**Today is an awesome day here on the blog. Allow me to introduce you to your next book....Author Victoria Scott is giving all you, my awesome readers an exclusive sneak peek into her upcoming series, and this excerpt you won't even find in the book. Plus she is giving you a chance to win a signed ARC copy...drooling yet? I am.
FIRE & FLOOD Bonus Scene
Harper Shaw, Minor Character
The Brimstone Bleed started four hours ago, give or
take. I’ve traveled as far as necessary for now, put adequate distance between
myself and the other Contenders. There will be plenty who travel without
stopping, without making a plan.
Idiots.
Like the others, I don’t know anything about this
race, only that I need the prize—the Cure—more than I need my own beating
heart. I can still remember my mother’s words as I left our home.
“I don’t know where you think you’re going, Harper,”
she said. “But you can’t just leave us like this. Not now.”
But I did leave. It’s not like I could tell her
about the invitation. Or explain what would happen next. Because the truth was,
I didn’t know. Two days ago, I was lounging on my bed, listening to Linkin Park
and watching MTV on mute. Today, I’m here, in a jungle, fighting to save the
most important person in my life.
A caw rips
through the late afternoon, and the dense canopy overhead rustles. I breathe in
the smell of rich, damp soil that is almost invigorating. The air is thick and
damp and clings to my skin, and everywhere I look is a plant I’ve never seen
before. The world is a canvas of purple vines and orange flowers and greenery
that swallows the ground beneath my feet. It’s both horrific and captivating at
once.
Every few seconds, I stop to swipe insects off my
skin. It doesn’t bother me. I’m not the squeamish type. The only thing I’m
worried about is the egg in my Brimstone Bleed issued bag. A Pandora, the device said. An animal that will help me win this
competition. My heart roars in my chest when the bag against my hip stirs once
again.
Now that we’re alone, I drop to my knees and remove
the egg. When I see a prominent crack down the side, my entire body buzzes with
anticipation. I’ve never had a pet before. Not a dog, not a cat…not even a
goldfish. And now I’m supposed to travel with an animal that could potentially
save my life and Lillian’s? It’s hard to absorb.
The egg cracks again, and I freeze. My hands hover
over the iridescent shell, unsure of what to do. But this Pandora doesn’t need
my help. It’s eager to escape its prison, eager to fulfill its destiny. I
admire its tenacity already, but my stomach churns wondering what my Pandora
will be like. Will it be ruthless? Endearing? Will it make it so that I don’t
feel utterly alone?
The egg burst open and I fall back, a gasp escaping
my throat. I glance around to ensure we are alone. And when I look back, my hands
shaking, my eyes widening, I see it—
A feather.
About Victoria Scott
Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe of the Harvey-Klinger Literary Agency. She’s the author of the FIRE & FLOOD series published by Scholastic, and the DANTE WALKER trilogy published by Entangled Teen. Her books have been bought and translated in eight foreign markets including the UK, Turkey, China, Germany, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.
Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.
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