Saturday Snippet – Villains
This week's theme is Villains. One of my favorite things to write. I've chosen a snippet from my latest release, Slave to Pleasure. Cirdan is my villain and this is not the first time I've written about him. He can also be found in Dragon's Fate and Taken by Tarot. His story will be coming next in the Taken series and I look forward to torturing him. 
Excerpt:
"Aren't you a pretty sight in the night, cousin?"
Nissa jerked at the cold mocking voice, knowing full well who stood behind her. The man who'd stolen her from the only home she'd ever known and thrown her to the wolves had returned.
Unsure what he planned she moved slowly as she turned so as not to trigger any violence in her direction. As the anger in her swelled so did the magic and it was broadcast to everyone in the clearing. She spied many men with weapons surrounding her whilst Cirdan stood wearing a cocky smile she longed to slap from him.
"What are you doing here?" She tried to keep the contempt from her voice, but her hatred made it impossible.
"Is that any way to welcome family? Didn't your mother teach you better manners than that?"
"Leave my mother out of this and tell me what you want. You've already sold me and as you can see I've been collared appropriately." She stood tall stretching her neck and tilting so the gold sparkled in the bright moonlight.
"And judging from the marks on your body you've either been a very bad girl or you've quickly grown to love pain." He emphasized the word pain with a sensual magic undertone that whispered across her skin, sending a frightened shiver down her spine. Obviously pain turned him on, probably in a sick and twisted fashion, but either way she needed to avoid the topic with him.
"I wear the hunters' collar as required by the Fae. What more do you want from me? Haven't you done enough?" She really hoped she wouldn't regret the question.
"Hardly. In fact I've been far too soft with you. And in return you broke the law when you ran away. It's not just the hunters who've been looking for you."
"I've already atoned for my grievances with my owners. It hardly seems your place to interfere at this point." Cirdan's eyes flashed hot and angry at her words. She should have watched what she said to him, but her hatred festered just below the surface and seeing him again did little to ease her.
"You really do seem to have an issue with authority, don't you?" He stepped close enough to touch her, running a fingertip down the side of her face. Revulsion settled into her stomach leaving her nauseous and anxious for an escape. She was so lost in her disgust she almost missed his attack.
His opposite hand flew up and arched toward her cheek, but the flicker of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She grabbed his wrist, applied extreme pressure to its weak points and stopped the blow mere inches from her face.
She didn't doubt he was stronger than her, but she had him in a grip that weakened him and could put him on his knees if she wanted to. Dear Goddess did she want to, but his men moved forward with swords drawn to protect him.
"Don't you ever dare to touch me again unless you want to die. I have plenty of respect for those who deserve it." She spat in his face and at the same time released him. He stumbled back a step or two and his guards moved in, surrounding her. Some of them so close the tips of their swords nicked at the skin of her neck.
"Well, you're a lot stronger than I expected, I'll give you that. Too bad you don't have the smarts to go with it. Why is it the dumb ones end up with the strongest magic?"
Be sure to follow the trail and visit the other authors hosting their villain snippets today.
Shelli Stevens
TJ Michaels
Lauren Dane
Ashley Ladd
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
Shelley Munro
McKenna Jeffries
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
HelenKay Dimon
Jody Wallace
