Rainbow Snippet for 1-7-2017

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, bloggers, and readers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!).   Check out all the other awesome snippets by clicking on the picture above.

I’m still posting from Onyx Sun, a science fiction novel that is currently in revision. The revisions are turning out to be more complex than originally expected so the release date is, um, to be determined. (I’ve given up trying to predict one, but I am planning to be through with the current round of revisions by the end of the month.)

Taliya and Ayess are discussing her plans to free him.

 “I won’t be able to pay you much at first – I’m sort of operating on a tight budget right now – but I will pay you and give you full back wages as soon as I can.  And in the meantime, if we do get attacked, you will die free, not as a slave.”  Taliya hesitated, watching him carefully as she added, “That is, if you still want to, knowing the risk…”

“I want to.” 

There was no hesitation in his voice and she smiled. 

He shook his head slowly.  “I cannot explain it, but you are different than any human I have met.”

“Different?”

He nodded.  “You treat me like an equal.  Others, because of my race, treat me as… less.  But you do not.  And the man, Josul, he did not either.”

Taliya snorted.   “You could be a purple and orange slime mold and as long as you could talk tech with Josul he’d never notice.” She shook her head, her lips curving into an amused smile.  “If I called him right now and asked him to describe you he could tell me everything that the two of you talked about, and he might be able to tell me that you are taller than he is and not human, but that is about it.”