction with Sherlock. The case also proved to be interesting.

Caught another episode of Batman Beyond and have vague memories of this one the first time around. Always fun to have Shriek back.

Watched another episode of Lower Decks. This show annoys and charms me in equal measure. I did quite like the interaction between mom and daughter even when I rolled my eyes several times.

Started an episode of Peak Practice. I didn't quite manage to finish it but will get it done this week. I hope!

Also started and got most of the way through another episode of Reacher. I only stopped because I couldn't keep my eyes open. That's what watching a show at four a.m. will do.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Nowhere Good, a novella that explores how a couple resolves an age-old conflict.

Here's the miniblurb:

After wiping out a rival fae faction's hell spawn, 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 sat through Matilda's examination. "You don't have to check the sirens. We got them to the safe house without incident." They'd be a little crowded for a couple of days.

Matilda smoothed a cool salve over Adrian's burns. "Good to know. You and Shaun make a hell of a team." After recapping the jar, she held her palm over the injury and closed her eyes, muttering an incantation over and over.

The brief respite gave Adrian time to unpack her thoughts. Shaun did make a great partner. But would he still? The silence coming back to the estate after seeing to the sirens put her out of sorts. Because of the kiss. She and Shaun usually had a million things to talk about. But neither spoke a word on the journey back. Because of the kiss.

She chastised herself. Such a stupid thing to do. Ruling families did not mix with the lower classes. And she definitely didn't qualify for ruling status. Her family would be disappointed she'd initiated something with Shaun.

She mumbled under her breath. "Not that his family is any better." Even if Shaun didn't think like them.

His family wanted to keep the old ways. Seven families ruled over the rest of the population and made sure everyone stayed in their own lane. The regular folk like the Stocks pushed back, trying to form a council that would better represent all beings in the glade.

Matilda gently squeezed her fingers around Adrian's. "There. Are you still feeling any pain?"

Adrian made a slow fist. "No. None. Thank you." She started to get up.

Matilda nudged her back down. "Uh-uh. I want you to stay here tonight. Consider it a favor to me. But I want to be here if you have any aftereffects." Her steady gaze bored into Adrian's.

Adrian slumped. "You think I'll have nightmares." She might … even if it had been years since her last one after Bent's death.

Matilda nodded. "It's possible. And if you have one, I'd rather it be here where I can help."

What she didn't say? If she had one, being here wouldn't pull her mom and dad into the fray. They still struggled with the loss of their only son.

Adrian sighed. "Okay. But if I don't have any, I'm heading to the cottage in the morning." She lived behind her parent's house in the old gatekeeper's residence.

Matilda smiled. "As you wish." She got up and put her supplies away. "For now, I have to make my rounds. Help yourself to anything you need. The spare room is already made up for you." She bustled around, grabbing her satchel and a jacket then heading out of the suite.

Adrian settled back into the cushion of the chair. "Leaving me alone with my thoughts can't go wrong, right?" She snorted.

Why worry? She had no chance with Shaun. He'd reached the age where he had to find a mate. Someone the seven houses approved of.

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "Definitely don't want to be around for that." But … the reason she kissed him had everything to do with the ticking clock.

Because she had to know what it would be like. Just once. To kiss Shaun and have that memory.

But, yeah, dumbest move she'd ever made. Because now she wanted more. So much more.

And now her primary goal would be to minimize what happened. Because the kiss meant nothing.

Nothing at all…

This one is coming together in fits and starts but it's shaping up nicely. Shaun has his work cut out for him to convince Adrian the kiss is not nothing.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Nowhere Good

Another busy week with multiple projects on the all burners. I've been doing oracle card readings every morning and, based on what I'm seeing, things won't be slowing down anytime soon. I'm totally okay with that.

We had a few lovely days of spring before winter came roaring back. Two days in the mid-thirties with rain and flurries. Bleh. Then again, when I'm still wearing shorts and flip-flops in October, I'll try to remember being cold in March.

Not a bad week of television viewing. I'm kind of off-schedule, but that happens sometimes. I have a couple of movies and musical specials I want to watch and that might swing things back to my usual show cycle.

I started the week with Star Trek: Discovery and, ugh, I got very emotional. I've got one final episode, I think, of season two and then I might dive into the Ready Room to get some insider details.

Caught two episodes of Chicago Med and I kind of like the tension building between everyone. Sad to see Will and Nat's wedding not happen and I really disliked the FBI agent overseeing him. Not sure how I feel about the whole Rhodes dynamic. But, knowing what I know about what happens later, it'll prove interesting to see how it all unfolds.

Watched two episodes of Snoopy in Space: The Search for Life. I'm still enjoying the science stuff mixed in with the antics of Snoopy and Woodstock. I'm always kind of in my happy place after I watch the short features.

I liked the Cuffs episode this week. There's a good mix of humor and drama in this show and I enjoy the partner dynamics. The detective stories are a blend of weird and gritty and I like those angles also.

Enjoyed two episodes of Silent Witness. Finished up the second episode of a two-parter and it didn't go in the direction I thought it would. I love when that happens. Started a new two-parter and it's kind of intense, which I like. The detective is a bit of a hard ass and that kind of annoys me, but it's good drama.

I'm almost finished with Classic Who season twenty-three. As expected, the Master made an appearance. I'm a little wobbly on the whole Doctor's darker side thing, but it's an interesting concept and gets a little work-in during the New Who series episodes.

Caught two more episodes of Aliens in Alaska and I like getting a bit of an education about the remote central interior of the state and the smaller towns. The UFO and alien stuff is just gravy.

Watched two more episodes of Muppets Now. This version of the show is growing on me and I like the repeat appearances by a couple of the guest stars along with one or two new ones that pop in. Of course, I love the Muppet Labs field testing, probably my favorite skit of the new version.

Harrow is really amping up the tension. I'm still so angry they killed off one of my favorite characters but I like how it makes Harrow do some soul-searching. I have no clue what the hell Maxine is doing but I hope there's a good reason for it. The one character that annoys me still annoys me so no change there.

Enjoyed another episode of Peak Practice. We're moving into the trauma of the week style and I'm kind of okay with that. There's enough carry through from previous episodes it still feels like the same show. I'm almost finished with season seven and I'm still liking the show.

Finished up MasterClass with Es Devlin. I thoroughly enjoyed her lessons and actually have some good information to apply to my work. Should be starting a new class this week and I'm planning on going with another science series.

Caught two episodes of Young Wallander and, wow, this show hits hard sometimes. I kind of guessed about who really had a hand in the killings and I'm glad that played out the way I thought it would. I won't rule out another twist though. I'm kind of expecting one.

I started season three of Classic Rugrats and watched several episodes. A couple are probably in my top five for this season—at least until I watch more.

Finished up Queens of Mystery with the final Behind the Scenes bonus. I'm actually glad I did watch because I wondered if they'd recast the lead character and they had. I might need to revisit so I have the details straight but the recast is fairly seamless.

Also watched another episode of Blue Heelers and really enjoyed it. Nice to get some additional backstory about Nick. I'm also such a fan of Chrissy and Adam's relationship. I hope that lasts for a while.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Nowhere Good, a novella that takes a couple on a journey to find their happy place.

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…

Shaun's world tilted sideways and spun backward.

I'm kissing Adrian. What the hell is going on?

He didn't care. Her mouth moved under his and his brain fizzled, short-circuited, and fried on contact. Nothing mattered but her lips and his staying together for the foreseeable future.

Geez, she has a hot mouth.

Hot. Fire. Burned. Shit!

Shaun broke the kiss. "Damn. We need to get you looked at and make sure the sirens are okay." He caught one side of her face in his hand. "You're shivering and possibly in shock." Argh … he sounded stupid, didn't he?

Yep. Adrian blinked and her eyes narrowed. She went into shutdown mode.

Fuck. Their timing sucked. He'd give anything to sit her down and figure out what just happened between them.

He shrugged out of his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Adrian, I'm not sorry that happened. We just need to get out of here and report back." The sirens were vulnerable and his dick could not do the thinking right now.

Adrian tucked her injured arm up close to her chest and tightened his jacket with her good hand. "Fine. Yeah, you're right." She shuddered again.

Pissed off at himself for breaking the intimate moment and ruining a promising start, he wanted to smack himself for being so abrupt. He'd been completely unprepared for the surge of want and need she brought up and out of him. They didn't acknowledge the simmering attraction between them … for too many reasons to count. But the kiss changed everything. At the worst possible time.

She didn't need a slavering idiot right now. She needed comfort, because fire and Adrian did not get along. Funny how being trapped and tortured in a burning building could do that to a person. Not to mention losing a brother in the process. She hated dealing with fire creatures.

Gently, Shaun guided her toward the group of very young men and women gathered in the middle of the parking lot well away from the warehouse. The low hum emanating from the former hostages circled them in waves of calming energy. When Shaun and Adrian approached, the tune changed to a welcoming song.

Shaun paused before going further and met Adrian's gaze. "You good? Probably need about thirty minutes to get the sirens to a safe house." He could go it alone, but didn't want to.

Adrian blinked and squared her shoulders. "I'm solid. Better let me wrangle while you patrol ahead." She schooled her features and slipped her game face on.

Shaun caught the attention of the oldest siren. "Barth?" The guy nodded and Shaun lifted his chin. "We're going to get you to safety. We'll travel on foot to a secure location." He looked over the group. "Is everyone whole? No injuries?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Adrian stepped up. "I'm Adrian and I'll be keeping you shielded from any tracers trying to track you. Shaun is going to scout ahead and make sure we're clear. I'll be in contact with Shaun and all you need to do is keep me in your sight." Moving to stand in the middle of the group, she motioned for them to circle around her. "If I stop, you stop. My shielding will hold and protect you as long as we're all together."

Shaun met Adrian's gaze. "Give me a twenty count then follow. I'll reach out if I encounter anything." Anything else he wanted to say would have to wait.

Adrian inclined her head. "Twenty count. Got it." She muttered an incantation and a ball of light appeared then expanded to surround the group.

When the brightness faded, Shaun started out and made a left out of the parking lot. He'd go up a block then cut through the park—unless something nasty decided to rear its ugly head. Adrian would adjust accordingly if that happened. She knew the routes as well as he did.

She knows everything as well as I do.

Except maybe how to handle the seismic shift that just happened between them.

I love the vibes from this scene. Shaun is all over the map but finally focuses on the work even though he wants nothing more than to take care of Adrian—not that he won't try later.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

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

Sunday Snippet: Nowhere Good

Well… a lonely week without an episode of The Last Ship, but the previous episode gave me lots of fodder to make theories about. LOL. I seriously think Blonde Ambition has an agenda we have yet to see. A friend suggested Allison is in cahoots with Jacob the asshat reporter and I love the idea. On the Asian front, Chandler has his hands full. The green mist stuff may make me find a new favorite color. LOL

Killjoys keeps getting better and better. Truly love how lots of threads are working their way together and twisting around each other. This show continues to amaze. And guess what? It's got green plasma goo stuff, so, yeah, maybe orange is going to be my new favorite color. LOL

Dark Matter finally dropped some details about Nyx, one of the new crew members. Looking forward to seeing how the interaction with Four changes when she finds out what he suggested for her brother.

Babylon 5 rewatch continues and I'm almost at the end of season two. I'm looking forward to diving into three because the groundwork from the first two seasons starts building one of my favorite characters arcs of all time.

I viewed more Strike Back and remembered how much I loved all the mistakes they let Stonebridge and Scott make in season two. Seriously, the duo messed up on a pretty big scale… several times. LOL I think that's why it became one of my favorite shows.

And that's it for television. Tonight's post is from Nowhere Good, a novella based on the prompt of characters having a celebratory kiss.

Here's the mini-blurb:

After wiping out a rival fae faction, Adria 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…

Shaun waited for Adria's contrary response. The woman threw up more roadblocks than a construction crew. When she remained still and quiet, he blinked. She didn't make a move to shove him aside or duck away.

Wonders would never cease.

Her possible capitulation filled him with a kernel of hope. But he needed to hear her say she agreed. Wanted to see her determination to fight for them. Craved her willingness to step outside their predetermined roles and create a path only for them.

Resting his forehead against hers, he pushed for answers. "What's going on in that head of yours?" He braced for her response.

Adria lifted her chin. "A battle between the rational side of my brain and the wish fulfillment part." She stepped away and started pacing.

A good sign in his book. She worked better when on the move. If he could keep his mouth shut and let her wrap her hear around the concept of "them", they had a shot at something great.

Adria stopped and faced him. "Okay. Screw 'em all." Her fierce features softened. "If you make the declaration, I'll accept your suit." A husky tone crept into her voice. "And we'll face whatever obstacles come our way together." She moved closer, grasping his hips with her hands.

Shaun wrapped his arms around her. "Starting with our families. Deal with them, half the battle is done." And it would be a fight on both fronts.

Adria buried her head in his shoulder. "Ugh. But you're right." She lifted her chin and met his gaze. "We'll hit mine first, right after you make your intention known." Her hands skimmed along his sides then smoothed down his back.

Shaun nodded. He agreed, starting with her relatives would be the best route. But he'd rather focus on sealing their fates first.

I love writing battling families. It's such a fun source of conflict.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Nowhere Good

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. Happy chocolate overload day to those who don't.

So… finale for The Walking Dead last week? AWESOME! My middle kid and I stayed up spinning random theories for a good, long time after the episode ended.

The Flash and Arrow have my brain working overtime, too. I've missed television that makes me stay engaged after the show ends. Keep finding myself getting snared with 'Oh! How cool would it be if [insert random plot bomb here] happens. I can sort of say the same about Agents of SHIELD, but not to the same extent. I did kind of love how the last episode ended though.

Bitten only has one episode left and I can't wait to watch!! Really loving the second season and looking forward to watching on Syfy in a few weeks. So surprised and kind of thrilled to see a character pop back up. The guy is sooo good and I enjoy his work.

And last but not least regarding TV, The Last Ship has it's summer air date. June is looking up. :D

Tonight's post is from Nowhere Good, a novella where my characters are stuck in roles they don't want to be in.

Here's the tagline:

After wiping out a rival fae faction, Adria 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…

Shaun made a quiet approach, but Adria sensed his presence the moment he entered the alcove.

He stopped just shy of her chair. "We should talk about the kiss." His hands came to rest on her shoulders.

Adria shrugged away from his touch. "Why? It was a kiss. Nothing more." Mother earth, she lied horribly.

Shaun snorted. "Really? Because I sure as hell felt the pull." His hand slid back to her shoulder, squeezing gently. "You can't tell me you didn't either."

She eased away and stood, turning to face him. "Okay, maybe not. But we don't have to do anything about it." They couldn't do anything about the crazy intense passion, actually.

Silence from Shaun, and a stubborn set to his jaw.

She sighed. "Come on, Shaun. What's the outcome?" She turned away, pacing the small area. "Follow the progression in your head and tell me where it goes?" She gave him barely a second before she supplied the answer. "Nowhere good." Certainly not for either of them.

Shaun narrowed his eyes. "Why not?" He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted a brow.

Geez, she definitely shouldn't have to explain. "Um, custom. Ritual, protocol. Not to mention a shit ton of baggage." His family had looked down on her for generations.

Generations.

Shaun scoffed. "It doesn't have to be like that." The conviction in his voice almost convinced her to cave.

But reality kicked in. "Yeah, Shaun. It does. And you know it." As much as she loathed tradition and all the bullshit that went with it, she didn't have the energy to beat it back.

Shaun pinned her with his gaze. "Why? Explain the reason." He stayed rigid, his arms still firmly wrapped around his middle.

She always called the stance his 'I hate this shit' pose. And she shouldn't have to school him in ancient history.

But she would. "For starters, you're ruling class and I'm not. You'll be going through the ritual to choose your bride in the very near future." And she would be long gone.

No way in hell did her plans include playing 'happy' for the new couple.

Shaun rolled his eyes. "You know how I feel about the whole class thing." He made a nasty face, like something died in his mouth.

She lifted a shoulder. "Yeah, well, if you can show me how you're going to escape your fate any time, I'd be interested." Because he never would.

His lips twisted in a sly smile. "It's simple, really. I declare you as my intended." He relaxed and reached out for her.

She backed away. "You've got to be joking. There's no way you'd get away with making that kind of claim." His family would lock him up in the tower and never let him out.

Shaun moved closer, grasping her biceps. "Adris, things have to change. How much longer can the same seven families intermarry and not suffer the effects of inbreeding?" He hauled her against him. "We need new blood, new ideas, new customs and rituals." A hand came up to cup her cheek.

She leaned into his palm, only for a moment. "And you think I'll be accepted?" Again, she shifted away, putting some space between them.

Shaun snarled. "I don't care. I'm more concerned your family won't welcome me." He threw up an arm. "Why would they? How can they not judge me when my pedigree alone is a huge strike?"

She tilted her head to one side, considering his statement. "You make a good point." Her grandmother would spin in her grave and her parents would probably banish her to exile.

Shaun's voice softened. "Exactly. And you know what? Change won't happen unless we push the boundaries." He invaded her personal space again, backing her into a corner. "You're always busting down doors, for anyone and anything else. Why aren't you willing to for me?" He raised his arms, bracketing her between them. "So we can have a chance?"

When he put the idea in those terms, she didn't have any kind of good answer.

I love writing about old traditions in desperate need of change. Throw in two characters that have to fight to make it happen and boom! Great story. :D

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye