Category: Previews and Excerpts

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Quiet Whisper – Excerpt (Chapter 36)

‘I have witnessed the death of quite a few hosts. That includes the man who thought setting a Hellhound on fire was a good way to kill it,’ Cadeyrn continued. ‘Do you really want to go over in history as another who got herself killed by her own stupidity?’

Selissa frowned slightly. “Just to clarify, would running headfirst into a curse be better or worse than getting eaten by a pissed-off, flaming Hellhound?”

‘I would call it a tie. So just consider how immensely foolish I find this plan of yours.’

 

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Excerpt from Ghostly Scream

“It was actually a rather disappointing sight. There were no sacrificial altars, no demonic symbols drawn on the floor, no cloaked acolytes chanting ancient spells. The room was bare, except for the torches, and Selissa wondered if she had finally found a villain without a sense for the dramatic. She was going to miss the monologues, though, seeing as those always cleared up a lot of confusion.” 

 

From my current draft. I was supposed to write a deeply dramatic scene, but I think my main character is getting a little fed up with these showdowns… 

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Excerpt – Quiet Whisper

Excerpt from Quiet Whisper chapter 19, which will be out around September.  

—

Two guards walked out the gate. Behind them the prisoner followed in chains.

Selissa drew in a breath when her eyes fell on the leader of the Rebellion for the first time. Her first thought was that Lord Taelan in no way looked like someone walking to his death.

A huge steel collar was clamped around his neck, allowing long chains to be fastened to it and letting the guards drag him along like a dog on a leash. His hands were chained as well and he was wearing nothing but a pair of torn trousers. Even underneath the dirt that caked his body, Selissa could see the angry red gashes from a whip covering his naked torso, some of them still bleeding.

Yet even chained and beaten, the Rebellion’s leader walked with an air of confidence, holding his head high as he was paraded in front of the Ver’dohnian masses. With his tall frame he towered over his captors and in the bright sunlight, he looked almost regal.

He’s not a criminal being executed in disgrace, Selissa thought, mesmerized by the quiet strength the man radiated. He’s a martyr dying for his cause.

She was not the only one affected by the prisoner’s lack of resignation. As he had been brought onto the grounds, the crowd had erupted in cheers. Now those cheers were fading, giving way to an uneasy murmur as people threw glances at each other, unnerved by display in front of them.

Captivated by the sight, Selissa had nearly forgotten why she was there before Bane got up from his seat and disappeared into the crowd. Remembering her part, she crept closer to the edge of the platform, watching as the guards led Taelan onto the scaffold.

Two men were waiting for them at the top. One were the executioner, a large halberd resting against his shoulder. Even at a distance, Selissa could see the light flash in the sharpened blade.

They pushed Taelan in front of the chopping block, chains rattling as the guards stepped back to allow the crowd a clear view of the prisoner. The cheering started again, angrier this time, demanding blood to pay for the arrogance of the man still standing tall even though his time was running out.

The man next to the executioner stepped forward, a piece of parchment in his hands. He was wearing a military uniform similar to that of the guardsmen, but with far more adornment than any soldier Selissa had seen. Though not as tall as the rebel in front of him, his presence still demanded respect and Selissa had a feeling she should know who he was, seeing as the crowd immediately quieted when he moved closer to the prisoner.

He folded out the parchment and started speaking in a clear, but toneless voice that somehow carried his words clearly to the audience above him. “Taelan, former thayn of Ashfall, you stand accused of high treason and crimes against the country you once swore to serve. What do you have to say to these charges?”

“All I did, I did in servitude to Ver’dohna.” His reply was strong and unwavering, and as he spoke he raised his chin and turned his head to the audience platform where Selissa was standing.

Sucking in a breath, Selissa took in the sight of the black tattoo on his cheek, wondering how she hadn’t seen it before. Even the layer of dirt on his face couldn’t conceal the swirly black lines against his pale skin as the merciless sunlight hit the exposed Mark and Selissa suddenly realized why they had needed a sorcerer.

His words had caused an uproar among the crowd. All around her, people were shouting and rising from their seat, more eager than ever to see his head roll. Taelan remained unaffected, not even resisting as one of the guards removed the steel collar around his neck and forced him to kneel in front of the chopping block. Selissa fought to keep her breathing calm as the executioner stepped forward, halberd grabbed in both hands. The crowd didn’t share her panic, the cheering nearly exploding in volume as the guard made Taelan rest his head on the block.

That was then the screaming started.

The spectators fell silent in confusion, looking around to find the source, before screams and yells of dying soldiers started sounding from all around them. Selissa stood patiently, waiting for her signal.

It came in the form of a crossbow bolt burrowing itself into the executioner’s heart.

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Quiet Whisper – Chapter 1

Don’t worry, I haven’t completely forgotten about the next book in the Angel’s Voice series. I have been a little preoccupied with finishing Demon’s Dance, but I have started on Quiet Whisper and here’s the proof. 

I’m not entirely happy with the first chapter and it might be rewritten many, many times, but enjoy this first draft! 

—

Quiet Whisper – Chapter 1

She really should be wondering what he was doing there. She hadn’t seen him for months, but somehow he managed to show up in the exact same town she was currently staying in.
He was watching her intently from the other side of the street. He was sitting atop of a brick wall, elbows rested against his knees and his chin placed in his palm. Selissa could feel his eyes boring into her, and she pointedly ignored him.
A map was laid out in her lap and she tried to focus all her attention on it, in the vain hope that he would go away if she pretended not to see him. It quickly turned out to be a lost cause.
With a frustrated sigh, she folded the map and crammed it into her duffel bag. Gritting her teeth, she carefully kept her eyes lowered so he wouldn’t get the satisfaction of seeing her seething.
“I just finished another job…” She said loud enough to be heard on the other side of the street. “Is a bit of peace and quiet really too much to ask for?”
She heard the sound of boots hitting the ground and she lifted her eyes to glare at the man who insisted on making her life a waking nightmare.
“Peace and quiet would drive you insane.” Ardeth said as he approached her, voice deep and familiar. “If that was what you wanted, you would have gone back to the temple a long time ago.”
He really was infuriating when he was right. Selissa huffed and glared at the assassin, even though she knew she had lost the argument before it began.
As he had closed the distance between them, she was now able to get a good look at him. He had not changed the least bit since she had last run into to him in some shady tavern far out in the country, but somehow he always managed to look different to her every time she saw him.
She decided it had to be the strangely tasteful clothes he was dressed in. He was wearing a dark gray traveling cloak over a dark green vest and faded black trousers. They showed no trace of rips or other signs of battle, which in itself was very odd. His long, black hair was tied back in a low ponytail with a green ribbon that matched the vest.
To top it all off, the left side of his face was covered with black leather mask. Selissa knew all too well what lay beneath the mask, but Ardeth rarely bothered to cover up the mark tattooed on his left cheek. Something was definitely off.
She decided to completely disregard his previous comment as she looked at him critically.
“Should I be disturbed by how… decent you look?” She asked hesitantly.
Ardeth grinned, the predatory glint in his eyes standing in sharp contrast to his appearance. “You’re not the only one who just got off duty.”
Selissa lifted an eyebrow. As far as she knew, Ardeth’s ‘duty’ involved slashing some poor bastard’s throat and then delivering the body on a silver platter. Hardly stuff you needed to dress up for.
“Some people prefer to take a less direct approach…” He explained when he saw her skeptical look. “Though personally, I never understood the point of blackmail when you can rid yourself of the problem a far easier way.”
She suddenly realized what he meant. “Never took you for a spy… You don’t strike me as someone good at blending in.”
“That’s because I never bothered trying.” He said simply.
There wasn’t really any arguing with that. Ardeth had never cared what anyone else thought and he wasn’t about to start now. That he even accepted a job that involved a fair deal of deception was a surprise. Selissa cringed at the picture of Ardeth acting civil to fool some unknowing victim into trusting him. It just didn’t sit right with her.
“And it’s a complete coincidence that our paths just happened to cross?” She asked lightly.
“Complete coincidence.” Ardeth agreed casually. For some reason, Selissa wasn’t convinced.
“I’m not going to get dragged into some crazy scheme, am I?” She asked exasparated. Things tended to go downhill every time she ran into the assassin.
“Not because of me…” He said, but he was looking at something behind her. Leaning forward, he spoke softly into her ear. “But maybe because of the red-head who’s been watching you for some time now.”
Selissa swung around to follow his eyes, but she saw nothing besides the various merchants and people in the street. “What are you talking about?”
“A girl…” Ardeth said as his eyes returned to her. “She’s been watching you ever since you came to talk to me. She disappeared the moment you turned around.”
Selissa kept looking uncertainly over her shoulder, but whoever Ardeth had seen was long gone now. She had not noticed anyone watching her, but she didn’t doubt him for a second. The only problem was that she had no idea why anyone would be watching her.
She shook her head, refusing to let herself become paranoid just because someone had been staring at her. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“It’s probably nothing…” She said, more to herself than to Ardeth.

ℓ

She hadn’t really had high hopes that Ardeth would leave her to herself, but Selissa still found herself getting annoyed when he followed her like a loyal, albeit very dangerous, dog when she prepared to leave the town.
“Do you really not have anything better to do?” She asked as he stalked a few feet behind her as she made her way towards the gates. The town they were staying in was located in the far east of the ‘Bla’ province, not far from the border between Sinaria and Ver’dohna, and the presence of military was prominent. It was mostly populated by war refugees, and Selissa was highly aware of how they stuck out in the crowd. She could feel eyes lingering on them as they passed one of the town guards.
“Not really, no.” Ardeth said calmly. He didn’t seem all that bothered by the suspicious looks sent his way.
“Following me won’t be much fun.” Selissa said, even though she knew he wouldn’t listen to her. “I’m not even sure where I’m going.”
“Let’s find out, then.” He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Selissa stopped abruptly. She placed her duffel bag and her sword sheaths on the ground and turned to look at the assassin with her arms crossed over her chest.
“No…” She said slowly, as if she was talking to a child. “I’ll find out where I’m going next. Alone.”
Ardeth smiled and bent down to look her in the eyes. “How are you going to stop me?”
Before she could reply, he leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “And just so you know, that girl is still watching you.”
Startled, Selissa looked over his shoulder and saw a flash of red disappear around a corner. For a moment, she considered shouting out to the person, but she could still feel the eyes of the town guards linger on her and it was better not to draw any more attention to herself.
“How did you even notice her?” Selissa asked as Ardeth drew back from her. As far as she knew, he would have had his back turned at all times and couldn’t possibly have seen the girl by accident.
“If I didn’t notice such things, I would have been dead long ago.” He said casually.
He had a point. Not to mention that if he didn’t notice, she would be long gone as well. Selissa didn’t even remember how many times he had saved her when she was about to be stabbed in the back.
Selissa took one last look at where the girl had disappeared, weighting her options. She didn’t know if the girl was a threat, but even if she was, Selissa doubted she was in any danger as long as Ardeth followed her like a shadow. And she wasn’t eager to stay in the town any longer than she had to. Not while wary eyes still followed every step she took.
“I’m leaving.” Selissa said to Ardeth, before turning on her heels and continuing towards the gates. “Do as you like.”
She knew he would follow, and she wasn’t disappointed. He would have been a poor shadow if he had let her get away.
“You’re not going to anything about it?” He asked.
Selissa shook her head, but kept walking. “I’m not going to go look for trouble. Not today. If anyone wants something from me, they can come and say it to my face.”
“Then I guess I will do that.” The voice calling out to her made Selissa stop dead in her tracks, and she slowly turned around.
A young girl walked towards her, only sparing Ardeth a wary glance as she passed him. She had to be around fifteen, the faint traces of childhood just barely visible in her face, and Selissa couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something familiar about her.
Her red hair danced around her face as she came to a stop before Selissa. A strained smile graced the younger girl’s lips as green eyes met silver.
“It’s been a long time.” She said.
Selissa stood unmoving, still convinced that she had met the girl before, but unable to recall where. Slowly, the girl led a hand to her hair and swept a flaming red lock behind her ear, revealing her left cheek and along with that, an all too familiar tattoo. A tattoo nearly identical to the one carried by the assassin by Selissa’s side. Finally, the pieces fell into place, and Selissa remembered exactly who the girl in front of her was.
“Nadia?”

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Demon’s Dance – Excerpt

I’m currently working on a new short story in the Angel’s Voice series(I know, I know, I should be working on Quiet Whisper!), and I thought I would post an excerpt from the draft. Enjoy! 

—

She had not heard a word about the woman’s suicide since the day it happened. It was like everyone was pretending nothing was wrong, going on with their lives without giving into the fear that could be seen in their eyes.
But nothing had happened in the last few days. If it had, the guards had somehow managed to hide it from the public, because everything seemed peaceful on the surface. But Selissa wasn’t blind.
She didn’t know how she hadn’t noticed the choking tension in the city. It was everywhere, like a thick blanket wrapping itself around every building and every living being within the walls. And no normal murderer would bring such unvoiced fear with him.
Selissa knew the cause of it. Even though she couldn’t sense it, the influence of dark magic could be seen everywhere once you noticed the signs. The townspeople didn’t know why they were afraid. Maybe they weren’t even aware of the terror that Selissa could see in their every move. That was why no one was saying anything. It wasn’t the bodies turning up in the streets, but the demon magic seeping into their subconciousness that made their eyes flicker nervously without their knowledge.
“How can one demon do this?” Selissa asked quietly one evening as she sat watching the rain from her windowsill.
Ardeth was lying on her bed, idly staring at the ceiling and for once letting her dwell on her thoughts. His mask was thrown on the nightstand beside him, exposing the demonic mark on his cheek. He looked up at her question.
“No one ever said she was alone about it.” He said casually. Selissa stiffened and turned to look at him with horror creeping onto her face, but he waved her off.
“Calm down.” He said and let his head fall back onto the bed. “Nothing points towards anyone else being involved.”
Ardeth dismissed the possibility that the town could be crawling with demons with the same careless ease he treated nearly everything else with, but Selissa still felt unnerved by the thought. It hadn’t even occured to her that the demoness they had seen in the street might not be the only one responsible for what was happening.
Ardeth must have sensed her unease, because his eyes returned to her tense form when she remained quiet.
“The more powerful demons rarely work together unless they gain something from it.” He said. “If she’s powerful enough to take a human form, she’s probably capable of casting the curses on her own.”
It wasn’t really the curses Selissa was worried about. She didn’t doubt the demoness’ ability to make people kill themselves, but to shroud a whole city in the haze of magic was a demonstration of pure power.
‘Come…’ Selissa started, surprised by the sound of the voice. She looked at Ardeth who raised an eyebrow at her startled expression.
“Did you hear that?” She asked.
“Hear what?” He sat up in the bed to watch her as she turned to look out the window.
“That voice…” Selissa said slowly. Maybe she had imagined it? “You didn’t hear it?”
“No…” Ardeth said dryly. “Aren’t you used to hearing voices?”
She knew what he was refering to, but she was only used to hearing one voice.
‘Come to me…’ It was barely a whisper.
“It isn’t him…” Selissa said, dread slowly coiling itself around her chest. This was not right.
‘Come out, come out…’ The voice whispered and Selissa stood up with a start. Without even sparing Ardeth a look, she crossed the room in two long steps and grabbed her sword sheaths from beside the bed. Dashing out the door, she was vaguely aware of the assassin calling out to her, but she didn’t care. She knew who the voice belonged to.