Guess what?!? It’s Wednesday! And that means Words! I’m amazed that I can come up with new words and string them together not only in sentences, but create paragraphs and thereby a complete snippet. I am fully in edit mode and REALLY close to the end of the first pass on MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION. I have to admit, I was really worried about it’s length but it’s looking like it will come out to about 120K words–or less. Less is more, me thinks. Anyway, new words, a snippet and a Thursday Threads snippet based on the prompt: *”To the left.”* For those of you who are Penumbra fans, today’s bit takes a peek at our favorite Fae, Ariel.

****
Druic crouched and pointed. “There. To the left.”

“I see it.” Ariel made no attempt to cloak his presence. It was bad enough Oberon had saddled him with this oaf, though he knew why.

The other man stared at him, his expression anticipatory. When Ari did nothing, he demanded,

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“What are you going to do about it?” Druic fairly hissed the words.

Ari almost smiled. Almost. “Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?” Druic’s face flooded with angry color.

“I mean exactly what it means. Nothing. Period.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not my job.”

His companion sneered. “Of course, m’lord. How could I forget. You are but the King’s Seducer.”

His frigid smile caused Druic to take an instinctual crab-step back. “And what do they call you, fair Druic?” Ariel settled his elbow on his knee and tapped his jaw with his right index finger as if it would help him think. “Ah, yes. They call you nothing.”

In one lithe move, Ari stood. “I have seen enough.” He turned on his heel and strode back into the forest.

Seconds later, Druic panted after him like a barely trained dog. “But—”

“But nothing, Druic. King Oberon ordered me to find and observe. I found. I observed.”

“Are you a coward? Why not kill it?”

Ari stared at the hand that gripped his forearm then very deliberately raised his gaze to meet the other’s. Druic pulled his hand back like it’d been burned.

“I told you. Not my job.”
****

There you have it. Yes, I haven’t forgotten about Ariel, who is probably due the next Penumbra book. And yes, I sort of have an idea about this scene because I have a sort of idea about Ariel’s story and his heroine. Beware of changelings… *bwahaha* So, writers, you have your mission should you wish to riff upon the prompt. Readers, want to take a guess as to what “it” is? 😉