I've been storycaught.
Had this idea yesterday afternoon to add a prologue in Emle's POV, which shows a bit of the dynamic of the Hunt, and her initial request to be allowed to visit Sennet to make sure the baby is healthy and to ensure Sennet's help once Eri is delivered.
Whoa.
It's six words away from 9k. Already.
An excerpt:
Behind her, the Hound coughed thickly. Emle turned, dreading what she would see, but the sight that met her eyes was not as bad as she had feared.
A boy--a young man, in truth--lay on the floor, curled in a tight ball with his back towards her. He was so thin she could count every vertebrae in his spine. His unkempt hair straggled across his naked body, far too long for human comfort. His skin was clean, but marbled with fading bruises--and quite a few scars.
Emle snatched a blanket off the back of one of the chairs and draped it across his body. She wanted to say something--to lash out at Gabriel, but she had a feeling he already knew what she thought. "He'll need clothing," she said instead, keeping her voice level with an effort. "If he can remember what it's like to be human again."
Without speaking, Gabriel stepped past her and vanished through the door. Emle stood, alone, for a moment, hoping that he'd gone to do her bidding, but it was hard to tell. On one hand, he had every right to be angry at her request. On the other, he had told her the Hounds could shift into human shape on his own.
She moved to face Malachi and lowered herself to the floor again. His eyes were squeezed shut--whether in pain or in expectation of pain, she did not know.
"Malachi?" She kept her voice low. "Can you hear me?"
His hands moved under the blanket, and slowly emerged to clutch the folds of fabric to his chest. He shivered violently, teeth chattering together, but he did not open his eyes.
What if he had no free will left? What if his years as a Hound had drained all sense of self away, leaving him an empty shell for Gabriel to fill?
Greatly daring, she reached out to touch his clenched fingers. His skin was icy cold.
"Malachi?" Tears filled her eyes. "Can you understand me?"
She could not bear to have six mindless husks walking around, reminding her of what she had not dared to question.
His lips parted, and some of the desperate tenseness drained from his face. "What did you do to him?" His eyes flickered, opened, then closed again. "What did you do?"
copyright 2005 Jennifer St. Clair
Had this idea yesterday afternoon to add a prologue in Emle's POV, which shows a bit of the dynamic of the Hunt, and her initial request to be allowed to visit Sennet to make sure the baby is healthy and to ensure Sennet's help once Eri is delivered.
Whoa.
It's six words away from 9k. Already.
An excerpt:
Behind her, the Hound coughed thickly. Emle turned, dreading what she would see, but the sight that met her eyes was not as bad as she had feared.
A boy--a young man, in truth--lay on the floor, curled in a tight ball with his back towards her. He was so thin she could count every vertebrae in his spine. His unkempt hair straggled across his naked body, far too long for human comfort. His skin was clean, but marbled with fading bruises--and quite a few scars.
Emle snatched a blanket off the back of one of the chairs and draped it across his body. She wanted to say something--to lash out at Gabriel, but she had a feeling he already knew what she thought. "He'll need clothing," she said instead, keeping her voice level with an effort. "If he can remember what it's like to be human again."
Without speaking, Gabriel stepped past her and vanished through the door. Emle stood, alone, for a moment, hoping that he'd gone to do her bidding, but it was hard to tell. On one hand, he had every right to be angry at her request. On the other, he had told her the Hounds could shift into human shape on his own.
She moved to face Malachi and lowered herself to the floor again. His eyes were squeezed shut--whether in pain or in expectation of pain, she did not know.
"Malachi?" She kept her voice low. "Can you hear me?"
His hands moved under the blanket, and slowly emerged to clutch the folds of fabric to his chest. He shivered violently, teeth chattering together, but he did not open his eyes.
What if he had no free will left? What if his years as a Hound had drained all sense of self away, leaving him an empty shell for Gabriel to fill?
Greatly daring, she reached out to touch his clenched fingers. His skin was icy cold.
"Malachi?" Tears filled her eyes. "Can you understand me?"
She could not bear to have six mindless husks walking around, reminding her of what she had not dared to question.
His lips parted, and some of the desperate tenseness drained from his face. "What did you do to him?" His eyes flickered, opened, then closed again. "What did you do?"
copyright 2005 Jennifer St. Clair
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