Hi,
everyone. First of all, a big thanks to Monique for hosting this tour stop. As
a special treat, exclusive to MoniqueMorgan.com followers, I thought I’d share
a very rare piece of literature with you. It’s written from David's
perspective, going through his thoughts when Ara first arrives at the school in
Tears of the Broken (book 1). The scene contains some possibly offensive profanity,
which demonstrates the changes David (our well-spoken vampire) went through in
those first few weeks of falling in love. Hope you all enjoy.
David
Knight:
I
breathed hard into the empty space the textbooks left behind, then slammed my
locker, turning slowly. I knew what he was about to ask—knew he would bring his
hand down forcefully on my shoulder in some mechanical male attempt to
connect—a sign of affection among buddies—one I had come to know and despise so
deeply with each day passing. But my timing was off. The brute had barely
reached the corner, despite his rank cloud of vapour having penetrated my
sensitive nostrils at least two minutes ago. I held my breath against the aged
cologne, sprayed on at his last shower—four days ago—layered thick with the
tar-like fog of cigarette smoke and a mix of either seafood bisque or that recycled
cheerleader he fucked in the locker-room this morning.
As he
came around the corner, I turned to my locker, pretending to close it, thereby
offering him a shoulder to slap rather than his alternative show of brotherhood;
a firm jab in the gut—a place I was really quite sensitive.
"Dave,
you coming tonight, bro?"
His
clammy, flabby palm flared my inner vampire’s burning hatred as it struck my
back. I jolted forward like a human, then spun around to cup his grip, drawing
my lips into a non-threatening grin. "Still going ahead with that party
then?”
"You
know it. So, you coming?”
"I
always do—" I took another breath to make some smart remark about
finishing what I started last month with his new whore, when I saw a flash of
yellow.
“Dave,
man, what ya frownin’ at?”
“I
uh—” I focused harder on the yellow as it transformed into fabric before my
eyes, and I knew it well. I knew the way sunlight bounced of the colour, knew the
cut, knew every curve under that simple cotton dress; how it sat against her hips
and hugged her ribs, leaving her rose-petal skin bare everywhere else. I knew
it was her.
Derek
waved a hand past my eyes. "Dave?"
“I’ll
catch ya later, man,” I said, walking away in a trance, the importance of manners
secondary to this sensation in my chest that a long-dead heart suddenly wanted
to beat. I’d waited nearly a month to talk to her, to be so near as to look into
her eyes—to see what colour they were; to see how she smiled when she thought
things she wasn’t supposed to; to see what she thought of me. I’d wanted so
many times to let her see me, to just walk up when she sat crying under that
oak tree and introduce myself. But the timing never felt right, and I knew from
her thoughts that if I ever caught her crying she would avoid me like the plague
from then on. I just couldn't risk that. Something in me altered when I first
saw her that day, so many weeks ago; something—a physical reaction in my brain,
like an elastic band had snapped against the backside of my eye, and, strange
as that felt, deny as I might that there was something different about her, I’d
not successfully fought the emotions that came with it. So I watched her; sat
atop her roof by night, in her garden by day, listening to her thoughts. And
each time I did, my heart broke for her—for this human, for this being I had no
compassion for yet suddenly cared about. She was sweeter, more pure than
anything I had ever encountered. It was like her soul was an open book, a tale
of sadness, yet so bright with compassion that she was just waiting to love any
creature, be he mad, cruel or kind. Maybe she would even love me.
But
she was broken—damaged by a pain she couldn’t move past. Death. Loss. And no one
understood this better than a vampire who’d suffered nothing but sadness in his
hundred-and-twenty-year existence. I could help her. I could heal her—bring her
back to that sweet, pure thing she once was. The pure thing I just knew was
still inside.
I
stood tall, straight, motionless, like no vampire should, breaking every rule,
lured by the thought of seeing her pretty face as she saw me for the first time.
She farewelled
her brother by the base of the stairs outside—closer than we’d ever been, yet so
far away. It felt so oddly frustrating that the only thing between us now was a
thin plate of glass and a few steps. I thought for a moment about smashing it
and laughing carelessly, just to get her attention. But she stopped dead, her
eyes tracing my shoes, flowing up my body to where the long silver bulk of the
doorhandle blocked the last inch of distance between us, preventing our eyes
from meeting for the first time.
The
bell tolled again, sending the humans around me into sudden movement, exciting
the dense summer air with their scents, their thoughts—so familiar, so naïve,
but, for some reason, stirring nothing in me of the hatred I normally felt for this
species. I wanted to hurt them only enough to make them move—to make them shift
from my path while I wrapped this sweet girl in my arms, close enough to send
her pain away. She was afraid—her hands tight, sweating, her thoughts frozen.
I
stepped forward, forgetting the backpack I’d dropped by my feet, and a sweet
name left my lips in a whisper, one I’d never dared speak before; “Ara-Rose.”
She
stopped walking, taking a quick gasp.
I
closed my mouth. There was no way she could have heard that.
End
Wow Angela, you did it again! That is awesome. Hope after the series is over, you'll be writing his diaries!!!!
ReplyDeleteSooo good!!! Thanks for writing and sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow. Sooooo excited for book 6 :D. But I will definitely take book 5 first.
ReplyDeleteTeam David. Those twins are to good for her she's too young for love & proves it time & time again. Every time some guy smiles at her she gets hot she is so annoying. I say kill of Ara j/k but not really. I hate Ara.
ReplyDeleteWow keep that up, and i just might like David again. But wow if you did the Jason diaries..i'd love to get in his head. ;)
ReplyDelete