Thief’s Woman

We ride alone – no going back – as bloody dusk sets in,
The choice is made – it’s made – as I join in his life of sin.
We stop at length; he laughs – those eyes – I cannot feel regret,
He tells me what to do – he smiles – and soon the scene is set.

The time is come – I dance – before the rowdy crowd,
Their raucous cries – so harsh – appalling, crude and loud,
But then it swells – my voice – it soars sweet, clear and true,
The door swings wide – his grin – he enters right on cue,

His eyes so cunning – winking – laughing slyly, too,
He slips with ease – a thief – into the drunken crew.
While I hold them snared – my prey – I, like them, am trapped.
I let him take their money – gone – while they watch me, enrapt,

The song, it must end soon – I bow – his hands complete their deed,
The thing, it is now done – I weep – he’s at my side with speed.
My prize: a kiss – my drug – and then his love and praise,
He makes me drink – it sears – until I’m in a haze,

He pulls me on his lap – so close! – I lose all time and place,
Lost in his eyes – black void – inside that blurring face,
I breathe his scent – his heat – and feel a stir of doubt,
Looking at his face – beloved – that I can’t quite make out.

“You’ve worked them well – such skill!” – His lips hot on my skin,
“We’ll find some more – well duped! – and do this all again.”
I murmur no – please, no – there’s something not quite right,
“I love you,” he breathes – a touch – and my will soon yields its fight.

I love him too much – too deep – my weak heart starts to thrum.
My thief draws me in – such bliss – my conscience, fading… numb.

I’m going to start posting a poem every Sunday, since they’re short and a lot of my books seem to follow similar themes. This one’s about how far someone would go for love, so it probably relates well to the theme of Effervesce. Though Jace is nothing like the dude in this poem!

As to updates (for anyone interested) on the books I’m currently working on or that are already out:

• For anyone who reads the Heiress series: I’m 37% through the second draft (see my definition of a second draft in the legend below) of Heiress of Shadow (Ara’s story) and I’ve been working on it since June.
• For anyone waiting for Cascade’s story: I’m 67% through the third draft, and I can’t seem to go any faster than 1% per day (and once I get through this edit, I need to get it out to beta readers… but then it can be published!)
• I’m redoing the cover for Effervesce! Super excited about this, but nervous, too, in case it doesn’t work out for whatever reason.
• I’m currently finished with the third draft of a dark fantasy romance that one of my friends says has a total Magnificent Bastard in it (TV Tropes) – or the Urban Dictionary has a hilarious definition of it, too.
• I’m also working on the second (possibly third) draft of a super fun sorta fairy tale about a cat princess that is about 54% edited and might be ready in November.
• There’s also an absolutely unapologetic historical Gothic romance whose third draft is at 71%, but it’s taken a backseat to the cat princess story for the moment…

LEGEND:

First Draft: In general, I show these to no one but my cats, and they pity me.
Second Draft: My intense edits of the first draft to make it palatable for human readers.
Third Draft: My edits of the second draft based on reader feedback (sometimes I cut or rewrite scenes, add passages or scenes for clarity, fix typos, etc.). I usually reread this myself and fix little things before handing it over to beta readers.
Published Book: May have some typos and small things that beta readers overlooked that I fix as people tell me about them.

About Sonya Lano

Owner of two cats and huge dreams and author of any kind of love story so long as wild stuff is going on...