Page 79 of Declan

Rivers of blood flowed through the village. As arrows soared through the red sky and found their mark in the chests of those deemed as enemies, lives were claimed in the bloodiest war in the history of man. Every man prayed for the gods to give them strength and courage on the battlefield….but their prayers fell on deaf ears.

Nothing would stop the bloodshed.

And then five brothers appeared. Strong, ruthless, and with a plan to end the pointless fighting. But not without a price.

“Damn,” I said, looking up from my phone. “This is really good. And I’m not just saying that, either.”

“Thanks.” Kyler dropped his gaze to his beer.

“What’s the plot?”

“I hate being asked that question. I always feel dumb when I try to explain it.” He blew out a breath and pushed his fingers through the front of his hair. “Basically, there’s a huge war goin’ on between mortals. Humanity is suffering and the gods are doing nothing to help. Then, the brothers step up and start taking back some of that power. They each make a sacrifice in order to gain the power to make a change in the world. There’s betrayal, angst, romance, and violence. The whole good versus evil thing.”

“Sounds like my kind of book.”

“Do you even read?”

“I’m offended,” I said with an exaggerated gasp. “I actually love to read.”

Kyler cocked his head. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked you about your interests. What kind of books do you read?”

“History books,” I answered before taking a drink of beer. “I also like sci-fi and fantasy. Not really into romance plots, though. I get enough of that at work.”

“Wow.” Kyler crinkled his nose as he smiled. “I feel like a jackass for not asking you about it sooner. We could’ve been talkin’ books this whole time.”

“Well.” I slid my hand across his upper thigh. “Not the whole time.”

“Naughty Spartan.”

“So, I know you like my movies. What other movies do you like?”

“Jurassic Park,” he answered as a huge smile crossed his face. “My favorite of them isJurassic World. I know some people didn’t care for that one, but I can honestly watch it like four days a week and never tire of it.”

“So, you’re a dinosaur lover?”

“Hell yeah.” Kyler gave a toothy grin. “Dinosaurs are badass.”

“What are your plans for your book?” I asked.

“My dream is to get it made into either a movie or a mini-series for HBO or something.”

“Have you sent it to anyone?”

“Nah, I only self-published it,” he answered. “I’ve been turned down too many times in the past, and I couldn’t handle yet another rejection letter.”

“Do you know how many rejections I got before catching a big break?”

He shook his head.

“Yeah, me, either. Because it was a shit load and I can’t even begin to count them all. I was living out of my car, washing dishes to make enough money to eat, and for the longest time, I couldn’t even get an audition. Then, when I did get them, I wasn’t picked. But I didn’t give up.”

“I’m not you,” he said, a bit defensively. “You’re actually talented. My writing probably just sucks and that’s why no one wants me.”

“Keep up with that shitty attitude and you’ll never get anywhere, Freckles.” I clicked out of the app and placed my phone on the table. The sun was nearly set, and the sky was painted with orange and purple. “What happened to the positive guy I know?”

“He’s still here.” A small smile touched his lips. “Sometimes I just need a kick in the ass to remind me.”

“Well, consider this your kick.”