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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

CAN LOVE SURVIVE WITHOUT LIES? FRIDAY'S ROMANTIC CHALLENGE



Don't forget to order your copy of STORIES FOR SENDAI. It will help the hurting in Japan and not get you on the bad side of Mesmer. Brrrr. :

http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Sendai-Anthology-Inspirational-Short/dp/1463574215/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309406922&sr=1-1

My 400 word Friday entry for the Romantic Challenge given by Francine and Denise comes from the sequel to LOVE LIKE DEATH. Its title? THE PATH BACK TO DAWN.

Sixteen year old Blake Adamson has lost his heart both to a fallen angel and an alien succubus. Neither will share him. One or the other will kill him. Fallen, of THE LAST FAE, already has chained him to a tree in the wilderness to slowly starve rahter than chance him being corrupted by the infamous DayStar.

Kirika, the succubus, and Hone Heke, the fearsome Maori warrior, have been stunned to discover Blake still alive after six months of starvation.

He has survived by eating half of one of Idun's golden apples of imortality, gift of the Odin Raven, Muninn. He has saved the other half for the two girls he loves more than his own life.

In giving the saved quarter to Kirika, the succubus, who has found him, Blake finds love is never what he expects :

I frowned at my trembling. I was so weak. I fumbled at the button cinching my left shirt pocket.

I looked at Kirika. “W-Would you?”

She teasingly slapped my fingers. “The first of many buttons I will gladly undo, beloved.”

Beloved. I saw images of us wrapped in each other’s arms, doing things I knew we shouldn’t.

Not with Hone standing right there.

She quickly undid the button. Smiling wickedly, she dug into my pocket. She jerked her hand away.

Hone snapped, “What kind of trick did you pull?”

Kirika shook her head. “No tricks, Hone. Only a love that shames me.”

I pulled out the glowing slice of Idun’s apple. I looked at it. It wasn’t a jewel, but why was Kirika acting this way? Hone looked sick.

“I - I know it isn’t much --”

“Not much? Starving to death, you kept this. For me. Beyond the diamonds of suitors, I will treasure this gift.”

She slowly took it from my fingers. “Always.”

She brought it to my lips. “Now, eat, beloved.”

Muninn cawed, “Do not worry, Lady Kirika. He hast eaten a full half of ...”

Muninn looked like he could have bitten off his tongue

Kirika quickly reached into my right shirt pocket. Her eyes narrowed into slits.

“You saved a quarter for the Sidhe bitch? Fallen? She who left you chained to a tree to die slowly of starvation? You insult me!”

Muninn rasped,“I beg thee to pause an instant.”

Kirika spit in my face. I jerked. Time to leave.

“Hold, young fool. She dost not understand.”

Kirika husked, “Enlighten me, raven.”

“Hast thou truly tasted of this one’s spirit?”

“I was deceived by my loneliness.”

“Perhaps thou hast forgotten what meaning the boy places on his left side.”

“I do not understand.”

“Dost thou see no significance in his placing the apple he meant for thee in the pocket --- over his heart?”

Kirika’s lips quivered. She threw slender arms around me. “What a jealous fool I am! You did choose me over her. Over her.”

She kissed me. I couldn’t enjoy it. I would have placed her slice in my right pocket but for Muninn’s request. Muninn murmured in my ear.

“Sayest the truth, and I wilt peck out thine eye as I didst Odin’s.”

My silence was to spare Kirika’s heart not my eye. But it wasn’t any less a lie.
***


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15 comments:

  1. I loved the blend of different legends that you used to create this unique and beautiful piece. I was sucked into and found myself wishing he would choose Kirika. Loved it!

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  2. Heather :
    In LOVE LIKE DEATH and the soon to be released, THE PATH BACK TO DAWN, both Kirika and Fallen love Blake so desperately -- as he loves them. Because of how they bonded to him supernaturally, Blake cannot choose either one over the other. It would be like choosing the left side of your heart over the right -- each different, doing different things, but the same heart.

    I'm glad you liked this excerpt as much as you did, Roland

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  3. Your writing is pleasing to read. Lots of colorful imagery.

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  4. Oh, I didn't want this to end, Roland! I love the intermingling of folklore (as I do in Bear With two Shadows) - yet you keep it in the now. Lovely.

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  5. Muninn is a smart raven!
    Quite an intriguing excerpt, Roland.

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  6. Thanks, Michael :
    May both our publishing dreams come true!!

    Margo :
    If you liked this excerpt, I think you would enjoy LOVE LIKE DEATH (Chapter One of the Blake Adamson Saga). As for THE BEAR WITH TWO SHADOWS, Maija (Kirika's former owner) and Fallen (the Sidhe Bitch as Kirika calls her) are both in Hibbs' adventure.

    Andy :
    You should see Huginn (Muninn's brother) in action! LOL.

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  7. Roland, your linky on the RFW site is funky. Had to come around the long way.

    Kirika is an enchanting character, is more ways than one. Great use of the lies theme, his deception of her.

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  8. I like that he is torn and that either choice will bring some kind of pain. Tough place. Great excerpt, Roland!

    Edge of Your Seat Romance

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  9. Hi! It took me some time to be familiar with the story and the words. The last line was the clincher.

    Nice to meet you~

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  10. Thanks, Heaven :
    I forget my new friends are not familiar with my linked worlds and world mythology. I am so very happy you stuck with my entry and liked it.

    Raquel :
    Poor Blake is indeed torn. His love life is more like a Greek tragedy! I'm glad you liked my excerpt.

    Beverly :
    Thanks for letting me know about my funky link. Yes, Blake was set up to lie to Kirika, but he lies most to himself.

    Many of my friends have tried to post a comment but Blogger would not let them -- here is Donna Hole's comment :

    Aw, that was a touching scene.
    I've been by several times over the last couple days but blogger doesn't love me, apparently. Hopefully this comment works.
    Have a great weekend Roland.
    ......dhole

    Just so ya know; I havn't ignored you. Blogger is being a bully.

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  11. Intriguing excerpt - seems that Blake can't win, whatever he does.

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  12. Paula :
    Sometimes love, like life, seems like that, doesn't it? Thanks for commenting. Roland

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  13. Hi,

    I'm backing Margo, your mingling of classical works and that of folklore is mind boggling in a nice way. The sensual flow of words draws one in to a cosy reader existance: meaning lost in time if but for a moment of literary joy. Not an easy RFW challenge this week, but next week's "Forgiven" gives scope for sequels! ;)

    I know, I'm late to the party as usual! My excuse this time that a) I signed a publishing contract to WCP b)I celebrated by self-pubbing a tad risque historical novella to Amazon Kindle c)I made a book trailer for it, too. On my blog at the mo. It was a whole new learning curve, and after two tries at formatting for Kindle I cracked it to perfection: smug bitch. I was determined it would not have indents half way across the page, no chapters chasing each others tails nor vast gaps between chaps either. I'm going to post up how I did it on a set aside page at RFW. What are blogging buddies for if not to help one another out, with these precise kind of testing issues.

    best
    F

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  14. Francine :
    I tried to buy your Kindle book but Amazon would not let me. Rats.

    Congrats on signing the contract and learning how to format, plus publishing to Kindle.

    Many thanks for the kind words about my writing, Roland

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  15. Definitely like the language and the conflict that kept things humming along. Talk about believing exactly what we want to despite what might be the truth.

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