I'm sharing a sample from XANDRA: KILLER OF KINGS.
This is one of my favourite scenes. A loved-up Xandra and Ebuka with memory loss, not knowing how he ended up with an assassin as a lover.
They changed position, him at the helm while she sat on the bench, phone-in-hand. He wasn’t a mariner and liked to keep his feet on Terra firma. But keeping the boat clear of obstacles seemed straightforward.
“Each time you travel on the boat, you’re alone?” he asked, suddenly aware of all the things that could go wrong out here. Bad weather, rough seas, pirates, equipment breakdown. The list went on.
She came to stand next to him. “Yes.”
A chill permeated his bones, and he shivered. “What if something bad happened?”
She shrugged. “That’s always a possibility. But I mitigate it by sending a message to my maintenance man before each trip. He’ll be there to meet us, and he checks the boat while I’m on the mainland and makes sure it’s ready for use when I return.”
“But that still doesn’t help you if you’re stranded out in the ocean.”
She shrugged again. “The shipping lanes get busy, and there are naval patrols to combat pirates, so someone would find me eventually. Anyway, I’m not worried. Since fire didn’t kill me, I’m not worried about a little water.”
His mouth dropped open. “It’s the f’king Atlantic Ocean, not a little water!”
She giggled, eyes sparkling.
“What’s so funny, woman?” he snapped.
How could she find this amusing when his gut was wrenching with dread at her being stranded? Without help. Without him.
“Calm down, sailor.” She leaned into him sideways and curled her arm around his waist. “I’m happy because for the first time you reminded me of the old Ebuka. A man who cared about me like no other man ever did.”
“Oh,” was all he could say.
She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “It was that fierce expression on your face, of love, of tenderness that kept me going while I was in the hospital. It made me determined to get better, even after I saw the extent of the damage on my body. I swore I was going to get back to you. Then when I found you and you couldn’t remember me. That was crushing. The pits.”
“I’m sorry.” He tugged her so she stood in front of him and his arm caged her to the wheel. “Not remembering is painful for me too.”
“I know. It must be frustrating. That’s why I cheer whenever you go all caveman because I feel like I’m getting my Ebuka back and soon your memories will return.”
“I hope so.” He leaned down and kissed her nape.
XANDRA: KILLER OF KINGS is available in ebook and paperback. Find out more.
Comments