Character Conversations

One of my favorite characters is a young apprentice Witch named Madeline. She's one of the heroines in my fantasy romance Magic Awry. Recently, I had to give her some rather unpleasant news. I thought those of you familar with Maddy would like to see what she's like when she's REALLY angry......

There really is no good way to start this conversation, I think watching Madeline slowly turn the pages in her spell book. Her mouth silently forming the words as she reads them. Best to do it quickly then.

"Um Maddy how attached to Hayden are you?" I ask getting ready to run for the door should she reach for her wand.

"I think I love him you know that." She replies barely looking up from her spell book.

So far so good.

"Well you see something's happened." I say, pausing when she swiftly focuses her attention on me.

"What happened." I don't really like the tone of warning in her voice and I ease a bit closer to the door of her litttle cottage.

"Well, he and Beau were going up against those nasty little minions of Duke Mortens and, well, things took an unexpected turn." I all but whisper this last part and slowly ease a hand behind me, wrapping it around the door knob.

"Un-ex-pect-ed?" Madeline saids slowly expanding the word.

"Yeah you see he entered a dual with Mortens house wizard."

"You said Mortens minions." Madeline interrupts suddenly. "You never said anything about the wizard."

"Oh uh, well I think of him as one of the minions." I stumble over the words, damn she's right he's not a freaking minion.

"So this dual...."

"He lost." I say so softly the words are barely audible.

"He lost," she repeats her pretty face paling, fear starting to show in her eyes. "What were the boundaries of this dual."

"Death." the word comes out as a squeak.

Madeline's face is beyond sheet white, her eyes go from fearful to rage in a heart beat. Her wand is suddenly in her hand.

"Oh shit!" I think, maybe I say it who knows but damn she's scary when she's pissed. I don't want her to go bad on me. Magic has already gotten more complicated than I originally intended but Maddy going bad would totally ruin the story.....or maybe not.

My mind leaps at the idea my muse is suddenly dangling before it, completely forgetting the pissed off witch/sorceress in front of me. Damn you muse and your shoddy timing.

"You. Will. Rewrite. The. Scene." she says slowly, each word costing her a bit of control.

I can see her magic swirling around her. The Power hovering slightly behind her, waiting to see if she'll fry the poor storyteller before her. I open my mouth to speak and nothing comes out. I try several more times and only succeed in making myself look like a fish gasping for air. Finally I nod my head and duck out the door behind me. A random thought fills my head and I hate to do it, she's still pissed for goodness sake but I have to ask it.

Barely peaking my head back inside I ask. "And if I can't?"

"This tale goes no further until you find a way to fix the idiocy you have written." A cold voice whispers from the now darkened room.

Oh, yeah she's mad and she means it.

She'd make a great evil sorceress though.... a voice whispers from behind me.

"Shut up!" I mutter to my errant muse.

More conversations to come.....
© copyright Elena Croft 2007