Sunday Snippet: Fyre's Masquerade (a Specter Station novella)

Had a busy week with a new work project landing in my inbox. It's a holiday novel and I'm so excited because I love editing holiday stories! I'm also working on a proofread, which is a nice complement to a copy edit.

Had a slow week of viewing due to another loss of a relative. 2023 has been a rough year for the older generation in my family. I hope the final months are loss free.

I did watch the premiere episode of Cannes Confidential and thoroughly enjoyed it! It's got intrigue and charm and the cast is stellar. Looking forward to the next episode.

Also caught another episode of the Madame Blanc Mysteries. I'm slightly disappointed in the angst factor between the main characters but I'll roll through and see what happens. Very excited Gloria has a new guy even if he's competition for Dom.

Watched an episode of Peak Practice and found it kind of interesting. I liked getting some additional screen time for the deaf characters introduced earlier. Also kind of liked Andrew figuring out what he doesn't want.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness and, wow, this one had some twists and a heartbreaking scene that I almost couldn't watch. Kind of looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Caught another Death in Paradise. Enjoyed the guys trying to avoid bringing Richard in on the case while he was down with a tropical fever but loved that they ended up doing it anyway.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Fyre's Masquerade, a Specter Station novella.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Balek Fyre made his fortune mining asteroids and just became a principal owner of Specter Station. He's ready to enjoy a new stage in his life—until the Yuli family descends on his base of operations for the galactic midyear celebration with only one thing on their minds … getting him to marry their oldest daughter, Serena. The only problem? Balek would rather spend time with her sister, Scout.

And a sneaky peek…

"Mother, couldn't you get Scout to wear something other than those horrid black pants?" Serena Yuli shuddered.

Scout tore her gaze from the porthole and made a rude gesture. "Considering I've been dressing myself since the age of three, I'd have liked to see her try." She went back watching the stars go by.

Serena made a nasty comment under her breath about Scout's inability to look like more than an urchin. Scout didn't care what covered her body. Unlike Serena who always consulted their mother Zara before putting on clothes—even her underwear. How her sister made it to twenty-seven, Scout would never know.

Serena snarled. "You could have tried to look decent. We're hoping to make a good impression." She folded her hands in her lap and raised her nose in the air.

Scout snorted. "We've been on this ship for five days. None of us look our best. At least I'm comfortable." Her black canvas pants were soft with wear and her shirt and jacket were made of breathable fabric in the highest quality they could afford.

She could've swapped her rugged boots—broken in to a perfect fit—for her favorite pair of leather moccasins, but the heavier footwear drove her sister crazy and Scout needed something fun to do if she had to be part of this insane plot to trap a perfectly nice man into hellish matrimony with Serena.

Serena snapped. "No one cares about your comfort." She huffed out an angry breath.

Scout smirked. "Exactly. I'm not the one who needs to be impressive. You are." After five days with only two clothing changes, her sister definitely fell short. "What I'm wearing doesn't matter."

Niam Yuli snapped his fingers. "Enough, both of you. We're docking soon and everyone can freshen up." He shot Scout a hard look. "You're to be on your best behavior."

Scout rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad." She'd play nice when she had to and not a moment before.

This stupid scheme to hold Balek Fyre to a promise his parents made decades ago reeked of desperation—and if he didn't see right through it, he deserved wedded hell with her sister. Scout had no doubt Balek didn't have a clue who they were. Why would he? His parents died not long after their ill-fated agreement with the Yulis. And the horrible thing? Her parents didn't care. They needed an influx of cash to save their asses. A series of bad investments had her parents teetering on the brink of financial ruin.

Scout rolled her eyes. "Maybe if they told Serena no every time she wanted a new outfit, they'd have some savings." Not that her parents ever would—they only said no to Scout.

The captain's voice came over the intercom. "We've started the docking sequence. Prepare to disembark in fifteen minutes." A garbled crackle ended the communication.

A tiny jolt of excitement coursed through Scout. While she hated the reason they'd come to Spector Station, she loved an adventure. And the idea of Serena falling flat on her face gave Scout something to look forward to also.

She smoothed down her hands down her thighs, straightening some of the wrinkles from her pants. "Let the games begin…"

I'm having a lot of fun writing this series and Balek's book is a treat. It's the last in the four-book series and all the previous couples make an appearance.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye