Weird Eyes: a scene from A Stolen Heart
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In this scene, Luc has been comforting a crying three-year-old boy whom he rescued. The child has cornflower blue eyes with the slashed pupils of a Kin, a feline-humanoid species. But his aren't the weird eyes...
Luc handed the boy a handkerchief.
Senthys dragged it across his wet nose and eyes, smearing the mess across his entire face. He offered the handkerchief back.
Gingerly, Luc accepted it, folded the wet side in and used the other to wipe the child's face. How did parents and caretakers manage such unsanitary duties on a daily basis?
He dangled the damp cloth by a corner. "I think you should keep this."
"Thank you." The boy stuffed it into a pocket. Winding his curls around a finger, he leaned against Luc's chest, looking up at him. "You have hair like me." Senthys pulled out a long strand. "See?"
"Hmm." Indeed, the boy had loose curls like his, but there, the resemblance stopped. "I think your hair is lighter." By dozens of shades compared to his ebony. "And longer."
Pietas would never believe any of this. Neither would his friends. Nor anyone who knew Luc by any name in any empire.
The boy twisted around. Assuming he wanted down, Luc moved back, but the child knelt between Luc's thighs.
Jerking back, Luc took the boy's hands to steady him. "What are you doing?"
Senthys planted one foot on the seat between Luc's thighs.
"Careful!" Scooting even further back, he shifted his grip to the boy's waist.
"I wanna see your eyes." Senthys stood and leaned in closer, staring at first one eye, then the other. "Wow! They're weird."
"Are they?" His true eyes were the stuff of childhood nightmares. Since Luc had no trouble seeing, his lenses hadn't slipped or been damaged. The weirdness likely referred to their blackness. "I'm sure you think so. Do you know colors?"
"Uh huh."
"What color are my eyes?"
With a clawless, human fingertip, he poked Luc's cheek. "Same as this."
"You mean my skin?"
"Skin," he repeated, patting Luc's cheeks and then his own. "Real Kin have furskin. I don't. I'm not a real Kin. I'm HalfKin."
"I see." He reseated the boy on his lap. "Can you tell me what color they are?"
"Uh huh." Senthys swung one foot, making Luc think of Pietas. "Pink."
Chuckling, Luc tidied the boy's shirt. "Black."
"I get pink mixed up." He gave a huge yawn. "When are you taking me home?"
"Home?" The child likely thought he was being adopted. "I'm here to talk to the headmistress. I'm sure you'll find a home soon."
Senthys sniffed, blinking up at him. "But..." He rubbed his nose. "I wanna go with you. I'll be good. I don't bite." He held up his fingers. "I don't have claws."
Those words wrenched his heart. This innocent had no idea how dangerous Luc was. The poor child would be trading one monster for another.
"Senthys." Careful not to pull the boy's curls, Luc brushed them back from the lad's face. "Saving you from a big bad monster doesn't mean I'm not one."
[bctt tweet="He rescued a toddler from a big bad monster. But now, who is rescuing whom? A scene from A Stolen Heart #scifi #spaceopera" username="KayelleAllen"]Luc's "weird eyes" are solid black due to full-eye contacts. But what about the real eyes he's hiding? Why does he hide them? Tune in for a new excerpt from A Stolen Heart next week.
The Antonello Brothers Series
You'll find Pietas and Luc mentioned in nearly every book in my story universe.
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Loved this so much I went to buy it, only to find it’s marked coming soon on your downloadable list. Already a little in love with Luc.
Awww, thank you, Kryssie. I forgot to add a line about this book being not yet available! :O Sorry about that. I’ll edit it and add.
Adorable interactions. It’s probably just coincidental, but I have to ask. Are your Kin similar in any way to the Kzin, Larry Niven’s cat-like race of people?
It is coincidental. I created the Kin and then discovered his Kzin before the first book was published. I thought about changing the name, but decided my characters were different enough for it not to matter. They look quite human, except for cat ears near the tops of their heads, and a few minor details. I’ve actually never read his books, but I’ve seen the covers of his books. They look like cats with humanoid bodies and have stripes. My Kin do not. Good question though! I’ve never been asked that before.
What they say is Great minds move in circles. I’ve developed characters to find someone has similar ones but there are always differences, Can’t wait until the book arrives.
That seems true, Janet! And thank you 🙂
Charming interaction. Luc’s last sentence is telling.
Yes, it is. I think a good tag for this book might be “Monster hunting. It’s a family affair.” 🙂
So much turmoil here… “Real Kin have furskin. I don’t. I’m not a real Kin. I’m HalfKin.”
Sorry for the late response, been sick and playing catch up… All posts have been shared on Excerpts and promotions Facebook Page.
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Dee Carver
#PMInc
Thank you, Dee! 🙂 I appreciate that.