Snippet Saturday: The Male Protagonist
Morning Loverlies,
Yes, it's that time again! Snippet Saturday! Which is hosted by the absolutely and totally kick sass Lauren Dane. (Thanks Lauren! You rock. Seriously, she does!) Today's theme is the "The Male Protagonist ".
The Male Protags come in more flavors than ice cream and there's one for everyone. I personally love alphas. Good, evil, in between, I absolutely adore and alpha. And while I love my alphas equally, Lord Ignius Sebastian holds a special place in my heart. He's one patient man. Imagine holding a grudge for centuries and plotting your perfect revenge. That's what Ignius did in Reign of Pleasure. So allow me to introduce Lord Ignius Sebastian who is also known as Lord Death….
Reign of Please, which is available now and can be found at Elloracave.com. Click on Snippet Saturday and Reign of Pleasure next to FILED UNDER and you'll find many more delicious excerpts! Enjoy! And make sure to stop by and visit the other Saturday Snippet Authors.
Lord Ignius Sebastian? The name sounded familiar…
I turned to face Consilium Claris again, who looked at me expectantly. As if I
should know the man who brought the charges against me.
I shrugged. I didn't but I'd find out soon enough.
Consilium Claris shook his head in pity. I didn't know. "Guards, please show Lord Sebastian in."
The crowd in the assembly chamber, which had been relatively silent throughout the proceedings, murmured again among themselves. Most of what they said was too low for me to catch.
Just as someone whispered the words, "Death comes," a shadow fell over the entrance to the council and it was then I remembered where I had heard the name Lord Sebastian. And I remembered his attempt to court me before I married Soren.
Lord Sebastian had taken it as a personal insult that I had chosen a human over him, but that had been no concern of mine. I had loved my husband and that was why I had married him. But even if I hadn't, if the choice had been between him and Lord Sebastian, who probably made the very hounds of hell nervous, I would have chosen Soren.
Lord Ignius Sebastian had been huge and intimidating then. Nothing had changed about him. Panic, fear and that peculiar heat suffused my body as I watched him duck his head in order to pass through the doorway into the room. He was dressed in all black and wore leather pants that molded over his long legs and thighs.
He didn't bother pretending to be a gentleman in formal court wear but dressed as the warrior he was. A bone and steel breastplate covered his massive chest while leaving his shoulders and neck bare. Were they human bones? Nausea made my stomach bubble. Even if some of the inhabitants of Ether didn't care for lesser beings, it was still barbaric to use them as accessories.
No wonder he had to duck to get through the room. A fire-scorched metal helmet covered his head. Two thick ebony horns twisted up the sides and ended on knife-sharp tips, adding a foot to his already impossible height.
Wind seemed to follow him—or maybe it was the tangible fear of the room's occupants that stirred his hair. Blue-black, it fell in a wave down his back to his waist.
Those gathered nearest the door sidled away from him like stirred-up prey. He didn't acknowledge them, just walked farther into the room, his gaze never leaving mine. I reminded myself I was his queen now, not the girl he had once intimidated, but the look in his eyes told me who he was and what he was capable of.
He removed his helmet and tucked it under one massive arm. I used the movement as an excuse to end our staring contest and drop my gaze. I scoffed silently. In order for something to be a contest, didn't there have to be two contestants?
"Lord Death," some brave soul dared to whisper. He had come by the name honestly. He'd been to hell and back, literally, escorting the spirits of the most dangerous supernaturals and other lesser beings to the gates of Abyssus. He was the only one of our world who had seen hell and not only lived to speak of it but—if the rumors were true—moonlighted as one of Hades' highest-ranking commanders and had a vacation home there.
He had once been my father's general and a warrior without peer. Campaigns had been won just by him doing nothing more than showing up on the battlefield but he had "retired" when his suit for my hand was rejected.
I had mistaken his quiet acceptance of my rejection. Had he waited this long for revenge?
Spots appeared before my eyes, blurring my vision. Heat rolled through the room in waves, stealing the oxygen. I struggled to breathe, but couldn't seem to draw air into my lungs fast enough.
I was good as dead.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Snippet! You can read more Snippets below.
Delilah Devlin
Eliza Gayle
Helen Kay Dimon
Jody Wallace
Lauren Dane
Leah Braemel
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
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