Guest Post: Jennifer Ellision, author of Threats of Sky and Sea

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Sixteen year-old Breena Perdit has spent her life as a barmaid, innocent to her father’s past and happily free from the Elemental gifts that would condemn her to a life in the Egrian King’s army. Until the day that three Elemental soldiers recognize her father as a traitor to the throne and Bree’s father is thrown in jail—along with the secrets from his last mission as the King’s assassin. Secrets that could help the King win a war. Secrets he refuses to share.

Desperate to escape before the King’s capricious whims prove her and her father’s downfall, Bree bargains with him: information for their lives. It’s a good trade. And she has faith she’ll get them both out of the King’s grasp with time.

But that was before the discovery that she’s the weapon the King’s been waiting for in his war.

Now, time is running out. To save her father’s life and understand her own, Bree must unravel the knot of her father’s past before the King takes his life– and uses her to bring a nation to its knees.

Many, many scenes from Threats of Sky and Sea hold a very dear place in my heart. There are some climactic scenes, ones with funny lines, even some romantic scenes. I love some of the scenes where the Elemental powers are at the forefront, ones where I explored the mythology in the world of Egria, and ones where I got to fool around with metaphors and language. And I really love quite a few of my characters.

So picking a favorite scene? Difficult. Very difficult.

But… I think I know which scene to choose.

(I also have to be vague, because holy spoilers, Batman.)

One of the characters in Threats of Sky and Sea is named Princess Aleta. And Aleta has got a whole lot of anger inside of her at the circumstances of her life. I think that readers will see that easily well before this scene. For the most part, Aleta is a very controlled person, who just happens to… slip every now and then.

My favorite scene is one featuring Aleta and the main character of Threats of Sky and Sea: Bree. It follows a major reveal in the story, and a deadline has just been thrust upon my characters. And Aleta slips. Probably more than she ever has before.

And I was just so very proud of her while writing that scene.

I think it’s the first time that I really understood Aleta’s inner strength and the sheer force of her will. She is not a force to be reckoned with, and yet she’s been subjugated and underestimated for the entirety of her life.

I’ve included a sneak peek of that scene below, and I hope that others will share it with me as their favorite.