Hideous by Devon McCormack
Publication date: June 19th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Publication date: June 19th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Eight years ago, Luke Retter witnessed the brutal murder of his mother and sister at the hands of his demon-possessed father. He survived but lost a hand and an eye. The demon also burned its emblem into his skin, marking him as a cursed. Those who bear this mark are at risk of becoming possessed themselves, so they are monitored and enslaved by the state-run UCIS. Working as a slave is hard, but Luke prefers it to the possibility of being controlled by a demon.
One night, Luke wakes to find his worst nightmare coming true. His father’s demon has returned. In a panic, he runs to the only person who might be able to help: Zack, a cursed who ran away from the state and created an underground community to protect other fugitive curseds. Zack helps him suppress the demon. But the city’s become a time bomb, and Luke’s demon itches to escape.
With the UCIS closing in on Zack’s underground operation and Luke’s demon crafting its own, nefarious plot, Luke realizes that he must take a stand.
One night, Luke wakes to find his worst nightmare coming true. His father’s demon has returned. In a panic, he runs to the only person who might be able to help: Zack, a cursed who ran away from the state and created an underground community to protect other fugitive curseds. Zack helps him suppress the demon. But the city’s become a time bomb, and Luke’s demon itches to escape.
With the UCIS closing in on Zack’s underground operation and Luke’s demon crafting its own, nefarious plot, Luke realizes that he must take a stand.
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Excerpt
THREE TIERS of concrete stairs, enclosed
between brick walls, were carved into the
between brick walls, were carved into the
hillside. The brick walls lay flush
with the ground, which stretched either way into a mess
with the ground, which stretched either way into a mess
of dark blobs—bushes
and shrubs, haphazardly arranged in a landscaper’s nightmare.
and shrubs, haphazardly arranged in a landscaper’s nightmare.
Streetlamps at
the platforms before each tier flooded the steps with incandescent light.
the platforms before each tier flooded the steps with incandescent light.
It’d been a week since my run-in with
those assholes and the charming deviant, Zack. My
those assholes and the charming deviant, Zack. My
muscles had pretty much
recovered, though I still had to take it fairly easy during my
recovered, though I still had to take it fairly easy during my
nightly exercise
ritual.
ritual.
I’d just finished my routine and was
creeping up the stairs at the back of the school, my
creeping up the stairs at the back of the school, my
shadow creeping with me,
its head occasionally doubling in size as it separately cast on
its head occasionally doubling in size as it separately cast on
the brick wall.
An object caught my attention. A hand,
reaching out of the bushes, dangling over the brick wall.
reaching out of the bushes, dangling over the brick wall.
I slowed down, approaching cautiously. As
I came to the shrubbery, thick, dirty-blond
I came to the shrubbery, thick, dirty-blond
hair came into view.
Must’ve been one of the guys from the
school.
school.
Is he dead?
A soft groan assured me he wasn’t, but
what had happened to him?
what had happened to him?
“Hey, man,” I said. I grabbed his
shoulder and flipped him over to see his face. “You o—”
shoulder and flipped him over to see his face. “You o—”
The glazed look in his eyes assured me he
was fine. Just a fucking drunk. His face was
was fine. Just a fucking drunk. His face was
covered in dirt and bits of
bark—some of which floated in the drool that oozed off his chin
bark—some of which floated in the drool that oozed off his chin
onto the wall.
Beer bottles littered the base of the
shrubs at his feet.
shrubs at his feet.
“I’m gonna have to clean that, you dick,”
I muttered.
I muttered.
I glanced around.
Should I help him?
But I didn’t have a responsibility to
take care of some privileged asshole.
take care of some privileged asshole.
Dropping him back on his face, I
continued up the stairs to the platform that led up to the
continued up the stairs to the platform that led up to the
next set. I checked
around to make sure the coast was clear.
around to make sure the coast was clear.
A yellow, circular glow hit a hill on the
other side of the school.
other side of the school.
Henry’s flashlight.
My gaze flashed back down the stairs, to
the limp hand over the wall.
the limp hand over the wall.
I need to help him, I
thought. But it’s not my job to help him.
thought. But it’s not my job to help him.
Did he really deserve to get expelled for
being a drunk ass?
being a drunk ass?
He’s not even gonna be grateful, I
thought, trying to talk myself out of it.
thought, trying to talk myself out of it.
I continued up the stairs.
He’s a privileged brat. He deserves
whatever he gets.
whatever he gets.
Try as I did to convince myself not to
help, another thought kept wedging between the
help, another thought kept wedging between the
others: What if that was me?
And it had been me, and I was fortunate
enough to have had Zack’s help.
enough to have had Zack’s help.
The orb of light on the hill grew smaller
and smaller. Henry was going to be coming
and smaller. Henry was going to be coming
around any second now.
Rolling my eye, I dashed back down the
stairs, snuck along the wall, grabbed the blond’s
stairs, snuck along the wall, grabbed the blond’s
arm, and threw it over my
shoulder.
shoulder.
“Hey, what the—”
“Quiet or expelled,” I whispered, and as
I stared into his eyes, I saw a moment of sobriety.
I stared into his eyes, I saw a moment of sobriety.
He bit on his bottom lip.
I scanned the nearby shrubs. He’d chosen
the shittiest spot to hide. Anyone could see us. I
the shittiest spot to hide. Anyone could see us. I
checked around for a better
hiding place, just till Henry was through with his beat.
hiding place, just till Henry was through with his beat.
I spotted a fairly decent place a few
steps up and dragged the drunk’s unwilling legs up the
steps up and dragged the drunk’s unwilling legs up the
stairs. He tried to
help, his eyes searching for a place to step, but his inebriated state
help, his eyes searching for a place to step, but his inebriated state
always
preventing him from being able to get his foot in the right place.
preventing him from being able to get his foot in the right place.
A glistening circle of light turned the
corner of the school.
corner of the school.
Fuck.
We were still a few feet from a good
spot. This was gonna have to do.
spot. This was gonna have to do.
I tossed the blond in the nearby
shrubbery.
shrubbery.
“Ow,” he whispered.
I crawled in beside him and pushed
against his butt.
against his butt.
“Go deeper.”
“Where are we?” he whined.
“Go!”
He wiggled across the ground, squirming
but making little progress. He probably thought
but making little progress. He probably thought
he was doing a great job
following my instructions.
following my instructions.
The pitter-patter of footsteps grew
close.
close.
I hit the guy’s legs repeatedly. “Stop,
stop.” My voice was so low that I wasn’t sure even
stop.” My voice was so low that I wasn’t sure even
he could hear it.
He went limp. I couldn’t be sure if he’d
heard me or passed out.
heard me or passed out.
I curled into a ball, nuzzling my head
against my arm, with just enough of my face up so
against my arm, with just enough of my face up so
I could keep an eye on the
slits in the bushes that revealed the stairs.
slits in the bushes that revealed the stairs.
A rush of light crept through the leaves
around us.
around us.
I held my breath.
I’m gonna lose my job.
The footsteps grew louder and louder.
A dark shadow passed through the orange
glow of the streetlight, right beside the shrubs
glow of the streetlight, right beside the shrubs
we were in.
Henry’s shadow fell over my face,
obscuring any light that might have caught me.
obscuring any light that might have caught me.
He’s going to make noise, I
thought as I imagined all the idiotic drunken things the guy
thought as I imagined all the idiotic drunken things the guy
could do to blow
our cover. He’s going to make noise.
our cover. He’s going to make noise.
Henry continued down the stairs. The
sound of his feet against the concrete grew
sound of his feet against the concrete grew
fainter and fainter.
I inwardly sighed, fearing that even
letting such a subtle noise from my lips would stir his
letting such a subtle noise from my lips would stir his
interest.
My efforts were subverted by a loud
heaving sound.
heaving sound.
Shit. We were this close, you fucking
dick.
dick.
I considered making a break for it, but
as the clicking came back around, I knew I was too late.
as the clicking came back around, I knew I was too late.
The silhouette returned, black, ominous.
It wasn’t that Henry was particularly intimidating.
It wasn’t that Henry was particularly intimidating.
It was just the idea that
he could get me fired and potentially get Wahrmer to have me
he could get me fired and potentially get Wahrmer to have me
arrested that
scared the shit out of me.
scared the shit out of me.
The flashlight pierced through the
leaves, illuminating the blond’s face, gaunt, shivering.
leaves, illuminating the blond’s face, gaunt, shivering.
Oh no, I
thought. He’s gonna vomit again. Fuck. Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuck me.
thought. He’s gonna vomit again. Fuck. Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuck me.
He quaked from his chest to his lips, his
hand cupped over his mouth.
hand cupped over his mouth.
My hand trembled against the grainy bark
beneath my fingertips.
beneath my fingertips.
He heaved again, making a whimpering
sound. I wasn’t sure how long he was going to
sound. I wasn’t sure how long he was going to
be able to hold it.
My muscles were tense, vibrating. I
wanted to shake my head to stress that this was not
wanted to shake my head to stress that this was not
the time, but even that
subtle movement could get Henry’s attention.
subtle movement could get Henry’s attention.
The flashlight passed along, but Henry’s
shadow stayed perfectly still right next to my feet.
shadow stayed perfectly still right next to my feet.
Please stay quiet. Just stay fucking
quiet.
quiet.
The silhouette finally moved along.
The footsteps faded once again.
Thank God, I
mouthed.
mouthed.
Grabbing the blond forcefully by his
uniform collar, I pulled him so that we were face to
uniform collar, I pulled him so that we were face to
face. He was practically
in my lap. “Do you have any fucking idea how close that was?” I
in my lap. “Do you have any fucking idea how close that was?” I
stressed,
chastising him far less than he deserved.
chastising him far less than he deserved.
He heaved again, this time showering
chunks and a waterfall of what smelled like beer.
chunks and a waterfall of what smelled like beer.
I’m
an idiot, I thought, mentally scolding myself for
having positioned him perfectly for the
an idiot, I thought, mentally scolding myself for
having positioned him perfectly for the
horrible mess that now soaked my pants.
AUTHOR BIO
(No author photo)
Devon McCormack spends most of his time hiding in his lair, adventuring in paranormal worlds with his island of misfit characters. A good ole Southern boy, McCormack grew up in the Georgian suburbs with his two younger brothers and an older sister. At a very young age, he spun tales the old fashioned way, lying to anyone and everyone he encountered. He claimed he was an orphan. He claimed to be a king from another planet. He claimed to have supernatural powers. He has since harnessed this penchant for tall tales by crafting whole worlds where he can live out whatever fantasy he chooses.
A gay man himself, McCormack focuses on gay male characters, adding to the immense body of literature that chooses to represent and advocate gay men’s presence in media. His body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they’re getting into.
A gay man himself, McCormack focuses on gay male characters, adding to the immense body of literature that chooses to represent and advocate gay men’s presence in media. His body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they’re getting into.
Giveaway
One (1) ebook copy of Hideous.
Open internationally.
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