Aldrea Alien's Blog, page 15

Rainbow Snippets: What hounds do best.

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, a dark fantasy with a slow-burn bi-awakening romance, which released just a few days ago!

This week’s snippet follows on from last week’s to where Tracker discovered the site of magic within the city.

“Send a signal to the other gates,” he ordered Captain Owain. “They are to shut immediately and remain so until my order. Not another soul is to leave Toptower until I find this spellster.” He didn’t like the idea of trapping someone this powerful in the same place as innocent folk, especially when he knew nothing about their nature, but it was the only way to secure them.

“It will be done.” The man snapped a salute and hurried back to the gates.

The last wisp of magic suggested a south-western direction. There were a few taverns in that quarter. Not especially clean establishments, but hopefully a warm place to sleep was all the spellster wanted. If not…

Tracker unsheathed his purple dagger, examining the edge’s sharpness in the afternoon light as he marched down the street. Those from the tower feared the blade. Be his prey born of this kingdom or the empire, that terror had to be universal.

And if the spellster turned out to be hostile after all? He would do what hounds did best.

Kill.

This snippet will continue next week. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: A brisk game…

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, a dark fantasy with a slow-burn bi-awakening romance, which is releasing this month (Sept 15)!

This week’s snippet follows on from last week’s to where Tracker discovered the site of magic within the city.

Beyond this one patch, there was no definite path to follow. Even if the ground hadn’t been covered in cobblestones, the sheer number of people and wheels passing through this gate would’ve already destroyed any footprints.

Standing, he strode up the street to where it forked, trying to find the direction they headed, the silent presence at his back the only indication that the captain continued to follow.

As it had done in the forest, the residue of magic tapered off until it was too weak for even him to trace. Whatever the spellster’s goal within the town was, it didn’t put them nearby.

A brisk game of Warmer it was.

This snippet will continue next week. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: The sky after a storm.

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, a dark fantasy with a slow-burn bi-awakening romance, which is releasing this month (Sept 15)!

This week’s snippet jumps a few chapters from last week’s to where Tracker discovers a spellster within the city walls.

The area drawing him was no bigger than the space a single person took up whilst standing. The cobblestone held no lingering heat beyond the usual, yet the radiating power was enough that Tracker expected the spellster to be right beside him.

What had they done that could’ve gone unnoticed in the middle of a crowded entrance, yet be so powerful?

He breathed deep, focusing on the magic lingering in the air. The sky after a storm. The same aroma he had encountered around the charred Udynean spellster at the army encampment.

That could only mean this was the same being he’d been tailing.

Why did you not head for Oldmarsh? The question bounced around his mind, unable to find an answer. Any leashed Demarn spellster would head for their tower, coming here was the opposite direction.

Unless the spellster was originally from elsewhere. Did he hunt some Udynean traitor after all?

This snippet will continue next week. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Spellster fighting spellster…

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, a dark fantasy with a slow burn bi-awakening romance, which will release Sept 15.

This week’s snippet jumps a few chapters from last week’s where Tracker discovers exactly what happened at the army encampment.

Dismounting, he crouched by the crater. Sheer heat had warped the earth, hardening it into a massive bowl. That explained the burst of magic. The thing in the centre appeared to be the half-cremated remains of a person. Power also flowed off them, an echo of dry heat, faint in the electrifying glow of what had slain them.

Spellster fighting spellster. Not something he had come across before. The King’s Hounds searched for children with signs of magic or hunted those who sought to flee. Few dared to travel with family, spellster or not. None of them had fought amongst themselves.

Had the spellster responsible for this been on Demarn’s side? Nothing Tracker had gleaned from the survivors suggested any leashed spellster would’ve lived through the attack.

Tracker snippets will continue next week. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Smoke dominated the skyline…

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, a dark fantasy with a slow burn bi-awakening romance, which will release Sept 15.

This week’s snippet jumps a smidge from last week’s where Tracker and the commander reached the highest point in the town.

Magic continued to thrum through the air, great bursts that put to mind the billowing of a ship’s sail in the wind. How much power for it to tug at him across such a distance?

Skidding down the stairs, he erupted back onto the parapet. The commander and her young guard had barely turned to acknowledge his re-emergence before Tracker was up the wall, his fingers finding purchase in the gaps weather had eroded between the slabs of stone.

He clambered onto the roof and up to where the flagpole sat. Clinging to the pole, he stared in the direction of the army, an iciness settling into his bones.

Smoke dominated the skyline. Thick and black, it hovered over the trees like a seahawk closing in for the kill. Flares of red and orange bloomed within its core, coinciding with the bursts of magic vibrating through his senses.

In Pain and Blood snippets will continue next week, but we’ll be hopping throughout the story. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: More confident than him…

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, a dark fantasy with a slow burn bi-awakening romance, which will release Sept 15.

This week’s snippet jumps a little from last week’s where Tracker found the city gates were shut.

They wove through the tower’s levels, encountering only the occasional soul as the commander led him via back passages, and a few doorways that carried the look of secrecy.

Eventually, they reached the parapet. It faced the opposite side of the city, the peaceful sight of farmland and distant forests. Rhiannon continued to lead the way.

A single young guard stood watch. He trailed after them, jabbering, as they strode by. “Commander, the army encampment? It— There’s smoke. Too much. And I—” He visibly steeled himself, straightening his stance. “Your orders?”

“Take it easy, son,” Rhiannon said in the surest, most commanding, voice Tracker had heard from the woman. “We’ll handle it.” Even in that assessment, she sounded a great deal more confident than Tracker could.

This part will continue next week. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Something’s terribly wrong…

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, which is slated to be released Sept 15. The rewrite is a little light on the romance side and a touch darker in other parts.

This week’s snippet carries on from last week’s where Tracker found the city gates were shut.

From his placement atop his horse, Tracker was able to see right over the multitude blocking his path. It didn’t answer much.

The guards stationed around the entrance spoke with those at the front of the crowd. From the way they waved their arms, they were clearly giving people instructions to vacate the area.

Those stationed atop the wall paid no heed to the raucous below. Their attention was on something beyond the town walls. Could they see what Tracker felt? Human eyes weren’t capable of spying details from a distance and he knew there weren’t any elven guards. If it was obvious enough for them to spot, then something had gone terribly wrong.

He needed to get up there, but the crowd was thick. Moving through it would be practically impossible without using force.

This part will continue. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: The gates stood shut

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, which is slated to be released Sept 15. The rewrite is a little light on the romance side and a touch darker in other parts.

This week’s snippet carries on from last week’s where Tracker felt a strange swelling of magic.

Rhiannon straightened. “Is something wrong?”

He shook his head, more to clear it than in answer. “It is difficult to be certain. I must go.” He needed to head west. Heading towards the sensation would help him figure it all out.

He leapt into the saddle and tore out into the street, dodging carts with ease and people with less simplicity. He wove around those who hadn’t the ability, or time, to dive out of his way, forcing Lullaby to leap over a few as they huddled into whimpering balls.

The closer he got to the western gate, the more people crowded the way. They milled about, confused and frustrated. It forced him to slow down and pick his way through the best he could. Some people drew out of his way, many hadn’t the space.

He rounded the corner and hauled on the reins, bringing Lullaby to a halt so abruptly that the horse’s rump dropped into a slide.

The gates stood shut.

This part will continue. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: A flicker of magic

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m still sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood, which is slated to be released Sept 15. The rewrite is a little light on the romance side and a touch darker in other parts.

This week’s snippet is quite a skip from the last, where Tracker is leaving the village of Toptower around the same time Dylan’s scouting mission goes sideways. At this point, Track is giving his farewells to Guard Commander Rhiannon, who laments his departure and was told: “We are also a limited resource and the places with hounds stationed there are strategic.”

“And Toptower isn’t one of them.” It wasn’t a question. Many of Toptower’s residents had a dreary outlook on precisely how safe they were and their importance to the kingdom. He supposed such cynicism came from centuries of having the army a mere few days’ ride. Close enough to spot camp smoke, but far away that he never once sensed a ghost of magic.

Except, he could’ve sworn he did. Just a flicker, but somewhere to the west.

Impossible. For magic to reach his senses, he would need to be standing amongst the debris of a wrought spell, sharing a moderately sized building with an unleashed spellster, or within a few hours of one actively using their power. To feel it over any distance would require enough power to level a fortress.

He froze in adjusting Lullaby’s girth. There it was again. Less a flicker and closer.

And swelling.

This part will continue. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Rarely making old bones

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

I’m sharing snippets from In Pain and Blood for a while. The prologue is part of the new additions and stars Tracker. The rewrite is a little light on the romance side and a touch darker in other parts.

This week’s snippet follows on from last week’s where Tracker left the remaining people behind for his fellow hound to deal with.

If it led to this rumoured spellster slipping through his grasp, he would simply have to bear the punishment. He wasn’t a stranger to that.

It might even be the final blow that saw him travelling down the winding river of the afterlife. The gods had to know he was getting too old for this life. Those amongst the King’s Hounds rarely made old bones and he had suffered through three decades. Even if it meant the sweet, soul-destroying embrace of Aerona the Executioner, he was prepared to face her.

To face death.

This is the last part of In Pain and Blood‘s prologue. I’ll likely continue, but the snippets may jump from point to point. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!