Teaser Tuesday

Yay, busy!! So it's crunch time at school and I'm actively querying so...yeah... busy, busy, busy!

Anyways, today's teaser is from somewhere near the end of the Aion. Lorelei needs to find out some information about the computer chips involved in the case and has to speak to the Lycanthrope avatar (high ruler), December. Enjoy!

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December lazily relaxed in the chair, back propped against one arm, leg over the other. I looked at her and thought, she doesn’t look so scary. At worst she could just be some bratty teenager.

She had a green eyed, blond haired bodyguard, I guessed, sitting on the floor beside her chair who kept his gaze on Virginia. I wanted to ask what his problem was. If anything, he was making her more uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat. “Excuse me. If I could ask my questions, I could be on my way.”

December looked at me like I was little more than an annoying mosquito, as she said, “Not yet. I’ve not finished my level.”

“But if I ask my questions, you don't have to worry about stopping your game for us.”

“I oughtn’t speak to you, human. Virginia, what do you say?”

Virginia began to visibly shake and she tensed every muscle trying to hide it. Her voice quavered as she said, “I think you should answer Slayer Spellcraft’s questions.”

December looked at her for a long while. I let my gaze slip from her to the man beside, finding that his eyes had gone wide. My skin started to tingle, like when my foot falls asleep, before December threw herself from the chair.

Virginia cried out and I didn't see that the game system ricocheted off of to hit wall only to land on the ground with a breaking shatter. Virginia’s hand covered her eye as the scent of blood filled the room. I hadn’t even seen December throw her toy, it had been so quick.

“You dare talk to me like that,” December’s voice was even, almost conversational.

“I…I’m sorry,” Virginia stammered.

December’s eyes shifted to a light gray, to gold and back to turquoise before her hand struck out into Virginia’s hair like a cobra for a rat. Virginia tried to keep her whimpers quiet as December twisted her fingers into the other girl’s hair, pulling her up only to throw her to the ground.

“You’re fucking right you’re sorry,” December’s tone could have been used to ask what Virginia wanted for dinner.

The tingling became more, like my body wanted to flip itself inside out. My breath started coming in quick pants because if I didn’t, I would really tear myself apart. I looked up at December who still had a hold on the other girl. I looked past them to the man. He seemed so conflicted, emotions raging on his face as he stayed stuck to his spot.

The door behind us threw open and another man ran past me, grabbing hold of December’s arms trying to pull her off.

“Scott,” the new man shouted, “get over here and help me.”

The first man, Scott, squared his shoulders and ran over, hand prying December’s fingers out of Virginia’s hair. It was only then that December started screaming at them. The tingling rush became a painful torrent.

Scott’s voice was strained as he said, “We need Kyle.”

December shrieked as she tried to twist out of their grasp, “You don’t need that fucking monster! I’ll kill you all before he gets here. Just you fucking see!”

There was a commotion behind me but I didn’t dare look away from the savagery. I didn’t think I could. Pain had rendered me immobile. Penelope had told me about a psychic onslaught. Now I knew what she was talking about.

The men shouted, Virginia cried, December screamed, but under that was the sound of calm footsteps against the hardwood floor. It was like cool water was flowing against my back, chasing the pain away. In my peripheral vision, I saw simple white pants and matching shirt. His hair was a flaming orange that had a quality that made me want to say it was natural. Something told me this was Kyle. As he walked closer to the scene, the calm took more and more of the pain. It was back to tingling and I could breath again. I instantly liked this Kyle.

He knelt like some old knight. “December. Stop. You need to stop.”

She stopped fighting the men who were able to get her away from Virginia. She gave him unfriendly eyes and stood over him.

“You don’t tell me what to do, little monster.”

As I looked at Kyle, I realized that he was my brother's age, maybe a year older. How could he have access to so much power at such an age? The sudden want to know was like wax on my tongue, daring me to spit the question out.

Kyle continued in a manor that was years ahead of his age, “They just want to ask you questions about a murder investigation. You can put aside your grudge for that.”

She kicked him. “You fucked her too, didn’t you? You fucked that slut.”

December pointed to Virginia. I felt like I was missing something. No,no, I felt like I'd missed a lot of somethings. I’d always heard that the vampires will prate everything to death, but I didn’t know the lycanthropes could be the same way. Though, I guess when you’re dealing with family, things can always get complicatedly messy.

Kyle seemed to take it in stride. “Virginia and the slayer are just trying to do their job.”

December moved to kick him again, my Scott stepped between them. She looked up into his face, hers ugly with anger. Scott's hands found her face and I expected December to spit at him or lash out, but she stayed passively irate. He spoke to her in low tones. The cadence soothing, even to me.

“With whom do you need to speak?” She asked still looking at Scott.

“Tamsin Miller,” I replied.

“Tammy?” The man who'd held December, along with Scott, asked.

I looked at him. “Yes, please.”

“Henry is not in charge here,” December finally graced me with her cold stare.

“My apologizes. He asked a question and I answered. No disrespect meant.”

She sighed, pushing away from Scott to go back to her chair. She placed herself on it like the goddess personified her title suggested. “You wish to speak with Tamsin Miller, you may. Henry will take you to her. Oh, Henry, don't forget to put Kyle back.”

I understood a little better why everyone feared the Avatar December Lamar. She had a serious temper problem and I got the feeling she was only told no in extreme situations. Of course, I had been warned that she would be in a bad mood.

Virginia half bowed, half cowered before her and I followed, bowing as well. There was shuffling before someone walked past us. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Henry kneeling, looking at me. He used the arm on my shoulder to held me stand. As I got up, Virginia did too. I watched her move in controlled movements, with trepidation.

To say I owed her big for being my chaperon had just become a major understatement. I needed to get her something nice for this. Did Hallmark make “thanks for taking me to your terrifying supreme ruler” cards?

The three of us started for the door when December called to us in an almost child-like tone, “Oh, wait. Virginia. Can I speak with you? In Private?”

NaNo suspended

Okay, so for the time being, I'm suspending my NaNoWriMo project because I need to a-focus on some unexpected school work and b-I got a partial request so I need to make sure I have everything in order to send it off. So, at, 14,000 words, I'm shelving the book.

New Addiction?

So, NaNoWriMo is upon us (Those of you participating, what are you doing reading?!) and I seem to never be without my Altoids. I know, weird, right? No, not really. The weird part is that I've been going through a tin--yes, an actual tin--a day. I worried about it... and the calories for about half an hour then figured, well, we all deal with stress differently. While I'm stressing over NaNoWriMo and trying to send out queries, I guess I can keep my Altoids fixation. Not as bad as other things I could be doing, like crack.

Odd new TT

So this is form the idea I had last week. I wrote on it and will probably leave it alone for about a year to finish the two books ahead.

Anyway, set up. Lorelei's power is gone and she doesn't know why. Hitoshi is in Japan on vacation. Satan has been the victim of a crime and comes to Lorelei for help, even though she isn't at top shape. The scene is Satan proving who she is (Satan isn't a bad guy in this book BTW):

Suddenly, I wasn't in the interrogation room anymore, but standing on the edge of a deep cliff. The chasm stretched a mile wide. Flickering lights moved on the other side. The Devil stood beside me, still gripping my wrist. The wind whipped around us in dangerous gales.

“What the hell are you doing?” I Shouted over the noise.

“My job. There is something in your path.” She called back. “Something I didn't place in front of you.”

“Are we in Hell?”

“There's no such place.”

I looked up finding the sky and unreal dark blue. Not night, but close. And extra strong burst of wind nearly toppled me over the cliff's edge and it was my turn to grip her hand like a terrified child.

“I'm afraid of heights,” I called to her.

“I know. Don't fear, that is not why we have come. I won't be letting you go.”

I really didn't think I could believe her on this one but my other options didn't look great.

“Why are we here then?”

“You have an obstacle that is blocking you from being able to use your gifts.”

I looked at the other side again. The wind was gentler, blowing through to leaves a tree that had just appeared. People were on the other side too, I realized. Four of them. A man and three women, if hair length was anything to go on. All had black hair.

Ropes tethered themselves to large rocks on our end and whipped across to a pair of small Maple trees. From there, another pair of ropes appeared below with planks of wood spanning between them.

“This is what you must overcome,” The Devil whispered in my ear. “cross the bridge and reclaim your power.”

“You said—”

“I am not going anywhere. If you wish, I can hold your hand the entire way across.”

“But my fear of heights.” My breath had quickened. The ground seemed to be shrinking away from me. “Will you cross behind me?”

She nodded. “I can.”

Slowly I let her go, noticing that my skin was sticky with sweat. I went to the bridge gripping the ropes but my legs wouldn't let me cross. Fear paralyzed me. All I could do was look out at the other side. I just had to cross the bridge. It seemed simple enough.

The board shifted under my foot and I went to my hands and knees. The wind gusted my hair back and my cheeks stung from the cold.

My voice came high, nearly hysterical, panicked, “I—I can't do this. I don't know what you want from me!”

“You know what I need from you,” She said from just above my ear, though I didn't feel any warmth at my back.

“I don't! Stop this?”

“Only you can stop it. Overcome. Get to the other side.”

One shaking hand after the other, I made my way slowly across the bridge. Fear made my legs tingle and I had to look back to see they where still moving. The Devil followed, walking behind me at a sedated pace.

“Just tell me what you want from me! Please! None of that 'you already know' bullshit. Tell me and I'll do it.”

She motioned with her head, “Look forward.”

I did. We'd gone more than half way across, how did that happen? I could see the people clearly now. They were Japanese. The three ladies seemed to be flirting with the man. He loved it, too, from his cocky grin. Was it odd for women to be so flirty with a man who'd gotten his eyebrows pierced?

“Oh, my God,” I whispered.

An unknown anger surfaced, giving me new energy. I continued forward, on much steadier hands and knees. The boards shifted as I crossed but I somehow pushed the fear away, needing to get to the cliff.

My foot dragged and three boards came loose, falling into the crevice below. I followed. My hands grasped at anything I could. I screamed as more boards fell. I found the rope but only long enough to get a burn.

A hand found mine it was cold and delicate. The Devil's. She's rescued me from falling. But, also, she was the reason I fell to begin with. She didn't pull me up either, which bothered me to no end and mix a new dimension into the panic. I closed my eyes against the fear.

“I was reckless!” I shouted out loud. “I should have had a better strategy.”

The hand began to get warmer.

“The Fucking Devil had to help me,” I started to cry, “Hitoshi should have been there. That bastard. Hitoshi you hear me? You're a bastard! You douche bag, rat bastard!”

The hand the held me was hot and much larger now. I opened my eyes to see us in the interrogation room. The Devil still sat at the table but I was at the two way mirror with my hand inside of it. Hitoshi sat on the other end gripping my hand.

He looked happily surprised. “Did you miss me?”

Teaser Tuesday

I've been so busy that I keep forgetting these ^^;;. Anyway, here's mine it's been given a few basic edits but I imagine is still pretty raw:

To set up the main character Eddie is a girl pretending to be a boy and seems to do a pretty good job of it. She save the very amorous Lady Jeanna (Pronounced G'anna and I might change the spelling) who insisted that she and her 10 year old temporary traveling companion Charles stay the night. this picks up right after she's had a bath and Charles burst in somewhere in the middle ( he didn't see anything though)

A fresh pair of breeches had been laid out on the bed along with a clean linen shirt, both white. My heart sank at the thought that I would have to give them back in the morning. My clothes would no doubt me dry by then. Maids had some power for cleaning and drying clothes in a single night that the likes of I, a commoner nor the aristocracy who employed them knew about. If word got out, it would no doubt be banned.

I pulled the breeches on, then padded my pudendum. The reason was two fold. One, so I could catch the blood from my courses. Two, so I could give myself a male intruder. It was easier to pretend to be a boy if I looked the part. I’ve never seen a grown-sized one. In fact the only one I’d ever seen was Charles’. But I could make my clothed male-pudendum look like the clothed ones I’d seen.

The linen shirt was big enough that I could put it on and not worry about my chest bindings. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. All cleaned up, I looked more like a girl than before. The stockings helped give me the illusion of being a man and my hair, kept short, certainly helped. But it needed to be trimmed. I brushed my fingers through it noticing that parts were longer than others.

I went to my satchel, taking from it my hunting knife and a flat stone. There was a balcony attached to my borrowed bedchamber. Looked like the perfect place for a quick haircut.

The September night air hit my nose in a biting cold. I shivered as I slid the stone into my hair. The knife came next. I marked with my fingers where the blade would go. Then, careful to avoid my skin, I cut into my wet strands. The blade hit rock and it was time to move to the next one.

“Why do you smell of blood?” A young man’s voice said from behind me.

I swore when the knife nicked the side of my index and turned, expecting to see someone on another balcony. But he was with me, standing against the wooden railing. I couldn’t make the man out in the dark except that he was young, maybe only a few years older than me, and pale. He wore the clothes of a nobleman, but if they were blue or purple, I couldn't make out in the small light.

He asked again, “You smell of blood but are not wounded. Why?”

“I do not know what you mean,” I said, swallowing my pulse.

I went back to cutting my hair, hoping the man would leave.

“You smelled of blood yesterday when I saw you protect the boy. You smelled of blood, yet were not injured.”

“I am through, see?” I held my barely bleeding hand up for him.

He stepped closer taking my finger into his cold grip. My breathing quickened and I tried to gently pull away. He wouldn't let me go until his thumb slid across the cut to come away with blood. Pressing against the wound brought a pained sound from me.

“Who are you?” I lowered the stone, gripping the hunting knife tighter.

“I am Warrick.”

“A vamp—”

His hand went to my mouth quicker than I saw and I watched as he regarded the thumb that was still red with my blood before sliding it over his tongue.

“Do not say such things so loud,” His voice was hushed.

I narrowed my eyes at him, wanting to tell him to go to Gehenna where his kind spawned from.

“You are strong, aren't you?” He took his hand from my mouth continuing, “I have come to you for a favor.”

“Absolutely not. Satan take you, I do not consort with demons.”

“I am not a demon,” his tone suggested he was amused, “I supposed you could consider it less of a favor and more quid pro quo.”

“No,” I said, turning to go back inside. Maybe Lady Jeanna would cut my hair if I asked her. Though she might try to kiss me again.

“All I ask is for protection during the day in exchange for protection during the night.”

“I very truly do not think so.”

My hand went for the door but found his arm. I jumped back. How had he moved so quickly?

“Perhaps an incentive?” He said putting a hand to his chin, “You provide me day time protection and I shan't tell the good people in King Wilhelm's kingdom that you are a woman.”

My face went cold and the knife fell from my hand only to be caught by Warrick. He regarded the blade then, in a show of utter humanity, clicked his tongue.

“Your blade is nicked. You do not take very good care of your knives, do you?”

“That is of no concern to you.” I huffed, surprised my voice worked.

“Shall I have your answer?”

If he told, my reputation would be gone and I'd be labeled a harlot or worse, a witch. Because of the new king, only witches and cursed ones travels anymore traveled anymore.

The vampire waited for my answer and even as I contemplated pointing him to Gehenna, my mouth said, “Would the day after tomorrow be alright for you to start?”

“Perhaps tomorrow evening, I could sit watch over you.”

I shook my head. “I am not a fool. You will kill me if I allow that.”

Warrick expertly flipped the knife in his hand, holding the hilt to me. I cautiously took hold of it and he used that connection to pull me closer. I wasn't sure where the bland went but in that moment I couldn't look away from his light eyes intensity making then glow blue.

“I will tell you this but once. You will be safe with me because while you only slumber, my body will actually die. Under the tyranny of King Wilhelm my kind is becoming extinct and the situation dire otherwise I would not be asking a woman for help.”

My voice came mocking, “Things were better when King Arthur still lived, correct?”

He released me and my hand went to the wall to keep from falling into it. “You were but a child, I would not expect you to understand.”

Everything in me said not to trust him, but considering the options he left me, I could only take hold of his forearm, as his did mine, and shake on our accord. This was sure be the worst decision I would ever make.

Who pushes you to succeed?

Over on the murderati they were talking about parents/friends/rain-on-my-paraders who will try to talk you out of a job as a writer. I (of course) had to add my two cents on the matter because I've only been met with love and support when it comes to my choice to be a writer. But then, it's had to argue with a woman who has written 4 books. I know that there are people who will try to convince those of us who want to have a career in the arts, I don't want to know about that. I want ton know, who pushes you to succeed? Who gets you tea for those late night writes, who lets you pace their living room while trying to talk through a difficult scene?

Here's mine:
My mom actually went against what people told her many times (Becoming a teacher, raising a child on her own) so when I looked at her at the age of 9 and said, "I want to be a writer" she hugged me, replying, "what do you need me to do to help?" I'm very grateful to her for that.

What's yours?

Fucking new computer!!!!!

The damned thing sits in a little bit of ice cream for a few minutes and it up and dies!!!!

It was one of those little ice cream things and I don't actually know how long it was sitting in it. Everything I tried to clean it up seems to have failed because even though it turned on after I cleaned it, a few hours later and it wouldn't work anymore. I didn't even have a chance to save everything I wanted to :(.