Tuesday Tales: Shale 2-3-2015 by Flossie Benton Rogers

Tuesday Tales is a weekly blog featuring diverse authors who post excerpts from their WIPs based on word and picture prompts. Today’s prompt is ring, and the snippet is from a work in progress temporarily called by the heroine’s name, Shale. Please visit the other fabulous authors at Tuesday Tales.

She stopped and leaned toward him, her shoulders tight with the tension of the past few moments. The moonlight licked over the high planes of his cheekbones, and she had trouble keeping her breath even. “What is it you want from me, Mr. Zarek?”

“I want you to call me Nick, or Nicholai if you insist on formality.”

She emitted a rasping huff. “What is the point? Instead of the quiet dinner I had envisioned, we are tromping through the woods in the middle of the night, heading god knows where, searching for god knows what.”

“Is that why you are breathing fire at me, because you thought we were going on a date?”

A wave of heat surged into her cheeks. Sputtering, she sought to backtrack. “No way…not in the…I simply…” She broke off, pressing her lips into a thin line. With a dismissive wave of her arms, she marched away from him.

In a microsecond a warm hand clamped around her elbow.

She shook off his touch. When she turned on him with nostrils flaring, he held up a conciliatory palm. “One moment please. Hear me out.”

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. “Well?”

“We are both after a similar objective, correct? I seek knowledge of the queen’s activities once she abandoned the throne, and you want to ease her spirit to find its eternal rest. Is this not true?”

“Yes, but I don’t see what this wild goose chase will accomplish.”

He took a step closer, and his shadow enveloped her like a cloak.

She shivered.

With a warm finger, he lifted her chin, and his tone softened. “Why not combine our forces? We both have something the other needs.”

Her whisper matched his. “What are we looking for out here?”

“Something rare, but not impossible to find. We search for a mage portal, oftentimes inaccurately characterized as a fairy ring.”

“W-why?”

His breath hovered over her forehead. “Tell me, Ms. Delaney, does your passion for travel extend to visiting eighth century Northumbria?”

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Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance

By Flossie Benton Rogers

Paranormal romance author who loves to shake the edges of reality.

24 comments

  1. These snippets are wonderful, Flossie. I’m already growing attached to the characters from the several excerpts you’ve shared. Clever use of the word “ring” and that is a gorgeous picture prompt! A most intriguing story in the works!

  2. Oh my, 8th century Northumbria. I hope the girl has some warm undies, she surely will need them there. I love the use of the fairy rings. I wonder if this pair will find what they seek?

  3. Wonderfully evocative language brought me right into the scene. Perfect weaving of the plot and the budding chemistry between these two. Now I need to know where that portal is and what they will find there. Well done, great scene!

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