Weekend Writing Warriors: Snippet 83- Elektra
It’s time for Weekend Writing Warriors! Every Sunday, a bunch of writers post 8-10-sentence snippets from their WIPs on their blogs. There’s a lot of reading, commenting and great writing. Click on the link to see the full list.
I’m deep into final revisions on Hammer of the Gods, and right now it feels like I will never be done. Nevertheless, I hold out hope that I can have it ready for a June release. So, I’ll start posting snippets from that, though they be spoilery. I’ll try to keep from giving away too much while offering tantalizing tidbits.
So, at the end of Valley of the Shadow, Braeden has kidnapped Teodora’s teenage daughter Elektra. He seeks revenge for something awful Teodora did (read Valley of the Shadow for details! Bring kleenexes!) and thinks decapitating her child might do the trick. Elektra has just realized what’s about to happen. Vica is the name of the goddess she worships and the League of Aeternos is a Jesuit-like order.
She breathed in great, ragged gasps, and tried to scramble to her feet, forgetting they were still tied together. She fell to the ground again, sharp rocks digging into her side.
“Better if you don’t make such a fuss,” Braeden said. “I promise to do it fast. The blade’s nice and sharp so I doubt you’ll feel a thing.”
“Vica will strike you down before you can harm me,” Elektra said, her voice quavering, not because she really believed it, but because she needed to hope for a miracle. She clenched her teeth, vowed not to cry, and reminded herself she was an archduchess, an acolyte of the League of Aeternos. She wouldn’t go to her death like a sniveling peasant.
Braeden laughed and said, “Surely you don’t believe that nonsense. Ah well, if it gives you comfort I suppose there’s little harm in it.”
Previous snippets are here.
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I like that spelling “Braeden” Good snippet, Made me curious. Intriguing dialogue.
Juneta @ Writer’s Gambit
Thank you! I love the name so much I had to give him a really convoluted backstory to make it fit in this world.
I love Elektra’s strength! I hope something does strike Braeden down. Great snippet! 🙂
Well, something will stop him, but it won’t be supernatural! 😀
Such a nice guy this — reassuring her the blade is nice and sharp.
He’s a sweetheart, even when he’s about to murder someone!
Wow! Intense scene, Christina. His twisted reassurances only add to it.
Thanks, Reesie!
Elektra is one brave lady! Great writing. 🙂
Thank you!
I love Elektra!
Excellent snippet Christina!
Thanks- I love her too!
I’ll kill you nicely!!! What a joke! Just a bad guy pretending to be nice. It’s good that she is so brave in front of him. I hope the miracle will really happen.
He’s actually a good guy pretending to be bad, but the pretense won’t hold for long. 😀
She’s holding up well, all things considered! Cracking good dialogue, Christina!
Thanks, Steven!
Elektra is a great addition to the cast. Braeden would never kill a defenseless girl. Would he??
I had so much fun writing her! Braeden is suffering from a temporary lapse in morality, but he’ll get over it eventually. 😀
Oho! The blade is sharp. Well that makes it all right then 🙂 Nice situation, and wondering how it will end.
Yes, very considerate of him!
“Better if you don’t make such a fuss” – ? It’s alright for him to talk. He isn’t being decapitated. Very dramatic.
Yes, it’s hard to do a good beheading when the victim is making a fuss. It’s all about him right now.
Better for him, maybe. What a piece of work. She’s right to hold her own. Great snippet.
Well, it only seems right that beheadings should be convenient for the executioner. 😀
Oh dear, I did’lt think Braeden would go THIS far! Tense moment, poor girl, excellent excerpt.
He’s in a bad state right now, and she happened to be in his path.
Gads! I certainly hope she’s right about Vica! Maybe Braeden will find out it’s not such nonsense after all! I don’t want him to do it. 🙂
She’s about to get an unexpected human ally. 😀
She’s so brave! I know you’re supposed to die well, but I don’t think I’d be that cool under such circumstances. I think something’s going to deter him though–Vica or some other force. At least I hope so!
Yes, I’d be a blubbering mess. It helps that his heart really isn’t in this. But she’ll have to talk fast!
Love the exchange between these two. Looking forward to seeing if her belief comes to fruition.
Thanks! It’s the start of an interesting journey for both of them.
Looks like their both having their mettle tested. Will he go through with it? I hope not for her sake!
Yes, it’s his lowest point, and the start of testing times for her.
This is a hard place to be!
Awesome dialogue and then her getting her back up at the end – great! Tweeted
Thank you! This girl keeps getting knocked down, but she always gets right back up.
She is holding up well. I would have expected hysterics. Have a feeling her god is not going to come thru for her…
Yes, hysterics would have been my response. She’s going to have to rely on herself to get out of this.
How does he know? Has he died that way? 😛 Honestly, I really hate bad guys who do stuff like this to make someone suffer. All they’re doing is adding to the innocent loss of life.
Good point! He’s actually a good guy who’s temporarily lost his way. He’ll be yanked back into line shortly. 😀
Wow! Great snippet filled with emotion and tension.
Thank you!
She is so scared and yet refusing to snivel or beg. Great snippet.
Oh geez, I remember this part… *pulls at hair* I need to read the next book!!
I love her bravery in the face of death and her refusal to lower herself to pleading. This snippet was so intense! Love it!
Strong heroine who I already like. Good snippet!
Thank you!
I feel bad for both of them, knowing what Braeden’s been through. This excerpt says a lot about both of them. I wonder if Braeden will be able to go through with it – but he’s so torn up after what happened, he just might. On the edge of my seat, Christina!!
Marcia
It’s hard to believe Braeden would intentionally do anything bad, but Teodora has a way of turning even saints into sinners. 🙂