Here's an excerpt from my latest book, Creature Leader.
Sealen no longer wondered what they would say to Drayven. Before they went up the hill, Divok told each of them what they would communicate to the Creature Leader. It sounded to her like spells of some kind. She grew afraid, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Looking down the hill she realized it was too late to go back. Drayven would die and her hands would be stained with his blood.
When they reached the top of the hill, they stopped and lined up before Drayven. Densey looked him in the eye. No one spoke. The wind gusted, blowing their hair against their faces. It was a dizzying one hundred feet back to the ground.
Finally, Densey spoke.
"We must stop you, Drayven."
"Naturally."
"You are a Tyrant and want to rule over us all."
"You delude yourself. However, there are those who would disagree with me."
Densey smirked. "You hate Peacemakers. You said so yourself."
"Get on with it. I don't have all day," Drayven bit out.
Sealen gulped.
He knew!
He knew what was about to happen and he still wanted to press ahead. Her eyes blurred and she turned away. She couldn't meet his gaze.
Densey took a deep breath. "Your life is forfeit to the Wolf-Creatures. However you look at it, you're going to die."
Densey spoke his incantations clearly and Drayven felt himself grow weaker. He blanched but turned to Rotch expectantly.
"The poison is helping us, Sealen," Rotch chuckled irreverently. "Whether you've been kept alive by sheer willpower or fate, it won't be long now before you're dead."
Rotch eloquently spoke his spells and had the satisfaction of seeing Drayven weaken further.
Sealen fixed her dark eyes on Drayven. He returned her gaze unwaveringly. She was unable to hold his stare and turned away, bitter tears rolling down her face.
"Sealen, now!" Densey ordered loudly.
Sealen shook her head and covered her face. She gulped down her sobs. "I can't!"
"Now!" Densey roared.
Sealen looked up again. She dragged her eyes to Drayven's face. She wanted to tell him she was sorry and that she was on his side. He stared back at her.
Would she save him with a word?
Or would she be the instrument of his death?
Her heart broke as she stared at his tortured face. She wanted to scream and run away.
"Sealen, we're running out of time! Now!"
Sealen clenched her hands and gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry, Drayven Locke. You betrayed us."
Drayven's jaw hardened but he was silent, accepting her choice.
"'You will die. Justice will serve me!'"
Sealen then spoke her spells in a steady voice.
Ledrey glanced at his sister. "'Look back, because you'll never again look ahead.'"
"Was I right to hate Peacemakers after all?" Drayven asked bitterly.
He turned to Clyne. She glared at him defiantly. He held her stare until she too finally dropped her eyes. She seemed steadfast in her convictions, unmoved by his plea. Although she couldn't look at the pain in his eyes without flinching, she willed herself to feel her own pain without complaint. She looked up at him again. He was reaching out to her but there was no longer a bridge to close the gap of distrust and malice. She screamed inwardly with frustration.
"Clyne! Finish it!!" Densey interrupted her tormented thoughts.
Clyne gasped.
She darted one look at Densey before her eyes were drawn back to Drayven's face. Again, she stared at Drayven's eyes and tried to read his heart. His eyes told a story about a world of grief and suffering to which she would always be a stranger. She reminded herself of who she was and what she had to do. Finally, she made her decision.
"Do it, Clyne! " Densey bellowed again.
Clyne fell to her knees. "Forgive me! I betrayed you! I can't hate you even though I've tried...I...I love you."
"Clyne!" Sealen wept.
"I can't! I just can't do it!"
Drayven wanted Clyne to speak her part but she kept looking up into his eyes, imploring him, her face streaming with tears.
"Clyne, just say it!" Densey growled.
"No!!"
"Clyne, make up your mind," Sealen begged, wailing in her anguish.
Densey struck Clyne and Ledrey grabbed her by her long, flyaway hair. Rotch held her and Densey and Ledrey began to hit out at her violently. Drayven grew further ashen but stood stock still. Like one in a dead trance, he grappled with warring emotions.
"No...you can't force me! You think you'll win, but you're wrong!" Clyne screamed in pain. At her screams, Drayven's hackles rose; the trance was broken.
"Let her go or by God, you'll answer to me!" Drayven roared.
Densey and Ledrey flinched; Rotch relaxed his hold on Clyne.
Then, turning to Clyne, Drayven murmured,
"Clyne, finish it."
Sealen no longer wondered what they would say to Drayven. Before they went up the hill, Divok told each of them what they would communicate to the Creature Leader. It sounded to her like spells of some kind. She grew afraid, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Looking down the hill she realized it was too late to go back. Drayven would die and her hands would be stained with his blood.
When they reached the top of the hill, they stopped and lined up before Drayven. Densey looked him in the eye. No one spoke. The wind gusted, blowing their hair against their faces. It was a dizzying one hundred feet back to the ground.
Finally, Densey spoke.
"We must stop you, Drayven."
"Naturally."
"You are a Tyrant and want to rule over us all."
"You delude yourself. However, there are those who would disagree with me."
Densey smirked. "You hate Peacemakers. You said so yourself."
"Get on with it. I don't have all day," Drayven bit out.
Sealen gulped.
He knew!
He knew what was about to happen and he still wanted to press ahead. Her eyes blurred and she turned away. She couldn't meet his gaze.
Densey took a deep breath. "Your life is forfeit to the Wolf-Creatures. However you look at it, you're going to die."
Densey spoke his incantations clearly and Drayven felt himself grow weaker. He blanched but turned to Rotch expectantly.
"The poison is helping us, Sealen," Rotch chuckled irreverently. "Whether you've been kept alive by sheer willpower or fate, it won't be long now before you're dead."
Rotch eloquently spoke his spells and had the satisfaction of seeing Drayven weaken further.
Sealen fixed her dark eyes on Drayven. He returned her gaze unwaveringly. She was unable to hold his stare and turned away, bitter tears rolling down her face.
"Sealen, now!" Densey ordered loudly.
Sealen shook her head and covered her face. She gulped down her sobs. "I can't!"
"Now!" Densey roared.
Sealen looked up again. She dragged her eyes to Drayven's face. She wanted to tell him she was sorry and that she was on his side. He stared back at her.
Would she save him with a word?
Or would she be the instrument of his death?
Her heart broke as she stared at his tortured face. She wanted to scream and run away.
"Sealen, we're running out of time! Now!"
Sealen clenched her hands and gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry, Drayven Locke. You betrayed us."
Drayven's jaw hardened but he was silent, accepting her choice.
"'You will die. Justice will serve me!'"
Sealen then spoke her spells in a steady voice.
Ledrey glanced at his sister. "'Look back, because you'll never again look ahead.'"
"Was I right to hate Peacemakers after all?" Drayven asked bitterly.
He turned to Clyne. She glared at him defiantly. He held her stare until she too finally dropped her eyes. She seemed steadfast in her convictions, unmoved by his plea. Although she couldn't look at the pain in his eyes without flinching, she willed herself to feel her own pain without complaint. She looked up at him again. He was reaching out to her but there was no longer a bridge to close the gap of distrust and malice. She screamed inwardly with frustration.
"Clyne! Finish it!!" Densey interrupted her tormented thoughts.
Clyne gasped.
She darted one look at Densey before her eyes were drawn back to Drayven's face. Again, she stared at Drayven's eyes and tried to read his heart. His eyes told a story about a world of grief and suffering to which she would always be a stranger. She reminded herself of who she was and what she had to do. Finally, she made her decision.
"Do it, Clyne! " Densey bellowed again.
Clyne fell to her knees. "Forgive me! I betrayed you! I can't hate you even though I've tried...I...I love you."
"Clyne!" Sealen wept.
"I can't! I just can't do it!"
Drayven wanted Clyne to speak her part but she kept looking up into his eyes, imploring him, her face streaming with tears.
"Clyne, just say it!" Densey growled.
"No!!"
"Clyne, make up your mind," Sealen begged, wailing in her anguish.
Densey struck Clyne and Ledrey grabbed her by her long, flyaway hair. Rotch held her and Densey and Ledrey began to hit out at her violently. Drayven grew further ashen but stood stock still. Like one in a dead trance, he grappled with warring emotions.
"No...you can't force me! You think you'll win, but you're wrong!" Clyne screamed in pain. At her screams, Drayven's hackles rose; the trance was broken.
"Let her go or by God, you'll answer to me!" Drayven roared.
Densey and Ledrey flinched; Rotch relaxed his hold on Clyne.
Then, turning to Clyne, Drayven murmured,
"Clyne, finish it."