Reward Chocolate

This is a very exciting bar of chocolate. Want to know why? Because it means I've turned in another draft of Curses. At 100,000 words, it's my longest book yet. (I average around the 90,000 range usually.) My friend bought me this last Thursday to be opened either when I hit a low spot and needed encouragement to soldier on, or to open when I finished. I have very good friends.

(I opened it when I was reading through the last few chapters.)

I'm going to take tomorrow to rest, and then jump back onto East Bound.

For now, I'm going to give you another new snippet from Curses! In this scene, Tevin and his cousin Val are having a disagreement with some gentlemen over money owed from a bet. I believe this is the first time you'll be seeing Kate and Amaury, Tevin's siblings.

***

One of the men grabbed Tevin by the neck, tossing him to the ground, knocking the sap out of his grip. He hit and rolled, getting a mouth full of dry grass for his efforts, and barely missing the follow up kick. Unfortunately, he rolled right into a kick from the other side. It caught him in the ribs, the pain radiating out. Another boot came his way and he grabbed it, shoving backward until the man lost balance and fell.

He stood, ducking a punch, and slamming his fist into someone's gut before spinning and taking out another man's knee. There was a satisfying grunt of pain, but the movement had left him open and someone took advantage. A meaty fist grabbed his collar and lifted. A grin split the spitter's face, and it was a right ugly sight.

Slowly, and with great relish, the spitter drew back his fist. "I'm going to enjoy this."

"I reckon you might," Tevin wheezed, his hands grabbing onto the fist for leverage. "But I reckon not nearly as much as I'm going to enjoy this." Tevin swung his legs up and pushed off the man with both feet. The man grunted in pain and Tevin fell flat on his back, winded.

The distinct sound of a break action shotgun snapping together stopped everyone mid- swing. Tevin tipped his head back, still trying to breathe, and caught a welcome sight.

Two figures perched on a rented carriage—the first was his brother, Amaury, holding the reins in a casual grip. Like all the DuMont’s, he was handsome, though leaner than Tevin, and a few inches taller. Amaury was a specter in black, from his duster to his boots, the only color showing was the dark chestnut of his hair. Amaury didn’t care much for hats. Or smiling. His brother absorbed the world through a somewhat detached demeanor.

Kate, his sister, had the same curly chestnut hair, but lacked her sibling’s height and icy facade. Kate hid her thoughts with a lively expression, but a mask was a mask, no matter what it was made out of. She currently held the shotgun leveled at the group.

The carriage door opened, and Tevin’s father, Brouchard DuMont, stuck out his head. “I hate to interrupt, but we’re terribly late as it is. Tevin, Val, do get in. We have a train to catch.”

Val offered Tevin a hand, pulling him out of the dust. They all looked a little worse for wear--several bloody noses, bruised faces, one of the men was holding his sides while another spit out a tooth, the poor bastard.

The spitter started to argue but Kate swung the shotgun in his direction. “I wouldn’t.”

Val tapped the rim of her brown telescope hat, Tevin doing the same with his bowler, before dusting himself off.

“He owes me money,” Val said.

Kate’s eyes narrowed at the spitter. “Maybe it’s different where you crawled out from, but around these parts, we pay our debts.”

When one of the men shifted away, Amaury clucked his tongue. “Wouldn’t recommend.”

“I’m very fast,” Kate said. “I would ask yourself, is it worth it? You might save your coin only to end up handing it off to a sawbones.” Kate gave her rapt audience wide eyes. “Now that’s hardly a good deal. No, best to keep your health and leave today poorer but wiser, don’t you think?”

The men slowly emptied their pockets, their coin purses hitting the dirt. Val snatched them up before making her way to the carriage. She grinned. “Much obliged.” Then men didn’t say a word, but their eyes were hard.