Saturday, April 28, 2018

Weekend Writing Warriors April 29

Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly blog hop where participants post eight to ten sentences of their writing. You can find out more about it by clicking on the image below.
http://www.wewriwa.com/

Continuing a scene from my first book, Ghosts of Innocence.

Shayla has stolen the identity of a newly-appointed senior public servant, and infiltrated the Palace in disguise. She has previously fallen foul of her new boss, Mabbwendig ap Terlion, Master of the Emperor’s Domestic Household, and is confronting her again in the cavernous staff dining hall.

Mabb has been tormenting a series of unfortunate individuals among the hundreds of people crowding the hall. Shayla rescued one of them from humiliation but in turn is expected to provide entertainment. She performed a knife dance, and the previous snippet ended: As the music climaxed, on the final beat, the knife and the sword flew from Shayla's hands and buried themselves an inch from Mabb's outstretched fingertips.

=====

Mabb flinched but, to her credit, didn't snatch her hands away.

Shayla stood, head bowed once more, breathing hard. The healing wound in her shoulder screamed at her in protest. She swayed, fighting to bring the room back into focus.

A handclap echoed through her mind. Another. And another, slow and rhythmic.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She was being mocked. Her throat tightened.


=====

Uh-oh! Has Shayla miscalculated? Find out next week.

Reminder: Ghosts of Innocence is still on special offer, down from $3.99 to just $0.99 in all major e-book formats.

Master assassin Shayla Carver has killed many times. That's what assassins do, nothing to lose sleep over, but this mission is different.

She's never killed a whole planet before.

In a time when Earth is little more than a legend, life is dangerous for wayward colonies. Everyone fears the Emperor’s power to order a Cleansing, the burning of all traces of civilization from the face of a planet. Shayla's own home world was Cleansed, and now, years later, she's ready to exact payment in kind.

But her meticulous planning didn't prepare her for living undercover amongst some of the two billion people she's about to slaughter. Ordinary people. Not the strutting Imperials readily dismissed as legitimate targets or collateral damage. Then there's the Emperor himself. An ordinary man with troubles and dreams of his own.

Did this man really order the slaughter of innocents?

Can she?

Now she's starting to lose sleep.

19 comments:

Jean Davis said...

Who dares mock Shayla? I'm sure they will pay.

Jessica E. Subject said...

I guess the question is, what did Mabb think of her performance? Nice snippet!

Botanist said...

Jean, that does indeed feel like a career-limiting move :D

Jessica, we'll see next week.

Anonymous said...

Uh, mocking someone who has knives and knows how to use them is not a life-extension strategy.

Rosemary Gemmell said...

That sounds like a fascinating story - I enjoyed this snippet!

Veronica Scott said...

I would have thought it was applause but I guess we'll see in the next snippet! Enjoying the story...

Botanist said...

Ed, you'd think, wouldn't you?

Rosemary, thanks.

Veronica, we'll see ...

Julie said...

Interesting twist there, Ian. I sense there's more to this mockery...perhaps a hint of jealousy.

Teresa Cypher said...

Hmm, Shayla has a long memory. It would do no good to be part of it--for mocking her. :-)

Reading Ashes of Home this week. :-)

Botanist said...

Julie, there is indeed more to this than it seems at first.

Teresa, fantastic! I hope it meets your expectation ... color me nervous!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Ian - hope to see you Wednesday ... but Shayla and Mabb have much lose ... and who will hold their nerve ... will Mabb be able or want to control the audience (her people) ... I'm glad we're finding out in the next instalment. Cheers Hilary

Hywela Lyn said...

OK, enough! I can't stand it any longer I need to know what happens in the rest of this story -so I've downloaded the book! (I've downloaded so many great stories after reading the snippets here. Not sure when I'll manage to read them all, but I will!

Botanist said...

Hilary, it would be great to see you in person, after so long following blogs :)

Hywela, glad I hooked you :) Hope the rest of the story lives up to expectations.

Diane Burton said...

Not a good idea to mock someone with knives. You've got me curious about what will happen next. Good job.

Unknown said...

Uh-oh. I had a feeling Mabb wouldn’t be easily intimidated!

Botanist said...

Diane, curiosity is good :)

Christina, things are not what they appear at first.

Crystal Collier said...

I enjoyed that book. Seriously.

Botanist said...

Crystal, you might be interested to know the sequel is now out ;)

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

I hope running snippets from your book here has stimulated sales for you. I know if I hadn't already read it, I'd be enticed to buy it.

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