Hey, my Squids!
Popping in with some work in progress for page 8 of Chapter 3 Part 2. Deep breath… deep breath… Leira and Sudesh figure out the next part of the cypher just as Leira’s mental state deteriorates. And, in a few short pages, you’ll learn Saul’s fate… and so will Leira.
I won’t lie to you… my chest feels tight. I’ve said it before but the story of Taliah, Leira’s story, is about grief and how far it pushes someone. Saul started as a faceless person who just helped point out a few things to Leira but when I got to writing and digging deep into the plot, he became so much more. He became the counterpoint to everything else in her life: people who were only there because of her abilities or because of what she could give them. He was there because he just wanted to be next to her; they were “together” for seven years, after all, and he never pushed her for more than she was willing to give. His death begins the domino effect that unravels her entire life and the world of Taliah may ultimately pay the price.
In truth, when I write stories, I write them with two main protagonists in mind: always someone who represents my masculine side and someone who represents my feminine side. They’re not always lovers, sometimes they’re enemies, sometimes they’re siblings. They’re also not always opposite genders. Taliah started with Xolani and Micah, my feminine and masculine sides respectively. Eventually, Leira and Saul took that spot. And they very much sit on my heart as two people who never got the chance to have something more than what the shortest span of time would allow.
Anyway, the journey continues. We know Saul’s fate. Now you’ll see how it happened and how Leira found out… before we return to the present and the Deep Red Moon.