In this scene from Forever Love, Izzorah, with Luc beside him, is about to face Pietas and be taken aboard ship to undergo his fealty test. Pietas thinks Luc has taught Izzorah nothing, but in reality, they've practiced every scenario endlessly. As with everyone he meets, Izzorah senses emotions through scent, and to him, Pietas seems evil.
Steel and Shadow
As Izzorah crossed the deck at Luc's side, a cold wind kicked dust into the air. In the pool, white-tipped mini-waves skittered across the surface. A stiff breeze gusted.
A momentary panic surfaced. What if he was blown over the edge?
Luc's reassuring advice came to him, and Izzorah repeated it to himself silently. Fear can't hurt me. It's okay to be afraid. Face what I fear head on.
Uurah, Pietas's android bodyguard, had no people-smell, nor did he have the plasticky, androidy scent Izzorah associated with most mechanical people. Like James and McDoth, he smelled not-human but also somehow not not-human at the same time.
Izzorah had no word for it. Maybe he'd have to make one.
Pietas was his usual caustic self, anger and greed at the forefront of his emotions. As usual, his outside didn't match his inside. He stood there, smiling like he knew some secret he wasn't going to share.
Humans had a word for that, but Izzorah couldn't bring it to mind.
From Luc, a kind of coldness Izzorah hadn't sensed before. Now that they were facing the immortal king, the worry Luc had possessed disappeared. Instead, he'd gotten quiet, all the way deep inside, as if he'd done this so many times it offered no challenge.
Yes, he'd practiced with Izzorah, but this wasn't confidence from that. This was deeper. Much deeper. Scary deeper.
This was Luc the General.
The warrior who'd faced thousands on the battlefield. The utter confidence and quiet within him at this moment shaped into a cold, hard focus sharp enough to drive a noodle through steel.
A resolve that said no matter which way this went, he and Izzorah would be together, and nothing Pietas or anybody else could do would stop it.
Izzorah took Luc's arm and squeezed it. If only he could borrow that strength.
Book Hooks is a weekly cooperative blog hop hosted by members of Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog.
“This was deeper. Much deeper. Scary deeper.” I love that line. It really gives insight into Luc and shows how well Izzorah understands him.
So happy that came across! Thank you.
Whoa, I like the line,”If only he could borrow that strength.”
I have felt that way a few times when someone is more confident or more calm.