Author: catstark

In thinking about this scene, and the issue with Anthony in general, I realized why (years later) he never figured out what was going on. And now for a slight re-write.

From Protector of the Grey House:

“If Natalia knows she is being tracked, she’ll stop the spy from following her without killing them. If she had known Wayne was there, she may have been able to throw him off her scent and save his life. She isn’t stupid, and her goal isn’t to kill those under my protection. You know what she has done for us; you’ve seen the Slayer items she’s brought us. Why do you continue to think she’s trying to betray us?”

Agitated, Anthony started to pace and gesture grandly. Vincent stood still to watch Anthony’s actions. “Because she stays human and hunts a vampire. What happens when she kills him? What will she do to us?”

I try and show in the trilogy that Natalia and Vincent care about each other but aren’t overly sappy. This is one scene in which there is tenderness.

From Protector of the Grey House:

“You never did tell me what you asked.” He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. He wished the act would wipe away the pain in her eyes.

Natalia gave him an impish smile, uncrossed her arms, and placed her hands on the counter. Her movement caused her robe to slip open. “I asked about the club, at first. Then I asked about you. My main concern was what kind of woman you were attracted to.”

“What did he tell you?” Vincent let business go for a moment, and closed the slight distance between them.

“That your women were usually strong in some way. Most could stand up for themselves with either words or weapons. It didn’t sound like any of them were as stubborn as I am.”

Vincent placed his hands on her waist, lifted her slightly and sat her on the counter. It was marble and well built. They had used it before. He nuzzled her neck, and wondered if he could take her blood, or if she had lost too much to Wayne. “None of the women I’ve loved have ever been as stubborn as you. Or as incredibly frustrating.”

From Protector of the Grey House:

Joseph and Mierka believed she had a right to fight and train as if she were her own army. She fought Slayers and had to watch her back for Edwin’s men, too. Edwin finally had his coronation, without the presence of Vincent and his men. He ignored them for the better part of a year, then had taken an interest in Vincent’s businesses again. It was all part of the plan. As long as Edwin was focused on the human aspect of Vincent’s world, he would not be interested in what Vincent’s vampires were doing.

“No word from your spies?” He aimed the question at Anthony’s reflection.

I like being able to work from home during winter. It’s safer for me and my car, and for most of humanity in snowy areas. But really, this pandemic needs to end.

From Protector of the Grey House:

Vincent was simply smiling; waiting for what he knew was coming.

After letting Morgan get close for about three minutes, but not actually letting him hit her, Natalia started to feel it. Her thoughts were being picked clean from her mind as Morgan learned her movements and gained confidence. Her tactical side took over as Morgan was allowed to attack her semi-successfully over and over again. Finally, her mind clear of scattered thoughts, she began to show him what she was really made of. Because she allowed him to win for a few minutes, he didn’t give up easily. The calculating warrior took over. She landed more and more blows, making them harder and fiercer and far more precise. Finally, her scattered mind completely consumed by battle adrenaline, she swept him off his feet, swung the staff to his neck and pressed hard against his throat.

“You can’t choke me, human.”

My birthday is in 18 days. My fiance got me a set of crochet hooks. I decided to try my hand at something different. We’ll see how it goes.

From Protector of the Grey House:

“I still don’t understand why you want this Vincent, but by the time you fall asleep, you will regret giving me control.”

He saw the look in her eye and understood her smile. He wondered, as she stood above him grinning, whether or not he had made the right decision. Until he realized, there was no decision in his actions, only desire. In the end, he didn’t regret one single action. She did get him to scream many, many times. Somehow, he managed not to change her.

Woke with a large headache… probably due to dehydration. Drink water folks. Lots of it.

From Protector of the Grey House:

Vincent’s speed increased as he walked to and up the stairs. He heard Joseph snicker but ignored his friend, and wondered what stage of undress Natalia would be in. He crossed his sitting room in less than a second, noticed her absence in the bedroom and went into the bathroom. She stood by the mirror, drying her hair. She was in her silk robe, and it was untied and open. Every part of his body wanted to grab her and possess her quickly. Except there was something they needed to take care of. He went to her slowly, pressed himself against her, and pulled the hair dryer out of her hand. He turned it off as he placed it on the counter.

The first word that came up today? ‘or’ That work shows up 129 times in this novel. I decided to go with a different word.

From Protector of the Grey House:

Vincent placed his hands on her waist, lifted her slightly and sat her on the counter. It was marble and well built. They had used it before. He nuzzled her neck, and wondered if he could take her blood, or if she had lost too much to Wayne. “None of the women I’ve loved have ever been as stubborn as you. Or as incredibly frustrating.”

Natalia’s mind stopped as his words seeped into her brain. It was the closest he had come to saying he loved her. She had never expected to hear it. Since her declaration two years ago, she hadn’t repeated her words. Had never felt it necessary. She closed her eyes. “Have any of the women you’ve loved been like me?”

This is from The Usual, which was published in Enter the Maze, my short story collection. Re-reading the passage, I feel it needs a re-write…

From The Usual:

“A case of frogs arrived in New York on day. When the case was delivered, all the frogs were dead. It was a huge crate. Four foot squared, maybe more. Filled with frogs. They were shipped by boat from Japan. They’re a type of frog that can change gender if needed. We think they did while on route. There was no food, no space for the frogs to move, but they found a way to procreate. There were tadpoles, all dead. The adults tried to eat each other. Most suffocated. It was nasty. We were called in because the delivery man was found with a bullet hole in his head right next to the crate.”

“Why is it unsolved? Sounds pretty cut and dry to me.”

Robert took a slow sip of beer. When he set it down, he twirled the glass on the bar, making the condensation circle bigger. “There was a bullet hole with no gun powder, no exit wound and no bullet. We couldn’t figure out how the hole got there, but it looked like a bullet. We never found the person who ordered the frogs. They used a fake name and used off shore accounts to pay the people in Japan. No leads. Dead case.”

Today, I woke up and exercised… yeah, that happened. 15 minutes on the treadmill. Haven’t used that in a while. I hope this becomes a trend.

From Protector of the Grey House:

Her aim was true, and the sword flew in between the demon’s legs, tripping it. She grabbed the sword off the floor where it landed and ran to the demon’s head. It was on its face but turned over and roared at her. There was no emotion on her face as she brought the sword up and slammed the sword into its eyes. It gave the same shriek as the first and slid apart. Natalia pulled her sword from the debris and turned back to the wolves. Rebecca was staring at her, her face a blank mask. Charlie and Doug were giving her odd looks. She sighed as she walked to them, knowing now who had leapt to her rescue.

From Protector of the Grey House:

Her hand went to her neck, where the marks were still evident. Her silver necklace had been pressed into her skin hard enough to pierce the skin in a few areas. She was grateful her necklace had not broken.

“How did you escape?” Mierka’s voice was almost too quiet to hear.

Natalia turned her head to look at the lady. She sighed heavily and continued. “The one who believed me gave me back my cell phone in secret. When I was sure they had all left the house, I used my cell phone to call the police.” She paused, an odd look in her eye. The youngest Slayer, Ashley, gave her back her cell and confirmed she believed Natalia. She shook her head and continued her story.