Excerpt
“You’re here.” I wasn’t sure whether it
was for my comfort or his, but I was relieved nonetheless.
Yesss. I heard it directly in my ear. I
smelled fire on him. Leaves, earth, and flames. Alwaysss.
A breeze wafted through my hair,
tickling my shoulder. His presence calmed me, and I felt like for the first
time all day, I wasn’t holding my breath. I wasn’t waiting to hear or see him.
I wasn’t constantly anticipating when and in what way Six would appear because
he didn’t need to. He was with me as much as any other vital organ.
In the span of one summer, I had gone
from hearing his disembodied voice and believing I had lost my mind to
accepting that all of it was true. Now when I thought of us together, it made
no sense how we had ever been apart. Why I would try to push him away, defy
some ancient law of nature?
“Can you come closer?” I whispered,
staring straight ahead, out the window. “I won’t look.”
I sat on the edge of my bed and it
wasn’t long before I felt the mattress sink in on either side of me.
A soft breeze moved the curtain. A car
drove down the street.
I kept my promise and didn’t direct my
gaze anywhere but the sky outside my window. I could feel him parting my hair,
strands swaying on their own until I felt his mouth against the back of my neck
again. From the corner of my eye, I watched the shadows grow into lengths of
multiple arms that pulled me toward him, completely supporting my weight.
I am right here, my love.
Bands of scales wrapped around my
middle, draped themselves over each thigh. Little by little, my head inched
upward so all I could see was the pink canopy above my bed. I felt the trace of
claw marks just beneath my chin, the strong hand around my throat.
Are you pleased with your gifts, little
one?
I nodded against him, surprised even
now at how solid he felt behind me. “Thank you, Six.”
I have so much more to give you, he
cooed.
Before I could stop anything, I fell
backwards, into a stain shaped like him. Legs splayed open, my arms were also
restrained above my head, but he surrounded me at the same time. The darkness
was weighted, warm. I wasn’t afraid to let it creep across my field of vision and
obscure everything in sight.
So many ways I could please you, my
flower. My lace of light.
Warmth traveled up my back, throughout
my chest and down into my belly. His tone left no question as to what he might
mean, so I decided to feed into it.
“Show me, then.”
It came out more of a challenge than
I’d intended, but I liked how it sounded.
An echo of whispers met me and I realized it was laughter. Always demanding your proof.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Nikki Rae . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I’d say it’s dark and spicy with plenty of romance, but at their heart, my books are about something deeper like finding your chosen family, overcoming generational trauma, etc.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
It’s probably a decent mix of both. I remember making up stories when I was a kid, so it seemed natural for me to write them down as I got older. Now that I consider it part of my job, there are times that I have to schedule writing time or where I get stuck, but that often just means it’s time for a break, and I’m good to go once I’m back.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
I don’t really have a particular routine other than I need some kind of candle burning. Depending on what I’m working on, I need a certain show or podcast on in the background, and I usually write the majority of my things in the dark/with mood lighting.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
I’m constantly working a new character, but my favorite is a character from a cyborg/scifi romance that I’m thinking about publishing one day.
If you could have dinner/dinner party with 7 fictional character, who would they be?
- Gregor from Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis (insect form preferred)
- Louis from Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire (because he’s a sad boy who needs an invite, even if I know he probably won’t come)
- Tyrion Lannister from A Game of Thrones (for obvious reasons)
- Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle (because he’s one of my all-time favorite characters & I kind of think he’d get along with Gregor & Louis)
- Coraline Jones from Coraline (because she’d probably keep the conversation going)
- Matilda Wormwood from Matilda (because her and Coraline would be fast friends)
- Marius, Odette, and Fawn & Elliot Lyon from my own The Order Series (Because they’re one of my fave found families).—I know that technically counts as four, but I’d bump them up on the guest list if they RSVPed first. ;)Thank you Nikki Rae for joining and giving a little insight to you and your process. Your work is appreciated.
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