Wednesday Snippet - Give the dead blood and they will talk

After a fairly epic writing session last Friday (4k!), I think I'm at about the midway point in Lich Queen. That does mean it's going to be longer than I anticipated, but I'm not too worried about that. I'd like to say that if I keep up this pace, I can have it finished by the end of January, but if I do keep up this pace, my arms will be too knackered for me to keep up that pace, if you see what I mean. My left shoulder is in pretty bad shape at the moment, and my right wrist is a touch tender, so as much as I'd love to crank out 4k every day, 1k a day is still a safer bet.

Either way, the important thing is that progress is being made! So behold!

Snippety snip.

She drew her gun. "Stay here," she told Pecan, who gladly slipped further back into the darkness. She strode out, gun aimed. "Spider Brown!" she called. "Stop right there."

Spider froze, then slowly turned towards her. As she got closer, the street lights highlighted his rictus grin, his ruined teeth and glassy eyes. He looked exactly as he had in life and for a second she thought Caleb was right and it was a mistake. Maybe the rumours of Spider's death had been great exaggerated. It was hard to keep all the drug addicts straight after a while, especially if they didn't fall under your remit.

Still, she approached warily, gun still at the ready. "Spider?" she said, keeping her voice as steady as the gun. "Is that you?"

He just stared, a thin line of drool trickling from his lips. It chilled her.

She stopped a few feet away. He didn't move, didn't react to her presence at all. With his head titled to once side, he still gave the impression that he was listening to something or someone, and she was certain it wasn't her.

"Spider -" she started.

He shrieked and flung himself at her.

It happened fast and her reactions were slow. Dimmed by anti-depressants maybe, or lack of sleep, or just sheer dumb stupidity. Whatever, it didn't matter. He launched himself at her and hit her before she could fire. They hit the pavement hard, Dawn's spine cracking painfully into the concrete. Her gun went flying and Spider locked his hands round her throat, screaming like a banshee.

He bore his whole body weight down on her, pinning her to the frosty pavement. She raised her hands and clawed at his eyes. He didn't flinch, didn't react at all. A vision of Eddie flashed into her head, crazed and vicious, pressing a scalpel to her throat. Terror clouded everything else and suddenly she couldn't fight back, couldn't kick or scratch. She could barely breathe.

If he bit her...Oh God if he bit her...She closed her eyes, lost in dread.

Footsteps hammered on the street. Something – someone roared and she heard the hard, smashing impact of flesh on flesh. Spider screamed again, and the pressure on her throat was gone. Fresh, freezing air rushed to her lungs and she gasped in pained relief, opening her eyes.

Caleb crouched between her and Spider, growling softly. Spider lay on his back, unmoving. He seemed subdued,but she didn't trust that for a second. She rolled to her knees, scanning the alley for her gun.

It won't help, Isaiah said. Give him blood. Make him yours.

She didn't want to answer aloud. The last thing she wanted right now was advice from Isaiah, and the last thing she needed was to explain his presence to Caleb. But she couldn't deny that she was in so far over her head, she probaby couldn't afford to ignore him.

She tried answering silently. Why? What will that do?

Wrest control of him away from Yvette. He'll be yours to command. Give the dead blood and they will talk. They will follow.