Flash Fiction Friday:

Flash Fiction Friday:

Prompt: The Devil You Forgot.

@flashfictionfridayofficial, @lassiesandiego, @writernopal, @lyutenw, @rickie-the-storyteller, @writeblrcafe

Snippet from my Gothic Victorian Fantasy WIP - Enchanted Illusions.

“The Devil You Forgot:”

The trio was surrounded, in that decrepit old mansion’s library, there was little place to hide, much less, from this man. Silas Holloway, the most powerful vampire lord currently living - the first to strike down his Maker in order to ascend into power, and he was out for blood of the heir to the Van Sterlling family. 

The night was eerily silent, almost artificially cold. Silently, Clarence looked for a way out, though from chosen every path, a new vampire seemed to emerge from the shadows just before they could walk any further. Behind him, Evangeline grabbed a book from a shelf, as if it would be any good against a mob of vampires, and Thaddeus reached for his gun, knowing the lead bullets would just bounce off of any of his targets. They crouched together behind a sturdy bookshelf, careful not to make a sound as they watched shadows flicker on the faint moonlight from across the other aisles, and the creaking floors gave away their enemies approach. There was no way out. 

“You know, your father tried to do this too, a few centuries ago” A sharp, male voice echoed throughout the vast room, as if all around them. A strangled noise of fear left Clarence’s throat, but he quickly silenced himself with a hand over his mouth. Evangeline placed an arm around his shoulder as the man continued. “Thought he could escape me. He was smart, very smart. Quite a lot like you - even managed to betray me and escape unharmed.” A chuckle echoed across the dark room, and Clarence struggled not to hyperventilate, knowing it would only give away their compromised hiding spot. Thaddeus all but growled, gripping his pistol harder as he tried to see where the older vampire was talking from. “Of course, I found him, eventually. But I couldn’t catch him, and he slipped right through my fingers once more.” The man’s voice reeked with hatred behind his sarcastic facade “I would have tore this earth apart to bring that traitor to justice, but then I realized how kind the Makers can be, as he left me something far more valuable than his life, the one thing that he loved more than spiting my line of work” Silas paused, and the trio realized, with a pang, where the vampire had been standing. “A son.”

That word cut like a thousand blades as the other vampire towered over them. 

At the same moment, all of the other vampires emerged from the shadows, forming a circle behind Silas and crushing any hopes of escape under the soles of their boots. In the darkness of the library, Silas’ cruel smile shone a sickly white glow. Clarence stands on shaky feet, trying to stare down the vampire and defend the last bit of honor his House has. But all that he can do is look fearfully ahead, his eyes not nearly as unmoved as he would’ve liked. He notices Thaddeus moving his pistol upwards from the corner of his eyes, and swiftly catches his friend’s arm with one hand. That’s just going to make things worse, he shakes his head quickly, never once looking away from Silas. With less confidence than he would have liked, he steps forward, placing himself so that the weight of the Vampire Lord’s wrath falls solely on him, and not in his human friends. 

“What do you want with me?” Clarence asks, voice far shakier than he would have liked. He stiffles a wince when Silas chuckles, a cruel sound. To his terror, Clarence suddenly becomes aware of the distinct, horrid smell of silver. 

“To collect what I am owed” Silas says through gritted teeth, and before any of the three can say anything, he has a hand to the young vampire’s throat, keeping him from running and lifting him off the ground. A silver ring sizzles his way into the younger vampire’s skin in an agonizing burn, but the Vampire Lord just laughs, unmoved even though the silver ring is upon his own skin. Behind them, his allies move to restrain the two humans, who had tried to defend their friend valiantly. Silas smirks as Clarence uselessly tries to thrash his way out of his grip, bringing him closer and lowering his voice. “After all, your father seems to have well forgotten that the price of treason is blood.”

CALL FOR BETA READERS

hello! do you like

an all queer cast of found family

traumatic backstories

cozy fantasy romance

devoted bodyguards

pretty men and mean women

fun magic, potions, and curses

love squares

then you'll love my upcoming novel, THE RED KING'S MYSTICAL SUITORS. I am making a call for beta readers now.

What is the book about?

It is a fantasy novel romcom. Here is the summary:

King Randall III has everything one could want. power, charm, beauty, and enough diplomatic wit to earn him the nickname 'Emperor of the Continent.' The one thing he's lacking is a husband.

When Randall's sister invites men far and wide to woo him, only three make the cut: a noble sorcerer, a royal alchemist, and a mysterious easterner who reveals nothing of himself other than a name. A fourth lingers in the shadows, dreaming of the chance he's been too afraid to take for four years.

Each of them is hiding a secret, including King Randall himself, who falls victim to a beastly curse when night falls. As pasts are revealed, relationships formed, one thing becomes clear: no one will leave the Red King's court the same they entered.

What kind of feedback are you looking for?

I have a short list of questions for beta readers to answer, which will be provided along with the book document.

if you're interested, instructions are below the cut, as well as content warnings. boosts appreciated.

content warnings for THE RED KING'S MYSTICAL SUITORS are mentions of kidnapping, enslavement, as well as blood, injury, and alcohol. the book is about 80k, or 270 pages.

email lilamarybooks@gmail.com if interested. Would prefer if readers completed the book and answered the questions after a week or so--fine if not, just the faster the better. i'm looking for about five people.

RED KING TAGLIST:

@transmasc-wizard @synthesizer-dyke @magic-is-something-we-create @tc-doherty @softbroiled-doomdesire @somealienquill @sagasofazeria @super-writer-gal @ren-c-leyn @crazy-like-us @ashen-crest @shrunkupthejams @themundanemudperson @sarahlizziewrites @faithfire @hungryslothwrites

GENERAL TAGLIST: @worldbuildng @muddshadow @nikkywrites @47crayons @directionoftime @myhusbandsasemni

I love you fanfic writers I love you original fiction writers I love you nonfiction writers! I love you writers who share your work and writers who never share a single thing. I love you published writers! Traditionally published writers! Self-published writers! Writers who never plan to publish! Writers who write for fun and writers who write for work and writers who write sometimes only when they feel like it! Song writers! Poem writers! Screenplay writers! Writers! How amazing it is, to be able to turn our thoughts into written words.

kinda, lol. Evie is a unwitting detective cause she wants to uncover a family mystery and like, survive, but she initially is doing it with the Force of Improvisation tm, though she gets better (like her father, the best detective in the world and her mother, an adventurous magic archeologist), Clarence isn’t much of a “fatale” in any sense, he is barely figuring out like, “How to Human” after growing up sheltered in the vampire world, but beneath his awkwardness is a very sophisticated, witty guy, so we can say that the title can works, a bit lol

(WIP - Enchanted Illusions, Gothic Victorian Fantasy)

a girl who is a noir detective man and a guy who is a femme fatale

Get to Know My OC Tag Game:

Thank you for tagging me @rickie-the-storyteller!

(Disclaimer: I may have to adapt some of the original questions to fit the context, as the story takes place in a medieval-esque fantasy setting, and will add some questions that I’d like my character to answer that may explain some other things about them. Also, I wasn’t comfortable enough - for some unexplained reason - to use 1st person words for the Interviewer - such as me or I - and so the Interviewer is in a generic 2nd person POV)

[The following character (and the ones that will follow in other posts like this) belongs to my Medieval Dark Fantasy WIP, The Last Wrath. The picture is just a face claim found on pinterest, as I haven’t had time to make character art for the entire cast of my book, and said picture belongs to its respectful owners.]

Let us begin!

A door opens, and 16, soon to be 17, year old Raelen Ashiren strides in. She bears a reckless smile on her face, and her steps are carefree and confident as she walks closer, grasping your hand in a firm hand shake. Her smile is a litle crooked, you notice, and just as wild as her heart. She is an unusual kid of pretty, messy long brown hair carelessly pushed away from her face in thin braids, and warm skin that bears a few small scars. Her clothes are loose and simple, designed for practicality while retaining that unmistakable burst of personality that permeates everything about her presence, a starry purple scarf giving her attire a dash of color. You can’t help but notice that while her clothes are simple and clearly worn by her frequent adventuring, they are not in a bad shape either. 

Her voice is fast and joyfully loud, but her words carry a strong sense of warmth and honesty. You can see clearly in her bright eyes every emotions that she is feeling, and like an open book they tell you a story of someone who is brave and wild, but at the same time full of joy... with a touch of something else you can’t quite place. She takes a seat in front of you, awaiting eagerly for the questions you may be inclined to ask.

1) Are you named after anyone?

Raelen: Yes, I am. Heh, I um, was named after my paternal grandmother, though her name was a bit different from mine. She was called Raellyn, and my parents adapted the name to Raelen for me, I guess it was so as to avoid confusion between the names... She was a great warrior, and the pride of House Eiriant during the years she lived - I think my Da wanted her legacy to live on somehow after I was born, even if just in her name, so ... here I am, Raelen. (Cue a laugh and little jazz hands as she finishes her answer)

2) When was the last time you cried? 

Raelen: Well, isn’t that a loaded question, (she chuckles awkwardly, bringing her hand up to fiddle with her necklace), one that I’d rather not answer...(she quietly adds, before begrudgingly sighing)... But I guess, if you really want to know, it was when my older brother Julyan was captured by a bunch of assassins... and I couldn’t do anything about it.  I’m still looking for him, and I don’t know if we’ll find him anytime soon. (her lip wobbles a bit as she looks up towards you) Can we move on to another um... topic now? 

Interviewer (you): Oh, my... um, I wasn’t expecting that, I’m so sorry... (you/the interviewer plaster their best smile on their face, trying to smooth things over) Of course, let’s move on!

Raelen: (her breathing sags a bit in relief and she smiles back at you) Thanks.

3) Do you have kids?

Raelen: What the hell? (She mutters awkardly in a laugh) Of course not, like, I’m barely not a child myself, and I don’t think I want another person to worry about in a world like mine, at least not in the foreseeable future and until I am an adult and have everything figured out. Even if I was not living on the run or there wasn’t a war between the realms about to happen, that would probably still be my answer. (She runs a hand through her hair, chuckling a bit and leaning forwards towards you, as if sharing a secret). With an adoptive brother like Azra flying around on a dragon, I’ve got my work cut out for me right now... (Suddenly she becomes pensive) I can’t imagine how Julyan handled it, like, caring for me and Azra when he was just a kid himself after our parents... you know. I don’t think I would have been able to do that so well even now... (After a pause she taps her hands on her knees, smiling once again.) Either way, circling back to your question, no, I don’t have kids nor plan to have them any time soon.

4) Do you use sarcasm?

Raelen: (smiling with a hint of laughter) Only every day! I’m trying to cut down a bit on it, that seems like a habit that is cut out to get me into more trouble than I already am, heh. But with the company I keep, I’m surprised I’m not more sarcastic or swearing like a sailor, because let me tell you, my friends can be either brilliant or the stupidest people I have ever met and there’s no in between. There are days where they are really testing my patience and I love them for it. (She laughs) I guess sarcasm runs in the family, but I try my best to be um ... politer.

5) What's the first thing you notice about people?

Raelen: Um, I guess I’m kind of good at telling when people are lying to me or have ill intentions. Everyone has a tell, though some may be harder to understand than others. I think it rather comes as a necessity when you live in Agrannor, but I’ve met some people that can prove that thought otherwise in a second (She pointedly stares at Vallerius). Also, personality wise, I am also quick to notice the little quirks and expressions, the small characterictics that tell us what they are really feeling even if their words won’t. But all of this only applies to when I am in a good or focused mood, because if I’m scared or angry the deal is totally off and I may or may not be really bad at those things I just said under those circumtances, heh.

6) What's your eye colour?

Raelen: Hazel green. At least, I think that’s what I think it is. Oh, and they only change color a small bit when I use my magic, which is something I don’t know what to make of. I’m still practicing, Vall’s teaching me more about magic, so I hope I can get those cool colorful eyes in the future, (she geeks out a bit) though I guess mine are already pretty sweet. 

7) Any special talents?

Raelen: I’m Mageborn, which means that I was born with magic in my blood, unlike a regular human. So I can cast spells and change things in the world around me with them. My family is pretty ancient, especially my Mom’s side of the family - House Ashiren, hence the surname - and we’ve been mages since before the Ancient War. (She twirls her necklace in her hands, thinking, and a small smile appears in her face) When I was a kid - after our parents disappeared and it was just me and Julyan - we didn’t have much other than our own company, so Julyan used to tell me all those tales about our ancestors, to make me feel better - powerful warriors and mages fighting to rid the kingdoms of the scourge of the Secret Court (Raelen raises her arms a bit, enthusiastically, like one would telling a heroic tale) - and I used to dream of becoming a hero, like they had been... So, as far as special talents can go, I think I have them - I can do magic, I am a mage after all, though I wish I could be better at it. I’ve been improving a lot recently, ever since Valleriusand I started practicing together!  Though I think I may never be as strong in the magical arts as Julyan is - I’ve always been more like my Da after all, Julyan’s far more like our Mom than he’d admit, and that includes being extremely talented with fire magic. Other than the magical side of my um, “talents”, I’m a ... good  swordfighter, I guess, and I’m kinda good with daggers. I can defend myself pretty well, but that’s about it. (She laughs heartedly) I can’t shoot an arrow to save my life though. Other than that, my real  passions lie on investigating forgotten things about old magic and adventuring! Does that count as a talent? I think it doesn’t, but does it count?

Interviewer (you): Uh... I don’t know, maybe?

Raelen: (smiling) Great! Because I’m a pretty good adventurer then, heh, though most people around me prefer to call me a troublemaker for some reason... (she says, a sarcastic lilt to her voice) I guess it does have a good ring to it, though adventurer sounds far more... heroic. I’m still workshopping that one, but adventurer sounds much cooler than troublemaker. 

8) Scary tales or happy endings?

Raelen: Uh, life in the continent is already one scary tale and a half on my opinion, I mean, you have wars in one hand, intrigue in another, a bunch of crazy corrupted sorcerers wanting to rewrite the word in blood and everything that twisted magic entails, such as the Shroud around the forests back home. So, if I have to choose which story I want to tell or hear around the fire, I definitely  would go with one that ends at least remotely happy. The heroic ones are my favorites, if you can’t already tell. I think that hope is a important skill to have in any situation, especially in dangerous ones, so a story that is inspiring to some extent or at the very least tells us something interesting, is definitely better than a terrifying one. But I maybe got a bit too caried away here (she chuckles)....

9) Where were you born?

Raelen: I was born in my family’s ancient estate near the Forests of Midtaren, during the Agrannorian Civil War. A while later, when I was around like maybe four or five, our parents went in a strange mission and never returned. Julyan and I had to move to the Kingdom of Kestrall  all by ourselves, where our godmother is High General and had made a promise to our father that she would protect us if the worst came to pass. The journey to get there however.. um, is something I’d rather forget and never talk about again...

10) What are your hobbies?

Raelen: Running in the forests around Kestrall, sparring, sneaking into the Dragon’s Spire with Gareth - he’s my best friend by the way (she smiles)- and seeing all the new dragons that the Riders are training, talking, annoying the guards, watching Julyan make runic weapons, stealing old books from the Royal Archives -

Interviewer (you): Woah, woah... Wait a second, that’s already a whole lot but... stealing?

Raelen: (Laughs sheepishly) Um, kinda...? Look, its not really stealing, its complicated... the Archives are open to the public, but I got banned from ever entering those halls again because I spoke against that shithead of the Captain of the Guard (She says the title mockingly), after he, um... hurt my brother (She looks clearly uncomfortable/scared at the memory, before she clasps her hands together). Anyways... so there’s that, and now I kind of had to sneak away the books and tomes that I want, though I can’t do it anymore because I’m currently living on the run across the continent. (She chuckles and lifts her eyebrows sarcastically). Listen, if it makes you feel better, Julyan and Azra told me not to sneak into the Archives... at least for the first 10 times. 

Interviewer (you): (clearly concerned, muttering to yourself) That’s so much worse though... (The Interviewer/You clear your throat)... Anyways, let us move forward...

11) Do you have any pets?

Raelen: I wouldn’t call Mystral that heh... She’s this dragon that we’ve got that like, is following us around ever since we uh - snuck her away from the Dragon Spire to escape a bunch of assassins and Azra crash landed us gloriously in the forest. (She giggles, then catches Azra staring daggers at her and answers by making a face at him). Gods, we’d better hope she didn’t hear us calling her a pet... because according to Vallerius’ translations of what she is thinking, she’s uh... (she then begins talking with a mock majestic voice) “The Tamer of Storms and the Scourge of the Earth, cower before me ye mortals” or something along those lines. (Raelen leans closer, whispering to you with a smirk)...But she does look and act like a cat, so I can’t really take her seriously and neither should you. She insists that she needs mittens for the winter, even though she generates enough heat to light up ten forges and has claws the size of a broadsword, and claims that its a disgrace that were not taking such “an important request” seriously in the middle of a war - though now that I think of it, that might just be Vallerius screwing us over with his shitty half-assed translations of Old Dragon Speech. (She narrows her eyes towards the long haired boy across the room, who pointed avoids her gaze).

12) What sports do you play/have played?

Raelen: Look, this isn’t really a sport, but I’ve sparred against some of the older Dragon Knights in a swordfigthing tourney of winter’s solstice Festival a few years ago, and did a pretty great job at it, I think. That is, before a stray spear knocked me on the helmet and left me unconscious for like, two hours. Teiva - that’s the General, our godmother - thought it was funny and seemed impressed, while Julyan nearly had a heart attack and the lecture that followed made me wish I was still asleep. But the food at the festival was good! So there’s that.

13) How tall are you?

Raelen: I don’t know exactly, but average height, maybe? Sometimes I think I am a bit taller than other kids my age, but that may be because Azra and Gareth are little ankle-biters, (she turns around as Azra prostests in the background, a smirk on her face as she sarcastically calls out). I think you’re proving my point, huh?

Interviewer (you): (The Interviewer/You smile as they start to bicker and nudge Raelen on the shoulder to catch her attention) This was one heck of a wild ride, Raelen! I hope you figure things out in your life again, and that you’ll find your brother soon. Thank you for coming to my interview!  

Raelen: This was a really fun experience! Thanks for having me, I really got to go though. Have like, an Empire to topple, a brother to save, a rebellion to help.. uh, anyways, a lot of things that I don’t want to burden you with... Bye! 

@lassiesandiego​ @writernopal​ @lyutenw​

Writing Prompt #2329

Merry festivals were a wonderful place to make mischief and cause all sorts of problems.