Emma Petersen's Blog, page 2

Snippet Saturday: The Male Protagonist

Morning Loverlies,

Yes, it's that time again! Snippet Saturday! Which is hosted by the absolutely and totally kick sass Lauren Dane. (Thanks Lauren! You rock. Seriously, she does!) Today's theme is the "The Male Protagonist ".

The Male Protags come in more flavors than ice cream and there's one for everyone. I personally love alphas. Good, evil, in between, I absolutely adore and alpha. And while I love my alphas equally, Lord Ignius Sebastian holds a special place in my heart. He's one patient man. Imagine holding a grudge for centuries and plotting your perfect revenge. That's what Ignius did in Reign of Pleasure. So allow me to introduce Lord Ignius Sebastian who is also known as Lord Death….

Reign of Please, which is available now and can be found at Elloracave.com. Click on Snippet Saturday and Reign of Pleasure next to FILED UNDER and you'll find many more delicious excerpts! Enjoy! And make sure to stop by and visit the other Saturday Snippet Authors.

Lord Ignius Sebastian? The name sounded familiar…

I turned to face Consilium Claris again, who looked at me expectantly. As if I

should know the man who brought the charges against me.

I shrugged. I didn't but I'd find out soon enough.

Consilium Claris shook his head in pity. I didn't know. "Guards, please show Lord Sebastian in."

The crowd in the assembly chamber, which had been relatively silent throughout the proceedings, murmured again among themselves. Most of what they said was too low for me to catch.

Just as someone whispered the words, "Death comes," a shadow fell over the entrance to the council and it was then I remembered where I had heard the name Lord Sebastian. And I remembered his attempt to court me before I married Soren.

Lord Sebastian had taken it as a personal insult that I had chosen a human over him, but that had been no concern of mine. I had loved my husband and that was why I had married him. But even if I hadn't, if the choice had been between him and Lord Sebastian, who probably made the very hounds of hell nervous, I would have chosen Soren.

Lord Ignius Sebastian had been huge and intimidating then. Nothing had changed about him. Panic, fear and that peculiar heat suffused my body as I watched him duck his head in order to pass through the doorway into the room. He was dressed in all black and wore leather pants that molded over his long legs and thighs.

He didn't bother pretending to be a gentleman in formal court wear but dressed as the warrior he was. A bone and steel breastplate covered his massive chest while leaving his shoulders and neck bare. Were they human bones? Nausea made my stomach bubble. Even if some of the inhabitants of Ether didn't care for lesser beings, it was still barbaric to use them as accessories.

No wonder he had to duck to get through the room. A fire-scorched metal helmet covered his head. Two thick ebony horns twisted up the sides and ended on knife-sharp tips, adding a foot to his already impossible height.

Wind seemed to follow him—or maybe it was the tangible fear of the room's occupants that stirred his hair. Blue-black, it fell in a wave down his back to his waist.

Those gathered nearest the door sidled away from him like stirred-up prey. He didn't acknowledge them, just walked farther into the room, his gaze never leaving mine. I reminded myself I was his queen now, not the girl he had once intimidated, but the look in his eyes told me who he was and what he was capable of.

He removed his helmet and tucked it under one massive arm. I used the movement as an excuse to end our staring contest and drop my gaze. I scoffed silently. In order for something to be a contest, didn't there have to be two contestants?

"Lord Death," some brave soul dared to whisper. He had come by the name honestly. He'd been to hell and back, literally, escorting the spirits of the most dangerous supernaturals and other lesser beings to the gates of Abyssus. He was the only one of our world who had seen hell and not only lived to speak of it but—if the rumors were true—moonlighted as one of Hades' highest-ranking commanders and had a vacation home there.

He had once been my father's general and a warrior without peer. Campaigns had been won just by him doing nothing more than showing up on the battlefield but he had "retired" when his suit for my hand was rejected.

I had mistaken his quiet acceptance of my rejection. Had he waited this long for revenge?

Spots appeared before my eyes, blurring my vision. Heat rolled through the room in waves, stealing the oxygen. I struggled to breathe, but couldn't seem to draw air into my lungs fast enough.

I was good as dead.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Snippet! You can read more Snippets below.

Delilah Devlin

Eliza Gayle

Helen Kay Dimon

Jody Wallace

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Selena Blake

Taige Crenshaw

TJ Michaels

Snippet Saturday: Opening Lines

Morning Loverlies,

Yes, it's that time again! Snippet Saturday! Which is hosted by the absolutely and totally kick ass Lauren Dane. (Thanks Lauren! You rock. Seriously, she does!) Today's theme is the "Opening Lines".

One of my absolutely favorite opening lines comes from Reign of Pleasure. While I love all of my books, Reign of Pleasure holds a special place in my heart because Rhiannon is just…well let's just say she's normal. She does things she shouldn't. She thinks things she probably shouldn't and is just overall human. Well, not exactly human but you know what I mean.

Here is the opening of Reign of Please, which is available now and can be found at Elloracave.com. Click on Snippet Saturday and Reign of Pleasure next to FILED UNDER and you'll find many more delicious excerpts! Enjoy! And make sure to stop by and visit the other Saturday Snippet Authors.

As a deposed queen used to the treachery that lay around every corner at court, you'd think I'd be a little more vigilant, a little more apt to look a gift whore in the mouth. But when I walked into my chambers to find a petite blonde in my sitting room, the last thing I thought about was intrigue.

If I had a type, she would be it. Since I was taller than most males at court, I'd always secretly envied diminutive ladies their statures. Small wasn't a word that could describe any part of me. Growing up, it was often said I had the hips, ass and tits of common stock. Of course, since I was heir apparent and could lop off the head of any who offended me, it was never said in my presence.

At court, however, nothing was secret, not even the covert whisperings of my detractors. As long as I could remember, I had cursed my ample hips and bosom. Not only because they were just one more reason I was different, but because it was damned difficult to wear the formal dress the ladies of court had favored for the past several hundred years.

Though our kind tended not to emulate most modern human customs, the peerage did prefer the manner of dress mortals had worn during their eighteenth and nineteenth centuries—long, flowing dresses, corsets, petticoats and luxurious fabrics.

My uninvited guest had the perfect body for court fashion. Where I was plump and round, she was coltish and lissome. Everything about her was small, from her angular facial features and fragile fingers clasped in her lap to her breasts that my mouth could easily engulf.

I didn't need to know her name and though I knew I should ask who sent her and why, I walked farther into my chamber and went directly to my toy chest. There would be time for idle chitchat later.

Dressed in a gown so sheer it would probably melt in one's mouth, I knew she was sent for my use and use her I would. I needed something to break the tension that had been riding me harder than a two-dollar harlot at a poor man's convention.

And this lovely piece would do just fine.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Snippet! You can read more Snippets below.

Delilah Devlin

Eliza Gayle

Helen Kay Dimon

Jody Wallace

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Selena Blake

Shelli Stevens

Taige Crenshaw

TJ Michaels

Saturday Snippet: The Moment

Morning Loverlies,

Yes, it's that time again! Snippet Saturday! Which is hosted by the absolutely and totally kick ass Lauren Dane. (Thanks Lauren! You rock. Seriously, she does! ) Today's theme is the "Moment". We had the option of choosing an important moment or not and I picked one of my absolute favorite moments from my most recent release, Reign of Pleasure.

I consider myself a strong person, a strong woman and it is hard sometimes to be vulnerable. I think my heroine, Rhiannon had a bit of the same problem. Here she is in a forest, surrounded by wolves and if that's not bad enough she comes to a major realization…Le sigh. Poor Rhi Rhi.

Anywho, here's the excerpt. Reign of Pleasure can be found at Elloracave.com, and if you're interested in reading another excerpt you can find two here and/or here. Enjoy! And make sure to stop by and visit the other Saturday Snippet Authors.

A howl ripped through the night and I shuddered. There weren't supposed to be wolves in the Ether realm. It had long been thought they were extinct from over hunting. Rumors of shape-shifting wolves surviving the extermination had been spread for years but most laughed them off and used them as fairytales to keep wayward children in line.

As one howling cry met another and another until they all melded into one, I prayed I wouldn't find out firsthand the stories were based on fact. The mournful sounds of the beasts got closer and closer until I imagined I could feel their breath on the back of my neck. I looked into the dark copse of trees trying to make out their shapes when I spotted a pair of glowing green eyes.

Great, maybe I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting Soren. If the wolf ripped out my neck and ate me, I'd be able to see my husband in person.

I swallowed a cry as the first beast stepped into the moonlight. It wasn't hideous as the fairytales described. He was so black I was surprised I was able to make out more than the shape of his huge body. He didn't growl, didn't act aggressively, just stepped forward, silently followed by two white wolves and an auburn one.

The other three stood back as the first ventured toward me. I didn't move, terrified doing so would make it attack. As I stayed statue still, the wolf's gaze met mine.

His eyes were almost…human and if that wasn't crazy enough there was something about them that looked familiar.

Huddling against the tree, I didn't know how long we sat there staring at each other when another shape parted itself from the shadows.

Heart thumping, I prayed I wasn't imagining the man walking toward me. He came up behind the wolves, close enough to touch them. He did touch them. Running his fingers lightly over one wolf's back, he spoke softly to them as they turned to look at him.

The black wolf made a movement that could have passed as a nod as Ignius said something to him I couldn't hear. The beast looked at me one last time before melding back into the darkness, the other three wolves close on its heels.

Ignius stood in the moon's glow and I fought the need to throw myself in his arms. I should be mad at him, not glad to see him. It was entirely his fault. He was the reason I was here, had almost became a meal for wolves and why I felt like a traitor to Soren's memory.

Tears pricked my eyes and I turned my face away from him. I was cold, tired and hungry. A sob ripped through me as I told myself I couldn't love this man, could never love anyone the way I had Soren. Another sob tore through me as I fought the truth and lost.

I was in love with Ignius.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Snippet! You can read more Snippets below.

Delilah Devlin

Eliza Gayle

Helen Kay Dimon

Jody Wallace

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Selena Blake

Taige Crenshaw

TJ Michaels

Snippet Saturday: Love Type Speech

Morning Loverlies,

Yes, it's that time again! Snippet Saturday! Which is hosted by the absolutely and totally kick ass Lauren Dane. Today's theme is the "Love Type Speech" and of course the excerpt I've chosen for today is from my most recent release, Reign of Pleasure.

Reign of Pleasure can be found at Elloracave.com, and if you're interested in reading another excerpt you can find two here and/or here. Enjoy! And make sure to stop by and visit the other Saturday Snippet Authors.

I shook my head, denying his right to call me by the pet name and the hope it gave me. "Please. Please don't do this to me. Don't play with my affections."

He brushed the moisture off my cheek, dropped to his knees in front of me, wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his cheek against my stomach. "All I've ever wanted to be is yours."

The last sentence was so soft, I thought I had to be mistaken.

"I let you go because…"

I finished the sentence for him. "You love me." He stood and I flung myself at him. I didn't mind he hadn't said the words himself or aloud. Just the admission from him was enough. I knew how much it cost him and how vulnerable he was allowing himself to be. He couldn't have left himself more open if he had bared his neck and pressed a knife into my hand.

He caught me, his arms stiff as if he didn't know what to do. "I love you." I pressed a kiss against his mouth. "I love you," I said again, pressing another kiss to his nose. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Snippet! You can read more Snippets below.

Lauren Dane

Eliza Gayle

Taige Crenshaw

McKenna Jeffries

Mari Carr

Lissa Matthews

SSS: 6 Sentence Sunday

Morning Loverlies,

Welcome to my third Six Sentence Sunday. The six sentences I've chosen are once again from my reincarnation story, Make Me Remember.

What happens once the dreams stop…

"Listen to me carefully, Omašte." His breath feathered against my temple as he as he leaned down, his face inches from mine. "There are some things in this world you can't control. I don't know how you stopped the dreams, but you should really think about why you felt the need to stop them."

He moved in closer and, for one insane moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. My eyes fluttered shut.

Want more Six Sentence Sunday? Visit the official website, here, and you'll find many more awesome contributions.

Snippet Saturday: Love Scene

Morning Loverlies,

Yes, it's that time again! Snippet Saturday! Which is hosted by the absolutely and totally kick ass Lauren Dane. Today's theme is the "Love Scene!" I write on the sexier side of romance. The door is flung wide open in most, if not all, of my love scenes. Today's entry is from my reincarnation story, Make Me Remember.

Make Me Remember can be found at Elloracave.com, and if you're interested in reading another excerpt you can find one here. Enjoy! And please make sure to stop by and visit the other Saturday Snippet Authors.

"You had the dream, too," I whispered.

"Yes."

The images washed over me again, and a sob escaped my lips. I couldn't hold it back.

"Our babies…" I choked out. The pain was fresh, as if it just happened yesterday instead of a lifetime ago, another life ago. It hurt so badly and in a way I didn't think anything else would ever hurt. I wanted to howl with the rage of it.

I didn't resist when he folded me into his embrace. I shuddered, wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest. I could hear his heart beat beneath my ear, comforting and familiar as my own.

Rubbing my back, he offered his strength and the heat of his body warmed mine. He continued to hold me, softly speaking promises. Promises that it would be okay—some way he would make it okay.

For once I didn't ask questions. Didn't ask him how, nor did I remind him righting the wrong that had been done was way beyond our reach. All that mattered were his intentions, the honesty I tasted in his words and the solace I knew I'd find in his arms as the comfort he offered shifted slowly to something different.

My nipples tightened and the shame that heated my cheeks wasn't enough to kill the arousal invading my body. I knew his body as well as I did my own and I didn't need the dreams to remind me of the way it felt beneath mine, over mine.

He pulled back and lifted my chin, so I had no choice but to meet his gaze. His head descended slowly, giving me more than enough time to turn away before his lips touched mine.

From the way he hesitated, I knew he expected me to resist, to refuse what he was offering. But I didn't, wouldn't. I needed him. After everything I had seen and experienced tonight, I prayed his touch would wash away the bad and replace it with good.

I moaned as his tongue touched the seam of my lips and I opened them for him. All of a sudden, I could remember our first true kiss. It was as if being there all over again. His mouth moved over mine and I held on to his shoulders as my world spun.

We broke away, eyes locked, both panting for breath. I took his hand and led him to my bedroom.

The room was dark, but I didn't turn on the light. Neither of us spoke as he unbuttoned my nightshirt. His movements were slow, deliberate, and soon I stood before him in only my panties, moonlight dappling my bare skin.

I sat on the bed and he knelt between my splayed knees. His hands covered my breasts, brushing my nipples. He bent his head and licked the tip before sucking it deep into his mouth. Every deep draw echoed in my pussy.

Tangling my hands in his hair, I held him to me. He groaned as I ran my hands up and down his back before settling on his shoulders.

He pushed me backward as he stood and whipped his shirt over his head. Shadows danced against the hard planes of his stomach and chest. Lying against the bed, I fought to catch my breath as I took him in. I wanted to close my eyes when he reached for his zipper, but refused to be a coward. I would go into this with both eyes open or I wouldn't go at all.

The metallic rasp of his zipper shattered the silence in the room. His eyes held mine as he pushed the material of his pants and boxers down over his hips. His cock rose thick and hard, curving upward, past his bellybutton. I swallowed thickly, not sure how I'd fit all of it inside me. It was a little more than I was used to accommodating.

I finally gave myself permission to close my eyes as he rose to his feet and stood over me. His hands brushed over my hips and I lifted them as so he could work my panties down my legs.

The bed dipped. Splaying a hand over my slightly rounded belly, he bent and covered my mouth with his. I gave myself up to the kiss and trembled as his hand swept the length of my body, exploring every valley, nook and curve. Making his way down my body, he took my ankles in his hands, pushed them apart and spread my legs to expose my pussy.

Settling between my legs, he lifted them to drape over his shoulders until my pussy was a breath away from his face. Without him touching me, arousal lit my body aflame and the intensity of it bordered on painful, stringing my nerves tight with the expectation.

"Gabe."

He looked up at me from between my splayed thighs and smiled. My heart tripped as his smile made warmth like sunshine blossom in my chest. In a way, it aroused me more than anything else he had done.

Dipping his head, he ran his cheek along the smoothness of my inner thigh before kissing my slit and tracing it with his tongue. I moaned as the wet caress sent a lightning bolt of pleasure through my body, bowing my back.

"Please." In this life, in this body, I'd never had a man's mouth on me there, but I knew in that other time and other place, we had loved like this. His fingers parted the swollen lips of my sex and his tongue touched my clit, pressing down firmly before he took the tiny bundle of nerves into his mouth and drawing on it.

My hands clenched in the bed sheets and I arched into his mouth, crying out as he devoured me. Ecstasy built with each pass of his tongue and my hips rocked in time with every movement. His finger played with the wetness glistening at my opening before he dipped into me and coated it with my cream.

He worked one digit and then another inside me and I shattered, crying out his name as wave after wave crashed over me.

Boneless, I collapsed against the bed, my breath coming in panting gasps as he moved his way up my body. I could feel his cock brush my leg as he settled between my thighs. As he braced his forearms along either side of my head, his gaze held mine as he entered me with a deep, slow thrust. I was hot, damp, but still my body took its time accepting the slow slide of his cock as he filled me, stretched me.

"Am I too deep?" he whispered, holding still to give my body time to adjust.

Clutching his back, I placed my heels flat against the bed and arched up, opening myself to him. The action answered his question better than words could.

Gabe breathed my name as he pulled out. Groaning, I tilted my pelvis and he met the movement and sank back inside me. Wrapping my legs high on his waist, I held on to him as he stroked into me. His cock glided over that sensitive spot inside me and my muscles clenched on him as I came again. I cried out and it was if the sound was enough to make him let go. He pounded into me, thrusting once, twice, before he groaned and spilled himself inside me.

Resting his head in the curve of my neck, I held him and ran my hands up and down his sweat-slick back as my flesh still pulsed around his.

"I've waited more than a lifetime to be in your arms again," he whispered.

My hands rested on his shoulders as he trembled above me. Pressing his lips to mine, he whispered, "Your breath, my breath. Your life, my life. Not even death will separate us."

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Snippet! You can read more Snippets below.

Leah Braemel

TJ Michaels

Shelli Stevens

Lauren Dane

Helen Kay Dimon

Eliza Gayle

Delilah Devlin

Taige Crenshaw

McKenna Jeffries

Mari Carr

Lissa Matthews

SSS: 6 Sentence Sunday

Morning Loverlies,

Welcome to my second Six Sentence Sunday. The six sentences I've chosen are from my reincarnation story, Make Me Remember.

I'm a dreamer and a strong believer in dreams. So of course, parts of this story came from dreams I've had. In this scene the heroine has just woken from a dream, a dream she shared with the heroine.

I opened my eyes, but kept them downcast, knowing if I looked into his and saw the same pain and sorrow mirrored in them, I would shatter into a million pieces. And at that moment, as much as I needed him, I wasn't sure if even he would be able to put me back together again.

"You had the dream, too," I whispered.

"Yes."

The images washed over me again, and a sob escaped my lips. I couldn't hold it back.

Want more Six Sentence Sunday? Visit the official website, here, and you'll find many more awesome contributions.

Saturday Snippet: Winter Wonderland

Morning Loverlies,

Yes, it's that time again! Snippet Saturday! Which is hosted by the absolutely and totally kick ass Lauren Dane. Today's theme is the "Winter Wonderland" and of course the excerpt I've chosen for today is from my most recent release, Reign of Pleasure.

Reign of Pleasure can be found at Elloracave.com, and if you're interested in reading another excerpt you can find two here and/or here. Enjoy! And make sure to stop by and visit the other Saturday Snippet Authors.

I had been back at court for three months. During that time I had not faced the council. Matter of fact I had not left my chambers at all except to walk in the forests surrounding the palace grounds. Karena, who had been my strength, followed behind me ready to battle anyone who dared approach me. I had seen mother bears less vicious than she.

For the first two weeks I had waited for Ignius to come to me, he didn't. My return and subsequent absence from court was of course the fodder for gossip and serious speculation.

The rumors ranged from me hiding because I was still traumatized by the brutal way I had been used or because Lord Death had branded his initials onto my skin.

The story of branding was closer to fact than fiction, only it was my soul Ignius had seared and the wound didn't seem to be healing. It wasn't as raw as it had been, it had even been reduced to a muted ache, but it was still there, throbbing and festering.

Winter had been a blessing for me. On my daily walks, in the forest beyond the palace fences, I'd see footprints. They didn't belong to a dog or dogs, they were wolf prints and, absurdly, it comforted me to know Ignius' wolves were near. Even though I felt foolish, I imagined he sent them to protect me.

It could have been fanciful imagining on my part but one night I could have sworn I heard a wolf's howl, something that hadn't occurred near court in years.

I pressed my cheek against the cool glass windowpane and watched as spring slowly exiled winter. I hoped I would hear something that would indicate the wolves were near.

But I knew the hope was in vain. It would be morning soon and if they had ever been out there to begin with, they were long gone. I shivered, even though the weather would soon turn warmer, but I doubted even the full blaze of the sun would help rid my veins of the numbing cold.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Snippet! You can read more Snippets below.

Leah Braemel

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

Eliza Gayle

Shelli Stevens

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

Jody Wallace

Helen Kay Dimon

Six Sentence Sunday

Morning Loverlies,

I was on Twitter (Hush it! I am not ALWAYS on Twitter. Okay, I am but it's like totally impolite for you to point that out.) Anywho, I was on Twitter when one of my favorite fellow EC authors, Dee Carney, tweeted about Six Sentence Sunday. As most of you know I don't blog as often as I should because life gets away from me, etc, etc so I love participating in things like Snippet Saturday and Six Sentence Sunday. Today's my first Six Sentence Sunday and the six sentences I've chosen are from my most recent release, Reign of Pleasure.

Please note: Reign of Pleasure is a paranormal erotic romance with BDSM elements and is NOT suitable for readers under the age of 18/or whatever the legal age of consent is in your place of residence.

"For the next five days, whose pussy is this?" I guess I didn't answer quickly enough, because he brought his hand down again, harder than the last time.

My head lifted and I thought of scrambling off his lap, but before I could act, he pressed his other hand into the flat of my back to hold me down. Over and over his hand fell, warming the flesh of my buttocks and pooling a curious heat between my thighs.

I was confused. Hitting should not feel good.

Want more Six Sentence Sunday? Visit the official website, here, and you'll find many more awesome contributions.

Saturday Snippet: Fight!

Morning Loverlies,

Yes, it's that time again! Snippet Saturday! Which is hosted by the absolutely and totally kick ass Lauren Dane. Today's theme is the "Fight!" and of course the excerpt I've chosen for today is from my most recent release, Reign of Pleasure.

We all chose our battles for different reasons and chose to fight them in different ways. Rhiannon had chosen to be passive about certain things and along the way forgot who and what she was. In this scene she remembers…

Reign of Pleasure can be found at Elloracave.com, and if you're interested in reading another excerpt you can find two here and/or here. Enjoy! And make sure to stop by and visit the other Saturday Snippet Authors.

"Shut up." I whispered the words.

My breathing was so erratic I thought I'd have a panic attack but it wasn't panic that was charging through my veins. It was pure, unadulterated rage and it was fucking marvelous. Somewhere along the line, with the grieving for what had never been, the guilt of what had been between Soren and me, I had totally forgotten who I was. What I was.

Queen.

Descended of women grown men feared yet I had sniveled for years, playing rebellious brat when the crown had always been mine by right of the very blood in my veins.

Closing my eyes, I concentrated and tamped down the rage until it was controllable and my breathing was nearly normal. Ignius would not come to me, so I would go to him. Not to beg at his feet but to confront him for daring to treat me as he did.

"How dare you talk to the council in such a manner?" William screeched.

Turning, I didn't hesitate but put the full force of everything I embraced behind the blow as I punched William dead in the face.

The sight of blood and crunch of breaking bone shocked the court and everyone else.

Consilium Claris swallowed hard and even Ignius' wisecracking sibling took a step back.

"Get him from my sight." My voice was a whisper, yet the guards scrambled to obey. As they dragged a bleeding and unconscious William from the council room, I walked toward the dais and addressed the council.

"His life is your gift. Thank me."

Their fear outweighed the confusion on their faces as all three mumbled the words until I raised my hand.

"You three and your fucking obsession with the crown have ruled my life nearly from the time of my birth and I am sick of it." Consilium Claris looked as if he would speak and I quelled him with a glare. "No more. I am done and before I let you do the same to my child, I will flay the skin from your bodies and take your heads with my very own hands." Satisfaction roared through me as I watched the three of the most powerful men in Ether pale nearly simultaneously at my words.

"Are we clear?" Each nodded in turn. "I understand you want what is best for the crown, for Ether, but there comes a time when too much is simply too much."

I turned away from the council, looked at Ignius' brother and crooked my index finger. He came without hesitation and for a moment I thought I saw a bit of admiration in his wolflike eyes. "What is your name?"

He bowed and this time the movement was sincere. "Dante Sebastian, your Majesty."

I nodded as he stood again to his full height. "Where is your brother, Dante?"

He looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Abyssus, Majesty."

I didn't ask why, because I knew Ignius probably thought it was the one realm I wouldn't dare to traverse. Too bad he was wrong—and he was just about to find out just how wrong.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Snippet! You can read more Snippets below.

Leah Braemel

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

Eliza Gayle

Shelli Stevens

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

Jody Wallace

Helen Kay Dimon

Sasha White