Welcome to Snippet Sunday on Darkling Dreams!

Where writers come together to share a few sentences (8-10) of their current project — whether it’s a recently released novel, a WIP (work in progress), or an older manuscript that’s being revived. Intended to hook readers, gather feedback and build an author’s fan base, Snippet Sunday is the FB group that does all three.

I am going to continue on with the first book in the Dark Heir Chronicles yet, Fated to Darkness yet. I’m just going to keep rolling with it up through April for Camp NaNo and then switch to something different in May. I know, that’s a lot of Fated to Darkness snippets, but this series is my baby.

Previously on Sunday Snippets: Four year old Heather had been kidnapped from her home by a woman clad in black and whisked off to another realm where she found her kidnapper wanted her to be her Heir. But not just any Heir. After being locked up and put through a ritual that has changed her and her life forever — though she does not yet know it — she has found herself in a small bare essential room with a tiny bathroom, and her new mentor has instructed her to clean herself up and be ready in ten minutes. Having talked of what Ciara finally wants of her, she has now gone through three trying lessons under her mentor’s thumb, and has since passed out.

I’m skipping ahead another ten pages or so from last week’s snippet. Heather is now conscious once more, though very weak, and Ciara had come once more to retrieve her from her locked room. For the first time, Ciara is starting to explain what she wants of Heather as her Heir. In this scene, Ciara has seen an opportunity to break Heather down a little more when she noticed the child almost seeking approval and lapse of punishment for doing something right, and she takes the chance to belittle her, but the tables are about to start turning…

(Some sentences may have been creatively edited and punctuated to try to fit the ten sentence limit. I’m over, again. Can we just agree that my snippets will always be a little longer but not too long?)

–*–

“I prefer disappointed,” she spat. Her voice turned cold and unforgiving, making Heather shrink back much to Ciara’s pleasure. “What you accomplished last night was merely nothing in comparison to that which you should be able to do. It was disgraceful and disgusting to be so weak. Failure and giving up is not an option under this reign, Heir. You should learn that well, and soon. I will not tolerate this weakness and sniveling cowardice.”

A slight whimper left Heather’s lips and she shrank back even more. She thought she had earned praise when Ciara didn’t immediately punish her coming into the room just a little bit ago to find her awake. She had done something right, hadn’t she?

“Furthermore,” Ciara continued, driving the knife in even further with her harsh words. “With the magic that thrums through you, you should have lasted much longer. I do not make my Heir weak in comparison to my standards. You had the strength, use it.”

“But I don’t!” Heather suddenly yelled, stamping her foot on the ground indignantly. She didn’t know where her outburst suddenly came from, but she felt an unknown anger light in her. She had done everything the woman wanted, what more could she possibly want from her?

“What was that?”

“I not have the strength! I a child!”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously at Heather. “You are no child no more.”

“I am!”

“No Heir of mine shall be a defying brat or child who whines and complains. Enough!”

“I want to go home!” Her bright green eyes, though dulled from exhaustion, suddenly flashed darkly, the color deepening a little for a split second.

Ciara was up in a flash at her outbursts. Before Heather could even react, the Dark One had her hand gripped around Heather’s little neck, squeezing painfully, lifting her of the ground a little as well. She was right in her face, her nose mere centimeters from grazing against Heather’s.

“This is your home now, Heir. Reside yourself to that fact,” she snapped at a whisper-hiss. Her dark voice slithered between them like a snake, dripping with venom in how evil it had taken in tone. “It is time you grew up and out of those pathetic mortal values and teachings. There is no room for a sniveling brat within my reign. You will grow up. You will get over these foolish notions of going home to a place you no longer belong.“

Heather felt like something had cracked in her. No longer belonged? But… They were family. She belonged with family, not with this woman. This… This kidnapper. Why was she even listening to her?

She should be trying to run.

She should be trying to fight.

“Let go! I want mommy! I want go home!”

Ciara was getting furious. Her grip tightened on Heather’s neck even as the small child tried to squirm away. What had suddenly made her get so angry and defensive? What made her have the guts to try to stand up now of all times?

It was an act of defiance of course, of disobedience. An act Ciara would make sure she paid for, but first she needed to know what was going through the child’s head in order to use it and mold her away from whatever rebellious and unafraid streak she just surmounted to.

–*–

And it was the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Well, sort of… I know everyone is waiting for Ciara to get hers and for Heather to kick her ass.

This story is not yet on Wattpad because it is my baby that I hope to publish one day, and if no one will publish me, I am self publishing. But it’s also not on Wattpad because it’s in first draft phases yet. So there will be no “if you wish to read more…”

However! If you wish to read anything else that I do have finished, you can hop on over to  my profile on Wattpad and check out what I have to offer. I love to hear any and all feedback on my work as well. Comments are greatly appreciated, as are the reads.

And if you’re looking for some other great snippets of fellow authors,
hop on over to Facebook and check out Snippet Sunday!