Happy Sunday everyone!
I missed last week, regrettably. However, this week we are back with another snippet from Unveiled, the first book in my Raven Daughter series which is available in ebook (FREE!), audio, and paperback. This is the last one from this book.
We’ve skipped forward a bit into the fall out from the last snippet. A hurt and angry Jo feels the words spoken by Caius’s brother were probably more truthful than she wanted them to be and decides it’s best if she takes off alone. After shifting into her raven form, she heads back to the portal that will take her to the Between. Caius disagrees completely with his brother and chases after her.
A blow from the side and slightly above sent me cartwheeling wing over wing into the snow. I shifted as I rolled and came up coated in white and seething mad. How dare he knock me out of the sky! It was hard to storm back to the arch while wading through knee-deep snow, but I managed.
Caius stood in front of it with vivid golden-red markings slowly climbing his neck, his eyes glowing, and a dark storm of fury on his face. His cloak hung open and I could see the markings, overlaying the tattoos that ran down the sides of his body, flaring through his black t-shirt.
Not even a hint of fear coiled through me at the sight him on the verge of losing it to the point of his demon half taking over. My fury matched his and I could feel the reflected markings prickle across my skin as I stalked toward him.
He glowered at me, his face a stony mask of rage. “Do you truly wish to die?”
Was he offering? The thought only whipped my anger into a frenzy. “You should have let me go.”
“Do you have any idea what trying fly through a portal at that speed would have done?” His voice was a low growl.
I didn’t have any idea because I’d never tried it, but that wasn’t the point.
It seemed Caius thought it was the point because he continued, “You might as well have been flying straight into the front of a semi going highway speeds.”
Okay, so trying to fly through the portal like that hadn’t been a good idea. So what? I wasn’t in the mood to discuss the pros and cons of my attempted escape. “Get out of my way.”
“No.” He planted his feet. “You want to get yourself killed because of what Zane said? Then go ahead and try to move me.”
“Zane was right!” I spat, furious that he wouldn’t move and more so over the fact that I didn’t have the strength to make him. “I bring destruction wherever I go and endanger everyone. Let me pass.”
He folded his arms. “No.”
The word bound up my frustration and fury into a white-hot brand and fire exploded around me in a swirling storm. It roiled in an expanding ball of flames. Out of control, it scorched the trees and melted the snow.
It built like a pressure inside me, threatening to overwhelm me. I couldn’t squelch the anger feeding it any more than I could halt the flames. My skin felt too tight. Through the sphere of fire, I saw Caius blur and then he stood inside it with me.
“Let it go.” He shouted over the roar of the flames. “You can’t handle this much yet.” His next words came out as snarl, “Let it go before you kill yourself.”
His order only made the blaze more intense as I glared at him, the pressure inside my head made it hard to keep anything under control. Things I hadn’t meant to say spilled out when I yelled, “Why does it matter? It’s just a broken bond. It’s better for everyone. I don’t matter!”
His hands shot out. Grabbing the sides of my face, he dragged me against his body, his voice rough as he said, “You matter.”
I felt some of the pressure drain off me and into him the second before his mouth crushed down on mine.
I hope you enjoyed this snippet, feel free to leave a comment. Make sure you check out the #SnippetSunday Facebook group so you can read snippets by all the other authors on there. Maybe you will find your next great read, I know I’ve found a few since joining this.
I’m Jo and the death of my mother revealed a whole lot of secrets she was keeping. Like the fact that my sperm-donor father was a freaking angel who couldn’t keep it in his pants and slept with a woman he should never have been with. Or the fact I’m not mortal and would one day be a reaper of souls.
Reaping souls, now there is something I never dreamed I would do, but here I am doing just that. Or at least I was, until souls started becoming Lost. And that’s when things went south.
When I stupidly agreed to help discover what was causing the Lost without reading the fine print first. Now a lot of immortals would like to see me dead because of what I might become. To top it off, I ended up blood bound to a powerful half-demon who is supposed to be a reaper’s sworn enemy. Funny thing is he may be the only one I can trust.
Oh, here I was going along “enjoying” the way you conveyed their discussion … and I did not see that last line coming. Great snippet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awww, I LOVE it. Excellent excerpt and the descriptions were vivid, especially the way her anger grewq way out of her control.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Control was definitely not something she possessed right then.
LikeLike
This is so incredibly visual! Nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad it was able to pull you in 🙂
LikeLike
Fantastic imagery. Anger can take on a life of its own.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike