Lindsey Sablowski: Happy Valentine's Day -here's the teaser!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day -here's the teaser!

Valentine's Day Teaser!

Falling in love... They say falling in love can tear a person down to flesh and bone. I never imagined being that woman who fell so easily for one man, but I could not have been more wrong. From the first day I met him I could feel the connection. My body would tense up when he drew close to me, and my heart felt like it could pound straight out of my chest. However, he never took advantage of how quickly I'd agree to stand by his side or join along for a mission. Even if I had wanted him to notice his expectations were set much higher; his eyes wondered among other women, and I was nothing more but another in the crowd. We were like fish in an ocean; millions to choose from, but only one could truly win his heart.

"I could never fall in love with your devilish smile," I would tell him, but alas he was too busy and too content to notice that I had indeed done the act I swore I never word. I fell in love with him, and it actually hurt my heart. It ached every day to watch him walk away never knowing what was in my heart, watching him amused by other women without ever knowing the words I had to say. Secretly, though, I was always planning the perfect moment to say those three precious words. My mother had taught me to never speak them unless I meant it with my full heart, but I was more certain than ever that the feelings I had for him were true.

***

It is completely dark in the room, and the only comfort I hold onto is knowing that Leal is present in the room. His breaths were heavy and quick, but oddly enough I find it comforting. It is the first time we are entirely alone, the first time I have him to myself and yet the timing is all wrong. If nothing else he will be furious with what I have done, and I know that my crime has indented its mark forever in our relationship. Even in the darkness, though, I continue to think about the connection we share. I hold onto every moment that we have shared, and a part of me remains hopeful that we can make it out of this un-scarred.

"Can you feel anything? he asks, though his voice sounds muffled.

The air has become stale, and I choke on what little oxygen we have and mutter, "Emptiness."

It is not the answer he is expecting nor one he will know how to reply to. I imagine he is feeling a different kind of emptiness toward me, and it is only a matter of time before he expresses his emotions. After all of the time we have spent together I feel like I know him better than anyone else in my life. He is the dearest person to me, but this time I risk losing him all because of a decision I made.

"Did someone force you?" he begins to shout, and he hits me with questions I had not even considered myself. There is rage in his voice like he's ready to explode, and I fear that the remaining magic in the house is starting to affect him. No matter how I try to calm him nothing seems to work, but then silence falls again and I try something different. I say something I have never told him before, and I am shocked to hear them escape from the safety of my lips.

"I love you," I say. A wave of relief rushes over me, and those three words make the darkness seem much less threatening. Nothing can harm us now, and even though he is silent I begin to convince myself that we are only bruised from all of this and will be able to walk away together.

After choking he speaks up at last and replies, "Are you okay? I thought I was dying and didn't hear what you were saying."

The world comes crashing down on me. My mother's warnings from when I was a young girl ring in my mind; her voice echoes through my head, taunting me that she had been right. I remain where I am curled up, and I feel naked and fully exposed. The darkness is surreal; it surrounds me even more now, and I cannot bear another minute of this torture. All I want is to escape, but I know that this is the price I must pay. Who could have blamed Leal? Any other man would have acted the same way. Regardless of my feelings, the cold truth was spread out throughout the entire life. I had betrayed Leal in a way no magician should to their partner.

***

Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday! This teaser is based off of events from Punished With Destiny, but I purposely left the narrator a secret. Looks like you'll have to wait for the release of the book to find out who it is. Obviously it's not Leal, but I thought a change in narration would be a fun challenge, and though the dialog is directly from the book, I did enjoy writing from someone else's point of view.

And as promised, before I go I'll leave you with a picture of Alaire. I think there has been a picture before where I edited it to have flames in the background, and the main reason I like this is because it's very symbolic of the first introduction we have to Alaire in Cursed With Power -the burning church scene. (I do not own the photo, so credit is given to its proper owner).