City of Light Preview, Continued

This week, I'm taking my readers through a tour of the various blogs I work on and showing them a sneak preview of my newest project, The City of Light. You can get the entire first chapter if you start on my AUTHOR BLOG, then go to my PERSONAL BLOG and my post on LDS WRITERS BLOGCK from Thursday.

City of Light, Chapter 1 conclusion

Jacob, Aisilyn’s future husband, entered the room looking flushed and worried. “I came as soon as I could,” he said. “How is she?”

Genna’s mother took his hand. “You are so kind to be concerned for her. Aisilyn is resting at the moment. Will you stay for dinner?”

Genna thought Jacob seemed confused by the question. “Yes,” he said, his brow still furrowed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Genna’s mother laughed. “In the kitchen? I should say not, young man.”

“Mother, why don’t you get started and I’ll go tell Father that Jacob is here?” Genna asked. Her mother nodded, and, still smiling, left the room.

Jacob went to her. “Is Aisilyn really all right?”

Genna couldn’t lie to him. “She’s frightened. She’s certain the demon meant her.”

“I felt that, too,” he said. “I was on patrol when I heard the demon’s voice and its threat. All I could think of was getting to her, and protecting her.” He gestured to the door. “Your mother certainly doesn’t seem worried. What about your father?”

“Mother is coping with her worry by cooking,” said Genna. “Father is in his study. He’s already sent a runner to find out what the Council knows, and he’s assumed they will send for Aisilyn and all the other women of the same name before the day is out.”

Jacob nodded. “It will take some time to go through the birth records. But don’t they feel that it’s our Aisilyn who has been targeted? I saw it in your face when I came in here. Why don’t your parents seem to realize it?”

“I think, deep down, they probably do,” she said. “Though they aren’t ready to face it. I can’t imagine what it would be like for them. She’s their first born, and she’s already betrothed.”

“And who wants their daughter to be a demon’s bride?”

“Do you think we should worry? I mean, the demon has threatened the City of Light in many ways before, but the Barrier has always protected us.”

“I think we’d be fools not to consider the threat, though I can’t imagine the kind of power his Dark Warrior would have to possess to breach the Barrier.” Jacob ran a hand through his dark brown locks. “If he came for my Aisilyn, I’d fight him until my last breath.”

Genna’s father entered the room. “Axley has returned,” he said. “The Council expects to summon the various girls and their families within the hour.”

This is not easy to share, since this is a bare bones story with a great deal of work left to do. I'm not terribly happy with the way the chapter went after I started it. There's a lot of busywork, but not a lot of story development. I'll work on that. :) Thanks for playing!