Sunday Snippet: Utter Not a Word

Well, it's been a week. I hit a slump even though I got a lot accomplished. Not sure why I ended up being so distracted, but I struggled to stay focused on anything.

Had a very slow viewing week, probably due to being randomly distracted by everything.

I watched another episode of Strangest Things and enjoyed the artifacts featured. This show makes interesting connections when they're trying to figure out what something is.

Caught a Death in Paradise marathon, which ended up being fun to watch. I'm still doing a full watch in chronological order, but fun to have a whole day of great episodes.

Enjoyed another episode of Battlestar Galactica. We finished up the first half of season two and during our discussion we remembered how long we had to wait for the next half, especially because the episode kind of ends on something of a cliffhanger. And there were so many great moments in this episode!

I planned to start Cannes Confidential this week but ended up being too distracted. I'll be watching it in the very near future and will post my reaction next week.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Utter Not a Word, a novella that brings a couple together after the murder of a dear friend and the death of a mentor.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maren Roth is reeling over the loss of her oldest friend after a skirmish with an opposing faction goes horribly wrong. Wayne Edelman, a superior adept with the responsibility of their sect resting in his hands, offers comfort and support in a very unexpected way and Maren realizes the man has become an expert on reading her moods. With a huge battle brewing, she takes solace in the concept that together with Wayne, they might have a fighting chance at winning.

And a preview snippet…

"Jessie, no! Don't send the—"

Maren woke up with a scream, her head pounding and her eyes filling with tears.

The dark room cast gray and black shadows and didn't resemble the warehouse.

A hand reached for her. Wayne's here.

Right here.

"Hey, careful now." Wayne eased up from the chair and settled beside her. "You're back at the manor." He grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. "You've got a nasty bump on your head, and you're banged up."

Yep. Physically and emotionally. Banged up. Wrecked. Ravaged.

Maren bit the inside of her cheek but couldn't stop the flow of liquid streaming down her cheeks. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out but a garbled whimper that ended on a sob.

Wayne carefully scooped her up onto his lap. "Yeah, it's hitting hard. I know." He smoothed a hand over her hair.

Maren tucked her head under his chin. "She's gone. My oldest friend in the world." She took the tissues Wayne grabbed for her. "I can't deal."

How did she go on without Jessie?

Wayne hugged her closer. "I know. I know." His fingers carefully pressed around her nape. "How's the head?"

She grimaced. "Hurts. The tears aren't helping." But damned if she could stop them.

He nodded. "Yeah, I get it. But you'll feel better letting all that out." He reached over and turned on the lamp then carefully checked her cuts and scrapes. "Any pain from these?"

Maren shook her head. "I can't feel them. I'm too numb." She shivered a little and wondered if feeling like drowning underwater would ever stop.

Wayne dragged the blanket up and over her shoulders. "Do you remember what happened after Jessie went down?" His voice held no censure but something wrong must have happened.

Maren shook her head. "I remember giving her the rites and burning her. You bringing me here. Vaguely remember the shower." She eased back to meet his gaze. "Why?"

Concern creased the corners of his eyes. "Do you remember using hellfire at all?"

I unleashed hellfire? Geez. That explained the concern. Not in a chastising way, because he also stayed with her because of her head injury. But if she used the forbidden deterrent, he'd have some serious explaining to do.

Maren shook her head again. "I don't. Not really. Did I hurt anyone?" She had no recollection of what happened to the wizards and their team of mages.

Wayne shrugged. "Somewhat, but no one died." He didn't elaborate or say how bad any injuries were.

Maren wanted to care but couldn't. "I'm not at a place where she can give a shit about hurting the wizards who killed Jessie." Her shoulders squared and an ache went through her.

Wayne grunted then gently prodded for answers. "Did you intend to kill them?" Again, his tone lacked any heat or anger—he only needed to ask.

She rolled her good shoulder. "Honest answer? I don't know. I can't be sure one way or the other." Rage and fear fueled her after Jessie went down. "But I can say if I wanted them dead not even you could've stopped me." Her eyes filled again. "So … I guess that's the answer we'll have to live with." Her throat clogged and swallowed another sob.

Wayne cupped her face. "It'll do, because I agree. If you'd wanted them dead, they would be." He shifted his position and settled a little further into the pillows on her bed.

Maren put her head on his shoulder, letting the tears fall and the muffled sobs escape. Wayne whispered soothing words, creating a safe zone to express her grief. She didn't know how long she cried before she drifted off again.

But she appreciated having him with her … because, right there in Wayne's arms, she finally found a moment of solace.

I'm taking a bit of a dive into the grieving process with this story and I'm pretty happy with how it's coming together right now.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Utter Not a Word

Well, we're off to move my daughter into her dorm for her very first semester of college. It's been a crazy whirlwind of a week, trying to get last-minute details nailed down and grabbing all the final items she needs to have with her. Thankfully, I've only got one project that has a deadline and my past self ended up being smart enough to work the move into the due date. Whew.

Not much viewing of television this week. Too many things going on. I did catch another episode of Danger Man, which happened to be another one I hadn't seen yet.

Also got through almost all of Gabriel's Inferno. Like I said, I'm kind of taking my time with this one and thoroughly enjoying it.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers and a new character has been introduced. So far, he's a bit of dick. Not sure if I'll end up really liking him or hating him a bunch. Time will tell.

I'm really looking forward to having a little downtime once we get the college-bound kid settled in. The whole pandemic thing has completely thrown off my usual groove and I'm not quite sure if I'll get it back or if my new normal will take some getting used to.

That's my week in a nutshell. Tonight's post is from Utter Not a Word, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maren Roth is reeling over the loss of her oldest friend after a skirmish with an opposing faction goes horribly wrong. Wayne Edelman, a superior adept with the responsibility of their sect resting in his hands, offers comfort and support in a very unexpected way and Maren realizes the man has become an expert on reading her moods. With a huge battle brewing, she takes solace in the concept that together with Wayne, they might have a fighting chance at winning.

And a preview snippet…

Wayne didn't break his stride, keeping one hand on Maren's elbow, when Linder and Bart approached. "Give me an hour. I'll debrief after I get her settled." He nodded in Maren's direction.

Bart arched a brow. "Kincaid?" The actual question went unsaid.

Wayne shook his head. Linder stumbled a little but recovered quickly. He'd had hopes of pursuing a relationship with Jessie at one time. The timing never worked for either of them.

And with the elder mage ailing, Linder, Bart, and Wayne had taken on and split the leader's responsibilities.

And now they had a colleague's death to contend with. Not to mention Maren, which he needed to handle with care. Her history with Jessie went way back and the loss could have devastating repercussions.

Bart pitched his voice low. "Look, we'll give you as much time and cover as possible, but we've got to have a conversation about the hellfire Maren unleashed back there." He took the lead and opened the door to Maren's suite.

Wayne sent Bart a blistering glare. "Not now. She's barely functioning at the moment." He ushered Maren into the room. "Have you ever known her to be silent for any length of time?" Or act docile under any circumstance?

Frankly, she had Wayne a little scared.

He blocked the door, barring the other two men. "Let me get her checked over for any injuries and get her cleaned up. I'll call you when I know what's going on." He didn't wait for a response, stepping back and closing the door.

Maren swayed where she stood but blinked and finally seemed to focus.

Turning toward him, she met his gaze. "Thank you." She almost wilted, stumbling to one side.

Wayne rushed forward and caught her before she dropped to the floor. "Hey, stay with me here. Let's get you into the shower and checked out. Do you have any injuries?" Leading her to the bathroom, he got the water turned on.

She tugged her shirt free of her pants. "Probably. I hit my head earlier and my ears are still ringing." She paused to remove the garment and drop it on the floor. "I can't think straight. Everything keeps playing over and over in my head." Her eyes welled with tears, but she dashed them away.

Wayne helped her get the rest of her clothes off and into the shower. She winced when the sting of the spray hit her body. Wayne did a quick assessment, clocking the scrapes and bruises marring her skin.

She and Jessie put up one hell of a fight. We should've been there sooner. Linder and Bart would have to be ready to make some solid changes to the patrols. The wizards were ramping up for something and two-person teams wouldn't work anymore.

Once Maren had a towel wrapped around her, Wayne had her sit on the counter. "I'll see to these cuts and scrapes, but I want to check your head. Where did you hit it?"

Maren lowered her chin and pointed to her nape. Wayne gently ran his fingers over the area and winced when he found the good-sized bump, especially when Maren hissed out a breath.

She flinched away. "Still hurts." But her palm went to the location and rubbed over it.

Wayne's lips quirked but he didn't smile. She had him too concerned. No wonder she had trouble staying coherent. The combination of grief, sheer exhaustion, and the bump on her head meant she needed rest. And lots of it.

Maren slumped forward, her head resting on his chest. "So tired. And sore. I hurt everywhere."

Wayne shifted and got an arm under her legs. "Let's get you to bed. Some sleep will help a little." Nothing but time would help ease the pain of losing Jessie.

Maren didn't argue, a rare occurrence. Wayne deposited her on the bed then went to get some painkillers and water. When he returned, Maren had the sheet pulled up over her torso and her damp towel lay in a heap on the floor.

Wayne handed her the caplets. "Take these and I'll grab some ice for that lump on your head." He entered the kitchenette and made a cold pack.

He found Maren already nodding off but got the ice pack behind her head and the blanket pulled up around her. "I'm sorry, Maren. So sorry." Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, something she'd normally never allow.

Dragging a throw from the end of the mattress, he tucked into the recliner to stay close … just in case. If she had a concussion and tried to get up, she could end up doing more damage.

And he didn't want her to be alone. Not yet. They needed to talk about the hellfire she unleashed and discuss why she couldn't do anything so foolhardy again.

Loving the way this one is progressing. I'm excited to see how everything comes together.

That's if for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Utter Not a Word

Hello, September. I'm always caught off guard when the calendar flips over to September 1. It's like, wait, wait, I'm not ready for the insanity to start yet. Sadly, the universe doesn't care and the days keep marching on anyway.

The Last Ship's second week provided entertaining fare. I can't wait to see what happened after the end of last week's episode.

Caught the finale for Dark Matter and truly hope it's not the actual series finale. Way too many questions left up in the air. Fingers crossed someone picks up the series and it continues on some way.

Killjoys is renewed for two more seasons! I'm up to the episode before the finale and I'm so, so happy we'll get more of this terrific cast and show.

Wynonna Earp keeps blowing me away. I only have a few more episodes to watch before the finale. I'll honestly be glad to see the last of the widows.

I'm caught up on Teen Wolf and ready for tonight's episode. More familiar faces are returning and I'm excited to see what happens this week.

That wraps up television for this week. Tonight's post is from Utter Not a Word, a novella that started with the two-word prompt of "move over".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Maren Roth is reeling over the loss of her oldest friend after a skirmish with an opposing faction goes horribly wrong. Wayne Edelman, a superior adept with the responsibility of their sect resting in his hands, offers comfort and support in a very unexpected way and Maren realizes the man has become an expert on reading her moods. With a huge battle brewing, she takes solace in the concept that together with Wayne, they might have a fighting chance at winning.

And a preview snippet…

Maren Roth put her hands out and pushed a blastwave of air toward her opponent. "Jessie, we have to keep moving. There're too many of them." She pressed her back against her best friend's.

The two women circled the area, facing away from each other, flinging everything they had at the trio of wizards and their half dozen mage cohorts. Nine enemies were more than the two women could hold off for long.

Jessie Newell spoke an incantation and conjured two large fireballs. "I'm going to up the heat, be ready for retaliation." She flung the flaming orbs at two of the wizards.

One scored a direct hit and his two mages dropped to his side, pulling him out of the room.

Maren braced for impact. The other two wizards, one male and one female, combined forces and raised their arms above their heads. Maren caught the tail end of the spell—a forceblast—and barely got out of the way, shoving Jessie down when Maren dived sideways.

She got to her knees. "Jessie, stay low. Backup can't be far now." She sent bolts of electrical energy out, zapping two more mages.

They dropped where they stood, but wouldn't stay down long.

Jessie scrambled up from her crouch. "I'll buy some more time." She clapped her hands together, speaking an ancient language, then drew her palms apart, ready to unleash the spell.

Movement caught Maren's attention. The two wizards formed a linked chain with the remaining mages. Not only would they block whatever Jessie threw at them, the charge would amplify and create a feedback loop that would zing back to its caster.

Maren shouted a warning. "Jessie, no! Don't send the—"

Too late. Jessie let the powerful burst fly. The shockwave fanned out, bouncing off the wall of supernatural beings. The force sent them sprawling, breaking the link—but not soon enough to disperse the magnification of the original spell.

Helpless to stop the ricochet effect, Maren shouted, "No!" She couldn't get to Jessie in time to break the forceful wave or absorb part of the energy.

Jessie went airborne, slamming upward into the rafters of the building before banking off the steel gird to crash against the metal interior wall. The door on the far side of the building burst open and off its hinges, admitting the backup team of Wayne Edelman, Bart Simone, and Linder Adams. Maren crawled over to Jessie's prone form. The new arrivals could handle the rogue wizards.

Maren gathered Jessie in her arms. Lifeless eyes met Maren's gaze. Tears prickled and leaked out, trickling down Maren's cheeks.

She smoothed a hand over Jessie's forehead. "Damn you, Jessie. You're not supposed to ever get caught by a rookie maneuver." Anger and rage built over the loss.

Maren carefully placed Jessie back on the floor and rose, singling out the two wizards. She went darkside, raining hellfire down on everyone. She vaguely became aware Wayne countered most of her damaging outpouring and Linder and Bart got the others safely in custody.

Wayne motioned for the team to clear the room. The red haze of fury drained from Maren and white hot grief replaced it. Maren made her way back to Jessie, kneeling down beside her, and let the pain and sadness wash over Maren. Wayne remained close but far enough away to give Maren some privacy.

Saying goodbye to her oldest and best friend—the sister in spirit Maren always wanted—crushed something deep in Maren's soul. She hovered over her friend, whispering the death rites, then singing the keening song of departure. When it came to performing the last act, committing Jessie's body to ash, Maren couldn't speak the incantation.

Wayne put a hand on Maren's shoulder. "Let me." When she nodded, he took over and handled the final phase.

Jessie's form flared into flames, her aura burning a bright purple before slowly extinguishing to black soot. A part of Maren broke when she gazed down at the pile of cinders where her friend used to be. For the first time in a very long while, Maren had no idea what to do. Her next steps always involved Jessie.

Wayne wrapped an arm around her. "We need to leave, Maren. It's time to go."

She didn't want to move, but didn't fight Wayne when he guided her out of the building and into the midnight blue SUV. She couldn't remember the drive back to the estate, but Wayne cut the engine and got out, coming around to open her door.

She slid out, her legs collapsing. A wave of fresh pain hit her hard but, this time, the agony flared around her head, making the world go fuzzy and gray. Wayne caught her and swept an arm under her knees, hauling her close to his chest.

He started for the main doors of the manor. "Come on, Maren. Let's get you inside and back to being whole."

Maren wanted to laugh but feared the sound would have a hysterical edge to it.

Her head pounded and her vision swam. From grief or injury, she couldn't say.

The only thing Maren did know at that moment? Being whole again might not be an option.

This one is a challenge to write but I'm enjoying it.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Utter Not a Word

September 22, 2013

Greetings!

Okay, I have to take a break from mentioning what's going on during my favorite shows to completely toot my horn over making apple butter for the first time and having it turn out totally awesome! Seriously, if it passes the man and kids test, it's pretty much a 'write it down for posterity' kind of deal. LOL

Tonight's post is from Utter Not a Word and it's one of my favorite types of fiction, writing wise. I love to take a word or phrase and set the tone of the whole manuscript with it. In this story, the main characters take something of a journey, growing and stretching until they fit together so well, they have to blend. J

Here's the tagline:

Maren Roth is reeling over the loss of her oldest friend after a skirmish with an opposing faction goes horribly wrong. Wayne Edelman, a superior adept with the responsibility of their sect resting in his hands, offers comfort and support in a very unexpected way and Maren realizes the man has become an expert on reading her moods. With a huge battle brewing, she takes solace in the concept that together with Wayne, they might have a fighting chance at winning.

And the preview snippet…

Maren nudged Wayne with her knee. "Move over."

His eyes blinked open but he didn't argue, scooting to the rear of the berth, letting her crawl in under the covers. She gave him credit. He didn't wrap an arm around her or spoon up against her. And he wanted to, she knew it with certainty. But he'd wait. Bide his time until she relaxed, which might be never, or in five minutes.

She had no clue.

At least she'd sleep. The sound of his breathing would soothe and lull her into slumber. The heat from his body would warm the chill she couldn't quite shake. And the solid, quiet strength of him would prop her up and get her through another night and carry over to the next day. He wouldn't ask how she felt, or if she needed anything, or whether something had gone wrong.

He'd hold back, and let her open up when she could face the situation head on. A new, and frankly odd, experience. Maren didn't know when Wayne got hip to her, when he started to read her moods so damn well she didn't have to speak a word.

But she appreciated it.

Appreciated him.

Someday she'd have to tell him in plain terms.

But not tonight. She craved the comfort and warmth he provided. The safe haven only he seemed able to create.

Reaching out, she found his hand, palm up, and she laced their fingers together. The connection steadied her and soothed her weary heart.

She yawned then sighed, finally letting her mind calm. "Thank you."

Wayne didn't speak. He squeezed her hand then hauled her close, tucking her head under his chin. Maren burrowed close and her eyes drifted shut, the events of the day slowly seeping away under the rhythmic beating of Wayne's heart and his slow, even breathing.

Order from chaos. Courage born of despair. Wayne equaled light at the end of her very dark road and Maren held on, relishing his ability to just be there.

And utter not a word.

I'm not one hundred percent certain how this one is going to work out, but Maren's on the right track. Wouldn't you agree?

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye