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Sarah Rees Brennan

New York Times Bestselling Author of the Demon's Lexicon Trilogy

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UNMADE SNIPPET FOR THE HAY ON WYE BOOK FESTIVAL!

May 22, 2014 by Sarah 8 Comments

As I prepare to jaunt down tomorrow to the Hay on Wye Festival of Books, it seemed an AUSPICIOUS TIME to put up the Holly and Angela snippet I had promised.

Looking forward to seeing you, Walesians! Looking forward to seeing you, town of books and books and books!


Angela had agreed to stay in the Water Rising and study Aurimere books with Holly, but Holly was sure that Angie had not thought this process would last long into the night. Angie rested her elbows on the table and regarded the world with a pissed-off stare, as if she hated the night, tables, and air generally.

“What?” she asked flatly.

“Uh,” said Holly. “It’s really nice of you—and Rusty, of course; I like Rusty, who doesn’t like Rusty, he’s so likable—to let Henry stay with you. And to let me stay with you. I really appreciate it. And so does Henry. I’m sure.”

“Okay,” Angela said.

“I mean, it’s not just staying with you, of course. This is a tough time, and—and I bet Henry is grateful for the support. And of course Henry really enjoys your company.”

Angela made a slight face. Holly couldn’t interpret it, other than knowing it meant things were not going well. It was possible that Angie hated appreciation, Henry, the very sound of Holly’s voice, or all of the above.

“Okay,” Angela repeated.

She got back to turning the pages of her book. Holly felt more and more like a creeper, the kind of guy who didn’t say suggestive stuff but did insist on having a conversation, who hassled beautiful girls who obviously wanted to be left alone.

She only knew one way to do things. She didn’t know how girls were supposed to go after other girls.

And yet Angie had fancied Holly once before, and Holly hadn’t even meant to do that. Maybe the problem was that Holly was being too subtle.

“You look tired,” was Holly’s next venture.

She knew that was not the smoothest possible thing to say, but she had a plan.

“Almost constantly,” Angela replied, staring at her book and resting her fingers against her temples. “I am tired of asshole sorcerers, I am tired of having my life threatened, and I am tired in the sense that I want a nap. Yes. And your point would be?”

The temptation to say “Never mind,” and also hide behind the sofa because Angie was terrifying, was almost irresistible.

But Holly wanted to be brave, and she wanted to have this. Guys were often really persistent, and it worked: she didn’t want Angela to think Holly wasn’t trying hard enough because she didn’t like her enough.

Holly braced herself and jumped to her feet.

“Oh, I was just thinking,” she said with forced and perhaps slightly manic brightness. “You must be super tense! How about a massage?”

Before she finished speaking, she had her hands on Angela’s shoulders, so much narrower than a boy’s shoulders and almost fragile-feeling, even though she knew Angie was strong. She felt for an instant a sense of accomplishment.

Angela’s shoulders moved under her hands in a shudder of indignant recoil, like a scandalized maiden snake whose Victorian sensibilities had been deeply offended.

The movement was enough: Holly had her hands off Angela and up in surrender, but Angela spun around in her chair and wheeled on her anyway.

“What,” said Angela, and the ice in her voice chilled Holly, “do you think you are doing?”

“Sorry,” Holly muttered. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It was right out of order, Holly,” Angela said.

She was not even standing up, but she was a tower of outrage. Angie might go around traumatizing people, but she always knew exactly what she was doing.

Holly didn’t know how to behave, had never quite known how to be friends, let alone anything more. She was the fluffy idiot her parents had always believed, the girl the other girls didn’t want to be around, not someone who knew the magic trick of being taken seriously. She was so, so stupid.

Holly knew she was blushing and was afraid she was going to cry, which would be even more humiliating.

“I was just trying to—” she got out.

“What?” Angela demanded. “What were you trying to do?”

“Never mind,” said Holly.

Filed Under: General Blog

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ballou213 says

    May 23, 2014 at 2:41 am

    Nooooo. I want them together! 🙁 how could you separate these two???

    Reply
  2. Hadas says

    May 23, 2014 at 8:36 pm

    Oh Holly and Angela, darlings. Angela is coming from a 100% valid place (consent! respecting of boundaries!) but also a person bad at people I very much get Holly too. Oh kids. Why do you do this to our hearts? 🙁

    Thank you! I’m terribly excited for Unmade, so snippets are great and also make the wait more unbearable.

    Reply
  3. Tess says

    May 24, 2014 at 12:22 am

    I am so excited for this book! I never know what twists and turns you’re going to throw in so it’s an absolute thrill to read everything you write. I love the Angela/Holly potentialness – ahh, why is September so far away?????

    Reply
  4. Lucie says

    May 24, 2014 at 12:59 am

    I can’t wait to see Holly continuing her attempts to woo Angela. I’m not sure if flowers and chocolate would really work in this case. Probably defeating rampant homicidal sorcerers would. Maybe flowers and chocolate and victory-over-evil. In that order.

    Reply
  5. Caitlin says

    May 26, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    Oh my. Is Henry one of Holly’s brothers? Also, poor Holly was so awkward I physically cringed. She needs a hug and a manual or something.

    Reply
    • sarahreesbrennan says

      May 26, 2014 at 6:18 pm

      Henry Thornton–a sorcerer from London who came to help. Is he Holly’s other love interest? Maybe. 😉

      Reply
      • Caitlin says

        June 1, 2014 at 11:17 am

        Oi vey. You take far too much pleasure in torturing us

        Reply
  6. Esther says

    May 26, 2014 at 6:45 pm

    oh, goodness. i love you, holly, but maybe a massage wasn’t the way to go.

    Reply

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