Sunday Snippet: The Pit and the Pyre

I'm going to start with a doggo update. We thought our older doggo was doing better but, sadly, that wasn't the case. The vet took an aspirated sample of her lymph node, and the results came back as cancerous, probably MAST cell. The prognosis is never great for that diagnosis. But we planned to keep her comfortable and spend as much time as we could with her. Unfortunately, she took a turn for the worse and on November 7, we let her go to the great beyond. Hardest decision to make but she stopped eating and couldn't really afford to lose more weight than she already had. My heart hurts right now, but we're trying to ease the loss for our other doggo and that's been a blessing.

Obviously, even with everything going on with our dog, work continued. I finished up a proofread and have a new one scheduled for the upcoming week. I also have a couple of client calls and I'm excited about those. I'm in the middle of a copy edit for an opening book to a new series and it's going well.

I had an okay viewing week. I made it most of the way through my regular shows, with the exception of Lower Decks. I'll get back to it this week. I hope.

Finished up the second season of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. I love the Christmas in July episode so much. There's some subtle groundwork being laid for the final season and I appreciate being able to look back and see it.

Caught another episode of Foyle's War. I really wanted to smash everyone working against Foyle in the face. The arrogance of the military spies grated hard on me this time around.

Beyond Paradise ended up being a lot of fun. I like the romance with Archie and Ester. And I love Humphrey and Martha with their fostering. I'm a little put out with the mom being so cagey. I get the why but it's annoying. I'm kind of hoping she ends up confiding in Zoe.

Watched another episode of Poirot and enjoyed it. I loved having him hoodwinked into solving a murder because an author wrote himself into a corner. And having the author kind of save the day was fun.

Elementary ended up being a great episode. I love Sherlock putting forth effort in his relationship and getting it wrong for the right reasons.

Enjoyed another episode of Batman Beyond. Loved Bruce and Max working together to find Terry. I had some vague memories of this one but didn't remember everything that happened.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from The Pit and the Pyre, a novella featuring a second chance at romance with an added twist.

Here's the miniblurb:

Virgo Sohn walks through five years of hellfire to get back to Gunn Gladstone, but she finds him married to Glynne Allmore. Accepting the hand dealt, Virgo refuses to explain the circumstances of her return until Glynne succumbs to a raging virus and Gunn feels he should join her on the pyre.

And a preview snippet…

After the exchange with Gunn, Virgo had no idea how to win the last challenge she faced. "He pretty much hates me, and I can't blame him." But if she wanted to remain on the mortal coil, she had to win him back.

Nothing like an impossible hurdle to jump over. Or maybe flaming hoops to jump through would be a better analogy considering the hellfire council gave her an expiration date.

Virgo walked up the path from the caverns toward the town proper. "At least I gave him something to chew on. He won't be able to resist trying to figure out the how, and that gives me time to work on the why." A difficult task, but one worth the effort.

What a journey to find such a simple answer.

Virgo spent the first three years of her trial trying to become a better person for Gunn. She finally realized she didn't have to change for him. She needed to change for her. So, she atoned for her family's sins, brandishing the flames of hellfire inward to scorch the past and direct her righteous truth where it needed to be. At home.

She snorted. "But I didn't come out unscathed." Nope … she carried a burden, one that could make or break her acceptance back into the assembly.

Her heavy load had two unequal sides. 

Crossing the main thoroughfare, she darted into the green quad, one of her favorite spaces. A place where she could think and ponder and hopefully come up with a way to expose and weed out her naysayer. The one who started the crusade against her.

She found her favorite spot, a little copse of trees with a comfortable bench and lots of quiet.

Sitting on the warm wooden surface, she heaved a sigh. "Vausch Minslow is my second biggest problem." The bigger obstacle would always be Gunn.

Minslow had left her alone since her return, but he only bided his time. He'd make a move soon … because he wouldn't have a choice. She planned to force his hand in the very near future. Her task to bring him down would even the score.

Her lips twisted. "He's been working hard behind the scenes, using Gunn's distraction with Glynne to make headway." The man wanted to send the assembly back to the dark ages and allow the use of black magick.

The hellfire council had major issues with the idea. They controlled the balance of light and dark. The Maiden Flame—head of the council and a badass of epic proportions—didn't appreciate Minslow's backhanded methods for trying to get around a parameter set in place centuries ago.

Virgo only had one concern regarding Vausch. "If he talks the quorum into banishing me, my mission ends, and I'll succumb back into the flames." She'd need to tread carefully and expose him at the right moment … whenever that might be.

The bigger and harder challenge would be Gunn. "I can tell him about Minslow but I can't let on about anything else." The Maiden Flame gave firm instructions about what Virgo could and could not reveal.

Surely, Gunn would soften his stance. He loved Virgo once. She could win him over again. She had to remind him and get him to remember how good they'd been together.

Before she walked away … her biggest sin.

Her worst crime … not trusting the love they shared.

Her penance wiped her family's misdeeds clean away. But the fact she turned her back on Gunn rested wholly and completely on her.

And the Maiden Flame made resolving that issue the price for Virgo's freedom.

Nothing like giving a guy up then having to make him fall in love with me again.

This story is taking some twists and turns I didn't expect, and I love when that happens.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Pit and the Pyre

Geez, what a week. Starting late Monday night, a super-cell storm blew through Ohio. Around 11:30 pm, the tornado sirens went off in my little village. We took cover in our bathroom, mainly because our two doggos will not go down the basement steps and the bathroom is the most protected interior room in the house. By 12:15 am, we got the all clear, but the power went out around 12:05 … and didn't come back on until Thursday at 5:30 pm. It's been … a wild week.

Thankfully, we were able to borrow a generator to keep our AC (temps in the mid to high 90s), fridge and freezers going. We had one light in our living room and a charging station to keep our devices charged up. Not that it mattered much. The storm damaged a cell tower and we barely had a signal. I literally had one spot in the house where I could get one. The joys of living in a rural area.

Spent most of my time keeping the generator full, checking on my neighbors, and checking out my dad's house—luckily for him, he'd left early Tuesday morning for a vacation—after rerouting to get to the airport. Downed trees were everywhere. All in all, though, we were very lucky that we didn't have a lot of damage. Unfortunately, my cousin had a tree fall on their house. Weirdly, we had another storm blow through on Thursday that caused three fires from lightning strikes. Mother Nature isn't messing around right now.

So … I had a very minimal viewing week. And I'm playing catch-up on my work projects. I don't mind being a little bit behind, mainly because I'm happy and grateful we still have a house and didn't lose our fully stocked freezers. A huge hat-tip to the linemen and workers who still have their hands full trying to restore power to other locations.

I did get an episode of The Snoopy Show in. I'm almost finished with the first season and I'll be checking out the second one after I'm done.

I caught the cast interviews for Loch Ness and enjoyed getting some insight into the characters and the actors portraying them. I'll be finishing up with behind the scenes sometime next week.

Finished up a Silent Witness two-parter and quite enjoyed the twisty turns the episode took. I'm very much liking the later seasons of this show.

Ended up completing season 24 of Classic Who. Mel is going off on her own adventure and it looks like Ace is going to be the new companion. I'll start season 25 this week.

Caught another episode of Most Terrifying Places in America. A focus on historical locations ended up being pretty interesting.

Watched another episode of The Mandalorian. Again, I love the pacing of this show. There are a lot of little moments that stack up to add great impact.

Got another episode of The Hardy Boys in and the plot is getting deeper. There's a lot of cat and mouse stuff going on and I kind of like it. The pacing is a little weird but I'm happy to overlook a few glitches.

Also caught another episode of Peak Practice to round out the week. Not sure if I'll be caught back up by my next post, but I'm only a little behind and can live with that.

That's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from The Pit and the Pyre, a novella that puts the characters on the path to a reunion but the obstacles are many along the way.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Virgo Sohn walks through five years of hellfire to get back to Gunn Gladstone, but she finds him married to Glynne Allmore. Accepting the hand dealt, Virgo refuses to explain the circumstances of her return until Glynne succumbs to a raging virus and Gunn feels he should join her on the pyre.

And a preview snippet…

Gunn paused outside the maze. "Why? Why couldn't she trust me?" Did it matter?

At the moment, not one damn bit. Even if she did trust him, she'd convinced herself she had to go. To leave him and the assembly in the dust.

He started for the quorum hall. "I'll never forgive her for that." How could he, especially after laying everything on the line for her?

Entering the huge building, steeped with magick and wisdom along with storied history, he headed for the assembly chambers where he'd have to start putting a game plan together so he didn't lose any ground after backing Virgo earlier.

He'd almost made it to his office when Vausch Minslow poked his head out of a conference room. Gunn kept his grimace inside; Minslow led the opposition and spearheaded the campaign to send Virgo to exile. Gunn didn't need a confrontation right now.

He greeted his colleague. "Minslow. You're here late." He crossed the corridor and twisted the knob of his office door.

Vausch darted out of the darkened room and followed. "Been waiting on you. That was quite a speech you gave earlier. Virgo should be groveling at your feet." He stepped inside Gunn's space uninvited.

Gunn went behind his desk, needing some distance away from Minslow. "What the hell for? Being the lone voice of dissent?" He snorted. "Didn't do her any good." And it didn't matter now.

Vausch shook his head. "You'd be wrong there. The quorum convened a special session and took another vote." He made a sour face. "You changed enough minds to have a majority. The decision to banish her has been reversed."

Gunn swallowed his shock. And then his anger. She'd left for nothing. Entered the pit of hellfire, sacrificing herself for her family's sins … for no damned reason.

Gunn's fingers curled into his palms to avoid letting his magick loose on Vausch. "Doesn't matter." He met the other man's gaze, carefully keeping his rage in check. "You got your wish. Virgo's gone."

Minslow's eyebrows arched. "She didn't waste any time." He shrugged. "I'm sure you can reach out. Let her know she's got a reprieve."

Gunn lifted his chin. "You'd be wrong there." He directed Minslow's words back to him. "She didn't leave the assembly." He paused, taking a moment to suppress the bile rising in his throat. "Virgo entered the pit."

Vausch's face took on a sickly green pallor. "She did what? But that means—"

Gunn cut Minslow off. "Yeah, it does. It means she's executing a trial by hellfire."

And no one in the history of the assembly had ever survived once they'd been consumed by the flames.

I love how much Gunn dislikes Vausch. He can't quite put his finger on the why—with the exception of Vausch leading the charge to get rid of Virgo—but Gunn really loathes the guy.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye 

Sunday Snippet: The Pit and the Pyre

Ugh! August is fast becoming the craziest month I've ever had. This past week I filled my gas tank up on Monday and by Wednesday, I only had half a tank left. For perspective… a full tank of gas usually lasts about two to three weeks for me. Does that say anything about the week I had? LOL

Seriously, though, a lot of back and forth travel several times a day did give me lots of windshield time. It also gave terrible drivers and a buttload of construction but that's a whole different rant for another day.

I did end up having a highly productive week workwise, which means I didn't have a lot of time for television. I did hear the news of Krypton's demise unless another network picks it up. Here's hoping that happens. I really do love the characters.

I've been rather disappointed that my once favorite network is no longer in the running for my viewing time. I either watch on demand via the app or not at all. It makes me sad that Syfy has fallen so far. I literally used to watch the channel almost exclusively way back in the day.

As much as I love the convenience of streaming shows, I miss having a wide variety of stuff to choose from during the day on regular cable television. I have been enjoying the local channels' digital offerings. MeTV, Decades, Comet, Charge, This TV, etc. has some great classic stuff. That's what I've been having on in the background. I'm also a big fan of Ovation right now.

I did get to watch a few more episodes of Peter Gunn this week but that's about it.

Tonight's post is from The Pit and the Pyre, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Virgo Sohn walks through five years of hellfire to get back to Gunn Gladstone, but she finds him married to Glynne Allmore. Accepting the hand dealt, Virgo refuses to explain the circumstances of her return until Glynne succumbs to a raging virus and Gunn feels he should join her on the pyre.

And a preview snippet…

"Virgo! Wait!" Gunn Gladstone burst into the center of the maze, the source of hellfire in the realm.

Virgo paused with her foot on the threshold of the pit. "I have to go, Gunn. You were there. The lone quorum member who voted to let me stay." The only person who didn't blame her for the Sohn family sins.

He grasped her biceps. "Give it time. You can't really be held responsible for your misdeeds. You were acting under orders from your family." His palm cupped her face. "They're the ones to blame. And because they're not here, you're taking the brunt of anger from the revelations." His gaze held hers, trying to offer reassurance.

Virgo didn't want any. Because she had followed orders. Without question or argument.

Until she met Gunn and received an education with how mage politics were supposed to work.

Shaking her head, she eased away from him. "I'll never be good or… clean… enough to stand by your side. Not unless I face the trials." She grabbed for his hand. "I have nothing to lose except you and the quorum vote made anything we might have had impossible." Her heart kicked hard against her ribs. "You know this."

Gunn's lips twisted in a grimace. "I know there's no guarantee you'll survive the trials. At least with banishment, there's a chance we could have a future." He pulled away from her.

She sighed. "Gunn, if I don't survive, there's a reason. And I'm doing this whether you accept it or not. At least this way you won't be tainted by your association with me and you'll stay on track to take over as quorum leader. They'll never let you ascend if you're still tied up with me." He shouldn't need her to state the facts…

Gunn's face hardened. "Then don't expect me to be around if you survive. If you can't trust me enough to work things out for you, we're already over." He stepped back and out of her way.

Virgo spun around, unwilling to let Gunn see the tears gathering in her eyes. "We already were before we met." She trusted him… she did not trust herself.

She took a step forward, the flames licking at her ankles.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Gunn's retreating figure.

Someday, I'll be worthy of you and I'll walk through hellfire to prove it.

Closing her eyes, she dropped down into the burning fire.

I have a lot of love for this story. Virgo and Gunn are on a wild journey and I'm having so much fun writing their tale.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Pit and the Pyre

October 30, 2016

Happy Halloween Eve! Our small town always has its annual trick or treat several days before the actual holiday. On Thursday, it was brisk and chilly, but we had a whole host of costumed kiddos strolling the streets. So much fun!

On the television front, Gotham had another great episode. I'm happy with how things are going on that show. Here's hoping the consistency holds through the end of the season.

The Flash and Agents of SHIELD pulled out some surprises. The new director guy on AoS is actually kind of fun and hopefully not evil. LOL I'm not gonna hold my breath on that score.

Arrow keeps making me happy. Diggle is out of prison, but who knows what'll happen next with him. The new team suffered some shake-ups. We'll see how that all shakes out.

Legends of Tomorrow delivered again. I like the new guy. And Mick is fast becoming another favorite. Brutal honesty goes a long way with this group and he's definitely not afraid to embrace the truth. LOL

MacGyver's episode might have been the set up for introducing Murdoc. I guess we'll see if the ghost pops back up again.

The Walking Dead… I skipped the premiere and watched The Talking Dead instead. I honestly couldn't see the point in watching when I couldn't bear watching any of my favorites die. I'll be watching tonight's episode… I think. LOL

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from The Pit and the Pyre, a novella that got a start from the prompt—one character confronts the other after a funeral. I liked the entire idea of having to leave a lot unsaid.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Virgo Sohn walks through five years of hellfire to get back to Gunn Gladstone, but she finds him married to Glynne Allmore. Accepting the hand dealt, Virgo refuses to explain the circumstances of her return until Glynne succumbs to a raging virus and Gunn feels he should join her on the pyre.

And a preview snippet…

Well, shit. Virgo had a point. He'd been so out of touch, wrapped up with Glynne, he didn't give any consideration to how Virgo had returned to the fold.

He stared into the fire, caught between saying goodbye and hello, again. He resented Virgo's intrusion but, somehow, her presence also gave him the fortitude to see Glynne off. The mixed emotions battled deep in his gut, chipping away at the carefully constructed armor he'd built to get through the last few months.

Virgo shifted in her seat, placing her palms on her thighs. To anyone else, the gesture would go unnoticed. For Gunn, her movement telegraphed impatience, frustration, and a little discomfort. No doubt she'd unload if he gave the go ahead.

But he couldn't. Not yet.

"Yeah, okay, we're going to have to talk about the five years you were gone. The quorum backed off while Glynne fought her battle, but they'll start back in soon." His shoulders tensed. "I don't want to be in this position."

Virgo rolled her eyes. "The one where the quorum vultures circle your head? Yeah, don't blame you for that." Her gaze drifted back to the fire. "You told them to leave me alone, didn't you." She made her words a statement.

Of course he suggested the group of twelve back the hell off and let Virgo get reacquainted with everyone. He couldn't handle dealing juggling her reappearance and Glynne's bout with the virus.

Gunn shrugged. "I had a lot on my plate at the time." Wrapping his head around having Virgo show up took way more focus than he wanted to give.

Virgo's lips twisted. "And dealing with my shit didn't take priority. I totally get it." Her voice went rough and raspy.

Gunn body responded to the siren call. He loved hearing the jagged lilt again.

He tamped down a lick of anger over his inability to keep his mind on Glynne. "Look, you're right. You weren't at the top of my list. You lost that spot when you walked away." An edge of irritation crept into his tone. "And, honestly, Virgo, it'll be a long, damned time before I let anyone fill that space again." He got up, the rumble in his gut calling him out for a liar.

Virgo snorted. "Never said I wanted to be on a pedestal, Gunn." She rose and put her chair back in its earlier spot. "But I won't lie. I need you in my corner, if only to get through the inquisition from the quorum." She moved to stand behind him. "After that, well, anything else could be moot." She squeezed his shoulder and exited the alcove.

Anything else could be moot.

What the hell did she mean by those cryptic words? Gunn squared his shoulders and moved to set by the pyre again. He refused to think about Virgo's dilemma anymore tonight.

Tomorrow would be soon enough. Glynne deserved his full attention right now.

I'm still brainstorming how to make all the pieces fall into place with this story, but I love how much potential there is for conflict.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Pit and the Pyre

August 4, 2013

I gotta say we're having the most incredible weather right now. August in Ohio tends to be hot, sticky, humid, sweltering, and generally horrible. We're four days into the month and haven't hit above eighty degrees. It's honestly been the most pleasant summer I can remember, even with a buttload of rain. J

On a more random note, I'm actually rather 'meh' about the choice for the twelfth doctor. In all honesty, it's going to be hard for me to picture someone who had a prominent role on Torchwood—a sister show of Who—as anyone BUT that character. And the guy had a featured guest role in the Pompeii episode, so again, it effs up my continuity. And yeah, yeah, Eve Miles had a featured guest role on Who and went on to play Gwen, so what the hell am I bitching about, right? I guess it's because she didn't end up playing a third role in both shows.

Enough about television. LOL

Tonight's post is from The Pit and the Pyre and will probably end up being a novella. This story has one of my kinky tropes, a forbidden love with a small twist. The main characters have a history and that's always fun for me to write. J

Here's the tagline:

Virgo Sohn walks through five years of hellfire to get back to Gunn Gladstone, but she finds him married to Glynne Allmore. Accepting the hand dealt, Virgo refuses to explain the circumstances of her return until Glynne succumbs to a raging virus and Gunn feels he should join her on the pyre.

And the preview snippet…

Virgo waited until the cavern emptied and walked down to Gunn's location. "Nice service. She deserved that."

Gunn didn't look up and remained seated at the side of the pyre. "She deserved more than I ever gave her." His hand toyed with the long match that would send Glynne onward to the afterlife.

Virgo pulled a chair from the first row and dragged it forward, setting it a few feet from Gunn's. "That's not fair, Gunn. You did your best." And he had, staying with Glynne throughout the brief illness, not to mention sticking by her when Virgo returned.

Gunn reached out and placed the kindling thatch at the base of the pyre. "Somehow my best is never quite good enough." He heaved a sigh and a broken sound escaped.

Virgo understood his despair, but the pity-fest irritated her. Gunn had still had a leadership role to play and if he wallowed in misery, no one would follow him.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You should really climb out of the pit, Gunn. You don't belong there." He actually belonged by her side, but the idea wouldn't rest well with him.

Gunn shrugged. "I don't know, Virgo. Sometimes I think I deserve to be burned on a pyre." His head rose and he met her gaze. "I loved Glynne, but I loved you more. She knew it. And I knew it."

Virgo's heart broke for him and she grasped his hand. "And yet she still married you. Because she thought you might have a chance. That's both brave and stupid." And strong, because Virgo wouldn't have been able to ever accept second place in Gunn's heart.

Gunn snorted. "I was the stupid one. Thinking I could build a life on a lie." He gently pulled his hand away. "You can't build a life that way. No one can and make it good."

Virgo let him keep the distance he wanted. She understood his need for a little space.

But she couldn't let him think he'd completely failed. "Maybe not, but you tried. And you were happy—for a while anyway."

His gaze met hers again and he nodded. Bending forward, he struck the long match against the stone hearth under the pyre and held the flame to the kindling thatch. Once the fire caught hold, he eased back in the chair and worried the wooden remnant between his fingers. Lost in thought, he stayed silent, and Virgo gave him a few moments to say his last goodbyes. When he exhaled a long, drawn out breath, she finally broke the quiet.

"You might think you should burn on the pyre with her, but it won't take away the wrong." She moved to the edge of the seat, leaning in closer to Gunn. "Only time can take it away, and learning to own the pain and damage you've done."

Gunn's head whipped around. "I already own it, Virgo. Even moment of anguish I caused her, every agonizing second she spent wondering, and waiting for me to leave"—his hand shot out, gripping her arm in a tight grasp—"because you came back. Like a tidal wave of destruction." His fingers bit into her flesh. "Why? Why are you here?"

She yanked free and put some space between them. He'd just asked the blazing question everyone wanted answered. And she couldn't provide him with one.

Not yet.

He had to be ready to listen and hear the truth. And he couldn't possibly do either while his spouse lay burning to ash, taking her final journey. Virgo rubbed the area his fingers had dug into and welcomed the discomfort. The pain and damage she caused went so much deeper than anything he'd ever been responsible for, but the tingling twinge under her skin reminded her she'd grown past the harm of her youth.

She slowly met his gaze to find him waiting, his brow raised. Ah yes, he'd asked her a question.

Giving him a gentle smile, she answered with one of her own. "Gunn, don't you think the better place to start would be how am I here?"

Did I mention I have a slight kink for mysterious returns? LOL So much fun to write. :D

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye