This week, my Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday Folk, it’s another snippet from Spectre of the Golden Voice.
The plot’s still being worked on (and, yes, is influenced by PotO) but this is a rough blurb…
When Krissi’s singing whilst working in the bowels of the theatre draws the attention of the theatre’s infamous Ghost, she finds herself under his private tutelage and thrust into the spotlight as tragedy threatens to shut down the theatre. As would-be suitors flock to her side to share her newfound fame, Krissi finds herself torn between protecting her family and following her heart.
This snippet picks up where last week’s ended…
“What have you done?” Krissi demanded, leaping to her feet. She had stridden half the distance between them before catching herself. For all his lackadaisical attitude, Ghost could be dangerous if he thought himself cornered. “Nothing foolish, I hope.”
Ghost laughed in a soft, low timbre. “No, my muse. I did as you asked and kept my profile low for your royal performance. Everyone in the audience left the theatre alive and in one piece.”
She let herself breathe again. Whilst he didn’t always take a life, she nevertheless woke each morning after singing quietly dreading that the dawn would reveal another dead noble.
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Rainbow Snippets, too.
Aldrea Alien 
I’d worry, too!! 🙂
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He’s mostly harmless.
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Dead nobles? Not good!
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In Udynea, it’s seen as more like weeding.
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Wow, homicidal ghost. I wonder why he seems to need to kill people. Is that random or does he have a grudge? I love The Phantom of the Opera by the way.
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He kills them because they’re bad people who need killing.
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I’m not so sure I like this ghost. Doesn’t sound so friendly.
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His friendliness really depends on the person. Terrible nobles who do unspeakable things to their slaves/servants just don’t tend to last long once he finds them.
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Lovely, dangerous tension between them! I wonder if Krissi is going to find herself falling for this universe’s Meg rather Raoul? That could be *very* interesting…
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She wouldn’t be interested in my version of Meg. Krissi is straight, she’s also the I in our alphabet soup of lgbtqia+ definitions. Ghost is A… demi at most.
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This ghost has a dark side. Dead nobles?
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Mhmm. Starting with his own master.
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Yikes, he didn’t always kill someone? I’d be really worried.
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Krissi’s 99% sure she’s safe. But that 1% is always going to nag.
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I want to know why he is killing the nobles…
For that matter, I want to know IF he is killing the nobles.
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Oh, he’s killing them. And people continue to flock to the weird haunted theatre.
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Not a benevolent ghost, it appears.
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That would certainly be a matter of perspective.
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If she’s not careful, she’ll run out of audience members! Nice tease. I’m liking this!
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Just the noble ones. And there’s always more of them around.
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Nice little ominous touch there! Enjoyed the excerpt…
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Thanks! 🙂
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Uh-oh! “Didn’t always take a life” isn’t particularly comforting.
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And to think, she’s seen him in action by this point in the story.
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Phew. I can understand her worry.
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As long as she also remembers he means her no specific harm, she’ll be fine.
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I can see why she might be a bit stressed! Even if these are bad guys, surely someone is looking for the killer?
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He’s been there for at least a decade and they haven’t yet realised he’s not an apparition. Nobles dying isn’t exactly a new thing in Udynea. I mean, in the imperial line alone has half-sisters busy killing each other for a position close enough to the throne in preparation to kill the heir when daddy dies. And, with him generally strangling or suffocating people, most suspected poison. It wasn’t until this one dude managed to live long enough to say “ghost” that they even considered something else. Now, they seriously think it’s a murderous spirit (like the guy who used to own the mansion before it became a theatre) offing people.
Can you tell I have so much fun with this empire?
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This made me smile a bit “he didn’t always take a life” … Always? What kind of ghost is he ??
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He’s a very bitter elf.
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Ghosts are trouble so she’s right to be worried. 😉
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Ghost is made of trouble.
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Oh, now there’s a predicament. I’d caution against the use of “stridden”. While I realize it’s correct, it sounds odd in this sentence and represents passive voice. I suggest using something more active. Good snippet, Aldrea.
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Got to admit, I’ve been eyeballing “stridden” ever since I put it there.
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Sounds like the Borgias, or Game of Thrones 😀 In my opinion nobles can do with a bit of thinning now and again 😀
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🙂 Especially these nobles. Natural selection and all…
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