Siege of Shadows Excerpt

This little patch of white space is very intimidating.

I'm obliged to write something funny or witty, or maybe even life changing right here. But all that's swirling in my head is blank air. Just a gentle whoosh whoosh of nothing, as though an empty train is making a round or thirty three.

See, I'd like to be writing about my soldier, who's getting ready to meet a girl and fall in love. But the kids keep peeking over my shoulder, and I can hardly write a steamy love scene when they're spying on me with their quick little reader eyes.

I could always write the little flash fiction piece I'm due to post this Wednesday. But a story about life lessons just isn't forthcoming when all I can think about is how I need to progress my soldier into the next scene.

There's always a little ditty percolating about a vampire who's a certified sociopath. He could be fun to write. But this damn sinus headache is hindering my ability to craft scenes of mass bloodshed and violence. Instead, I'll write this blog post and tease your sights with the promised excerpt of Siege of Shadows.

Enjoy!

Siege of Shadows:

Landon grabbed me around the waist and pulled me against him. Tucking my hair behind my ear, a smile spread across his cheeks, making his dimples pop. "Do you ever dream about me, Billie?"

The simple question sucked the breath out of my lungs. "I….Not yet." Lies. He'll see your lying soul.

If he saw through my façade, he made no indication. "You will." Releasing me, he made his way to the front door. "See you tomorrow."

For several hours, I sat on my couch, watching mindless television until I finally drifted into sleep. A soft click had me rolling over on my couch to watch as a man slipped into my unlocked front door. Struggling to sit up, I found my limbs frozen. Terror swept across me as a he disappeared into the shadows.

My head snapped side-to-side, struggling to see in the flashing lights of the TV. When even the screen flipped off, my apartment was cast into darkness, save for the moonlight filtering into the room through my cracked blinds. Squirming under the invisible ropes, I gave a strangled choke when a hand shot over the edge of my couch and gripped my ankle. Using my legs as an anchor, the man pulled himself over, moving as a liquid shadow.

His fingers were long claws, raking across my jeans, tearing the fabric and skin underneath. Blood trickled down the side of my legs to meet the couch. He used my hips for leverage to yank the rest of his body onto mine, the claws latching into my side, leaving deep lacerations and drawing cries of pain from me.

Pulling each finger from my skin with a vicious tug, he ran his tongue along the wounds, moaning when my blood entered his mouth. I couldn't see his face in the darkness, couldn't see anything but the light that reflected off the monstrous talons as they reached out to latch into the tender skin along the sides of my breasts.

With a scream, I tried to writhe out from underneath him. But his heavy body held me in place by then, even if the invisible ropes weren't. Blinking, I brought half his face into focus and lost my breath to fear.

Landon's clear green eye stared at me unblinkingly, calculating and cruel, and he ran his tongue over the fangs hanging out of his mouth. He said nothing, just leaned close and flicked his tongue across my cheek, absorbing the salty tear that escaped my eye.

"Shh," he whispered, raising a long claw to wipe the tears away. "Don't cry, Billie. I don't want to hurt you." I stared at him, wide-eyed and terrified. "I'm going to keep you." Smiling, he tilted his head. "You'll be my greatest treasure."