Originally published at Read In Bed!. Please leave any comments there.
So I’m working on Pleasure and Purpose and I’m really enjoying it, and I thought I would share a snippet.
You won’t know what it’s about or what’s going on, but you can maybe just enjoy it anyway.
Alaric’s first-hand experience with the Sisters of Solace was limited to two, exactly. Stillness and Honesty were both sent to soothe his friends and both had stayed. If that was what his friends had in mind for him, he wanted no part of it.
“Love.” He sneered the word and stood at his full height so she’d have to tip her head back to look at him. So she could not possibly look down on him. “Is that your intent? To make me love you so I find peace and help you fill your bedamned Holy Quiver? You wish to use me to help you fulfill some stupid prophecy? And you’ll do what it takes, won’t you,” he added without giving her a chance to answer. “I know how you work.”
Alaric staggered at the force of his words, still unsteady on his feet despite the cold bath. His gut churned and head pounded in sick-making counterpoint to his heart beat. He could taste herb on the back of his tongue and below it the flavor of worm, but below that, even more terrible and lovely, the scent and taste of XX clung to his senses as though his blood had been turned to it. His fingers curled again to scratch at his belly, where the sleeping dragon was waking. He needed more XX. It would soothe the itch and the ache and take him away into darkness better than any woman ever could.
“I will never love you,” he spat out. “No matter what you do.”
All traces of amusement slid from her expression and all warmth left her tone. “I do none of this for love, Alaric. I do this as my duty and my purpose and on occasion my pleasure as well, but I do none of this for love.”
XX is an as-yet-unnamed drug of some sort. Bad stuff.
And I’m getting back to it! Wheeee!
Oh. And just because…
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
