It is the Friday before Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and a lot of things are happening. At last count I have three thanksgivings to prepare for which means I have to figure out something easy to bring for each since the twins aren’t likely to let me spend hours cooking.

The first draft for Firebird 6’s cover is due today. It might not arrive though since I got an email earlier this week detailing how swamped the designer is with commissions right now. Originally, the release was planned for the second week of December, but that’s coming up awful fast with all the things I still have to do. Any later in the month and I’ll have to seriously consider pushing the release until after January 1st.

Gus’s novella is coming along nicely. I’m five chapters deep. About 20,000 words. And halfway through an outline I keep adding scenes too. I can’t say how refreshing it is to see this world from another perspective.

I’m a fan of webnovels and serials so this is fun on several levels. Though a touch stressful since I know I won’t be able to go back and make sweeping changes once each section is live. Hence my attempt to work a little in advance.

On that note, I think a sample of Gus’s novella is in order. Just so you have a taste of what was to come.

Snippet

The first man sighed, pretending at resignation as he advanced on Gus. “It’s your bad luck you ran into us today.”

His bare forearm brushed against the orchid’s leaves as he reached for Gus.

“Oh dear,” she said, letting him grab her. “That was decidedly unwise.”

The man’s leer changed to that of a grimace. Every muscle in his body locking as he started seizing.

“Ricardo?” one of his companions called.

Confusion appeared on their faces as Ricardo remained frozen in place. Unable to move except for the tiny jerks his limbs were making.

“I’m afraid he can’t answer you,” Gus said, examining the man’s expression with interest.

She’d known the orchid was one of the top ten most toxic plants known, but she’d never seen it in action as it was also one of the rarest.

The conditions that were necessary for a Nawana orchid to thrive were very particular. It grew in cool climates and could only endure semi direct sunlight for up to two hours a day. In addition, it required a strong source of calcium like that which could be found in animal bones.

Or human.

Even with all those components present, it was almost impossible to cultivate. That was why she counted herself extraordinarily fortunate to have encountered it by chance.

The orchid, and others like it, were a big part of why Gus never told Ryan to go fuck himself when he came to her with his missions. She always encountered the most delightful flora while doing his bidding.

One of the child’s captors shoved the boy toward the other to rush toward them. “What did you do to Ricardo?”

Ricardo finished frothing at the mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the ground, finally dead.

“Not me,” Gus corrected, lifting the orchid to show him. “My new friend.”

The man’s face flushed. “You bitch!”

He barreled toward her with his head down.

Gus glided out of his way, whacking him on the back of his neck with her orchid as he charged past.

She might not possess the same level of physical prowess as her siblings, but she still received much of the same training. It was enough to deal with people like them.

As they had with the first, the second man’s muscles locked, leaving him unable to move except for the tiny jerks that marked the seizures currently wracking his body.

“Shoot,” Gus complained. “I was supposed to question him.”

Hitting him with the orchid hadn’t been her intention. It had just happened. When a large man charged at you, instinct took over.

The last human gaped, looking caught somewhere between incredulity and horror.

“Are you okay, dearest?” Gus crooned at the orchid, looking it over with a discerning eye.

There didn’t appear to be any damage done, but she probably shouldn’t do that again.

Humans could be replaced. Her orchid could not.

Some of the orchid’s roots escaped the pot, extending toward the bodies.

“Stop that,” Gus scolded, slapping them away. “Wait until I get you settled.”

The roots curled back into their pot, sulking.

Seeing the look of horror on the last human’s face, Gus smiled politely. “Children, they get into everything.”

The post Friday Randomness appeared first on T.A. White.