Sunday Snippet: Rite of Passage (Warlock's Curse)

Bleh. I've been fighting a yucky cold all week and I'm feeling a little better but not quite 100 percent. I'd be happy if the coughing could be a wee bit less.

Weather has been steadily warming up. We've dipped back down a couple of times but thankfully it's been gradual without the wild forty-degree swings in twenty-four hours. Been getting a lot of rain, which is causing high water and some flooding. Combine that with ongoing construction and the onset of tree-trimming and getting anywhere is something of a challenge. It pays to leave early.

Another busy work week. Finished up another proofread, continued work on one, and started an assessment read through. Also finished up a read through on another project that keeps lingering in the shadows. Started a new proofread that's a lot of fun so far.

Had a decent viewing week even though I slept a lot because of the yuck. I made it all the way through my usual slate of shows and added an addition to the lineup.

Started off with My Life Is Murder and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery along with getting more Harry backstory. I think the next two episodes are a two-parter that makes the finale. Can't wait to watch.

Watched the first behind the scenes for Foyle's War. Kind of enjoyed seeing the process of how they do what they do to film the period specific series.

Finished up the first season of Return to Paradise. I have no idea when season two will be available on the streaming platform, but I'll look forward to it.

Caught another episode of Poirot and completely enjoyed poor Japp trying to manage on his own then having a harder time after accepting Poirot's invitation to stay with him. Fun to see Miss Lemon's sister.

Elementary ended up being very entertaining. The twisty start proved interesting and Joan's advice to Sherlock turned out to be great. I love where their relationship is at this point.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and had completely forgotten about this one. I think I have one more left before I'll need to find a new series to watch or rewatch.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks and quite enjoyed learning about Tendi's pirate past. Always fun to see characters from other Trek shows pop up in the episodes and Deep Space Nine counts as a character. Just saying.

I continued to use my Kanopy tickets to watch Fleetwood Mac: The Dance. This was such a great concert film, with quite a few surprises. Glad I got to watch.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Rite of Passage, book three of the Warlock's Curse series.

Here's the miniblurb:

Nadia Iris and Falk Ridenour have one goal—to thwart her father's nefarious power grab. Even though they're on the same page, Nadia struggles for balance and Falk has to make some hard choices about their future.

And a preview snippet…

Falk almost laughed when Boris came charging up the lane leading to the mill. "The guy missed his calling … as a bona fide drama queen." He schooled his features when the other man got closer.

Boris sneered. "Who the hell do you think you are to summon me?" He planted his hands on his hips, his breath seething about between his teeth.

Falk stayed chill, only arching an eyebrow. He carefully watched Boris for weaknesses. The man's ego definitely counted as one. But his inflated sense of self wouldn't be enough. Falk needed to find a few more.

Boris went for the throat. "Do you really think you can best me in magick, young welp?" He rolled his eyes. "I have decades of experience on you. And I fight dirty."

Falk's mouth curved. "As proven by twisting your daughter into knots." He met Boris's gaze. "You know, it takes a special kind of asshole to dick a woman until she's pregnant, bind the kid by your blood, then fuck off for parts unknown." He lifted a shoulder. "I mean, kudos, I guess for putting together a long con…" He waited a beat. "But it's still a con." He hoped the stinging barb landed.

He wanted to put a few chinks in the man's armor.

Boris snarled. "It's not a con. It's fucking grandmaster chess." His jaw clenched. "I left nothing to chance. I literally rule the board."

Falk snorted. "No, you don't. You have a huge blind spot named Nadia, and she's a variable you couldn't possibly account for. Not one hundred percent." Falk absolutely believed that fact with his whole being.

Boris scoffed and waved a hand. "You're wrong. I've got her locked down tight. She can't hurt or stop me from seeing my plan through to victory." His lips curled in an evil grin.

Falk grunted. "I'm gonna enjoy proving you very wrong about that." A flash of insight flared in his mind.

Nadia would be arriving soon. She figured out what she needed to do.

Boris lifted his chin in challenge. "We'll certainly see if you can." He shook his arms and bounced on his toes.

Falk smile. "Yes, we will." He flexed his fingers and conjured two balls of flame. "Shall we begin…"

I love a good battle between good and evil. Falk is definitely on the side of good, but he's not afraid to be sneaky and underhanded when necessary.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Rite of Passage (Warlock's Curse book three)

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful one. We're always low-key. We head to my dad's, eat, converse for a while then head home to nap in a food coma. We definitely had a good time.

The weather is crazy weird again, which is actually kind of typical for the end of November. It's usually a little colder and the question of whether it'll snow or not. Now it's more like up and down temperatures that go back and forth to drive anyone with sinus issues to the pharmacy to stock up on meds.

I finished up the episode of Ted Lasso I started and thoroughly enjoyed. I'm iffy on Jamie's redemption but hopeful it'll continue and stick. I honestly hated that character so much last season.

I also spent the week watching a large chunk of Batman: The Animated Series as mentioned in last week's post. I started with episode seventeen of season one and continued through episode thirty. I'll be watching more this week with a plan to finish out November with my memorial to Kevin.

One of the things I love most about revisiting this series is finding overlooked gems in the rewatch. There were a couple of episodes I'd completely forgotten about and it's nice to see them again.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Rite of Passage, book three of the Warlock's Curse series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Iris and Falk Ridenour have one goal—to thwart her father's nefarious power grab. Even though they're on the same page, Nadia struggles for balance and Falk has to make some hard choices about their future.

And a preview snippet…

Nadia fought the tears threatening to come. "Just this once, I actually want someone to tell me what to do." Why couldn't Falk do this one little thing?

The liquid she'd held back leaked from the corners of her eyes. How the hell did Falk think he could help with what needed to be done? Boris had to be stopped, but if she couldn't take him down … how could she halt his plans?

Movement from the doorway drew her attention and Sebastian entered the room.

He stopped beside the fire and glanced around. "Where's Mr. Wonderful?" The sneering tone matched the look on his face.

Nadia quickly wiped her cheeks and faced Sebastian. "Not here. Go find someone else to irritate." She couldn't deal with the annoyance of pointed barbs right now.

Sebastian narrowed his gaze. "You've been crying." He grasped her bicep. "You never cry. What did I miss?" He nudged her toward a wingback chair and made her sit.

The one person on the planet—aside from Boris—she didn't want making decisions for her, yet Sebastian happened to be the only one stepping up. Go figure.

She snorted. "Oh, you missed a great argument with Falk. The one time I want him to put his foot down and tell me what to do and he walks away." Her fingers curled into her palms.

Sebastian huffed out a breath. "And exactly where did Mr. Paragon wander off to?" He poked at the wood in the fireplace then settled in the chair next to hers.

Nadia waved a hand. "Who the hell knows? I'm trying to figure out how to manage Boris since he's pretty much stymied every option I have to deal with him and Falk decides to be cryptic by saying I know what needs to be done and he'd help me out." She met Sebastian's gaze. "By leaving me high and dry? How does that help?"

Sebastian's demeanor visibly changed. He went from slouching in the chair to sitting straight up. His usual practiced bland features sharpened and his blank stare snapped to life.

He leaned forward. "Geez, Nadia. Did you wake up on the stupid side of the bed today?" His hands pressed on his thighs. "You can't kill Boris because his blood runs through your veins and he hexed you to keep you from spouting off about him. Did he do the same to Falk?"

Her mouth dropped open. "Damn. No he didn't. And you think—" She couldn't say the rest—because it meant Falk planned to do something very, very dangerous.

Sebastian clicked his tongue against his teeth. "It doesn't matter what I think. What does your knight in shining armor think and do?"

Falk would engage with Boris and make every effort to keep him in a battle of magickal will until one of them perished. She should've gone after him when he left.

Nadia got up and paced back and forth. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit." She stopped and whirled to face Sebastian. "Where? Where would they meet? And when? Dammit, why would Falk take this on?"

Sebastian smirked. "The why is plain for anyone to see. He's loyal to anyone he loves." He got up and went to gaze out at the grounds. "The where? Someplace out of the way to minimize damage. When? That's a bit trickier. My guess would be early, like the wee hours of the morning. He'd want to test Boris's mettle and learn any weaknesses and dawn or soon after is the safest time."

Nadia shook her head. Sebastian showing an understanding of tactics and planning? When did that happen?

She set the thought aside and focused on the where. "An out of the way place…" The location hit her almost immediately. "The mill. It's not part of the village proper and the walls are thick enough to withstand a magickal battle." Her shoulders slumped. "Doesn't do me a damned bit of good though. I won't be able to help."

Sebastian swung his gaze her way. "What do you mean? Of course you can. You need to go and make your choice known."

Nadia flung her arm out. "How? My asshole father made it impossible for me to speak against him in a way that would clarify what I want."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Then don't speak, Nads. You don't have to verbalize what's in your heart. It's there for anyone with half a brain to see." He tsked. "And Boris might be a maniacal egomaniac with tunnel vision but he's also got two eyeballs that won't be able to deny what's in front of him."

She still had doubts. "Okay, great. What about the blood tie? You know he'll pull that thread and try to use it." And he'd wield it against Falk if he could.

Sebastian gently reminded. "Boris's blood isn't the only DNA you have, Nadia. Manchen blood bonds you two, yes, but you also have Iris blood coursing through your veins." His brows furrowed. "Did you forget that?"

She blinked. "Damn. Actually, I pretty much did." Maybe she did get up on the stupid side of the bed today.

Everything became very clear in her mind and she envisioned exactly what needed to happen.

She went and threw her arms around him. "I love you, Sebastian." Whether he knew it or not, he'd picked a side, too.

His eyes widened in surprise. "You do?"

She laughed. "Yes, like the brother I never had or even wanted." Easing away from him, she held his gaze. "But I'm glad to have now."

Her unspoken message registered.

He gave a nod. "That's it then, isn't it? Our fate sealed and all that."

She lifted her chin. "Your fate is right where you left it. Your choice is whether to meet it head-on or continue hiding away from it." Starting for the door, she angled her head around. "But you don't have to decide today. I'd like you to stick around for a bit … if you're up for it."

Sebastian tilted his head to one side. "Is that a challenge?"

She cracked a smile. "Yeah, if you choose to accept it." She didn't wait for a reply … she had a showdown to prepare for.

I have so much love for this story. Nadia and Falk are rock solid even when they don't agree and Sebastian finally proves he's got more going on than being a pawn. This is such a fun group of characters.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Rite of Passage

I'm so excited! We're getting our leaky roof replaced in the very near future. I've been waiting to do a small renovation in our bathroom because I need to make sure we won't have any more water damage in there. Can't wait!!

Not a bad week for television. Caught an episode of Frankie Drake Mysteries and, once again, enjoyed the four main characters and their bonding. Terrific female representation in this show.

Watched the penultimate episode of Riverdale's third season. So many revelations in this one and nothing I'm terribly surprised by. Edgar is just as creeptastic as I suspected. I do want to know if Polly is aware of Jason being… whatever the hell Jason is. My gut says Alice is not. Can't wait to find out. Veronica pulled a savage move on Hiram and I'm totally there for more of that. I literally hate that guy and actually wouldn't mind if he died in a fire. No such luck, I'm sure.

I caved and watched a season twelve episode of Peak Practice. I'll probably go back and forth on this show, catching the entire run while also sneaking in episodes with my favorite actor.

Caught the behind-the-scenes episode of Midsomer Murders and I'm ready to start season twenty-one. Looking forward to diving in next week.

I'm excited to watch the final season of Arrow in the very near future, along with the crossover event. I'm also thrilled to have some new super-hero shows on the horizon. Should be an interesting year for watching.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Rite of Passage, a Warlock's Curse novella.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nadia Iris and Falk Ridenour have one goal—to thwart her father's nefarious power grab. Even though they're on the same page, Nadia struggles for balance and Falk has to make some hard choices about their future.

And a preview snippet…

Nadia spoke quietly. "Why are you checking out on me?" Tension radiated from her.

Falk sighed. Only Nadia would see him taking a step back as abandonment. How could he explain the clarity he now had?

Nadia paced back and forth. "Falk, you're letting my dad get to you." She stopped and pinned him with a glare.

Falk tilted his head to one side. "Yes, but also no. Having him in my face—and yours—all the time is pissing me off, so yeah, he's getting to me." He straightened and presented his case the best way he could. "Look, Nadia, I have to let you choose for yourself. If I don't, I'm no better than Boris." He moved forward and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'll offer any and all insight where I can, but won't be a dick like your dad and force you into making decisions." He cupped her chin and held her gaze. "I also won't use my dick to bind you to me." Because that would be exactly what Boris would do… hell, had done with Miranda. "Ultimately, Nadia, you have want that binding and come to me." Something he hoped for more than he wanted to admit right now.

Nadia's eyes welled up. "Don't you see the ultimatum is almost as bad?" Her fingers dashed the tears away.

Falk shook his head. "You see giving you the choice as an ultimatum?" How could she not understand? "I love you. Witch. Warlock. Woman. I don't care what you call yourself. I do care about not using you for some endgame to gain power." Boris had that wrapped up tight.

Nadia closed her eyes and swayed a little. "I'm so tired, Falk. Tired of fighting Boris. Tired of having Sebastian underfoot. Tired of not knowing which way to jump." She turned and stared into the fire.

A flash of insight hit Falk. She needed his guidance and didn't see him being alpha and demanding she choose him as a bad thing. But he couldn't make a demand, not even if it helped override and balance her warlock side. He could, however, share his conviction with her.

Moving to stand behind her, he wrapped his arms around her. "You know what has to be done, Nadia, and I will help there. You'll also know who's going to win. You'll make the right choice… because I trust you to do it." Pressing a kiss on her temple, he eased away from her and turned to leave.

Because Nadia also needed Falk to end her dad. She couldn't do it. The binding Boris did during her conception prevented her from killing him. But Falk didn't have any restrictions other than doing no harm. Putting Boris down would test the boundaries of magickal law but Falk counted on love winning out. His love for Nadia would be the deciding factor when he had to face whatever the coven council threw at him.

Exiting the study, he whispered an incantation and forwarded a message to the warlock master. They'd meet at dawn to end the battle for Nadia.

Honestly? I love this series so much. I'm hoping to get the time I need to write the whole thing before releasing any of the books.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye