The Scourge Blog Tour: The Scourge by A. G. Henley Book Review + Giveaway – Then I hear them, crashing through the forest behind us, shrieking as they come.

Title: The Scourge by A. G. Henley
Author Info: Bio | Blog | Facebook
Publication: Jan 31st 2012 by A. G. Henley

“ I duck out of the storeroom and into the main cavern, stepping carefully across the uneven floor...

Story Arc: Series E-book: 320 pages Age Group: Teen, YA

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Excerpt(s): pg 78% -------- Purchase --------

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder Early Book Review – My captive wasn’t the most loquacious. I kept my stiletto pressed against his skin. “I found him lost in the woods.” I tsked. “Poor thing should know the forest is dangerous at night.” [SPF]

Title: Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder
Author Info: Bio | Website | Facebook
Publication: Dec 18th 2012 by Harlequin MIRA

“ “I’m dead,” I said to Kerrick.

Story Arc: Trilogy, Book 1 Paperback: 400 pages Age Group: Teen, YA

Genre: High Fantasy Excerpt(s): 15% -------- Purchase --------

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Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Title: Enclave
Story Arc: Trilogy, Book 1
Publication: April 12, 2011 by Macmillan
Hardcover: 262 pages
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Horror, Zombies, Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Adventure
Age Group: Young Adult
Content: Violence, Sexual Assault, Gore, Kissing
Source: Gifted for Christmas | Quote(s): Yes

I was born during the second holocaust.

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

Zombies are my thing

Zombies, Freaks, Eaters, whatever you want to call them, if they’re undead I dig them. The zombie element of Enclave by Ann Aguirre is ferociously creepy and does incorporate the intended, and expected, anxiety. However, that, surprisingly, was NOT the highlight of the dark world-building Ann has built; the brutal, animalistic, uncompromising atmosphere of the Enclave where the main character, Deuce, resides is what’s especially memorable about Enclave by Ann Aguirre. The sheer grit this girl possesses is bolstered by an apocalyptic mess of bleak and barren wastelands both Topside and below, in which survival is paramount, takes precedence over choice and affection and comfort. Even fear. Because there’s no room to be frightened when there are so many who maintain dependence on the strength of people like Deuce.

The cruel and unbending characteristics of the Enclave itself weeds out the weak to ensure that the strong survive. Some of their practices strike horror into our hearts merely because they are an affront to the humanity that shone within us. The Enclave is run based on a primitive and animalistic dominance and ‘survival of the fittest mentality,’ in which the useless are killed, the greedy and malicious are exiled. But that human element hasn’t completely disappeared either, because these people have room for corruption as well. Public displays of violence and unjust accusations, random framings and murders, banishment into the unknown—all of this to reinforce the rules and to reestablish the deathly consequences of breaking those rules, creating a world more terrifying and grotesque than the ravenous undead. It’s severe and callous, this underground world, where the people below ground scurry like rats across mutinous distances and battle merciless, starving monsters to ensure the survival of the whole.

The darkly atmospheric images perpetuated by the author served as a driving and acute fascination, which outgunned my obsession with zombies and the like, and I was riveted.

Deuce and Fade’s badassery and romance

The oppressive, terrifying world Deuce lives in isn’t the only kickass thing about Enclave by Ann Aguirre. Besides the awesome fact that it’s not only intrinsically immersive, but it’s reasonable, pretty consistent, and adds more depth to the world-building as a whole. However, Deuce and Fade are tantamount to the intriguing world-building in this book. They’re well-trained and uber skilled hunters despite their youth, which is consistent with the things we learn about in Enclave by Ann Aguirre’s world. And they are also super fascinating!

I admire Deuce for obvious reasons, including her Linda Hamilton thing going on—tough fighter and instead of guns she’s got knives and a club to duke it out with the incessant and vicious Freaks outside of the tunnels. However, I wouldn’t say she’s lost touch of her humanity, but, more than anything, has it banked and repressed for the sake of not drawing the suspicious eyes and ears of the Enclave. Her compassions takes second place to duty and respect for the heartless rules she’s abided since she was merely Girl15. She’s worked her way to the top, and has proven repeatedly that she’s not JUST a girl capable of withstanding a lot of pain, but she’s handy to have in a fight against twenty odd frenzied man-eating savages. She’s smart and observant, and I can dig that in a heroine. But, I needed more uncovering of those hardened overlying layers to her personality. I wanted to dig down deeper into the girl as opposed to the warrior. Then, I’ll be able to say I like her too.

Fade, on the other hand, I felt I understood a bit better. Maybe simply because he has a tendency of wearing his emotions more on the surface than he’d like, and that allows me to feel more sympathetic and understanding toward him. He wears so many scars that aren’t solely skin deep. Glimpses into his life helped make him more vulnerable, and that made it easy for me to appreciate the sexy fighter and hunter he is now. When he and Deuce click, it’s after wading through thick globs of suspicion and mutual dislike. After the rumors are dispelled and they’ve been through enough life-threatening situations? It’s mutual admiration and respect that forges the attraction between them, and has them paying closer attention to things deeper than their reputations. They become friends as well as partners, and stick by each other in a way that alludes to a relationship far more in tune and deep and precious than a partnership born of survival.

Irritating love triangles aside, I want more, more, more

Frankly, I would’ve been PERFECTLY happy with reading about Fade and Deuce and their struggles to escape to a more peaceful, less deadened world. I would’ve been fine with hanging back, barely suppressing grins as these two feel each other out a bit more. I didn’t NEED any more characters, and, honestly, I didn’t want any to come and botch everything up. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS. Personally, I could’ve done without the two additions to their tight group, and that would’ve saved me all this stress and anxiety that had nothing to do with potential betrayal and everything to do with the fragile, early stages of the romance.

A LOVE TRIANGLE WAS NOT NECESSARY. Even if it isn’t REALLY a love triangle, it’s still a needless and stressful obstacle between the two main characters that riddles me with fear and anxiety in a way I hadn’t experienced before with the Freak attacks. I loathed that Ann Aguirre left that bit hanging in the balance by the end of her book. Yet, despite it’s openness, I was pleased that it wasn’t a cliffhanger. Enclave by Ann Aguirre can easily stand on it’s own, unless you’re as invested in the romance as I am.

Still, by the end, I was reaching for air, because I didn’t own Outpost. I was crushed. I hate that I’ll have to wait for the sequel, especially when I wasn’t particularly excited about reading this one. Now, I can’t imagine my year without having read Enclave by Ann Aguirre!

"What happened to your last partner?"
Fade smiled. "He wasn't as good as Silk claimed."
"You want to find out" I lifted my brow in a challenge.
The space had cleared of brats, so he shrugged and took position in the center. "Show me what you've got."
It was a clever tactic, but I wasn't that green. The offensive fighter lost the chance to assess his opponent's style. I shook y head at him and curled my fingers. He almost smiled; I saw it start in his eyes, but he focused on the fight.
We circled a few times.
He lashed out with a quick left, followed by a right cross. I blocked one but not the other; kind of him not to use his full strength. Still, the blow rocked me. I used the new angle to sink a fist into his ribs and spin away. He wasn't expecting me to recover so fast, I thought.
Our sparring gathered an audience. I tried to ignore them, as I wanted to make a good showing. I went for his leg but he leaped and I recovered in a clumsy stumble while he pressed forward. When he swept, I didn't slide away in time and he took me down smoothly. I tried to roll out of the lock, but he had me. I glared up at him, but he held me until I tapped.
Fade offered me a hand up. "Not bad. You lasted a couple of minutes.
With a grin, I took it. I refused to make the excuse that my arms were sore. He could see that for himself. "You got lucky today. I'd like a rematch." (16-17)

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Although it had everything I crave in a YA dystopian post-apocalyptic, not excluding the paranormal sci-fi-ish twist to it with the Freaks, I still was unsure of how I would approach the book and how satisfied I would come out of it. What I found, however, once I was done, was that I was ridiculously impressed by the enthralling, immersive world-building and invested into the subtle, slow-burn romance between two characters I admire greatly. I am panting for the sequel, Outpost, and you will probably find me shamelessly begging friends on Twitter to lend me their ARCs of the highly anticipated sequel!

OTHER REVIEWS: Tales of the Inner Book Fanatic Small Review Taming the Bookshelf

SIMILAR TITLES: Legend by Marie Lu The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Divergent by Veronica Roth The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Got something specific in mind? Dare I believe I might NOT have covered something you wish to know? If so, let me know down in the comments section. Don't be shy!

ARC Review: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Title: This Is Not a Test
Story Arc: Standalone
Publication: June 19, 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin
Paperback: 322 pages
Genre: Apocalyptic, Paranormal, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Contemporary, Horror, Zombies
Age Group: Young Adult
Content: Profanity, Sexual Scenes, Blood, Gruesome Deaths
Source: St. Martin's Griffin via NetGalley | Quote(s): Yes

Lily, I woke up and the last piece of my heart disappeared. I opened my eyes and I felt it let go.

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

This shizz is FOR SERIOUS

Courtney Summers is honest and up-front about her shizz. Her writing is brutal and poetic and cutting, but never once do you feel as if she’s beating around the bush. She writes ON THE REAL. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is all about REAL characterizations, actions, feelings, and issues. Every word is like a brass-knuckled punch to the heart. It exposes you, it wounds you. Each word knocks those pretty rose-colored glasses right off your face and now you’re seeing the world for what it really is—a place gone cold, hellish where only the tiniest glimmers of hope survive to tantalize those struggling to reach for it. I’ve never encountered a writer quite like Summers, a shaper of words so beautiful and impactful that tell the story of a disturbing girl ready to let the world go at the same time it falls apart, crumbles beneath the feet of five other teenagers oblivious to the true meaning of pain, of inescapable imprisonment.

Summers’s prose is telling, insightful, and gorgeously dark, uncovering a world in which fate has dealt some a cruel hand. The zombieness? That’s only the HALF of it. They’re thudding and moaning outside the school, sending chills and things down all of our spines, but there aren’t as many close-ups as you might think. AND THAT’S OKAY. If The Breakfast Club had been about kids stuck at school because of ZOMBIES as opposed to detention, it would’ve escalated so fraking much on the coolness scale. Which I had, before This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers, thought utterly impossible. These characters Summers shoves us into meeting come face-to-face with dizzying suffering and critical, harsh loss in a way no one should. They’re without parents, without hope, without freedom. They are entombed in the school, in their rage, in their agony, in their fear, and are forced to endure the suffocating, maddening reality of it.

At the end of the day, each of them want to survive what seems to be the end of all days.

May I remind you

Grace, Trace, Harrison, Cary, Sloane, and Rhys? They’re just KIDS, for crying out loud. One character later says something about teenage ingenuity, and that’s EXACTLY it. These six kids manage to escape the zombie population devastating their small town and fortify their hiding place all on their own. The fact that they even came up with the high school on their own? Serious braniac points. God knows I would’ve been slaughtered sometime around page zero on account of my lack of BRAINS, or rather my ability to use them, because the fact that I HAVE THEM and THEY WORK RIGHT is what would drive the zombies bananas for my body.

If it wasn’t bad enough that we’re talking about six teenagers stranded at their local high school as they await rescue, there’s all this crazy interpersonal stuff between them. Starting with the fact that the group started as eight. And in between that and the tail end of it is drowning guilt, mourning, suicidal tendencies, and unbelievable loss. Each of these six people have so many emotions locked up inside of them, all these secrets and horrific thoughts, that it’s no wonder there’s so much DRAMA. Although I’m not talking about angsty teen television show drama but HOLY FRAK THERE ARE ZOMBIES OUTSIDE AND PEEPS ARE DEAD, DYING, OR UNDYING EVERYWHERE drama. The sort of bulletin you pay attention to, the sort that keeps you engrossed and appalled and tense all the way through.

Death, and how the HELL romance?

Ya’ll, some goose-bumpy TERRIFYING things go down in This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. And not all of those things are about the zombies gnawing at metal and throwing themselves bodily at all the exits to get inside the building. There’s a lot of bad blood mingling into the group, carrying over more toward the testosterone end of said group. Poor Sloane, who has suffered immense and unimaginable physical and verbal abuse all of her life, is stuck amongst a bunch of loud criers and even louder yellers. The arguments, the punching, the GUN WAVING, all of it, makes for a very tense, be-on-your-guard sort of atmosphere, because every shaky second you have to wonder who’s willing to pull the metaphorical and literal trigger. Who’s crazy and is slowly going crazy, who’s being eaten alive by guilt and by sheer terror. Which is what makes This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers so thrilling and eerie. Because on the human scope, some of these characters are more vicious than the zombies.

BUT LET’S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE ZOMBIES. Because you will get eaten and ripped apart. And DIE. There are SO many close calls that the shakes take over, the shock, and the panic. It’s not that you’re so close to the characters you feel all this, but Courtney Summers manages to bring you astonishingly strong, perfect images of everything that happens. Then, you’re there, you’re witnessing AND experiencing, which lends the book that much more POWER and DEPTH. I felt closer to the situation than the actual characters some of the time because the imagery was so overpowering.

With all this death and decay permeating the plot, you might be wondering, however, how the hell a romance can spark at all? Half of the time, this group seems more insane and twitchy than anything else. The truth is, though, that there’s a lot of emotional depth as well. Sloane and crew have seen and done unspeakably horrible things, which is the reason for all those shadows on the mind and unsaid secrets in the air. Everyone’s once lily-white hands are stained with deep crimson in some haunting way. There’s no going back for the awful things they had, or felt they had, to do. And this is what ties some of the characters closer, knitting them together with blood and devastation and endless remorse. Rhys sure the heck KNOWS something is very wrong with Sloane, whom they stumbled across and enfolded in thinking she was trying to get up as opposed to trying to let go. With a couple suicide attempts under her belt, Rhys is wary and suspicious and angry with this girl he’s always been aware of. What he doesn’t know is that her sister’s escape plan had actually consisted of perfection for ONE and not two, that her father from the time she can remember has beat every ounce of hope and security right out of her.

And when he does know these things? There’s softness, gentleness, tenderness, and all those lovely feelings that couple with his protection of her and loyalty to her that make him so subtly swoonworthy. He's hard and serious and guilty of so much, but he’s compassionate and thoughtful too. Sloane may have to wake up on her own, but Rhys is certainly tempting her out of her unnervingly cold and lonely sleep.

Why you no special shelf?

This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is damn near complete and stunning perfection. It’s emotional, tangible, genuine, and beautiful. Each chapter was a shock to the system, constantly keeping me on my toes and taking me by surprise. The story BORDERS on special shelf. But, if there’s one thing I irrevocably dislike, it’s VAGUE ENDINGS.

When a book like This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is so tormenting and stunning and intense, I feel slightly cheated when I’m not given anything conclusive to hold onto. There’s no clearly defined path, no concrete answer to the big WILL THEY MAKE IT? Will they want to? What now? Granted, this ending is by far one of the better ones in the vague setting, and there IS a hint of closure in what’s written by Sloane on a very important piece of paper she’s carried with her throughout the story that stretches after the last word. I wanted a bit more.

He keeps his eyes off me until I tell him, "I wouldn't have let you die out there. I know you think I would have, but I wouldn't have."
"But you went out there to die."
"I wouldn't have let you die. When I saw them coming for you, I ran to you, to save you," I say. "I wouldn't have left you like that. Not like she did to me." I swallow hard. "She always said I'd die without her and she left anyway."
"But you didn't die," he says.
"I did," I say. "I'm just waiting for the rest of me to catch up." (72%)

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

With all the expected trappings of a zombie survival novel, Courtney Summers manages to take a concept so familiar to us and twist it so that it’s not the zombies we’re most fearful of but of fellow human beings capable of so much more atrociousness, viciousness than the walking undead who constantly fascinate us. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is more focused on the emotional upheaval caused by and before the zombie epidemic, and the extremes that come with all that packed-in turmoil. Summers invades the mind with horrific scenes and disturbing imagery, all the while maintaining this dark, eerie beauty in the words that make This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers a story to be experienced and absorbed rather than to be merely read and witnessed.

OTHER REVIEWS: The Book Smugglers Makeshift Bookmark Good Books and Good Wine

SIMILAR TITLES: Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne Ten by Gretchen McNeil Enclave by Ann Aguirre

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Early ARC Review: Something Strange & Deadly by Susan Dennard

my thoughts in a few sentences: I’ve got a thing for zombies and the Victorian era. Put the two together and I possess the inexplicable urge to magically produce rainbows or Lucky Charms. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel was my last indulgence in this area, and though it was satisfying in many areas it missed that crucial opening hook and didn’t suck me in until a hundred pages or so. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard is almost a hundred pages shorter and it managed to do what DD could not: hook me INSTANTLY. By the first line alone, I was sitting back with a happy grin on my face, eager for the next thing lying in wait. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard, thankfully, has a gorgeous cover to match the story it wraps.

hooking first lines: ""Dead!" a woman screamed. "It's the Dead!""

Harper Teen • Edelweiss • Paranormal Historical Romance • 7/24/12 • $13.49

Review: Dearly, Departed

my thoughts in a few sentences: While Dearly, Departed starts out tortuously slow, failing to keep me utterly immersed within the first hundred pages, the story suddenly picks up speed, jumpstarting a fascinating thrill-ride into a post-apocalyptic, technologically advanced New Victoria, in which everything has reverted to the ways of historical Victorian London with a futuristic spin to form a relaxed, peaceful society. Stirring my interests with rebels hateful of these changes and a secret pocket of government-trained zombies, mindless cannibalistic ones aside, Dearly, Departed shot me into a riveting mash-up of genre elements and fed me (har har) a sweet, heart-aching romance that made me want to bear-hug the couple. An AMAZING cast, constant action, equal parts witty and sober, Dearly, Departed definitely recovered from its unhurried beginning, delivering the story I hoped I would find behind its stunning cover.

hooking first line: "I was buried alive."

Rating: Sud-Kissed | Del Rey • Bought • Paranormal/Post-Apocalyptic • 10/18/11 • $15.13

Review: Soul Thief by Jana Oliver

WARNING: If you haven't read The Demon Trapper's Daughter, book one in the Demon Trappers series, then it would probably be a good idea to stay away from this review.

Soul Thief by Jana Oliver

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Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: ARC/Blog Tour
Purchase: Book Depo. | Amazon | Kindle
About the Book:

Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them...

Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.

But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s "little" problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever...

Soul Thief starts off directly after The Demon Trapper's Daughter left off, and with that said, the same feeling I had while reading the first book came back to me. But it was short lived. To say I'd expected so much for the sequel is the absolute truth. And yet, for me, it didn't deliver.

I think the pacing was the real problem. It didn't move fast enough for me, especially for a book set in a world full of demons and angels, and their captors and devotees. I keep feeling like a full-scale war, a big battle or something exciting and epic is looming closer, but still from a considerable distance. I enjoyed Soul Thief's predecessor, and made allowances for it's semi-slow pacing, because it was the starter book, the intro to the series. But in the sequel I expected more of a BAM! kind of deal. The search for Riley's dad was a bit tedious, in that she didn't explore any very intriguing avenues to locate him. The only aspect of her investigation that I found remotely interesting was being amongst the necromancers, but I came to find that they weren't nearly as exciting as I'd thought them to be. Since a good chunk of the book was consumed by the search for her father's corpse, I felt... bored. Where was the perilous action, the deadly fights against the hellish fiends everyone's so worked up about?

The fighting, especially toward the end of book one, was one of it's biggest appeals for me. That and Beck. And unsurprisingly, Beck and Riley's, I don't know, thing antagonized my already rising level of frustration with the book. In book one, the tension between the two was a good thing, even when Riley began seeing Simon (and don't even get me started on him), but during take two I just grew aggravated. Perhaps it's my innate impatience, that generally comes out while reading. But more likely it was the fact that their complex relationship was losing it's appeal... until the second half of the book.

Have I mentioned, yet, that my feelings for this book are also complex, like, immensely? One minute I was bored, the next faintly intrigued, leading up to engrossment, then down to frustration and annoyance, suspicion, concluding with a surprising eagerness for the sequel. My interest was piqued when, finally, a freakish demonic attack happens, the whole business with Ori and the reasons for his involvement with Riley are unveiled, and I got to learn some rather astonishing deets about the Prince of Hell and his role in the Good vs. Evil dilemma. Then when Riley and Ori's relationship turns toward the unexpected very quickly, the irritation came into play. Beck was no better, and I couldn't help but be angry at him for his reactions to some of the trouble that crops up toward the end. 

By the end though, Jana managed to snag me again. To the point where I'm confused, edgy and restless to learn what's going to happen next, and that growing anticipation, that burning hope for what Beck and Riley could have, what--I'm hoping--they will have together has been rekindled somehow. And if I'm not mistaken, this is all boiling up to one gigantic, battle-tastic ending to the trilogy. I'm at the edge of my seat, and I'll be devastated if I'm even partially disappointed come the third book.

---------------------------------------------------

Riley dug in her messenger bag, retrieved a pen, and began a list on a crisp white napkin.
Find Dad
Bust Holy Water Scam
Save the World
Buy Groceries
Do Laundry
As she saw it, if number three on the list didn't work out, the last two weren't going to be an issue. (6)

"She and Simon have taken a fancy ta each other, did ya know? They were holdin' hands and kissin' before the meetin'. They didn't think I saw them."
"Kissin'?" Beck felt something heavy form in his chest, like a stone weighing on his heart. Had to be because of the demon wound; they always made you feel sick. It wouldn't do for him to think of Riley as more than just Paul's little girl.
"Ya didn't know?" the master asked, all innocence. 
Beck shook his head. He'd known Riley and Simon were spending time together. They were both apprenticing with Harper and saw each other every day. But he hadn't realized their relationship had gone that far. She was only seventeen, and now that both of her parents were dead he felt responsible for her. Sort of like a big brother. Sort of something more. (9) About that brother part...*cough* Yeah, right. *cough*