Demon by Laura DeLuca
Demon, Book Two in the Dark Musicals Trilogy,
inspired by Sweeney Todd is available now in both PRINT and eBook!
When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn.
It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their
apartment or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an
essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the
serial rapist terrorizing the campus.
Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn
start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.
Excerpt:
Rebecca unwound the silver ribbon. When she lifted the lid, she
found two matching pendants, each laced to a long hemp chain. They were shaped
sort of like seashells, with an endless spiral pattern that looped out from the
center as the chambers grew larger. They were dark brown in color with a few
hints of tan along the edges. The stones had been polished and smoothed on both
sides, but when she lifted them, she could see that the two pieces fit together
perfectly. She swore the halves fought to snap together, like magnets in her
hand. There was an energy pulsing and vibrating within the stones that even a
novice witch like Rebecca could feel.
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“They’re beautiful,” Rebecca whispered as she ran her hand along
the intricate grooves.
“It’s an ammonite.” Justyn lifted one of the pendants, brushed
her hair to the side, and hooked the clasp around her neck. His breath tickled
her skin as his hands moved with graceful dexterity, giving her goose bumps
despite the humid August night. “They’re actually fossils that are millions of
years old, named after Ammon, an ancient Egyptian deity. When they’re divided
in half, they’re perfect mirrors of one another. Some cultures believe that if
the two halves are given to lovers, it will bind them together forever. When
made into necklaces, they’re often called soul mate pendants.”
“Wo-wow,” Rebecca stuttered. As usual, the sentiment behind
Justyn’s gift was even more beautiful than the gift itself. It left her a
little flustered. “That’s amazing. How do you know all this stuff?”
“You don’t spend eighteen years living with Darlene without
learning a thing or two.”
Rebecca laughed. Justyn’s mother Darlene was definitely
something special. EMT, exotic belly dancer, and Wiccan High Priestess were
only a few of the titles she claimed. Rebecca knew she was a fountain of
earth-based knowledge after years of studying the Craft. As Darlene’s new
apprentice, Rebecca greedily dipped into that knowledge herself as often as
possible.
“It’s beautiful,” Rebecca repeated, too overcome with emotion to
think of anything more eloquent to say. “You certainly know how to make things
interesting.”
“Like I told you on our first date, I try not to be boring.” He
winked at her. “So … are you going to put mine on for me?”
“Oh yeah … sorry.”
Rebecca giggled as she lifted the hemp chain. She wasn’t nearly
as graceful as Justyn. She almost dropped the necklace in the sand three times
before she managed to get the clasp locked. When she finally had it secured, he
placed his hand over her heart, where the ammonite lay. He did the same with
her hands, lifting them to his chest. His dark eyes had lost all glimmer of
humor. He met her gaze with a stare filled with genuine emotion. Beneath her
fingers, she could feel the gentle, steady rhythm of his heart beating in
perfect tune with her own.
“Our love will span both space and time. In this life and the
next, you shall be mine. All eternity I will be by your side. For a love so
strong cannot be denied. Spirit and flesh merged into one. So mote it be, for
all days to come.”
When he was done with the recitation, he kissed her. Not just a
gentle brush, but a deep, passionate embrace that left her throat tight and her
heart pounding with a familiar yearning.
“I’ve never heard that poem before,” she said once she’d caught
her breath. “Who are you quoting?”
Even in the moonlight, she could see him blush. “I guess I was
quoting myself. It was really more of an incantation than a poem though. These
necklaces are meant to be a symbol of our love, and it seemed a little spell
work could only add to the power of the stones. There is power in words, Becca.
Just like there is power in nature.”
“You mean, you wrote that?”
He nodded, but his eyes twinkled, and the playfulness was back
in his voice. “Well, actually, I just made it up as I went along.”
“Wow. Actor, singer, and now an improv poet slash chant writer.
Is there anything you can’t do, Lord Justyn?”
He smiled and tilted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “I
can’t stop loving you.”
You can also add Demon to
your shelf on goodreads.
Phantom, Dark Musicals Book #1
If you haven't read the first
book in the series, now is a great time to get your copy. To celebrate the
release of Demon, Phantom is now on sale for only $1.99 exclusively on
Amazon!
Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.
Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.
About the Author:Giveaway:
Laura is giving away a
Demon prize pack includes which includes a signed copy of Phantom, gothic key
chain, incense gift set, mini Buddha figurine, lavender purification bath
salts, geode, crystal point, natural stone pendant, and sage smudge stick with abalone
shell.
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