Vengeance Bound
by Justina Ireland
Published: April 2nd 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Amazon
|Book Depository
The Goddess Test meets Dexter in an edgy, compelling debut about one teen’s quest for revenge… no matter how far it takes her.
Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies—the hawk and the serpent—lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.
Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.
Excerpt
I place my hand on the back of an empty chair and clear my throat. “Excuse me, can I borrow this?”
All conversation at the table stops and five sets of eyes turn to me. The nearest guy looks me up and down before shooting me a grin. He’s cute, in an arrogant jock sort of way. Dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin. There’s something about him I don’t like, though. “Why don’t you just ditch the losers and sit down with us? I’m sure we could entertain you.” He says the last part in a tone of voice that earns him a chorus of knowing chuckles and high fives.
Ah, that’s what it is. He’s setting off my internal douche bag alarm.
My face heats but I manage to keep the smile frozen on my face. Like a dork I stick out my hand to shake. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Corinne Graff.”
He grabs me by the wrist and pulls me forward, turning me around at the last second so that I’m sitting on his lap. Every muscle in my body stiffens. Dear god, he’s touching me.
“Dylan. Dylan Larchmont.” He whispers in my ear. I try to get away, and his hands snake around my waist. The additional contact sets off more alarms in my head. Slowly, They rouse with whispers of what he would like to do to me, and the thought makes bile burn the back of my throat. They urge me to cause him pain. I swallow thickly. If I don’t maintain control on Them this fun little outing could turn into a massacre of XY chromosomes.
Dylan laughs, oblivious to my dark thoughts. “See, you don’t need to sit with those losers, I have a seat for you right here.” He pats my thigh reassuringly.
I try to stand again but he holds on tight. Dylan is pissing me off. His hands skim places that are definitely off limits. All I can think of is escape, and I fight to stay calm so They don’t fully wake. Panic steals my breath, and I have to forcibly remind myself I’m not in any real danger. He’s just a bully, not a criminal. I squirm around until I can stare into in his muddy brown eyes. “Let me go,” I mutter.
He laughs. “Make me.” His friends whoop and a couple offer helpful suggestions as to what Dylan should do with me. I swallow dryly and ignore them. I’m no match for Dylan’s strength, but I know who is. I give in to Their sleepy murmurs and relax my hold on Them a little.
The noise of the restaurant fades away as I stare into Dylan’s eyes. His gaze is locked into mine, and it only takes a couple of seconds before I can feel the shift in his behavior. His smirk fades. A couple of heartbeats more and he jerks in surprise, then squirms in his seat. His breathing quickens and he tenses like a rabbit sensing danger, eyes widening. They can sense his fear, and now They are anxious for release, hungry for a taste of pain. My head pounds and I’m certain he can see Them swirling around in the depths of my eyes. A slight smile curves my lips. There is nothing friendly about it.
“Let. Me. Go.”
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